Gecko Beach House — Hotel in Formentera

Twenty fours at this hotel made perfectly clear why the property is not listed as recommended by Forbes or any other luxury travel rating service. From arrival to departure, the property was severely lacking and the negligence and indifference of the staff prompted us to prepare a Spanish reclamation form against the hotel. Summary up front: unimpressive facilities, ambivalent staff, and the kicker being a near death experience on bikes rented from the hotel which didn´t have front and rear lighting for night travel.||||After almost a month of planning our Anniversary and emails with the hotel for a pickup service (quoted at 90 euro whereas taxi was 17 euros), we flew all the way over from Miami and arrived at the principal port of Formentera were we received an email that because we arrived 15 minutes late, the Hotel couldn’t pick us up and left us waiting in the Taxi Line for 2 hours with no alternative transportation offered by the Hotel. For example, waiting an additional 15 minutes for another car rather than the two hours for a taxi would have been preferable, but no such proactive communication assistance was offered. Fabulous start to an anniversary, right?||||A bit tired from the trip, we checked in with the front desk who made no effort to apologize or recognize the lack of assistance offered. Instead, we checked in, dropped out bags in the room and preceded with plans for a day on the island. More on this later, but the room itself was a joke. The mattress was rock hard, the sheets felt threadbare and cheap, the pillows were thiner than tissue paper, and the toiletries were some unbranded discount product.||||Since we had a lunch reservation in the opposite side of the Island and a Dinner Reservation in the 2nd largest town Es Pujol, we discussed with the hotel if they advised us to take Taxis or enjoy "a wonderful experience with Electric Bikes" from the hotel that turned into a Nightmare... NO ONE of the staff warned us the Island is completely dark at night, despite advising that the trip included a dinner reservation. After completing the contracting with the front desk, which they were very insistent on getting a signature for the 50 euro per bike costs, it then took four staff members to show how to turn on the electric bikes. At no point was any safety check or safety demonstration offered. Like you, reader, having rented bikes both electric and non'electric all of the world, you know theres always a safety check. Well, not at the Gecko.||||After lunch and dinner, we mounted the hotel´s bikes and realized after leaving Es Pujol, that the front and back lights for the bike were not working. We turned the battery on and off, checked the lights, pressed on the lights, nothing. Seeing as the journey back required travel through dark roads with with not a single light in the streets, we contemplated calling the hotel to ask for a pick up of the bikes. We thought otherwise after it took the hotel nearly twenty minutes to produce the wifi property, so we decided to peddle back using our cell phones as flashlights to alert traffic to our presence on the road.||||Thankfully, we were not drinking at either lunch or dinner. As soon as we left the town we found ourselves in a life or death situation biking back from our dinner more than 30km, with deadly curves surrounded by water and cars/motorbikes in both directions. To complete the TRAUMA the Hotel is located in an isolated part of the Island with no signage on the way and the streets were getting darker and desolated, by this point we had 2% of battery and scared of calling and losing our flash lights.||||When we were back almost at midnight, the front desk girl had no idea if the bikes had lights or not, 5 workers were called and none could turned the lights on. The next day, after barely getting any sleep from the stress of returning to the hotel, being met with complete indifference, and being forced to sleep on a bed that likely wouldn´t satisfy the standards for a prison, we had a decent lunch at the pool. Of course, no recognition of an anniversary or offer to order (and pay for champagne or cava) to mark the occasion. Upon leaving, and when presented with the bill for the stay, the manager stated that the fee for the bikes had been removed. No apology or promise to look into the existing safety standards, just removal from the bill of charges for a service that could have killed us. This after being accused of taking a beach tote bag from the hotel which was discarded at the pool for someone else to throw in the trash and being charged 30 euros for the minibar which we didn´t use. Laughably, when questioning the mini bar charges, the staff attempted to explain what a minbar is.||||The "manager" was the real quicker. When we brought up the issue of the lack of saftey features for the bikes, as required by spanish law, he excused himself saying the bikes belong to a different company that assured them the lights were working next morning. Not only he gaslighted us but also said "Im the Manager we are not charging you the bikes, there´s nothing else I can do" as if our lives were worth only 50$.||||When we were checking out he refused to give us a Reclamation Form to proceed with legal actions since the Bikes were against the Spanish Law and they committed negligence on the service, so we had to reminded him he was obligated by law to do so.||||We Paid almost 2.000$ for one night, and they even forgot it was our anniversary. No one from the staff did any special notice during the lunch reservation and the food was not only mediocre but overpriced. THE WORST hotel experience of our lives and one of the most scary moments we have lived so far. The management of the hotel is clueless, the facilities lacking, the contracted services either non existent or life threatening.||||On a positive note, the hotel offered complimentary paddle boards which were fun on the beach but for your surprise the water was nasty, covered with dead seaweed, grey almost brown water and suffer waves. The only other positive note I can recall is a decent...

