Palia Don Pedro

We didn’t have high expectations, knowing the hotel was only 3-star rated, and we’d seen a real mix of reviews — plenty of bad ones, but some good too. Honestly though, I wouldn’t even say it deserves 3 stars at all!

The rooms felt very outdated, and the ceiling fan looked like it was about to come loose and fly off whenever it was turned on. The toilet was extremely wobbly; every time you sat down or stood up, it banged loudly against the wall. Cleanliness was definitely an issue too — we found someone else’s dirty socks and rubbish tucked under the sofa, and even after the cleaners had been in, the room still didn’t feel properly clean. There was no air conditioning, which made it quite uncomfortable.

A couple of the staff members were lovely, friendly and really helpful, but sadly the rest were rude and unapproachable. The food was okay, but very repetitive — we were eating the same things day after day. It was advertised as all-inclusive, yet only a small selection of cocktails and drinks were free; anything else you had to pay extra for.

The pool area was decent enough, but some of the sun loungers were broken or in poor condition. There wasn’t much in the immediate area either — most shops were closed — so we had to catch a bus or take a taxi just to get to places with more going on. That said, there were some great spots nearby: Lizzie’s was just a very short walk away, and the food and drinks there were excellent. We also found a few other lovely little restaurants close by which were a real highlight.

Little extras really added to the frustration too — we were charged for the TV remote, and the safe key, and there was even a charge for the Wi-Fi password.

We definitely won’t be going back, that’s for sure.

My wife and I have just returned from 2-night break here. We booked a 1 bedroom apt direct with the hotel website as it was a competitive price and included free wifi. Jose quickly checked us in and gave us a physical key (not keycard) to room 453. We paid a (returnable) deposit of 20 euros for a TV remote control and also asked for a kettle (no charge). The lounge room was a good size and looked like it had recently been renovated. We knew that there was no aircon but the (decent) ceiling fan had been left on and we opened the balcony door as soon as we arrived to let the air through. A wall mounted swivel, flatscreen TV with some English language channels and various other language channels which had been adapted to original versions (e.g NCIS, Death in paradise etc) was an improvement since our last visit. We did not use the hob but the fridge (including small icebox) wss very clean and worked well. The door to the balcony had a substantial sliding bolt and a strong hook (“old-fashioned” maybe, but certainly secure). The balcony itself had a table, 2 chairs and an extending washing rack. The bedroom had twin beds made up with a firm pillow, good quality sheets and coverlet (blankets were available). There was no ceiling fan (which made the room quite hot at times). We noticed that you could hire a fan or air-con unit but it didn't seem worth it for our short stay. The "open" (ie no doors) wardrobe had hanging/shelf space and a (payable) safe. There was no drawer space.
The bathroom had a bath with overhead shower. The water pressure and temperature were good but the shower holder had been fixed at an angle, so the showerhead directed water to the end of the bath (and through the gap in the curtain), creating a small puddle on the floor) during use. Decent quality hand and bath towels were provided but no bath sundries except 2 (very) small soaps. A wall-mounted shower-gel dispenser would have been appreciated. There was one electric socket and the light over the mirror was good. All meals were served buffet style (breakfast 8am–10am, lunch 1pm-3pm. dinner 7.30pm–9.30pm), with some items cooked to order. We felt there was an excellent selection of dishes at all meals and everything was hot. There was a better choice of fresh fruit since our last visit. Two hot drinks machines and one toaster struggled to meet the demand at breakfast on occassion. The water pump for refilling our water bottles made life easy. The pool bar had indoor and outdoor seating and doubled up as the entertainment area in the evening. The complex did not seem full, but the bar was sufficiently staffed so as not to allow a queue to build up. The beer was San Miguel and we found all alcoholic drinks to be of reasonable quality and good measures. (Note that drinks are served in small paper cups, so bring a plastic receptacle if you find this a nuisance.). All-inc ended at 10.30 but there was no restriction in getting extra drinks in before that time. The pool was very relaxing (no music) and had plenty of (new-looking) sun loungers (no sun-bed wars) and a lifeguard. The animation team man encouraged people to take part in a range of activities in a friendly (not pushy) way. The apartment, outer buildings and pool areas were all clean (albeit old in some areas). Entertainment consisted of a singer and quiz on the nights we were there. Wifi worked well and we were pleased that it was included in our booking. In summary, this is not a 5* hotel and does not claim to be so there is no point complaining about the lack of facilities that the hotel does not claim to have! A 2-minute Trivago search will show there is no ALL-INCLUSIVE hotel that can compete with the price, so if air-con, a gym or whatever is important to you, simply book a hotel that actually says they have it. For my wife and I, the friendliness of the staff and choice/quality of the food make staying here a no-brainer and we look forward to visiting again soon! This review is based entirely on my opinion and I hope you found it helpful.