TUI BLUE Insula Alba

Excellent facilities , they really are and so many good things, yet there are some issues. Having stayed at other 5 star rated hotels, including Tui Blue ones elsewhere, this isn’t a 5 star in every aspect. Great facilities, as long as you get the right room and probably the biggest let down was the evening meal, more below. We also did have a tum upset, no idea of the cause, we are regular travellers and that is not usual at all for us. Everywhere was very clean and food preparation looked very good but nonetheless it happened. Staff Superbly friendly and helpful , couldn’t really fault them at all. Every one of them smiled said hello and tried to help you. Top notch and some of the best I have come across, maybe apart from the pool bar guy who kept telling me to smile whilst waiting! Facilities One picture is the map of the hotel, think it will help. We had a swim up room. Superb room, absolutely 5 star. Beautiful setting, pool extended around the rooms in that area with a centre area to go and sunbathe on. Rooms get the sun but not all of them all day. Here is the crunch, same level swim up rooms do not have that same level of space, for example area B 901 to 914 didn’t look anywhere near as good as the ones with the middle area. One point was the shower, over a bath, not the best but fine, how to turn it on is fun, you have to reach under the tap, find the hole and pull. If you don’t know it isn’t obvious. Recommend asking for the right swim up room area. WiFi Good in the room, poor in the dining area, very intermittent around the pool bar, non existent in the reception. Needs improving, Sat there trying to look at the TUI app trying to book or check anything and three bars are there but no internet connection. Entertainment Not 5 star, entertainment light really. White night saw almost no effort when we have seen so much more at other hotels. Press start on the iPad , couple of white balloons, ask people what music they want, then don’t play it. The entertainment was all around the pool bar, not much space. Ordinary, seen so much better. Pool Bar The staff are generally great and friendly. Drinks are really good. Maybe the cocktail choice is limited for a 5 star and you don’t seem encouraged to ask for one of your own (we like dirty banana). Only comment really is that when you go to the bar on an evening they say they will come to you to take your order where you sit. First night after 25 minutes and no drink I went back to the bar to say I will wait for the drink, because others sat there were getting served, they then started to be much quicker. Food TUI blue hotels, as I read, are supposed to be about high quality cuisine, a core part of their cultured cuisine, going beyond standard all inclusive buffets. Breakfast is good, although the sausages are not decent pork ones. Where was the daily Mimosa I would expect in a 5 star hotel? You have to serve yourself for tea and coffee, they don’t have cups on the table, don’t bring anything, again is that 5 star? Lunch. Generally ok, given what lunch is. Did like the Gyros daily. Evening Meal. Very poor, staff canteen standard. Very pork orientated, not enough Chicken options, almost no beef, generally poor. One day I sat down with a minute bit of pork and a few chips, never anywhere in this standard of hotel or even 3 or 4 star ones, have I had to do that. There was a board showing 10 years as a TUI blue, yet evening meal standard is nowhere near good enough. Gala dinner. That was the standard of buffet we should expect daily. I noted it said on the app “premium food” would be served, so if it’s premium on Gala dinner, what is being served on all other nights? Sub premium? Culinarium. Superb, absolutely excellent, the Meze was outstanding, the lamb fantastic. Make sure you take this up, great sea view. Definitely 5 star. But you can only go once. It looks like you have to pay full price if you want to go again. Maybe there should be an amount you can pay say an extra Eur20 each to go again. Missing a trick there. Piano bar, pizza and pasta restaurant. Really very good and another chance to eat outside. Had a lovely meal on the roof as the sun was going down. It’s part of the package but you need to book on the app. Superb holiday, but the food in the evening isn’t good enough.

We stayed here for 1 week to celebrate my birthday and found the hotel generally good with potential to be better. Booked a swim up room which was ok, albeit very little storage space. The safe broke on arrival and the door broke the next day, both were sorted quickly but not the best start. Sun beds are very comfortable but beware you’ll need to be down by 8.30am to have a chance of getting one. Pool bar had an absolute star in Manos who made our week so enjoyable, one of the friendliest and most welcoming bar man we’ve experienced anywhere, an absolute asset to the hotel. Also had great service from Jefferson and Fillippos at the bar and Eleni at lunch in the Culinarium. Which brings me to the main issue with this hotel which is the food. Buffet food was generally poor choice and not that hot. Culinarium lunch was served in cardboard pots and mostly pre-prepared, not at all 5 star ! Culinarium Al a carte was much better but you only get one visit, we therefore ate out for 4 of our 7 evenings and found a fantastic Taverna only a 5 minute walk away. Entertainment was not great and strangely next to pool bar with very little seating, many sat on damp sun beds instead which is hardly a 5 star experience. I pondered giving 3 stars for my review but went with 4 on the basis of the service from Manos, good drink quality and the hotel remembering my birthday and providing a lovely cake. I don’t feel the hotel is 5 star until it improves the food options but we still enjoyed our stay and may return ( if Manos is there)

