Elani Beach

We chose this hotel because of its strong reviews, but our experience was disappointing from start to finish. After a delayed flight we arrived at around 2am. Room service had finished at 11pm, there was only a packet of nuts in the minibar, and we were greeted by an unfriendly notice warning guests not to consume their own food and drink in the room. The room was cold and we couldn't get the heating to work. The next morning there was no hot water for a bath and we were told to let it run for 10 minutes. Eventually there was enough for a lukewarm bath. The room was also poorly lit, making it difficult to apply makeup, and the bedside lamps were so far from the bed that you had to get up to switch them off. The hotel later offered to move us, but this was midway through a four-night stay after we had unpacked and were spending long days away from the hotel. We chose to stay if the problems could be resolved. Complimentary fruit and cakes were appreciated, but the heating failed again the following night. The final straw came on the third night when the toilet backed up with waste from other rooms and would not flush. Maintenance eventually resolved it, but it was not a pleasant experience. Breakfast was mediocre, with limited hot food that was usually only tepid. Expedia handled our complaint excellently; the hotel much less so. Overall, not what we expected from such a highly rated hotel.

6