Viking Star Hotel

Brits beware: his is advertised as 5* on Loveholidays.com - this is not a five-star hotel as we know it. I’ve stayed in far better-equipped three-star properties, and this one struggles to meet even that standard. Let’s start with the basics. There is no tea or coffee provided in the room, which feels rather disappointing for a supposed luxury hotel. The Wi-Fi is available only in a small section of the lobby, unless you’re willing to pay extra for access in your room. The television offers just two English-speaking channels — I’ve honestly stayed in hostels in Bali with better in-room facilities. Upon our midnight arrival, we were allocated a double room with just three pillows, which is apparently standard. I ended up sleeping with one pillow and the hardest cushion from the armchair, resulting in a rather painful neck the following morning. To top it off, the “morning view” revealed the car park and the hotel bins. How inspiring. We were moved quickly (Tick) to another room once other guests checked out, but the same “three-pillow policy” remained. The walls are incredibly thin, and we were kept awake a few nights by a neighbour’s snoring two doors down. Though, in the spirit of fairness, another guest later knocks on our door, as we were playing UNO too loudly!!! The hot water situation was another ongoing issue. initially there was none, After mentioning it to reception, we were assured it had been adjusted — which translated to alternating bursts of scalding hot and freezing cold water. On one occasion, we ran the water for 25 minutes before it finally warmed up. On the day of checkout, there was no hot water at all. When we reported this, explaining we had a noon checkout, no one had arrived in 3 hours. So once at reception with our cases we were told, “If you want a hot shower, go to the spa.” A creative suggestion — though I’m not sure how management imagined we’d manage that with our luggage and packed cases in the lobby. Guests are also issued only one room key per booking, regardless of how many people are staying. So, if you and your roommate plan to go out separately, prepare for logistical challenges — the hotel apparently doesn’t trust guests with two keys. There is a mini bar advertised… which only provides water. There is a laundry service, which is perfect if your organised enough to know what you want to wear the following day, but for the last minute press of my trousers before heading out… I’d have to wait three hours as there wasn’t an iron available at reception for me To quickly run over them. Now, onto the food. The buffet was as expected in format, but not in quality. The dishes were consistently bland, and each evening turned into a game of “guess the meatball” — would it be shaped like a burger, sausage, or an actual meatball tonight? The menu offered an abundance of olives, cheese, and processed meats, but very little else. Desserts were repetitive and uninspiring. For a five-star establishment, one might reasonably expect glasses on the tables and a drinks waiter, but none were present. A chef stands by the buffet each evening, presumably to give the impression of culinary flair. When I asked for fresh chips (as the ones available were cold), my request was declined. Not exactly the service level one hopes for in a premium resort. Our welcome letter promised one complimentary à la carte meal, which sounded like a pleasant change — until we were told the restaurant was “closed for the season.” So, we opted to dine out for the second half of our stay, which, while enjoyable, was certainly not a planned expense. To their credit, the excursions organised by the hotel were excellent. The trip to the so-called Turkish Maldives was beautiful — relaxing, well-run, and the food was absolutely delicious. However, practicalities were again an issue: if your excursion leaves before 9 a.m., you won’t be allowed to take a beach towel, as they are “not issued” until that time. When I asked what I was supposed to do, the staff simply shrugged. As for the hotel beach, the experience was underwhelming. After being dropped off via a dirt track through what looked like an abandoned caravan park, we found mismatched plastic chairs on worn artificial grass, surrounded by rusty motorhomes. Hardly the luxury coastal retreat shown in the hotel’s promotional materials. Curiously, when we tried to visit another “Viking” beach nearby, we were refused entry as we were told it belonged to a different company — despite the hotel’s lobby video advertising all properties as part of the same group. Interestingly, the Viking Star itself does not feature in that video. The hotel proudly displays a TripAdvisor “Winner 2012” plaque at reception, though it’s unclear what award it refers to. In any case, it feels long past its relevance. This hotel has clearly not seen meaningful investment in years, and the staff appear to have lost enthusiasm — likely due to the same cost-cutting measures that are visible throughout the property. In conclusion, this is not a five-star experience by any stretch of the imagination. The management needs to seriously reconsider its standards and stop marketing this as luxury accommodation. It’s tired, underfunded, and completely misrepresented. We certainly won’t be booking with Viking again.