"Unfortunately, our stay at Cornelia Diamond did not meet the standard we expected from a five-star ultra all-inclusive resort. While parts of the hotel look impressive, the overall experience fell well below expectations, especially around service, food, cleanliness, accessibility, and room standards. One of the biggest problems was the service and language barrier. To be clear, this isn’t about other guests or nationalities, but as English-speaking guests, we often felt overlooked and not looked after in the same way. On our final evening at the bar, I politely asked whether Russian was the main language staff preferred, as that’s how it had felt throughout our stay. The staff member laughed and confirmed it, which came across as dismissive and unprofessional. Service around the pool and Dome Bar was also poor. At lunchtime, we often sat near the pool, including non-smoking areas, yet people were still smoking close by. On several occasions, we were left waiting around ten to fifteen minutes with no menus and no acknowledgement, even though it was clear we were ready to order. It started to feel like you had to be pushy just to get basic attention. Another example happened during evening entertainment at the Dome Bar. A waiter was taking our group’s drinks order, got to me, when another staff member pulled him away mid-order to serve what was described as a special guest. They both looked at me and then walked off. I was left feeling completely dismissed, as if our table mattered less. There were also unprofessional moments from staff, including vaping near service stations where cutlery was kept. On one occasion, a staff member appeared to hide while vaping as I walked past. That is not the behavior I would expect at a five-star resort. The drinks service was a serious concern. I’m a type 1 diabetic and repeatedly asked for diet mixers, but was given full sugar mixers on more than one occasion. With vodka mixers, it’s very hard to tell straight away. This caused my blood sugar to rise to around 18 to 19 millimoles per liter, which is not just upsetting, but potentially dangerous. That should not happen in a five-star hotel, especially after a medical need has been clearly explained. I also developed a skin infection during the holiday. Again, as a diabetic, this was very worrying. Since returning home, I’ve had another flare-up on the same arm after applying one of my Libre sensors, which became infected and resulted in a visit to A&E. I cannot say with certainty what caused the second infection, but becoming unwell on holiday and continuing to have issues afterwards has been extremely stressful. Cleanliness and hygiene were also very poor at times. I understand accidents can happen, especially with children, but the way some situations were handled was not acceptable for a five-star resort. On one occasion, my daughter and her carer went to use the Jacuzzi in the spa area and found What appeared to be feces in it. They had to report this to staff who then drained and cleaned it. There were also multiple incidents of children being sick near guests. During one lunchtime, a child was walked through the dining area and was sick near other guests. What concerned us most was the way it appeared to be cleaned. It looked as if staff simply used a squeegee to push it around the tiles, rather than properly disinfecting the area. Some of it was still left near the table where the child had originally been sitting and another guest later sat there. For a hotel claiming to be five-star, the hygiene standards and response to incidents like this felt completely unacceptable. Accessibility was also disappointing. We were traveling with our child who uses a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy and at times, struggled to find suitable seating in dining areas. We did appreciate that a table was reserved for us in the red room, which helped a lot, but it came with a fixed time of 8pm and no flexibility. It felt rigid rather than genuinely accommodating. It was also my child’s birthday during our stay. Her wheelchair was decorated with banners and she was wearing a birthday badge and party hat, so it was very obvious it was a special day. However, there was no real effort from staff to acknowledge it or make her feel special. That was very disappointing and well below what we would expect from a five-star resort. The food was disappointing too. Breakfast was so poor that we only went on the first morning and did not return after that. Across the stay, food felt average and repetitive with limited variety. Some overcooked dishes and very few themed nights. The à la carte restaurants also required an additional service charge, which does not feel right for a so-called ultra all-inclusive resort. Another frustration was the cost of extras. The hotel shop and children’s extras were chargeable, which we understand, but the prices felt completely unreasonable. We were quoted 30 euros for a basic football and over 30 euros for a small bucket and spade. We later discovered there was an activities desk where you could borrow pool toys using your room number. But no one told us about this. I had to find it out myself. Some of the balls available were ripped or in poor condition and you had to be quick to get one. But if we had known this from the start, we would not have gone to the shop in the first place. The lack of transparency gave the impression that guests were being pushed toward overpriced options. The same issue applied to children’s temporary tattoos. These were basic and not high quality, yet I was quoted 30 euros. Later in the holiday, I saw another guest pay 10 euros. I can’t say why there was such a difference, but it gave the impression that pricing was not consistent and that some guests were being charged more than others. That left us feeling exploited rather than valued as guests. Room standards were also below expectations. The lighting was poor, sockets were loose, the air conditioning kept resetting, there was no iron or ironing board, the minibar was not cold, refills were inconsistent and dirty cups were left behind. The pool and entertainment were underwhelming as well, with very little atmosphere during the day and limited variety. Guest services also felt unhelpful when real problems arose. Overall, we expected a genuine five-star ultra all-inclusive holiday, but what we received fell far short. Given the cost, the health concerns, poor hygiene, lack of flexibility, inconsistent service and inflated extras, it was simply not good enough."
