Name: Ushuaia Playa Xemxija Boutique Hotel
Price range: from £842.66pp (7 nights includes flights and transfers)

Select Room & Board Basis | Mercury Holidays

Product Details

I recently had booked 3 nights at Ushuaia as I have not had a proper vacation in over 2 years. I took some time off work and was excited for the day to come to check in. Unfortunately I must say despite the photos looking incredible of this place, once you take a closer look you start to realise what there really is.

I wanted the ultimate relaxing experience so I booked one of their Premium Seaview Rooms with a Hot Tub for 3 nights (€157.75 per night) and also added a SPA treatment during my stay. 

Unfortunately the problems started as soon as I walked through the door. Getting there about 30mins before check in, my room was still not ready. So they explained the hotel rules and procedures and was told I could wait at one of their bars until called upon. The first bar I visited was called "The Leo's Pub". This is not a large bar however, I found most of the bartenders to be friendly and nice to have a conversation with. Drinks are a little expensive but again I was here to relax and not worry. And the view is pretty nice over looking Xemxija Bay. 

3pm came by so I made my way to the reception as I was still waiting for my room to be ready. To my surprise I was told it was still being done and needed some more time. For now I stayed in the lobby to wait. About 11mins passed by until I was called and was told the room is ready but the floor is still wet. The nice receptionist "Mickey" helped me with my baggage and showed me to my room.

Entering the room I was impressed by the modern interior design and lighting. I was shown and told about the room and that the temp of the hot tub was best to remain untouched and only be changed by the maintenance crew if needed. He bid me my welcome greetings and was off.

After unpacking I started to notice small details that I did not quite find fitting for such a premium room. I have included photos in this review but here is where I found: mould or calcium build up on the shower head and on the hard ware as well as the front knob of the shower missing . I found bodily fluid stains on the cushioned bed frame visible both in regular light and black light. This definitely started turning me off from the room but I at this point I decided to still go through with it. 

I had a quick shower and hopped straight into the hot tub. I must say this was probably the most enjoyable part of my short stay...despite not being able to control the temperature myself without needing to call maintenance.

I tried to enjoy the most of it. I went back in and waited until the restaurant would open for dinner. As from the date of this review, Only breakfast is included and lunch and dinner are extra with no half boarding option (but this I already knew). The Apulia restaurant is another highlight of my stay. The staff are very friendly and yet are very professional always addressing guests as Sir or Miss/Madam. I found out my waiter "Money" was very new but I found him to be an absolute gem and an amazingly kind waiter. Food is delicious but leans on the expensive side, service is great and the atmosphere and soft playing music really helps the guest relax and dine in a very pleasant indoor/outdoor area.  

Retuning back to my room winding down for the night, I kept only the accent lights on...and as I got up to go to the bathroom that is when I saw it. A cockroach came out from behind the picture frame hanging on the wall! I snapped a quick photo, turned on the lights and called reception to inform them of this. They had told me that someone will come down and spray the room. After waiting about 10-15mins one of the staff members came and sprayed the room. 

They were not able to find the cockroach, which made me very concerned. I called up reception and informed them of this and requested a room change. However, I was told that all rooms with a hot tub were full until early next morning. They asked if I would mind to stay in that room for the night and by the time I finish breakfast the next morning I would be able to move in. I agreed but was not thrilled of the idea of sleeping in the room thinking there could be more of them crawling around. Needless to say I did not sleep well. 

The next morning came and I was looking forward for breakfast and getting a new room. However this is were I found my second uninvited guest, a dead grasshopper on the floor. I spoke to reception about this and was told the new room was empty and being cleaned and will update me when it is ready but now was not able to advise a time frame. I continued to breakfast, met "Money" again, and again service was really nice and food was great. I went for the Berry Porridge and the Full English Breakfast with a cappuccino with latte art :) 

At this point about 30 mins had passed and just before going down to my room, I stopped at reception again to confirm they will call my room when ready, and again, was not able to provide a time frame. This did not sit well with me because now I had to stay near the phone in the room and not able to enjoy the pools, bars or not even the hot tub (as I would not hear the phone ringing being in it turned on from out side) 

I said okay to the receptionist, went in my room packed up everything again and waited patently for the phone to ring. I gave it another 30mins until I called reception to hear if there was any updates and was told they would call me back after 5 mins to inform me whats happening. Another 30 mins go by and at this point I am very upset and stressed as I felt that I am now waiting on them and I have been stuck in the room waiting for the phone to ring most of my morning wasted. 

