R2 Rio Calma Hotel

Great holiday and amazing service from Raul. I recommend a lot !

I have stayed in hotels all over the world, ranging from modest properties to genuinely excellent 4- and 5-star hotels, and unfortunately Rio Calma falls a very long way short of what I would expect from a 4-star property.

There were so many things during our stay that made me question how this hotel can justify its 4-star rating.

Our first room was directly above the disco. We were told the music would finish at 11pm, but on our first night it continued until around 1am. Not exactly ideal when you've travelled to a hotel expecting to get some sleep. To be fair, the hotel did move us the following day, but we shouldn't have been put in a room in that location in the first place.

Even more concerning was the condition of the bedding. The sheets on the bed had visible stains which appeared to be blood spots. Whatever the cause, finding stained bedding in a hotel room is completely unacceptable and certainly not something I would expect from a 4-star hotel.

Then there is the €4 per night charge for the room safe. At a supposedly 4-star all-inclusive hotel, charging guests extra for something as basic as a room safe feels incredibly cheap.

The towels were another disappointment. Both the room towels and the pool/beach towels were thin, worn, small and well past the quality I would expect from a 4-star hotel. They certainly didn't feel remotely luxurious.

But the biggest disappointment was the food.

The restaurant offered a very limited selection, with far too much greasy, fried and overcooked food. Meat and fish were routinely overcooked and lacking in quality. One evening they served entrecôte steak which was so tough that eating it was genuinely like trying to eat the sole of a shoe.

Breakfast was equally underwhelming. At a 4-star hotel I expect a reasonable selection of fresh produce, yet we were presented with tinned pears and tinned orange segments. That says quite a lot about the standard of the food being offered.

The all-inclusive drinks were no better. The choice was extremely limited, including only one type of beer, and the wine served with dinner was quite honestly dreadful. Calling it wine is being generous — it was so poor it was practically battery acid in a glass.

What makes all of this particularly disappointing is that Rio Calma has the potential to be a lovely hotel. The building and surroundings give the impression of a much higher standard, but the actual experience simply doesn't live up to it.

Having stayed in numerous hotels around the world, I know that "4-star" doesn't necessarily mean luxury, but it should mean a consistent level of quality, cleanliness, comfort, food and service. Rio Calma simply didn't deliver that.

The staff did deal with our room move when we complained, which I appreciated, but that doesn't make up for the overall experience.

In my opinion, Rio Calma is trading heavily on its appearance and facilities while delivering a standard that is nowhere near what I would expect from a 4-star hotel.

Would I return? Absolutely not.

Would I recommend it? Based on our experience, no.

If you're booking this hotel because you expect a genuine 4-star all-inclusive experience, I would strongly suggest managing your expectations.

Great hotel and delicious food. Raul - best waiter we ever had! Kind, helpful and profesional.