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:
⸻
🪰 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.
⸻
🧒 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.
⸻
💸 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.
⸻
😠 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.
⸻
⏳ 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.
⸻
🧾 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.
⸻
📉 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.
⸻
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.
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
suki bassi
Staff , facilities and location absolutely wonderful ! We were half board and had access to many a la carte restaurants which saved us the experience of over eating in the huge buffet !
Walks along the promenade were always a delight and loved the different classes during the day .
The red level bubble is special and serine .
Only issue were constant flies and birds in the food area . There needs to be an indoor space option on the ground floor where breakfast etc is served .
Thomas Schönefeld
The resort is attractively designed but located in a rather remote area. There are few opportunities for strolling or activities outside the hotel. However, for guests who wish to focus entirely on the hotel facilities, this location is ideal.
Our room in the Red-Level section was generally well-equipped but in an unacceptable condition upon arrival. The bathroom still contained organic remnants from the previous guests. Despite our immediate complaint, it took two days for the cleaning to be carried out. Considering the room price and the luxury standards of the resort, this is absolutely unacceptable.
As an apology, we were offered a bottle of sparkling wine, which we found inappropriate. However, we chose not to comment further on this.
The prices for wellness services are significantly above average, even for a 5-star resort.
In summary, while the resort has potential, substantial improvements are needed in terms of cleanliness, service, and pricing.
My Booking
