Ashraf Meleka
I have never felt more unwelcome and disappointed visiting a 5 star hotel. I am a regular visitor to Tenerife and am currently staying at a 5 star Hotel on the island. Curious to try a different hotel for my next visit, my friend and I came and enquired at reception for a tour of the hotel facilities. We are a group of 14 adults , 4 families, who meet up in Tenerife every year. I was staying on the island, I thought it is a good idea to explore some others 5 Star hotel.
We were sent from one reception to another a few times then they asked to wait for 15 mins. Then we were informed that the staff were too busy to show us around and given a business card to make a reservation. Considering we were looking to book a minimum of 7 rooms this is not the way to treat potential clients
I have stayed at luxury hotels on all 5 continents and I have never experienced such bad customer service.
To the management of Melia Group :
You definitely need to review your customer service policy and training.
A Meleka
Ambassador Platinum IHG
International Traveler BONVOY & All ACCOR
D. S.
Avoid at All Costs – A Nightmare Disguised as Luxury
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
We spent two weeks at Red Level Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora, expecting a premium, adults-only luxury escape. What we received was the complete opposite – a holiday filled with disappointment, frustration, and stress.
Here is a full breakdown of what went wrong:
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🪰 1. Fly Infestation & Poor Hygiene
The entire resort is overrun with horseflies and biting insects. They’re on sunbeds, in restaurants, even in food trays. The smell of sewage near some areas and the presence of bird droppings on furniture add to the disgust. You cannot sit or lie down anywhere for more than a few minutes without being attacked by insects. Hygiene standards are simply unacceptable.
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🧒 2. “Adults Only” Is Misleading – Children Everywhere
This hotel is sold as Red Level Adults Only, but that’s only true for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, guests are sent to the main hotel with families and screaming children. This is not the exclusive, adults-only experience we were promised. In fact, it is a clear case of false advertising.
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💸 3. Hidden Costs Despite Luxury Upgrade
Despite paying for the highest all-inclusive luxury package, we encountered:
• Bali beds costing €200/day, even though they were included at other Meliá Red Level resorts.
• Drinks chargeable in restaurants, even though they were free at the bar.
• A “snack bar” for lunch offering only apples and cake.
It’s shocking how much was excluded or restricted, even with the highest tier package.
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😠 4. Disrespectful Staff After Complaints
After we voiced our concerns, we were treated coldly and ignored.
Worse still, some waiters made derogatory remarks about guests in Spanish, assuming we didn’t understand.
This is unprofessional, disrespectful, and absolutely unacceptable in any hotel – let alone a supposed 5-star luxury resort.
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⏳ 5. Chaos and Lack of Organization
Long queues of up to 30 minutes at breakfast, unfriendly waiters, chaotic restaurants full of noise, and no real Red Level structure during the day.
It felt like a budget resort at full capacity, not a premium 5-star experience.
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🧾 6. No Real Compensation
We received an upgrade of our room, which we did not ask for – and which did not solve any of the actual issues. The room was fine.
What we needed was peace, service, and the luxury we were sold.
Instead, we received empty gestures, such as being offered a Bali bed for one day as if it were a gift, even though this should have been included.
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📉 7. Our Feedback Was Not Taken Seriously
Despite multiple polite attempts to explain the issues, we were met with copy-paste responses and generic apologies.
It became clear that honest feedback is not welcome here – it is ignored, downplayed, or blamed on third parties. We even heard from others that this is a known pattern.
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Final word:
We paid over €10,000 for what turned out to be a stressful, degrading experience. We spent most of our time in our room, just trying to avoid flies, chaos, and disappointment.
This is not a luxury escape – it’s a highly overpriced trap.
If Meliá does not address these issues soon, their brand reputation will collapse – and this hotel will be the reason.
🔴 Avoid at all costs. You will regret it.
Nestoras Kyriakou
My girlfriend and I have had a dreamy stay at Red Level Gran Melia Palacios de Isora. From the very beginning, the staff there were super attentive in arranging all the amenities I asked for, whether that was birthday preparations and decorations, restaurant bookings and generally staying in touch. Once we got there, all the staff were super friendly and caring. Special thanks to Denis, as well as Hugo and Ruben for making this a very special occasion and helping us make the most of out this special destination at this special hotel - there are of course others who I couldn’t name, the entire team was fantastic. We won’t forget this visit and we’d surely come back to the same hotel if we get the chance!
Raymond Hill
The standards at this hotel are very high.
It is one of the best hotels we have ever stayed at (includes Hawaii and Bali).
I like the segregation of "adults only" and families. It enabled a peaceful, relaxing stay.
(Note : Master Suites are located in the families area)
Some pools are heated.
We found the service excellent, attentive but not invasive (we were all inclusive)
Looking forward to our next stay.
Liutauras Ceprackas
BE AWARE: If you have any respiratory issues, this hotel may not be suitable for you! The air conditioning system is plagued with black mold, and the smell is unbearable. Rather than addressing the source of the problem, they’ve opted to mask the odor with artificial fragrances, which essentially means they’re just poisoning their guests. (Check out the video I posted for proof.)
Sea View?: Don’t expect the promised sea view—it’s more like a view of a concrete wall. If you want to see the sea, you’ll have to stand on a chair. Additionally, there’s no clear boundary or control over who can enter the "Red Level" area, which takes away any sense of exclusivity.
Noise and Pool: To top it off, there was a party right outside our balcony, which made it impossible to relax. Also, the pool at the Red Level is at least 2 degrees colder than the adult pool at Gran Melia, although the service at the pool was decent.
Overall, this hotel is definitely not what it seems, and I wouldn't recommend it based on my experience