I decided to get all my bags and go to reception, as I was ready to check out. I advised why I felt the need to leave and how unhappy I was since getting there. I requested a full refund and was told only management is able to handle these cases and management was not there until the next day. They brought up someone from HR and although they seemed empathic to my situation and said the room was done but just needed the hot tub just needed to be "maintainced " I was able to go in. I refused, I just wanted a refund and to get out of there. They first offered me €145 refund which to me felt insulting as I only stayed 1 night with bodily stains on the bed,  mouldy / caked in calcium shower head and hardware, a cockroach and another dead insect. After finding out I was Maltese, the refund went up to €330 and I decided I had enough. I accepted the offer and went out the door.

It really disheartens me as any time I take off work is precious and to feel that now that time has been completed wasted is very upsetting not to mentioned I did not even get to enjoy any of the pools or my spa massage that was later booked for that day.

In Conclusion
I would give:

Cleanliness: 2/10 
Value for money: 4/10 
Service: 4/10
Professionalism:7/10 
Atmosphere: 7/10:
Food: 7/10
Friendliness: 8/10
Views: 8/10

An extremely disappointing let down

Super happy that we came there our next visit will be in December we both can't wait to come back to this wonderful place 😀 it will be my birthday soon after our stay so it will be special for me and I wanted to stay in the place I love pardon we both love ❤ 😍

Romantic weekend

Pros
Room felt luxurious and was well appointed 
Great views from Leo's bar and rooftop bar

The indoor pool was a really cool experience not something I've seen before (if a bit mouldy in places)

Cons 
Service was a bit variable barmen were friendly but wait staff and hotel receptionists seemed to mostly ignore you. No friendly 'have a good day' when you pass by or anything. 

Didn't sleep well all week combo of air conditioning being quite weak, bed too small and noise as our room backed onto the road, also lights in the room (alarm clock, air con etc)

Breakfast was fine but repetitive and varied day by day presumably by which chef was on 

It's a good walk to St Paul's if that is something that will bother you. 

Overall I think it was reasonable value for money but the second hotel we are staying in during this trip has better customer service.

A nice break

I haven’t made any reviews recently but if you look back at my previous submissions you can see I always tell the full and absolute truth be it good or bad. 

1st Night. We arrival late 20.30 and were shown to room by a lady receptionist.  our room was on Floor level -3 room 301,   at water level over looking St Paul’s Bay with lovely views. A Good size.   We immediately noticed a loud clicking noise,  the Receptionist stated she could not do anything. After a short while we called reception and a different receptionist came down,  he stated that the noise was from the next door room 302 jacuzzi and agreed it was very loud and unacceptable.  As there was no one in the room he turned off the power to the whole room to resolve the issue. Then we were kept awake by music with loud base thump which we thought was from the bar on the ground floor  - three levels above us - or possibly a nearby bar.  We also noted that the bed, by todays standards, was no bigger than a normal double bed,  was very low to the ground with a very thin mattress.  It was rock hard with fixed solid wooden slats beneath which had no spring whatsoever. 

2nd Day/Night .  Following morning, after a sleepless night reported problem to reception who said the bar closed at midnight, so the music noise remained a mystery.  We also asked if something could be done to soften the bed and the receptionist said she would see if an extra mattress could be found.

My husband asked to speak to the Hotel Manager or owner but neither was available. We asked that they make contact.
We went out for the day and on our return were pleased to see an extra mattress had been placed on the bed, an improvement.  The jacuzzi stayed off for our second night (no one was in the room) but the loud music and talking started at 23.30 and we tracked it own to the next door room 300,  after reporting this the night receptionist came to this room and the music stopped. 

3rd Day/ Night.  As we went out in the evening we notified reception that the jacuzzi had come on again at 19.45 and asked that it be turned off.  On our return at 23.00 it was still on,  we asked reception who said it could not be turned off and to wait until the night receptionist arrived.  He duly arrived and he also agreed that the noise was too loud (taking a recording of it) but was unable to do anything as the room had guests staying so it would be on  24/7 whist they were staying. 

We asked to see the Manager/owner again. 

4th Day/Night.  Having spent 3 of our 6 night holiday sleepless and having not heard from the Manager or owner despite repeated requests we had no option but to book another hotel for our last 2 nights. They off course refused to refund any fee despite having failed to speak to us or resolve the issue.  

Further comments on this  Hotel are:

It is very modern and new and on the surface looks very nice but closer inspection shows it is very tacky with Ikea type furniture in the rooms and thin un-sound proofed walls, hence the noise issues from adjacent rooms.  It was not finished on our visit with the entrance to the “beach” area being a piece of hardboard moved aside to allow access plus unfinished areas on floor -3. The Restaurant and bar allow non guests to visit,  ok in itself but resulting in breakfast, although being cooked to order, being very crowded and loud. 

