Gran Melia Palacio de Isora

We had a great experience at Palacio de Isora. Beyond the beautiful facilities, what we will remember most is the outstanding service. Special thanks to Javi, Beatriz Vega and Erika for their kindness, warmth and professionalism. The food at the main restaurant was also very good. A place we would happily return to

Just Wow! My wife & I stayed here first week in June for 7 nights & we can honestly say that it was the most amazing hotel, probably the best we ever stayed at, location, setting, facilities, staff, service, food, comfort, I could go on! We upgraded to Red Level which really provided those extra touches from private swimming pool area, breakfast area overlooking the sea, upgraded room with large terrace & jacuzzi bath to priority restaurant bookings and the like. Our room was immaculate and extremely comfortable and whilst we chose ground floor, the terrace was private enough and was sea view which was lovely. The hotel itself was just fantastic, extremely modern, spotlessly clean throughout with beautifully kept gardens & water features. The staff were all so friendly & on hand if you needed them. Whilst we had breakfast at the Red Level area each morning, we did generally have dinner in the main buffet restaurant each night (aside one night when we booked the Asian restaurant which was part of the all inclusive). The main buffet restaurant was absolutely great, with plenty of choice and a themed food night each night of the week from indian, mediterranean, sea food etc, all superbly cooked & presented and never had a bad meal the whole time. We couldn't fault Red Level, from check in to check out, everything was effortless and you were really looked after but not in an over bearing way, just the most relaxed & enjoyable stay we've had & totally befitting of its 5 stars in every single way. Will most definetly be going back again!

Overall the Hotel is great and I wouldn't put anyone off booking it. The Room was very spacious and had the comfiest bed I have ever stayed in. Fridge was re-filled with water and soft drinks daily. Food was great, loved how you got to choose off a menu at Lunch time. We did À la carte twice on an evening and both times couldn't complain Outdoor seating area where the DJ plays at Sunset is such a nice Vibe, great comfy seating and lovely cocktails served to you. The splashpark section for kids is brilliant and the pool is heated, my kids loved going there. Hotel is very clean. Things in which could be improved. It was a struggle sometimes to get sunbeds, we would typically get to around the pool at 9.30am and it would be a hunt to get any, i am not one for having to get up early on holiday to reserve sunbeds. Also some of the sunbeds need binning as broken, i think all the sunbeds need cushions on as they are so much more comfy plus will look more aesthetically pleasing. The infinity pool is beautiful, if i am being picky though the floors in some areas look like they could do with a better clean. Some areas of the hotel could do with some TLC - The bali beds could do with re-painting and the decking near the pool bar looks and feels like it needs some maintenance. At lunchtime the restaurants can get very busy, if you are going at prime time 1-2pm you can expect to queue (i do think the staff are very good and efficient) we typically tried to avoid popular times because of this. Our room looked over the front of the hotel and we found the empty unmanaged pools next to the bali beds need work as it makes it not the best view, these areas could be better utilised. Booking restaurants should be made easier on the app so you don't have to find someone and queue to do it. We thought there needed to be more bar areas, the splashpark area could do with one, as we would always have to wait for a waiter to come as tried getting them myself one day from the family pool which was a faff, there needs to be a small one the other end of the infinity pool ideally aswell near the spa. I think the splashpark could do with some more seating aswell as can get busy at times, plenty more spaces for benches to be added. There was a few occasions when we had to wait for towels for the sunbeds. This place has all the potential to be a 5* with some tweaks.

We had a fantastic stay at the Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora. The facilities, atmosphere, cleanliness, and overall service were excellent. We would especially like to highlight the Oasis restaurant, where we enjoyed not only the food but also the outstanding service. A special thank you to Javi, Beatriz Vega, and Erika for their professionalism, warmth, and kindness; they were always attentive and made every meal even more special. People like them truly make a difference and are the reason guests want to come back. Thank you all so much!

