Esra Family Suite Hotel

We had such high hopes for our holiday, and I want to be fair because the first week was genuinely lovely.

We met some great people, and the restaurant and snack bar staff were absolutely amazing. They were friendly, attentive and seemed to go above and beyond to cater to everyone’s needs. The entertainment during the first week was also good, and overall we were having a great time.

Unfortunately, the second week was a very different experience.

There were repeated pool closures because of people defecating in the pools. I appreciate that this is largely outside the hotel’s control, but the consequences were extremely concerning. There were a number of people who became seriously unwell with sickness and diarrhoea, with some people sitting around reception receiving IV fluids and others being hospitalised. We also saw several guests receiving antibiotic drips in reception for ear infections, which many guests believed were connected to the pool. Obviously, I cannot say what caused anyone’s illness, but seeing so many people so unwell was extremely worrying.

The food itself had a good choice and lovely flavour, but unfortunately it was very often freezing cold.

The entertainment also became very disappointing. The second week was essentially a repeat of the first week with no real alternative programme. The pool party was cancelled because the pool was closed and was replaced with adult musical chairs, which was a huge disappointment.

There were also several incidents that we felt needed to be raised with management.

We witnessed a lifeguard dragging a child around, with numerous witnesses present. On another occasion, a member of hotel management was screaming in children’s faces, again with lots of people witnessing what happened. Both incidents were extremely distressing to watch as an adult, so I cannot imagine how frightening they must have been for the children involved. What was particularly disappointing was the response from the General Manager, who appeared completely unconcerned when these concerns were raised.

There was also an incident involving a local guest who elbowed a child in the stomach. This was reported to management and, despite several witnesses being present, the concern was completely dismissed. Again, as a parent, this was incredibly upsetting and worrying.

On another day, one of the main pools was closed, meaning everyone had to use the remaining pool, which was extremely overcrowded. My nine-year-old son was playing in the pool and accidentally splashed another guest who was also in the pool. The man’s response was to bend my son’s fingers back and push him away before going to report him to management. We were then approached by a manager and told that my son needed to be spoken to and made aware that he could not splash anyone in the pool. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I completely understand that children should be respectful of other guests, and obviously we spoke to our son about being mindful. However, the fact that an adult physically bent the fingers of a nine-year-old child and pushed him away, only for the situation to then be presented to us as though the main issue was our son splashing someone, was extremely upsetting.

But perhaps the most worrying incident involved a male guest who was allegedly grabbing children, trying to get them to go to his room, attempting to cuddle them and offering them vapes. There were reportedly more than 20 complaints made, yet it took over 24 hours for management to act and remove him from the hotel. Even more concerning, he subsequently returned to the hotel on several occasions and was seen ordering a drink at the bar before being removed again.

As parents, this left us feeling extremely uncomfortable and, ultimately, we just didn’t feel that our children were safe.

It’s such a shame because there were genuinely some fantastic staff members who worked incredibly hard, particularly the restaurant and snack bar teams, and we met some wonderful people during our stay.

However, when you go on holiday with children, feeling safe and confident that concerns will be taken seriously is absolutely fundamental.

By the end of the second week, most of the guests we spoke to were counting down the days until they could come home.

I’m sharing our experience because the contrast between the first and second week was huge. There were some definite positives, but unfortunately the issues we experienced and witnessed overshadowed what could have been a really enjoyable family holiday.

Enjoyed a week at hotel Esra staff were all very friendly and worked extremely hard to make sure guests had the best possible experience. Rooms were immaculate and cleaned daily. Food was good with an excellent range to chose from including a simple snack menu for fussy eaters. We really enjoyed our stay and cant fault the hotel and staff .

great entertainment , services and food and i really really love a good pool