Beware other rooms,  noise from the nearby local bar possible. 

The pools are very nice,  towels good,  several staff very good.

The Hotel will no doubt refute all this but they know!  It could so easily have been resolved if the Manager/Owner had met us and offered a different room,  there was one available at 300. 

And the funny part,  after all this we were then sent an invite to review our experience by them.  

Wake up Customer Services.

Noise issues -  Management made no contact!

We had a very disappointing experience at the Hatch Pub in this hotel. The level of customer service was far below expectations, especially considering the standards typically upheld by hoteliers. Both the barman and the manager (Axel) were dismissive and unresponsive to our concerns.
On a particularly hot day, we stopped by the bar to enjoy a drink and a nice view indoors. However, we noticed that one of the main doors was left open, allowing hot air to flow in from outside, completely dissipating any cold air generated by the air conditioner. When we brought this to the barman's attention, he informed us that he had direct instructions from the manager to keep the door open. He said he would speak to the manager about our request.
When the manager (Axel) arrived, he listened to our complaint but quickly informed us that the decision to keep the door open was his. He explained that the door was left open to prevent customers from thinking the pub was closed. Despite our reasoning that this policy compromised customer comfort, wasted energy, and reflected poorly on the handling of customer feedback, the manager insisted on maintaining the status quo.
It’s unfortunate that such a beautiful hotel is let down by poor customer service by this specific manager (Axel). The other team members at reception were very considerate and helpful. The experience could have been much more enjoyable with a more thoughtful and responsive approach to customer concerns.

Poor customer service

Located in St Paul's Bay, Ushuaia Playa Xemxija Boutique Hotel offers a charming stay with complimentary WiFi throughout the property. The hotel features a sun terrace with a swimming pool, an on-site restaurant, and a bar. Guests can relax in the shared lounge or explore nearby attractions, such as Fekruna Beach, just 400 meters away, and Mistra Bay Beach, about 1.1 kilometers from the hotel.

The hotel provides a 24-hour front desk, room service, and luggage storage for guests' convenience. Each room at Ushuaia Playa Xemxija Boutique Hotel is equipped with a desk, a flat-screen TV, air conditioning, and a private bathroom with bathrobes.

Europe

Algarve

Holidays

Africa

Morocco

Escorted Tours

Private Tours

Cyprus

Malta

Middle East

Abu Dhabi

Albania

Norway

South East Asia

Indonesia

East Asia

Taiwan

Madeira

Escorted Walking Tours

Mongolia

Croatia

Latin America

Colombia

Egypt

Argentina

South Africa

Multi-Centres

Indian Ocean

Seychelles

Philippines

Madagascar

Vietnam

Escorted Rail Journeys

Namibia

Indian Subcontinent

Bhutan

Botswana

Central Asia

Georgia

Kazakhstan

Tibet

Caribbean

Jamaica

North America

Canada

Portugal

All trip types

River Cruises

Cambodia

Thailand

Costa Rica

Dubai

Maldives

Mauritius

Kenya

Sri Lanka

Australasia

Australia

Cuba

Japan

South Korea

France

Czech Republic

China

Tanzania

Peru

Brazil

Kerala

Chile

Nepal

Romania

Jordan

Kyrgyzstan

Borneo

Malaysia

Uzbekistan

India

Turkey

Tenerife

Lanzarote

Benidorm

New Zealand

Fly Drives

Mexico

Israel

Ecuador

Netherlands

Italy

Spain

Austria

Iceland

Oman

Gozo

United Arab Emirates

Costa del Sol

Bali

Greece

Gran Canaria

Antigua

Grenada

Majorca

Saint Lucia

Barbados

Fuerteventura

Opening Times

Mercury Holidays opening times

About Us

Contact us

Online Brochures

Order a FREE Brochure

Terms and Conditions

ABTA & ATOL

How to Book

Holiday Insurance

Airport Extras

Charities we support

Early Holiday Booking

Privacy Policy

More Info

All inclusive holidays are all about keeping things simple and stress-free. Leaving you with the sense of relaxation, knowing everything is covered and there are no extra expenses!

All-Inclusive

Pay no extra for being a solo traveller with our no single supplement special offers!

No Single Supplement & Solo Offers

Stay longer for less, with our stay 14 nights pay for 7 nights holiday deal! This offer is available with a great selection of our hotels

2nd Week Free & 14 Night Offers

Stay 21 nights pay for 14 nights! Choose one of our excellent value long stay holiday offers. Stay longer for less!

Special Offers (view all)

Trip Type

Sort by

More Info (view all)

Ushuaia Playa Xemxija Boutique Hotel