I travel a lot, and one of the things I love most about travelling is experiencing different countries and learning about different cultures. I want to start by saying that Albanian people in general are lovely and welcoming, and Albania itself is a beautiful country that is absolutely worth visiting. I would definitely return to Albania.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about Fafa Grand Blue Aqua Resort.
This hotel is advertised as a 5-star all-inclusive resort, but based on our experience, it is nowhere near the standard I would expect from a 5-star hotel. Albania has huge potential as a holiday destination, but when it comes to all-inclusive resorts, I feel there is still a lot to learn before they can be compared with established destinations such as Spain and other countries with a long tradition of all-inclusive tourism.
Before travelling, I read many negative reviews about this hotel. I deliberately tried not to be sceptical because I believe everyone can have a different experience. I wanted to arrive with an open mind and make my own judgement. Unfortunately, I was negatively surprised, and many of the issues mentioned in other reviews reflected our own experience.
The problems started immediately with our rooms. We booked a room for three people but were given a room prepared for only two. My brother booked a room for four people and received one prepared for only three. This is not what you expect when you have booked and paid in advance, especially from a hotel claiming to be 5-star.
The attitude of some of the reception staff was one of the biggest disappointments. Some were extremely rude and unhelpful and behaved as though dealing with guests was a punishment rather than their job. I actually became anxious every time I had to go to reception to ask for something.
In particular, the lady working the daytime shift at the information desk made us feel very uncomfortable. Her tone of voice and body language gave the impression that she simply was not interested in helping. In a 5-star hotel, reception should be the place where guests feel comfortable asking for assistance, not somewhere they dread having to go.
It is important for me to say that not all the staff were like this. The cleaning staff on our floor were absolutely lovely. The bar staff were also very nice, and the young men supervising the large water slides were some of the nicest and friendliest staff we encountered during our stay. They deserve recognition because their attitude towards guests was completely different and they made us feel welcome.
Food was another major disappointment. During both lunch and dinner, the food was consistently cold. If you are expecting to sit down and enjoy a nice warm meal, unfortunately that was not our experience at this hotel.
We stayed for seven nights and the food was also extremely repetitive, with very little variation from day to day. Because the food was so consistently cold, we even wondered whether some of it might have been transported from another hotel, such as Aqua Palace. I want to make it clear that this is only something we wondered about — we do not know whether that was actually the case.
Four people out of our group of eight experienced stomach problems during the stay. I cannot say with certainty what caused this, but it was concerning. Several of us ended up eating very little because our stomachs did not feel right.
We were particularly concerned about the swimming-pool water. Children in our group developed skin rashes, so we went to a local pharmacist for advice. The pharmacist told us that they regularly see guests from Fafa with similar problems and, according to them, the swimming-pool water is the cause.
What made this even more concerning was seeing that we were not the only guests reporting problems. Other guest reviews have also mentioned very strong chlorine and skin or eye irritation after using the pools.
For a resort that attracts so many families with children, I believe this is something management should take very seriously. We can only describe what happened to us personally and what we were told by the pharmacist, but when you then find other guests describing similar experiences, it is understandably worrying.
There are also smaller things that simply do not make sense for a hotel claiming to be 5-star and all-inclusive. You get a kettle in the room, but there is no coffee or tea provided. Don’t even dream about it! It may seem like a small thing, but these details matter when a hotel is presenting itself as a luxury 5-star resort.
Late checkout was another frustrating experience. If you know that you need a late checkout, you might as well book another night from the beginning. We received different information from different members of staff, and reception did not make the process easy or clear. You ask one person and receive one answer, then ask somebody else and receive completely different information.
Overall, I am glad that I visited Albania, and I want to make a clear distinction between my opinion of this resort and my opinion of the country. Albania is beautiful, and the Albanian people we met in general were lovely. I would absolutely return to Albania and would encourage people to experience the country for themselves.
However, based on our experience, I would not return to Fafa Grand Blue Aqua Resort.
The owners and management of this resort need to look at established all-inclusive resorts around Europe and elsewhere and understand what guests reasonably expect when they book and pay for a 5-star all-inclusive holiday.
A 5-star experience is not simply about having a large hotel, swimming pools and water slides. It is about hospitality, properly prepared rooms, good-quality food served at the correct temperature, cleanliness, consistency, communication, attention to detail and, most importantly, making your guests feel welcome and comfortable when they need assistance.
The hotel has potential, and some members of staff are genuinely lovely, but there are serious areas that need improvement.
After seven nights here, my biggest question remains: who decided that this is a 5-star hotel? Because based on what we personally experienced, it did not come anywhere close to the 5-star all-inclusive standard we have experienced while travelling elsewhere.
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