I stayed for four nights at Bilem Hotel Beach & Spa and unfortunately found the experience very disappointing.
Rooms and cleanliness
The air conditioning did not work, and the curtains in the room were partly hanging off. The shower was broken, spraying water in all directions and flooding the bathroom. The tiles around the bath tub were mouldy, the tub itself was stained, and there was a persistent smell of cigarette smoke coming from the air conditioning system. The ground floor constantly smelled of smoke, which seemed to be from staff smoking inside. Beds were adequate, but the pillows were cheap and uncomfortable, and the bed was very hard. Curtains were not blackout, which meant the room was too bright in the morning. The overall decor in both the rooms and the hotel was tired and worn. Rooms facing the pool or road had no real balcony, only a ledge too narrow to sit on. The photographs used online are misleading and do not reflect the reality of the rooms or facilities.
Pools, gym, and spa
The outdoor pool was uncomfortably cold and could not be used. By 3.30 p.m. the entire pool area was in shade, and the surrounding furniture and decor were dated and scruffy. The indoor pool was also freezing, the gym equipment did not function, and the showers in the spa were broken.
Noise and comfort
Noise from the café and bar across the street continued into the night, making sleep difficult. The combination of a hard bed, poor pillows, and lack of blackout curtains made for very uncomfortable nights.
Staff and service
When we requested extra pillows, it took eight hours and repeated reminders before we had to fetch them ourselves. We raised a number of other issues with staff during our stay, but the only response we initially received was to come back in the morning. When we did so, we were told to return an hour later to speak with the manager. As we had an excursion planned, this was not possible. Staff then informed us that any potential room move could only take place from 1 p.m. if spare rooms were available. The following day we were also on an excursion, which meant that by the time we were able to check, it was our final night. At that point moving rooms would have been pointless, requiring us to unpack, repack, and then pack again the next morning.
Food, drinks, and facilities information
We did not book breakfast, but it is worth noting that if you do, you must walk out of the hotel, across the car park, down to the beach area, and into a separate restaurant. There were no tea or coffee making facilities in the room, and when we asked for a kettle, we were told they do not provide them. This meant we had to go across the road to the café for a morning coffee. There was a restaurant in the hotel, but no information was given on when this was open, so we did not use it. At check-in we were provided with leaflets about purchasing excursions, but no information at all about the hotel itself. We were not told where the pool was, what times it was open or closed, how to access the private beach, what hours it was available, where refreshments could be obtained, what spa facilities existed, or how to book treatments. We only discovered that room service was available on the day we were leaving.
Beach and facilities
The one positive aspect of the hotel was the private beach area, which was pleasant for swimming and relaxing. However, guests were not permitted to bring their own food or drinks, and on-site prices were high.
We occupied two rooms, one on the ground floor and another on the third floor, and both suffered from the same issues. I rarely write negative reviews, but in this case I feel it is only fair to highlight these problems so others are aware of what to expect for the price.
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