"A lovely holiday with some disappointing experiences
We recently stayed at the Atlantica Sancta Napa Resort and, overall, we did enjoy our holiday and made some lovely new memories. However, there were several aspects of our stay that left us disappointed, alongside some real highlights.
The positives
The food in the main restaurant was exceptional. There was a fantastic variety, and the quality was consistently impressive. We genuinely didn’t feel the need to eat outside the hotel because the food was that good!
We also had wonderful experiences in both the Asian and Greek à la carte restaurants. The food and overall experience in these restaurants were beautiful and definite highlights of our stay.
The drinks were also good overall, but unfortunately, the quality and consistency varied between the bars. We found the drinks served in the bars in the newer area of the resort to be considerably better than those at the main pool bar. Greater consistency across all the bars would improve the experience and ensure guests receive the same standard wherever they choose to sit and enjoy a drink.
Unfortunately, our experience at the Italian restaurant was the complete opposite to our other dining experiences. The service was rude, and we felt the staff were uninterested in accommodating guests. We asked whether any adjustments could be made to the food, particularly for my dad, who has specific dietary requirements following cancer treatment. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no willingness to accommodate any changes. We ended up leaving before dessert, which was disappointing and took away from what should have been an enjoyable dining experience. Paying customers off the street are definitely the priority.
Given the otherwise excellent food throughout the resort, this experience was particularly frustrating.
Rooms and personal circumstances
This trip was particularly meaningful to us, as Cyprus holds a special place in our hearts because of my sister, Leah, who tragically passed away aged just 17. Returning without her was an emotional experience, and I contacted the hotel before our arrival to explain the circumstances and ask whether anything could be done to make our stay a little extra special.
I completely understood that an upgrade wasn’t guaranteed, nor was I expecting anything for free. However, we were allocated two rooms that appeared to be among the least desirable in the hotel. They were small, dated and had particularly poor views.
Having explained the significance of our visit beforehand, it was disappointing that we weren’t considered for rooms with a nicer view or in a better location, particularly as we overheard conversations about other guests receiving upgrades during our stay.
The communication before our arrival had been incredibly compassionate, and I genuinely appreciated the kindness shown in those messages. Unfortunately, the reality of our room allocation didn’t quite reflect the level of care and consideration we had hoped for.
Safety concerns
Unfortunately, there was also an accident involving my partner, who hit his head on a walkway and suffered a very painful neck injury that affected his sleep for the remainder of the holiday.
We appreciated the late check-out arranged for one of the rooms in our party, but felt the overall response was somewhat limited given the circumstances.
We were also concerned that the area where the accident occurred did not appear to be properly cordoned off or clearly signposted. This raised questions about whether the potential hazard had been adequately highlighted to guests in the first place.
Also in the newer area; there are sloped pathways which can become slippery and there are no handrails.
Pool bar and entertainment
For a resort of this size, we felt more staff were needed at the main pool bar. At busy times, additional staffing would have made a real difference to the overall guest experience.
The entertainment was another area that disappointed us. For such a large resort, we expected a much livelier atmosphere, but the entertainment felt poor and lacked energy.
We also felt the entertainment was heavily Polish-focused, with insufficient consideration given to the other nationalities staying at the resort. We appreciate that hotels welcome guests from different countries, and that’s part of the appeal of an international resort. However, the entertainment programme should reflect this diversity and offer something inclusive and enjoyable for everyone, rather than appearing predominantly tailored towards one nationality.
The children’s disco was particularly disappointing. It consisted of one entertainer dancing to music played at a low volume, and unfortunately, he didn’t appear particularly enthusiastic about being there. With so many families staying at the resort, we expected something much more engaging for the children.
Cleanliness and maintenance
Unfortunately, the cleanliness and maintenance of the ladies’ toilets near the main pool bar were also disappointing.
There was what appeared to be faeces smeared on the wall in the ladies’ toilets, which I reported to reception. Despite bringing this to the hotel’s attention, it remained there for the entire duration of our stay. This was completely unacceptable from a hygiene perspective, particularly in a busy pool area where cleanliness should be a priority.
Additionally, one of the ladies’ toilet cubicle doors was broken and remained unrepaired throughout our holiday. This meant that, for the duration of our stay, there was effectively only one functioning ladies’ toilet available in the main pool area.
For a resort of this size, these basic hygiene and maintenance issues should have been addressed promptly. The fact that a reported cleanliness issue remained unresolved for the entire holiday, alongside a broken toilet door that was never repaired, was particularly disappointing and did not reflect the standards we would expect from a resort of this kind.
Overall verdict
There were certainly things we loved about our holiday. The main restaurant was fantastic, the Asian and Greek restaurants were excellent, and the drinks were enjoyable, particularly in the newer area of the resort.
However, the disappointing experience at the Italian restaurant, the inconsistency between bars, the lack of atmosphere and variety in the entertainment, the staffing at the main pool bar, our room allocation and the concerns surrounding my partner’s accident all took away from what could have been an even better stay.
I want to stress that we did enjoy our holiday, and I am glad we returned to a place that holds so many special memories for our family. However, I believe there were opportunities for the hotel to improve our experience, particularly given the circumstances we had shared before arriving.
I have emailed the Manager, Ele, with my thoughts but have not received a reply.
I’m sharing this review to provide an honest account for future guests and in the hope that the feedback will be taken constructively. The resort has some real strengths, particularly when it comes to food, but there are areas where we feel improvements would make a significant difference."
