Lago Resort Menorca - Casas del Lago — Hotel in Ciutadella

This hotel in my opinion does not reach 5 star quality as little details are often missed. These opinions are based on previous stays at other 5 star establishments.||||Arrival - ||When we arrived we were dropped at the end of the road and had to drag our luggage to the hotel, this is possibly jet2’s issue but just didn’t start off the 5 star experience great, especially for my Mother who suffers from Carpal Tunnel.||||There is a plate of a complimentary welcome treat left in the room on arrival.||||The room - ||Firstly, I would like to say that the hotel is very aesthetic and decorated beautifully. The rooms are not overly spacious but luckily I was a solo guest, if there were two people in the room we would have struggled for somewhere to leave towels after showering (there are two hooks but the towel would not dry if hung on these) there is also little room for luggage as the wardrobe and storage area are small.||||Bedding and towels were tatty with snagging edges but felt nice quality, they may just be old.||||The facilities of the room are up to date - there is a touchpad for lights/ambience and a bidet built into the toilet.||||The aircon in my room was not fully functional (perhaps it had been turned up for the winter) I had it on 10 degrees after a higher temperature was still too warm. It didn’t cool the room at all so I tried the ceiling fan which kept making a clicking sound that woke me up so had to turn this off.||||Unfortunately during our stay it rained on a couple of days but disappointingly our balconies were open at the top so we had no option to sit under cover but still outside on those days like other guests could with different rooms. There was a bed on the balcony which would have been lovely to sit in but this got soaked in the rain meaning it could not be used at all. We resorted to sitting at one of the two tables in the “lobby” but as there was three of us this left one table with a single chair and made it unavailable to anyone else unless they were on their own. My touchpad for “do not disturb/please make up my room” was broken which I informed reception of on the first day but nothing was done about it.||||The hot drinks area replenishment is inconsistent. Many days I was left without a replenishment of tea, sugar and milk and on some occasions water. Which is all included in the stay. However, on an evening after 8pm the housekeeping staff do come into the rooms to “open” your bed and leave either chocolates, sweets or a shortbread biscuit (changes depending on the day) which is a nice touch. They will also replenish water if you have finished the bottle. You do get as part of your stay one stocked mini bar with two beers and four soft drinks which you can consume for no extra cost, this is not stocked again unless you request this and pay for it. I think many people will miss this as we weren’t informed of it on check-in or via literature, we asked about it.||||Food - ||The FOC restaurant after trying once was not to our taste and there wasn’t much choice unless you eat fish and seafood so we swapped to have buffet at the sister hotel next door most nights - not a lot of choice but pleasant atmosphere and food was okay one member of staff in this restaurant was fabulous, we didn’t catch his name but he wore glasses.||||We were also given the option of two other restaurants that we could use on the marina as part of the half board option - we only went to Fiesta (service was very slow, we were in there nearly two hours for a set menu meal) there would have been more to use, however, the rest had closed for the season. Unfortunately during our one evening in the FOC we were charged 5€ for sparkling water that they dispense from the same water machine as the free water provided at any other time of the day.||||Breakfast is plentiful with an a la carte menu and small buffet. On one morning a member of our party took a bottle of orange juice from the cart for the table which was quickly whipped away by a member of staff (the orange juice is included in breakfast) and we were told you’re not allowed to have orange juice on the table and you have to ask for it to be poured into your glass by Marta - for what we have paid we should be allowed to have an orange juice for the table. I did see another guest taking a similar bottle to her room the one morning so this seemed unfair from the particular member of staff to pull us up on this when we were actually dining in the restaurant. It seems to be one rule for some and a different rule for others.