Gran Melia Palacio de Isora

Disappointing Stay We chose this hotel based on previous excellent experiences with Meliá hotels, but unfortunately this stay has been very disappointing. On arrival, our rooms smelt strongly of sewage, and throughout our stay we’ve experienced inconsistent food and drink service despite paying for all-inclusive. The ongoing issue of guests reserving sunbeds has also been frustrating, particularly as we’re travelling with an infant and need access to shade. Most disappointing was the lack of response from management. Despite several requests through Group Relations, it took until our fifth day for someone to speak with us. While management did eventually meet with us, they were unable to accommodate our request to dine in our preferred à la carte restaurant on our final evening and could not offer a late check-out. We spent thousands of pounds on this holiday expecting a relaxing break, but instead it has been stressful and has fallen well short of the standard we’ve previously experienced with the Meliá brand. Sadly, this stay has made us reconsider whether we would choose Meliá again in the future.

Probably one of the best hotels we’ve stayed at. We had a fabulous 7 nights here, the food was incredible. My favourites were Nami (Asian) and L’Olio (Italian) and Mexican for lunch, the buffet was also great and I like the fact it’s only à la cartes or small buffet in the Italian for lunch. We did however eat at the steakhouse with our €100 voucher (attend the circle meet to get one!) and unfortunately this was the only not so great meal we had, but 1 out of 7 isn’t so bad. I feel like there could be a more varied steak cut/type selection in the steak restaurant to improve the experience. On arrival we had a (gross) issue in our room, it did take 6 times of mentioning it to get it sorted which was a bit of a let down to begin with. Special thank you to Maggie who was our assigned personal concierge (circle) and one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met, she got the issue sorted for us in the end and constantly checked in with us when passing the circle room and really got to know us. Thank you, Maggie. I was apprehensive about the Circle at first, we did go to the meeting and Nico presented it to us along with our personal offer, we liked the concept of it but not in the position to sign up to anything at the moment unfortunately, but want to note we never felt pressured or was harassed to sign up which we were thankful for and Nico did a great job as if we didn’t have other financial commitments we’d have been sold. Staff were all so lovely, you can tell they really enjoy working there and go the extra mile with children. Special shoutout to Aurelia in the Mexican restaurant (if you’re reading this it’s cow’s mum writing 🤣), she went above and beyond and made lots of effort with our mostly grumpy 2 year old who thinks his name is Cow. Thank you, Aurelia. Pools are a really nice temperature, especially the smaller splash pool - lovely and warm. We never had trouble getting sunbeds either, whether it was 10am, 12 or later in the afternoon. We booked directly through the hotel which saved us a fair bit more than the likes of TUI/Jet 2 (£1000k+). Also meant we got 2 free spa passes as we stayed for more than 5 nights, definitely recommend as the spa is beautiful. Anddd we’ll have some points to use on our next getaway ☺️ fyi when booking directly through the Melia app you’re charged in euros so use a card that doesn’t add conversion fees. I used Chase but M&S bank would’ve been £200 more. A really lovely stay, thank you!

We had a wonderful stay at the Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora, but without a doubt one of the highlights of our holiday was the Oasis restaurant. Its relaxed atmosphere, the quality of the food, and the excellent service made us want to come back again and again. Every dish was delicious, and you could really appreciate the care and attention that went into every detail. We would especially like to recognize the outstanding work of Beatriz, Vega, Javi, and Erika, who made us feel at home from the very first day. Their professionalism, friendliness, warmth, and constant attention truly made a difference and helped make our experience unforgettable. It is a pleasure to find such a dedicated team that always greets guests with a smile. We highly recommend this hotel, and especially the Oasis restaurant. Thank you all for making our holiday so special! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Up on first entrance the hotel is huge and very grand, door staff are very friendly. Parking at the hotel is 15€ per day however there is a lot of free parking on the roads outside which is where we parked. Our rooms was a bit on the smaller side but it was nice, the wood on the table and wardrobes was a bit tatty and in the bathroom the shower floor had a loose tile, there was also a mild bad smell in the shower. The hotel is very family friendly, we came with our 8 month baby boy and the majority of guests were also families. When I first arrived I thought that the location wasn’t great however after spending the week in the local area, I would say now that the location is fantastic as we found some incredible restaurants in Alcalá and in the neighbouring towns. If not staying all inclusive I would recommend getting a car. The hotel is nice and I would recommend if you’re a family however comparing it to other hotels I would say it’s more of a 4* than 5* due to the fact that it is due maintenance in places.

A wonderful time at Gran Melia BUT I want to mention 2 members of the wonderful staff who made my time particularly Perfecto. Dana Kordinova, went out of her way to make sure that everything was perfect. She is a great credit to the Hotel and her contribution to guest satisfaction should be recognised. Roberto Gallego is a key member of the team that keeps the drinks flowing to us partying guests. Roberto deserves special recognition for enhancing guest satisfaction. He constantly monitors all of his guests and then arrives with a refill for your glass often before you had realised that you needed a refill. AND he understands that Spanish Cerveza needs to be enjoyed very very cold.  The Hotel is great BUT with these two people on the staff, you will be delighted by your experience.  The only downside I would mention to try to improve things even further for the future. Non Spanish holiday makers are often looking to start their holiday evening with a cold drink in your delightful gardens at about 18h so they are ready to eat at about 20h. BUT BIG PROBLEM - the current system at this Hotel means that all of the bars in the gardens are closing down at 18h and they tell you to go to the only open bar which is in the central pool area. This is a very very long way and can take you 15 minutes and when you get back to the gardens where you were sitting the ambience you were enjoying with your fellow guests is completely lost, they may well have wandered off. You need to fix this Isora. Not all of your guests are Spanish.