Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora

“Good Hotel, Beautiful Grounds, But Not Quite the 5-Star Experience We Expected We stayed at the Grand Meliá Palacio de Isora from 24th–31st May 2026 as a family of four (2 adults and 2 children aged 3 and 8). There is a lot to like about this hotel. The architecture is stunning, the grounds are beautifully maintained, and the pools are impressive. The food quality throughout our stay was very good, with plenty of tasty options available. The porter team also deserve special mention – they were welcoming, efficient, knew our names, and couldn't do enough to help with our luggage and arrival. Unfortunately, there were several issues that prevented this from feeling like a true 5-star experience. On arrival, our room had not been set up with beds for our children despite me emailing the hotel beforehand and receiving confirmation that two extra beds would be provided. Our Jet2 booking also clearly stated this requirement. After spending around an hour at reception late in the evening, the issue was eventually resolved, but it meant a much later bedtime for the children. To their credit, the hotel offered us a complimentary day on the Bali beds as compensation. One of the biggest frustrations was the lack of toilet facilities. Around the family pool and Mexican restaurant there was only a single toilet serving a large area. The same situation existed around the pirate pool. Queues quickly formed and the facilities became dirty very quickly. Lunchtime was another disappointment. With only two all-inclusive dining options available, queues were often extremely long, and on several occasions we waited close to an hour just to be seated. Standing in full sun with young children and very little shade is not what I'd expect from a luxury resort. The drinks service was also poor. Around the pirate pool there is no bar, so guests rely entirely on waiter service. On some days we waited over an hour for water or a beer. I raised this with management and was offered another complimentary Bali bed, which was appreciated, but the real issue remained. It would be far more practical to have a dedicated bar in this area rather than relying on a couple of waiters bringing drinks from elsewhere. Unfortunately, staff often seemed overwhelmed or simply uninterested in serving waiting guests. The same problem continued in the evenings. With no easily accessible bar service, drinks were dependent on waiting staff. On two separate nights we waited over 20 minutes without being served and eventually gave up and returned to our room. Another surprise was the minibar policy. Soft drinks were included, but beers were charged at €4 each despite us being on an all-inclusive package. This was not made particularly clear, and we only discovered it when reviewing our bill. Booking speciality restaurants was also unnecessarily complicated. The app did not allow reservations, meaning guests had to queue at the concierge desk, often for over 30 minutes, simply to book for the following day. It made us question the purpose of having the app in the first place. Finally, sunbed availability was a major issue. Finding a free sunbed after 8am was almost impossible, with many being reserved very early in the morning. For a hotel of this size, there simply aren't enough loungers around what is otherwise an incredible pool complex. Some of the sunbeds were also missing cushions or were broken. Overall, this is a beautiful hotel with fantastic facilities and good food, but there are some significant operational issues that need addressing. Better drinks service, more toilets, improved restaurant capacity, and additional sunbeds would make a huge difference. We still enjoyed our holiday, but for the price and 5-star rating, we expected a much smoother experience.”

“Ми чудово провели час у готелі Palacio Isora. Інфраструктура, атмосфера та рівень обслуговування були на найвищому рівні. Особливу подяку хочемо висловити Хаві, Еріці та Беатріс Вега з ресторану Oasis за їхню доброзичливість, професіоналізм і тепле ставлення протягом усього нашого перебування. Також хочемо відзначити чудову роботу всієї команди офіціантів, які завжди були уважними та привітними. Завдяки їм кожен прийом їжі був дуже приємним.”

“What an amazing place in a great location in the town of Alcala. We really enjoyed our stay and the staff go out of their way to help you. Everyone is so friendly. We stayed for 2 weeks and can't wait to go back. Highly recommend this hotel.”