||||There are no self water dispensers apart from behind the bar for you to refill a bottle meaning you have to ask someone to do it for you every time. This was hard work as the staff seem demotivated and make it seem like trouble for them to do it, especially Melanie. She was very rude.||||There is also a limited stock of drinks and food as they will not order more this close to the end of season.||||Pool area -||The pool towels are lovely quality, large and 100% cotton. The pool area is okay but a bit grubby and the sun beds were soaked through most days due to being made from a cushion material.||||On the one day by the pool we had the same four songs in French on repeat all day and when we asked for it to be turned off we were informed that head office sort out the music and that they had emailed them asking for it to be changed but nothing had been done, so staff were also left listening to the same four French songs on repeat for over 8 hours.||||We had no issue with getting a sun-bed (possibly due to the time of year) and there was no need to reserve a bed so when you were ready after breakfast there was plenty of choice. There are only around 20 normal style Sunbeds, the rest are Bali beds or beanbags (the beanbags are very comfortable).||||The swim up bar was closed and also the sky jazuzzi was drained and closed.||||There are two pools, one warmer than the other and both were cleaned each day. But steps are quite hard to navigate as they are oddly shaped and the same colour as the bottom of the pool. I managed to stub my toes each time I got out.||||Staff -||Staff were mostly kind, Genny & Dani were great at breakfast (they had memorized our coffee orders and it was with us as we were sitting down without having to order - Genny also knew our food order) and also Anais and Marcos from the pool bar/Kaypa were lovely. Some staff were rude and made us feel that we were bothering them - they also appeared to mock us and then speak in Spanish in front of us making it obvious that we were being spoken about. This again is not 5 star service.||||The housekeeping staff did not great us at anytime during the stay - even in three star hotels I’ve been treated with “Hola”.||||The hotel -||Your room key is part of your wristband which is very helpful as you don’t have to worry about remembering a card or worry about if your phone has deactivated your room card in your bag.||||There are no communal areas for you to sit and be undercover/sheltered from the wind on an evening apart from in an underground bar which isn’t very pleasant. Meaning we were going to our rooms straight after dinner at around 9pm each night.||||Despite being a no smoking hotel people smoking and vaping on their balconies or by the closed Japanese restaurant are overlooked by staff which for me ruins the experience of visiting a 5 star no smoking hotel as the smell of cigarette wafts to the sunbed area. This is frustrating as you’re told off for putting juice on the table but people aren’t told to stop smoking on the premises (there are signs to ask people not to smoke within the hotel facilities).||||Due to my visit being near the end of the season staff seem to be in the “end of term” mindset and appear to be ready to break up - the pool attendant left the day after we arrived (two weeks before the hotel closes) and guests weren’t informed with a sign of where to get fresh towels from.||||We made use of the spa in the sister hotel next door. It was average but not really great value for money at 20€ per person for a pool, jazuzzi, steam room, Turkish bath (a bucket of cold water with a pull chain) and sauna.||||If this hotel was a 3/4 star I wouldn’t have picked up on these things but if it’s claiming to be a five star then it needs to live up to it! No matter the time of year. The claim of eco also appears slightly strange as they use plastic straws, empty the bins in the room twice a day and there isn’t much room as mentioned before to hang a towel for reuse.||||Overall, the hotel is okay but don’t come and expect 5 star service. Staff require training, perhaps they are underpaid and overworked but they don’t seem to be very happy to help. As mentioned in my opening sentence all of these things are small details but make a big difference when claiming to be a 5 star...

