Not as advertised. When I made the reservation, the Rooftop Restaurant appeared to be included in the AI deal which was a big factor in choosing this hotel. However, this was not the case and I was not alone in this belief. The opening times are incorrect, it is only open from 4pm. I was looking forward to alternating between the two hotels but in reality, there are zero facilities at Erato. Every meal and every drink plus every swim has to be taken at the sister hotel where there is only one restaurant. There is a bar facility at Erato but it is decorated with vases instead of bottles. Consequently, the hotel has little to no ambiance as guests have to leave to access any services. The housekeeping staff are to be congratulated, the hotel is exceptionally clean and well maintained. We were promised bath robes but these only appeared two days into our holiday after a complaint. The hotel is remote from the town of Karlovasi and little is available in the immediate area. The beach is very poor, unattractive, old sun loungers and no facilities apart from a solitary shower. It is extremely stony so water shoes are essential. There are no toilets at the beach.

“Samos z TUI”

bardzo dobra

“Warto”

10/10

Dear Customer Relations, I am writing to make a formal complaint regarding our recent holiday at Erato by Samian Mare, Samos, booked through TUI. Whilst we were still on holiday, I emailed TUI outlining our concerns in the hope that assistance could be provided whilst we were still at the resort. Unfortunately, I did not receive any response before returning home, and I am therefore disappointed that our concerns were not acknowledged during our stay. We chose this hotel because it was advertised by TUI as a boutique all-inclusive hotel. Whilst we absolutely loved the island of Samos and enjoyed exploring it, the hotel experience fell well below the standard we reasonably expected. From the beginning of our holiday we experienced a number of issues. Our room overlooked an active construction site with ongoing building works visible from our balcony. Construction noise could regularly be heard from both our room and balcony, affecting the peaceful environment we expected. Despite the hotel operating a no-smoking policy, cigarette smoke frequently entered our room and balcony from neighbouring rooms. We reported this to reception shortly after arriving and were simply advised to keep our balcony door closed. We did not feel this was a reasonable solution, as it meant we were unable to enjoy our balcony or fresh air during our holiday. We requested a room move at the beginning of our stay but were advised that no rooms were available. We also experienced a leaking shower together with a bedroom lighting fault which disrupted our sleep for two nights. Maintenance eventually attended but the only solution was to remove the light bulb completely, leaving us without mirror lighting for the remainder of our stay. The greatest disappointment, however, was the complete lack of communication and guest information. There was no welcome pack, guest information booklet, room guide or orientation explaining the facilities available within Erato or the adjoining sister hotel. As a result, we repeatedly discovered facilities by chance rather than being informed when we arrived. For example: • We walked approximately 10–15 minutes in the heat to purchase bottled water from a supermarket before later discovering there was a water refill station available. • We only discovered several days into our stay that drinks could be obtained from the sister hotel and brought back to Erato. • We were not informed about the additional facilities available within the sister hotel. • It was only on our final evening, when visiting the sister hotel’s reception, that we discovered a guest information board displaying entertainment, themed evenings and useful information. Nothing similar existed within Erato. • We even had to work out aspects of our own room ourselves, including the lighting controls. I raised the lack of guest information with the hotel manager, who acknowledged there was no guest information booklet. I would like to acknowledge that she treated us professionally, listened carefully to our concerns and genuinely wanted to improve our stay. She kindly offered us a room move towards the end of our holiday. Unfortunately, by that stage we had only one full day remaining, with a full-day excursion already booked, so moving rooms would have caused further disruption and would not have resolved the issues we had already experienced. We had originally requested a room move much earlier in our stay when it would have made a meaningful difference. We were also extremely disappointed with the all-inclusive package. Having stayed at many all-inclusive hotels over the years, this was the most limited all-inclusive experience we have personally encountered. Only filtered coffee was included, whilst cappuccino, latte, espresso and other standard coffees all required additional payment. A large proportion of cocktails, spirits and premium drinks also incurred extra charges, leaving only a very limited selection included within the package. We also found the food offering lacked variety as the week progressed. Certain dishes, including spaghetti Bolognese, were available every day throughout our stay and the menu became repetitive. Whilst we appreciate that hotels determine their own all-inclusive inclusions, we do not feel the offering reflected the expectations created when booking a boutique all-inclusive holiday through TUI. Although some information may have been available within the TUI app, we believe guests should receive a proper welcome, explanation of facilities and guidance on arrival. Had this happened, we would have made full use of the facilities from the beginning of our holiday instead of discovering them gradually by chance. Whilst we appreciate the efforts made by the hotel manager once our concerns had been escalated, the combination of the construction works, cigarette smoke, room issues, disrupted sleep, poor communication, lack of guest information, repetitive food and extremely limited all-inclusive experience meant that our holiday did not meet the standard we reasonably expected when booking with TUI. I have attached photographs together with copies of the correspondence sent whilst we were still on holiday. I would appreciate a full investigation into the issues raised and a detailed written response addressing each point. As these issues significantly affected our enjoyment of the holiday, I also ask that you consider appropriate compensation. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully,

“Samos”

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