Booked holiday- now reviews have gone downhill

[EmmyLemmyHemmy]

Let me begin by saying i know how fortunate we are to be in this position!!

Booked a much needed holiday after a terrible year with bereavements, illness and jobs being unstable. Things are finally looking up, we are more financially stable, and decided on a real treat for us and the kids. Spent a small fortune on an all inclusive at a luxury resort with 5* reviews, but thought after the year from hell everyone needs it.

Excitedly counting down.

Visited trip advisor yesterday, and the reviews have gone downhill this season. Since opening people are saying terrible service, too few staff, food gone downhill etc.

I feel so sad. This was meant to be the holiday of a lifetime, we have all been so excited, and now it runs the risk of being a flop!!

Suppose there's still 6 weeks for the resort/hotel to 'pick up' but realistically thats unlikely to happen, isn't it?

What can I do to try and make this better? Things to take with us, plans to make?

Booked with Jet 2 if that makes any difference.......

We have never had an all inclusive before.......so any tips on making the most of it much appreciated

Remember people are more likely to leave a negative review than positive. There may be loads of people
loving it. Also unhappy people are more likely to exaggerate

Where is it?
If it's that bad could you not ask to be moved to a different hotel?
I have never been all inclusive so I wouldn't know what to expect

Thank you, I am praying this is the case.......really really hoping!!

Maybe contact Jet2 and have a conversation with them and go from there..... also check your contract to see if there is any back up options.

It's in Greece. So I suppose looking on the bright side we will have the sunshine if nothing else!

I don't know if you can ask to be moved? Would that be when we were there or beforehand?

Some of my happiest memories of holidays as a child were the ones that turned out to be shit, from an adult's point of view! I have particularly fond memories of a motel called Barnacle Bill's. Total dump. My parents made the best of it and we all laughed a lot about how awful it was. It's a family joke even now.

So - it's all in how you approach it - your kids will take their cue from you.

Thank you

If the reviews are really awful then I’d contact the booking agent and explain your concerns and see if possible to move elsewhere.

This is lovely- and I will be positive in front of them whatever happens. They have no benchmark to compare it to so they will see it as a treat! We've been explaining the concept of AI to them and they're excited to try the ice creams and cakes etc, but from reviews sounds like its difficult to even get served for ice cream now.......

Does anyone have any experience of asking to be moved?

What are the main complaints in the reviews? You mention not enough staff but what is the result? Long queue to check in and no one around when there's a problem? Or just no one taking drinks orders from the sunbeds?
And people often complain about repetitive and boring food at all inclusive, but that's because it's the same buffet every day. Are there also a la carte restaurants on the grounds?
What are your priorities? Is a kids club a key thing for you? What do the reviews say about that?
Or do you want to do the sports and activities?
The thing is, there are some incredible AIs out there, like Ikos, who raise the bar phenomenally high. Then people go to a normal one, and complain because no one cleaned their sunglasses for them.
It's about digging into the reviews to understand if someone is venting or has a legitimate concern.

I’m currently on holiday and also read some worrying reviews about my holiday, honestly it’s 10/10 here. From now on I’m going to do my research before booking, then book and not read any reviews afterwards. I’ve wasted so much time about worrying about what some moaners wrote.

I think if you just choose food you like they always do fresh grilling of fish chicken etc. Sometimes .some of the food won't be to your taste but it will be fine, and some people on T A like a moan.

Why would you want to be moved it sounds like you are panicking .

So it sounds like no service on sunbeds and long waits for service at bar (its marketed as service at sunbeds). Long queues for the buffet then poor service (ie drinks not arriving by the end of the meal). Unable to get reservations at al a carte restaurants on resort. Lack of sunbeds, lack of staff in general

Last year's reviews were so good.......

I should 100% have done this. went to read reviews because I was excited.....it was a mistake!!

Trip advisor is pretty useless these days IMO. Very few people (me included) post reviews routinely any more, they only think of it when they're unhappy.
It's TA's own fault IMO, it's difficult to navigate these days, showing you whatever it fancies and feels like just a selling front. I think its days are numbered.

Trying to remind myself people like a moan, hopefully thats the case and it will be ok!!

Don’t panic OP.

Everywhere gets bad reviews. Place I went last year had bad reviews (went on TA after booking). Had a great time and going back next week.

Don't worry I'm sure it'll be fine.

It has maybe just been a busy time at the hotel, and they were run off their feet.

Where I am a lot of people said they didn’t like a lot of the food, it’s actually the most amazing buffets with a massive salad bar, so many different vegetables, fresh fish and meat, pasta stations, kids buffet options, pizza, chips, rice, a massive bread and olives section etc, etc. I can’t see how you couldn’t like the food, I always try and make my plate look
a ‘normal’ meal, so salad, fish and rice etc rather than too many different foods on one plate.

Is it the mitsis selection Laguna by any chance?

Sometimes you get a large group of moaning Brits who all submit moaning reviews so Tripadvisor looks bad for a while. So for example this could have happened over the recent half term.