Atlantica Mare Village Ayia Napa

Catalin at spa was very professional in his job

I’m writing this on our last day at Mare and it has definitely been a holiday of mixed experiences. Some parts of the hotel are genuinely lovely and others leave you wondering how they were signed off. It is one of those places where you keep thinking, what exactly does this hotel want to be. A family resort. An adults only escape. A spa retreat. A quiet bungalow village. A conference centre. Somehow it manages to be all of them at once without fully committing to any of them.

The rooms are one of the highlights. They are clean, comfortable and the beds are genuinely great. The bungalow style layout makes the whole place feel quieter and more private than the usual big hotel blocks. The reception area is also beautiful and gives you a great first impression when you arrive.

The pools themselves are clean and lovely to swim in. The areas around them are less impressive. The pavers are crumbling so you end up collecting bits of rubble in your feet. Sunbeds are limited and unless you are there at 08.30 exactly you won’t get one. The beach is a sheltered little bay that feels very safe for children and is genuinely beautiful. The sand clearly isn’t raked so you do find rubbish mixed in, but the waiter service there is excellent and the setting itself is peaceful.

The kids evening entertainment takes place in a room above the spa that feels like someone repurposed a conference space and never decorated it. It is bare, echoey and the bar relies on cool boxes and paper cups. The mini disco is the same every night and lasts about half an hour. After that the entertainment feels like it was booked in a hurry. The seating is outdoor furniture so comfort is not part of the experience.

Food has been inconsistent. It is never hot, only ever lukewarm. There is variety but it often feels like leftovers from the à la carte restaurants. The buffet staff look miserable and uninterested which doesn’t help the atmosphere. We did two à la cartes. The local cuisine restaurant was nice and the staff were absolutely brilliant. Warm, welcoming and genuinely happy to have you there. The BBQ was the opposite. Cold food, a set menu with no alternatives, staff arguing behind us and when I complained the waiter simply said “okay”. The manager did offer extra à la carte bookings as an apology but only the free ones already included in the stay. A paid one would have felt more meaningful.

The lobby bar is one of the nicest parts of the hotel. It is a lovely place to sit and relax although getting a table can be a challenge because there are not enough seats for everyone. The staff there are fantastic. Jakub and Albina in particular are wonderful with the kids and bring a warmth and friendliness that stands out. There are other staff around the hotel who are just as lovely and when you meet them you really feel it.

Some areas of the hotel are beautiful but others are not. The toilets near the games room look like you have wandered into a forgotten back alley. No soap. Doors that don’t close. A general feeling of neglect. Getting around the hotel is also a challenge at first. It is a maze until you learn the layout. The minibar is not replenished daily. You get a few cans and bottles of water on arrival and after that you are filling bottles from the vending machine so bring your own.

The location itself is quiet and there is nothing in walking distance. You do need taxis to get anywhere. Ten minutes either way takes you to Ayia Napa or Protaras which are both lively and full of places to explore, so it is easy enough to get out and about if you want more going on.

Overall Mare has some lovely parts and some very confusing ones. Some staff are fantastic and some are clearly unhappy. Some areas feel cared for and others feel forgotten. It is a nice hotel in places but it is not worth the money paid to be here. It has been a holiday with moments we enjoyed and moments that made us raise an eyebrow, and we are leaving with a very clear picture of what worked and what didn’t.

Anyone remember Wi-Fi password??