Prison like accomodations with negligent, indifferent, and entitled management...

Summary

The mattress was rock hard, the sheets felt threadbare and cheap, the pillows were thiner than tissue paper, and the toiletries were some unbranded discount product.

The beach was nasty, covered with dead seaweed, grey almost brown water and surfer waves.

The hotel rented bikes with no safety lights and no warnings.

The only other positive note I can recall is a decent iced frappe.

Details

After almost a month of planning our Anniversary and emails with the hotel for a pickup service, accomodations, and meals, we arrived at the principal port of Formentera to receive an email that the Hotel couldn’t pick us up and left us waiting in the Taxi Line for 2 hours.

We checked in with the front desk who made no effort to apologize or recognize the lack of assistance offered. More on this later, but the hotel room itself was a joke.

Since we had a lunch and Dinner Reservation in the opposite side of the Island nd in the 2nd largest town Es Pujol, we discussed w the hotel if they advised us to take Taxis or Electric Bikes from the hotel that turned into a Nightmare... NO ONE of the staff warned us the Island is completely dark at night, despite advising that the trip included a dinner reservation. After completing the contracting, it then took 4 staff members to show how to turn on the electric bikes. At no point was any safety check or safety demonstration offered.

After dinner, we mounted the hotel´s bikes and realized leaving Es Pujol, that the front and back lights for the bike were not workin. We turned the battery on and off, checked the lights, pressed on the lights, nothing. Seeing as the journey back required travel through dark roads with with not a single light in the streets, we called the hotel with no answer so we decided to peddle back using our cell phones as flashlights to alert traffic to our presence on the road.

ASAP we left the town we found ourselves in a life or death situation biking back from our dinner more than 30km, with deadly curves surrounded by water and cars/motorbikes in both directions which lights we used to see the road. To complete the TRAUMA the Hotel is located in an isolated part of the Island and the streets were getting darker and desolated, by this point we had 2% of battery and scared of calling and losing our flash lights.

When we were back almost at 00, the front desk girl had no idea if the bikes had lights or not, 5 workers were called and none could turned the lights on. The next day, being met with complete indifference, stating the lights worked. Upon leaving, and when presented with the bill for the stay, the manager stated that the fee for the bikes had been removed. No apology or promise to look into the existing safety standards, just removal from the bill of charges for a service that could have killed us.

When we brought up the issue of the lack of safety features for the bikes, as required by spanish law, he excused himself saying the bikes belong to a different company that assured them the lights were working next morning. Not only he gaslighted us but also said "Im the Manager we are not charging you the bikes, there´s nothing else I can do" as if our lives were worth only 50$.

He refused to give us a Reclamation Form to proceed with legal actions since the Bikes were against the Spanish Law and they committed negligence on the service, so we had to reminded him he was obligated by law to do so.

We Paid almost 2.000$ for 1 night, and they even forgot it's our anniversary. No one from the staff did any special notice during the lunch reservation and the food was not only mediocre but overpriced.THE WORST hotel experience of our lives and one of the most scary moments we have lived so far. The management of the hotel is clueless, the facilities lacking, the contracted services either non existent or life...

Before you decide to go to the Gecko, make sure they DO NOT hold a music festival or similar event during your stay.

We have been at the Gecko Hotel on 4 occasions, a fantastic hotel from the spaces it offers to the professionalism and dedication of its team. A place that had transmitted a lot of peace and tranquility until this weekend, when they decided to host the Estrella Galicia festival. A clash between 2 worlds that should not coincide.

Protecting the environment created and the well-being of its guests should be the hotel's number one concern but the imposition of a festival in its facilities leaves a feeling of lack of consideration on its clients.

Yet, a 2-day festival with music from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. is the opposite of what the hotel claims to offer to its clients on its social networks and what you are looking for during your stay/holiday. Yet, you can’t really cancel or adjust your trip with them noticing about the event a week before your arrival. Yet, receiving clear and complete information abt real impact and implications is another story.

The Estrella Galicia Festival does NOT coexist with the hotel, but rather invades the hotel, its facilities, its spirit, its services and its staff. A 2-day festival you can easily transform into 5 if you include time for the crew to set up, installation of the stage, artists' hours of preparation (2 artists by night + DJ), sound checks and rehearsals, and removing it all afterwards. The restaurant is closed for lunch and dinner, the pool area is another spot for more rehearsals and sound check, meetings for organisers, etc.

5 days during which the clients do not feel comfortable, relaxed, and can’t even enjoy the hotel facilities, the pool, or even their room with the tranquility they (should?) deserve.

If you want to be positioned as a piece of heaven on the island, you better act like it… whatever the season and occupancy level.

Privatisation is crucial to prevent negative impact on guests.

Maybe we will go back, maybe not. All in all,...