H10 Atlantic Sunset

I have just returned from a 14 night stay at H10 Atlantic Sunset with my wife and two children. This was our second consecutive summer at the hotel, staying in exactly the same rooftop suite, room 1610.

So I’ll answer the most important question first. Will we return? Absolutely not.

I wrote a long and detailed review after our stay last year, so rather than repeat everything, this is an update on what has improved, what has not, and ultimately why H10 has now lost us as returning customers.

There are genuinely some excellent things about this hotel.

The rooftop suite is fantastic. We specifically booked the exact same room as last year because we loved it so much, and it remains one of the best things about the hotel.

The amenities have also improved since last summer. Rituals pump toiletries are now provided in the bathrooms, which is a nice improvement.

The pools are lovely and warm, generally around 30 to 32 degrees, and our children loved them. The entertainment team are also excellent, particularly Andrea, who was fantastic with our kids.

There is also now a Daisy truck by the infinity pool as well as the one around the main children's area, which is another good improvement.

Unfortunately, those positives are completely overshadowed by how H10 handled a serious incident involving another guest.

The hotel operates a policy against reserving sunbeds. In principle, I have absolutely no problem with that. The problem is how situations arising from that policy are managed.

One morning I was in the swimming pool with my children when I noticed another family moving all of our belongings from our sunbeds.

I got out of the pool and went over.

The man involved shoved me, picked up our belongings, threw them onto the floor and refused to move.

Guest Services attended and eventually got the family to move. What happened afterwards, however, was more astonishing than the actual incident.

I asked for security to attend. The Guest Services representative refused, telling me that security was only required for "serious incidents".

I struggle to understand how one guest physically shoving another guest and throwing all their stuff on the floor does not meet that threshold.

There were more than 20 people around us who witnessed what happened. Several came over afterwards to ask whether I was okay because they were shocked by what they had seen.

I asked Guest Services to speak to the witnesses.

They refused.

Later that evening, Guest Services called my room to tell me that they had spoken to the other family and warned them that "if it happened again", they might have to leave the hotel.

Think about that for a moment.

A guest physically shoves another guest, throws their belongings onto the floor, there are numerous witnesses available, security is not called, the witnesses are not spoken to, and the consequence is effectively a warning not to do it again.

That response was completely unacceptable.

I then asked to speak to the hotel manager. I was explicitly told that this was not possible because guests are not permitted to speak to the hotel manager.

For a five star hotel, I find that extraordinary.

There are also several problems I raised after our stay last year which have seemingly not improved.

The WiFi remains unreliable. There are areas around the pools where coverage drops completely and, incredibly, I could not reliably get WiFi on the private rooftop terrace of our suite.

The meat quality in the buffet remains extremely poor. Much of it is fatty and tastes like the cheapest quality available. This was one of my criticisms last year and, unfortunately, nothing appears to have changed.

The approach from some of the lifeguards also makes the pool areas unnecessarily frustrating. Of course I want lifeguards enforcing genuine safety rules, particularly around children. But there is a difference between keeping people safe and constantly policing guests for almost anything they do. At times it feels less like lifeguarding and more like waiting for an opportunity to blow a whistle.

And finally, a word about the response I fully expect H10 to leave underneath this review as they respond to every review on Trip Advisor.

Spend some time reading management responses to critical reviews on TripAdvisor and you will notice the pattern. The positives are acknowledged, concerns are "passed to the relevant department", guests are reminded that Guest Experience is available during their stay, and H10 expresses the hope that they will return.

So let me save you the trouble.

Please do not tell me that Guest Experience was available to help resolve problems during our stay. I dealt with Guest Services in real time. Their response to what happened is precisely what I am criticising.

Please do not tell me that this feedback will be passed to the relevant department. I tried to escalate a serious incident all the way to the hotel manager and was told that guests were not allowed to speak to them.

And if the response is that there are two sides to every story, that misses perhaps the most important point of all. You had more than 20 potential witnesses available and chose not to speak to them.

This is what makes the whole experience so disappointing. There is a genuinely excellent hotel hiding underneath these problems. The rooms can be superb. The pools are excellent. There are some fantastic members of staff and our children loved parts of their holiday.

But a five star hotel is not defined by how it behaves when everything is going well. It is defined by how it responds when something goes badly wrong.

On that test, H10 Atlantic Sunset failed spectacularly.

We returned because we loved enough about our first stay to spend our money with H10 for a second summer.

There will not be a third.

H10, my family will not spend another penny with you.

We’re currently enjoying a truly fantastic stay here at H10 Atlantic Sunset, and even before checking out, we felt compelled to share our experience. This is the fourth H10 hotel we’ve stayed at, and each time we’ve chosen the Privilege board basis, as we really enjoy the additional benefits and enhanced experience it offers.

In our view, it isn’t just an upgrade, it’s essential. Yes, there’s an extra cost, but for us, it’s worth every penny. À la carte dining at breakfast, lunch and dinner really elevates the entire stay.

The Privilege experience is a straight 10 out of 10. Service is warm yet polished, the ambience is spot on, and the standard of both the cuisine and service in The View Restaurant is genuinely faultless.

Before you book, take a few minutes to explore everything Privilege has to offer. There are far too many benefits to list here, but for us, it has transformed an already outstanding stay into something truly exceptional.

The hotel itself has been incredibly well thought out. Everything seems to flow effortlessly, the entire property is spotlessly clean, and wherever you go, there’s a real sense of quality and attention to detail.

Our bedroom is light, spacious and beautifully furnished to a very high standard. We were fortunate to be allocated a room on level 5 with the most incredible sea view. The bed is exceptionally comfortable too, making for the perfect night’s sleep. The room is also equipped with all the little luxuries and amenities you would expect from a five star hotel.

Mike’s Coffee is perfect for a slice of amazing cake, an iced coffee or a smoothie. We’ve used it most days during our stay and have always been very impressed. We’ve also made great use of the Despacio Spa Centre, which is very well equipped and a lovely place to relax. There are plenty of pools to choose from, and we’ve never had any trouble finding a sun lounger.

What stands out most, though, is the staff. Every person we’ve met works incredibly hard to make guests feel welcome, and the service always feels sincere. It’s natural, it’s kind and it’s genuine. We’d also like to give a very special mention to Barbara from Guest Relations, who has gone above and beyond to help make our stay absolutely perfect.

We’re still here and still loving every minute, but we already know that this hotel has exceeded our expectations in every way. A huge thank you to the entire team, including all those working quietly behind the scenes. You have made this holiday genuinely special and one we will remember for a very long time.

Thank you,

Neil & Lisa Carter 🙏

A fantastic holiday for a family group of 11, with 1 eight year old & 2 x 1 year olds. Staff were fantastic in every area & the food & drink options were very good.