Hotel Royal Orchid

Self catering accommodation very poor. We wanted self catering with the facilities of a hotel. The room was big and clean. However, the kitchenette was very poor Limited amount of utensils and pots. No small pot to boil eggs. The microwave was out of reach and dangerous. I am 5ft 2 and had to stand on a stool to put anything in or out. No washing up sponge or washing up liquid. Everything was difficult The cooker was too big. We arrived after midnight and asked for milk.We were told it would be in our fridge. There was no milk so I asked the man on the desk to give us a small jug full. He said 'the kitchen was closed for the night!! One gets the feeling they dont want you to self cater. Most of the staff were pleasant. When we tried to access the pool no one told us what to do Firstly the guy on reception said we were given towels and we were not..No one said you need to change in your room before going down and how to get there. We went down and tried to find the changing room there wasn't any so we got changed in toilets!! There is no robes for guests to put on so you have to trek up 3 floors soaking wet and shower in your room. We had breakfast on the first morning it was a rather disorganised. The food is not of a high standard. Doesn't cater well for British guests. There where a couple of staff who were helpful. If this was the holiday inn express it would be fine but this is advertised as 4 star. It didnt really live up to our expectations. The area is lovely. The car parking is very very limited.

+Breakfast were basic, but totally okay +Quiet neighbourhood +Nice staff +Rooms, view on ocean is great +Induction with 4 burners +Direct access to the ocean -Cleaning could be better, we had dirty sheets and towels were not changed -Bed and pillows were not comfortable at all (at least for me, I like very soft cloudy like mattress)

There are some eccentricities which grate a little here, like trying to place festival-style wristbands upon guests, charging for car parking, and the incredibly load gym disco for a deafening hour every evening. But there are plenty of compensations, especially the sea pool and the now quite adequate kitchens that mean eating in is an enjoyable option. The car hire firm just over the road (Insularcar) is very good, and it's possible to book in advance and just have a set of wheels for a few days - a great way to see more of the island and be free from the tyranny of coach tours. Peter's Bar and Habeas Coppus are just up the road for alternative evening refreshments, too.