Vivaldi Hotel — Hotel in Saint Julian's

It could be a long review, but the top and bottom of it is that we have reported some problems which were not only not fully resolved, but we were accused of lying and treated in a very rude manner. It was so bad that we decided to move to another hotel after 2 of 5 nights that we have booked. None of the problems we reported were serious if only someone had tried to help and simply apologised for the stress and inconvenience. To summarise, the rooms were not cleaned properly, the facilities were faulty and the reception manager, Julian, showed the worst customer service we both have ever been provided during our travels. If you need more details in order to reconsider booking a stay in Golden Tulip Vivaldi Hotel you can read below.

We booked a 5 night stay as part of our honeymoon. First thing we have noticed was that the floor has not been cleaned - very obvious when walking bare foot. The floor was quickly cleaned when we reported that, but there were also greasy finger marks on the room door and wardrobe door that were ignored. We have also mentioned a problem with the air conditioning randomly stopping and changing temperature setting but were told that this is because we did not understand how to use it. We wished that to be the end of the story, but the next morning, water from the toilet flush would not stop running for over 15 minutes, so we called the reception. The manager who came to see us was the same person who the day before told us we did not know how to use the A/C and that morning he explained to us that actually it is automated for the entire hotel and the guests cannot change the settings (!). It means that either your room is cold with the A/C on or stuffy and hot without it. As for the toilet by the time the manager made it to the room the flush has stopped, so he told us we should have photos or videos because he could not see any issue. After discussion he offered us another room, so we moved our things there and quickly went for breakfast. After returning to the room we wanted to put drinks to the fridge, but a hinge of cupboard door came off, upon inspection it was clear that this had happened several times before and had not been properly rectified. There were more dirty finger smudges on the room door and the wardrobe. We took photos this time, as suggested by the manager, before heading to the reception. The manager's response to this was a shoulder shrug and a question what we would like him to do about it, followed by a suggestion that we made the greasy smudges ourselves because we spent few minutes in the room. Literally all we asked for was a clean room with working facilities as you would expect in any hotel, let alone one that is supposedly 4 star. We did not request an upgrade or anything for free, but we were treated like someone who demanded the impossible and wanted to haggle something out. The manager's attitute and behaviour has shaken us to the point that we decided to leave, even knowing that we will not likely receive any money back for the nights we have not used. Once our eyes were opened it was clear that the hotel in general was not well kept, the windows in the dining area seemed not to have been cleaned in a long time, the mirrors in the lifts had finger smudges all over them and our friends in another room commented that the breeze from the air con smelled like old socks. To add to this, the facilities the hotel claims to have are not all there. E.g. there is supposed to be a hammam/turkish bath, which is actually just a small 4 person steam room and similar sauna, no plunge pool, scrub or massage (not even for an extra fee). That was not a 4 star...

Great hotel regarding cost and benefits. The room was comfortable, we booked with breakfast included that was delicious and the location is prime, close to many tourist places, restaurants and shopping malls. Points of consideration: overall costumer service was brilliant when coming from the manager Themis, Roberto and Junono (last 2 responsable for listening my concerns with a smile on their faces and solving my issues to make my stay possible and extremely comfortable after the 2nd night) and very good from the other staff, but terrible fails when it comes to 2 specific staff. The hotel has 2 pools (that was not warm as expected) and a good gym (that unfortunately I couldn't use due my work time).

Issues: I made a complaint about an annoying noise inside the room 207 coming from the movement sensor that was nonstop and disturbing our sleep and the night manager gave zero attention for my complaint Saying "all the hotel is the same, get used to this." He insisted on saying that the noise was not all the time when i was saying that was absolutely every few seconds, trying to make me feel that i was lying. A second staff member was rude when I complained about the room being too hot for sleep, she explained that the hotel has a central heater that goes for all rooms (in my opinion a terrible point in this hotel), and because it was winter I should not need an aircon, when I ask about having a spare fan to help me to sleep during night as i was feeling extremely hot during night, she repeated that it was winter and I should have heater. On the second day when I asked for the same staff if it was possible to use the gym at 7am (gym and pools are available from 9am until 9pm) she said that I was on holiday and I don't need a gym at 7am (I was not on holiday, we were working, plus she doesn't know about my life). I would be happy just with the information and a simple "no, we don't do that" but I felt like she was trying to teach me how to live.

Solutions and points of improvement; The issues of the room was only listened by the manager Roberto and a new receptionist that I believe the name was Junono, who careful listening to my sleep problems and our routine, and with good mood and a smile on the face moved us to other room with no noise and facing the sea where I could finally open the door of the balcony to refresh the room and be able to sleep with quality. They made my last 7 night possible and deserve all the 5 stars. Plus attention for the housekeeper that was brilliant and always had a smile on her face and a good vibe, even when making the job alone. For a 4 stars hotel the housekeeping team should work in pairs to avoid injuries on the staff, the load of the job looks intense and the hotel should look after the safety of the housekeeping staff that are the base of the good...

Stayed here December 2023. The good: Housekeeping - Shout out to Violeta who kept the room spotless and made sure she was the first smile and greeting I got everyday. Breakfast/Dinner buffet - lots of options, well organised, staff smiling and pleasant (mostly). The Libyan lady (sorry I didn't get your name) at the omelette station was friendly and helpful every day. Restaurant ocean view was very nice. I like. Indoor pool - Perfect temperature throughout and always clean. Note that the pool has a constant depth of 1.6m. A separate smaller, more shallow pool is present but I wouldn't leave your replicants in it unsupervised if I were you. Pool changing room - Clean, showers functional and fit for purpose, large cubicle to change in. In room shower - ok flow and water hot enough. Front desk - very helpful, polite and accommodating of requests. Car park - could get a bit tight if busy but I always saw spaces and parking validated by GTV. WiFi - strong and reliable. You might have to enter the access code daily.

The so so: Gym - Passable. Could do with more equipment, music, water station and cleaning equipment to wipe down after use. Attitude - some (very few thankfully) staff members were determined to never smile or say a nice word. To them I say, you might think it makes you look well 'ard but in reality you just come off as a pratt. Stop it. Remember you chose to work in the hotel industry, reciprocating to politeness should be second nature. Car park - There is no way to get from the car park directly to the hotel. You see, the hotel doesn't own the car park but has an agreement with the owner. So you'll have to walk out the same way cars get in and out. Exciting no? Once out, it's a hop skip and a jump to the GTV entrance. Beds - Sprung matresses not really comfy. YMMV.

The not so good: Air conditioning - I still get nightmares from trying to get the bloody thing to work reliably. Noise - From the corridors to the streets, the noise is constant even with the windows closed. Ants - not too bothersome unless you drop a crumb somewhere. You'll be saying hello to a lot of little friends. Keep food secure, even more than your passport and money. Yes I did use the safe to store food. TV - Your streaming services are useless here. Kettle - What kettle? But the rumour is that you can request tea/coffee making facilities from this 4 star hotel at a nominal charge per day. Lucky you. Iron - Don't be daft.

In conclusion, would I...