Welcome in hotel good. We arrived early morning and there seemed to be recognition of the late hour. We were invited to sit whilst reception collected passports to process check in. We were offered food on arrival. We were given a Lift to room and Helped with cases. Room small for 3 people. A double bed and single bed provided with only walk around room. Offered shower gel etc in bathroom with complimentary cotton pads etc. Free mini bar in the room that was filled daily with soft drink, beer and wine. Beds around the pool are plenty and no need to reserve. Food good with plenty of choice but only one buffet restaurant available. Would have been nice to have a different choice on site. We were allowed one night per stay to book into the al a carte restaurant and that was nice. Entertainment poor. Provided nightly but not to my taste. Exception being acrobats who were fantastic. Bar service poor both in the evenings whilst watching entertainment and during the day around the pool. Staff very friendly. Always happy to greet guests with a friendly hello and smile. Hotel a little quiet for me. Just because it’s adults only doesn’t mean it has to be quiet. Would have liked music playing around the pool etc. WiFi poor in areas of the hotel. Had a massage and really enjoyed it. Was on the pricey side. Hotel very clean. Room cleaned daily and all aspects of hotel spotless including food area where staff are careful to clean regularly. Check out easy and staff helpful. Received a call the day before check out to give us helpful information and to inform us that we could have access to all aspects of the hotel until we left in the evening including a room to shower in at the end of the stay.

This hotel is absolutely amazing, with a really laid-back vibe and attention to detail on every level. Our room was spacious and so clean, with a comfortable vast bed and enough pillows. We had a swim-up room with private loungers, which was a great luxury - the whole swim-up area was quiet and relaxed. The cleaning staff were incredibly hard-working, and ensured the room was spotless every day - drinks were topped up in the mini bar daily, and new towels were offered (although we took beach towels, we could have easily saved some space in our suitcases, because towels were freely available. The staff, from reception to dining room to pool bar, were just phenomenal - smiles everywhere, and never hesitating to help out with any request. The drinks kept flowing from the people at the pool bar, and if you couldn't choose, they would even make you something special. The food in the dining room was varied, with something for every taste, and I greatly appreciated that there were Greek delicacies at every sitting. You were able to pick your own table and staff were soon along to ask what you wanted to drink - they were really efficient at whisking away empty plates as well. The TUI team were helpful with all queries and had arranged various activities, from fitness to local walks, including daily evening entertainment at the pool bar, which helped if you didn't want to stray far from the hotel. We also booked a couple of excursions via the TUI rep, which were handled well. From beginning to end, Insula Alba offered the perfect place to relax, and upon returning home, my husband and I have already booked for next year (after having never been keen to return to the same place, we just couldn't resist in this case!)

Arrived with high expectations only to be disappointed. Had read reviews but think we were in different hotel. In our view it is definitely not a 5* where food is concerned. Yes, the hotel is kept spotless but so clinically white and although Claire, the Tui rep is brilliant, the same can’t be said of the customer relations lady and some of the reception staff. When we asked to book the à la carte we were promptly told by receptionist that we ‘did not BOOK but REQUEST an allocated time’. The à la carte food was beautiful unlike the main restaurant. Soup was always piping hot but as others have mentioned most food was only lukewarm. We found breakfast to be o k but lunch and dinner left a lot to be desired. Same thing far too often. Sweets were however plentiful and lots of choice. Only open 12.30 til 2 so not much time. Snack bar open all day. Not much choice unfortunately and served in cardboard containers. Insufficient sunbeds around the pool. Not sure why it is referred to as main pool as, apart from the swim up pools for private use, there is no other pool for guests apart from spa pool. Must admit sunbeds were so comfortable. So much so that my husband, who normally sits on a chair, found it difficult to get off them. POOL BAR - seating limited especially at night when entertainment was on. Guests having to sit on sunbeds! Staff work so hard and one review is correct in that some guests got preferential treatment over others. I will leave it to your imagination as to why! Pool is the same depth all over which was difficult for me being 5’ 1” as couldn’t touch the bottom. ROOMS We booked a swim up room but unfortunately didn’t use the communal pool as it was too cold plus room was in the shade from around 1 p m. Cannot fault our room. Bed was so comfy and for once all the light switches were labelled so no trial and error required. Shower was brilliant. One point to mention, there is very little storage space so had to live out of a suitcase for some things. RECOMMENDATIONS There is so much wasted space in reception area that a much needed bar would be welcomed. At the moment you have to walk down to pool bar or wait til piano bar opens at 6 or restaurant open at 6.30. Also, not sure how snack bar know who are guests as anyone can walk in off the road for a free meal. CONCLUSION Do not agree with most of the positive reviews but this is our own personal review. Would we return or recommend - NO