Lti Madina Palace Reviews

Having read previous mixed reviews about this hotel I flew with some trepidation and was ready for some disappointment in its star rating. However, I found the accommodation more than just tired - sadly in many places it was shoddy and dirty. The dust from the furniture and rugs in our suite made clothes grubby!

Positive points included the children's entertainment team who worked hard to involve children of all ages and nationalities. The food in the Italian restaurant was very good and service in all the restaurants was quick and efficient.

However the administration team lets the hotel down - with an incredibly slow check in, lack of helpfulness and general air of arrogance that was astounding at times. We found that the original room we had been allocated did not have enough beds - nor a cot - which had been stipulated at the time of booking. The second suite had no air conditioning and a broken window and the third - which we eventually had to settle for at almost 4 am (after 3 hours waiting), had no fridge/mini-bar - essential when travelling with an infant.

On that note our room was down five separate flights of stairs which meant carrying the buggy up and down every time we went out of the door. Certainly not suitable for families with small children unless you fancy a couple of weeks of weightlifting! There are two lifts but neither covers all floors or the main area of the hotel. On a more serious note we noted that both our mini bar bill and restaurant drinks bills were incorrect when it came to check out -the reception staff were almost hostile when we queried this and only on providing a full list of items with dates did they back down - definitely worth keeping a record of exactly how much you spend/order

There is a beautiful large swimming pool and a smaller children's pool - also up a flight of stairs - and life guards are in attendance throughout the day. Sadly the water is freezing cold - again making it unsuitable for small children.

If this hotel was advertised as a 3* hotel it would be about right - lower your expectations and you'll hit the spot but as for 5* it really is under false pretences. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to friends or family.