I recently spent a week here with my Mum during which I celebrated my birthday.||We booked with Tui and this included a private transport to and from the hotel and despite arriving mid morning our room was ready. On check in we felt a little bombarded with information, which included the opportunity for an upgrade. It meant we would have had to change rooms half way through the week (on my birthday) so decided to stick with our original room. On reflection we wish we’d at least had a look as whilst the room was great overall, it felt a little cramped at times. ||We had a lovely balcony overlooking the pool. The bed was quite possibly the best I have ever slept in in a hotel (and I stay in a lot of them with work). It was also quiet and we both had the most amazing sleep. I don’t know if this is the case normally or because we were staying close to the end of season so it was less busy.||The room was well serviced, spotless with complementary water and some treats (biscuits/chocolate) each night. Only issue we had was a leaky shower so the amount of towels we were using didn’t feel very eco friendly! ||We were half board and in the evening could eat from the al a carte menu in FOC Brasserie. On face value some of the menu options seemed a bit dull, but everything is absolutely delicious even the most simple lettuce salads. Being dairy and meat free I did find it a bit limiting and over the week ended up having the same things. My Mum who has no dietary needs had no problem finding a different dish to have each night. ||The staff and chefs were as accommodating as they could be in making adjustments and whilst there were vegan options on the menu, some dishes weren’t available. I waited until my birthday to order the only vegan desert that wasn’t a fruit platter only to be told it wasn’t actually available. ||At breakfast there were no obvious dairy free options. Again the staff helped where they could to be accommodating. We loved the morning coffee and juices and everything was delicious. ||Outside of the standard soft drinks on the menu there aren’t any non alcoholic options and it would have been nice to have had more choices. We did request some virgin mojitos but felt it was a bit steep to be charged the same price as an alcoholic one. ||We were pleased to know we had the option of trying a few other restaurants around the resort instead of the al La carte dining if we wanted to. We tried the buffet at the sister hotel which was pretty awful and stuck to the al la carte after that! ||The location is great, some lovely coastal walks and it’s easy and cheap to get the bus into Cuitadella which we did a few times. The pool area is lovely and relaxing and you can also use the facilities at the sister hotel which we did a few times.||I think this is fantastic option for couples and it’s a hotel I’d consider going back to, which would be a first for me. If they could accommodate for those with dietary requirements a little better I wouldn’t hesitate to go back...

I 1st visited this adults only hotel in May 2019 when 1966 World Cup Winner Jack Charlton was also here with his family. After an enjoyable holiday ,I then re- booked for the following year,2020 .The Covid pandemic came along and with it a cancelled trip ,the holiday was again switched to 2021 & yet another cancellation. Finally it was 3rd time lucky as I've just returned from an 11nite stay.The reception check- in process wasn't too long,passports scanned, room wrist fob fitted,Bank card details are taken incase you sign for any bar drink bills etc to your room also the island tourism tax needs to be paid .The room allocated was really spacious & well maintained by the cleaners ,even though the laminate flooring needs attention as it's lifted in places in room "69" .Restaurant does have inside & outside seating areas, well managed by Rafael & later by Jesus who take your drink orders which can be signed for or paid by cash like I always do. Clara was a very welcoming,friendly & pleasant host wile Laura was just unbelievable, a special lady who's very friendly,helpful,very chatty & funny with it ,informative on events taking place , this simple interaction with guests makes your holiday experience more enjoyable Food wise there was a good variety of choices for breakfast & the evening meal ,just a shame there's no longer the nspresso coffee pod machines or ice cream which had different choices of toppings during my 1st stay on offer .Outside there's the pool side bar/restaurant with very pleasant staff on duty ,drinks are a bit on the expensive side as is the limited choices of food which you need to scan the QR code to find out what's on the menu or use the bars ipad ike I did. The pool itself was gorgeous & maybe a touch cold which didn't bother me as most of the time I had it to myself,only worrying thing is there is an exercise bike in the pool itself which should really have some kind of floatation marker to let people know it's there as I nearly bumped into it wile swimming.Couple of DJ's do come & do their stuff,I didn't have a problem with the volume or choices of music as they do have to cater for all nationalities who stay here. There's lots of sun beds available wile the other pool side large double bed loungers which I do believe cost €40 to hire, all of these are located on what I'd call a fine gravel surface, suppose its to replicate a beach setting ,not the most comfortable to walk on either.On occasions the hotel does host evening entertainment next to the pool bar which wasn't the best but would be better attended if the drinks available were slightly cheaper..The hotel is set in an ideal location over looking the marina with its bar restaurants, also spa facilities if that's what you require, it's only a short walk to the beach & a public bus stop is located outside the hotel for a journey into the old capital of cuitadella. I do recommend a visit to this hotel & hopefully I will return...