Overall, we had a lovely stay and there is a lot to like about this hotel. However, there were also some operational issues that prevented it from being a truly exceptional experience. Positives -The hotel itself is beautiful and only around a 25-minute transfer from the airport. -There are a few local shops within a 5–10 minute walk. -The staff were overwhelmingly friendly, welcoming and hardworking throughout our stay. Check-in was easy and the porters were excellent. -We arrived very late and it was a lovely touch that the buffet was reopened at 10pm for late arrivals. -Food quality was generally very good. We particularly enjoyed the Mexican restaurant, Oasis and the Italian restaurant. The Asian restaurant was more average, although the service there was excellent. -The complimentary ice cream available from 1pm–5pm for all-inclusive guests was fantastic and very popular with the family. -Drinks were good quality with a wide selection available. The only slight disappointment was that all-inclusive guests only had one choice of red, white and rosé wine rather than multiple options. -We were allocated a room near reception and the Pirate Pool. It was spacious, clean and well maintained. -The entertainment was excellent and there were plenty of activities for children, including large inflatable slides, kids' paddleboarding sessions and other organised activities. - There is a lovely promenade walk along the seafront with a couple of play areas and a skate park for children. - The heated family pool was great for younger children, while the infinity pool is absolutely stunning. Areas for Improvement Restaurant Booking System The biggest issue during our stay was the restaurant reservation process. The booking system simply doesn't work effectively. Reservations cannot be made through the app and guests have to queue at the concierge desk unless they are Red Level guests. The queues were consistently long, with waits of 30 minutes or more each time. Even after queuing, securing a reservation was extremely difficult. Our experience with the Italian restaurant highlighted how frustrating the process is. We were advised to return at 7:45pm to check for cancellations. When we returned, another guest cancelled their 8:30pm table right in front of us. We asked if we could take the now-available reservation but were told no and instructed to come back at 8:30pm and join a first-come, first-served process. We were standing there when the table became available, so the logic made little sense. The member of staff handling the situation was unfortunately the only rude staff member we encountered during our entire stay. The restaurant also appeared to have numerous empty tables despite being described as fully booked, which made the situation even more confusing. Safety Incident One morning at breakfast, my son found a large piece of glass in his drink which ended up in his mouth. Thankfully he wasn't injured, but the outcome could have been much more serious. While I appreciate that accidents can happen, the response was disappointing. A manager briefly apologised and took our room number but there was no further follow-up or meaningful acknowledgement of the seriousness of the incident. Sunbeds and Pool Facilities -The sunbed situation is extremely frustrating. Guests were reserving beds from around 7am and even then we could only secure two sunbeds for our family of four. -Around half of the sunbeds do not have cushions and are uncomfortable for a full day by the pool. -Pool towels regularly ran out by the family pool, particularly after lunch. -There are insufficient toilet facilities around the pool area. The men's toilets have only one cubicle and the women's only two, which isn't adequate for a hotel of this size. It was often difficult to get drinks around the Pirate Pool and evening service could be inconsistent. My advice would be to avoid visiting during school half-term holidays it was far more enjoyable towards the end of the week as people were going home. The hotel appeared overwhelmed by the number of guests and struggled to cope with demand. To avoid lengthy queues, we often felt compelled to arrive at lunch restaurants as soon as they opened, even when we weren't particularly hungry. Otherwise, waits of over 30 minutes in the sun were common. In my opinion, the buffet restaurant should have been opened more frequently to help manage demand during peak periods. Communication and Staffing We were never informed that beer in the minibar was chargeable, despite being on an all-inclusive package. We only discovered this at checkout. While the staff worked incredibly hard and remained friendly throughout, it often felt like there simply weren't enough team members on duty to cope with the volume of guests. Rooms Although our room was spacious, clean and well maintained, soundproofing could be improved. We could hear a lot of noise from neighbouring rooms and guests staying above us. Final Thoughts This is a genuinely gorgeous hotel with excellent facilities, great food, fantastic entertainment and some of the friendliest staff we've encountered. However, several operational issues including the restaurant booking process, overcrowding during peak periods, lack of sunbeds and inconsistent service levels detracted from what could otherwise have been a five-star experience. One final point: this hotel is best suited to guests who plan to spend most of their holiday within the resort. There is very little in the immediate surrounding area, so if you're looking for lots to explore outside the hotel, this may not be the best choice.