Having stayed at Tartessus several times the lack of service has not changed only got worse. The apartments are in dire need of some refurbishment and what used to be a basic 4 star could now only be optimistically described as a very basic 2 star. We stayed in one of the "House" Apartments during New Year's Eve 2008 and was frightened out of our wits and virtually had to barricade ourselves in. The management allowed a huge crowd of young Spanish to book in who literally took over the hotel from 1am and the noise and intimidation from drunken youngsters maurading around the hotel had to be seen to be believed. Despite being seasoned travellers we were incredibly frightened by the huge crowd of youths constantly circling our apartment, shouting abuse and screaming at and with each other. The female receptionist and the lone security guard were overwhelmed and threatened when they asked some of the misbehaving guests to keep the noise down and apparently there were over 500 drunken revellers causing havoc throughout the hotel but they appeared to be concentrated in the area where our villa was located. We were treated appallingly when we contacted reception several times as we were very frightened We were told that what did we expect as it was New Year's Eve. This unacceptable behaviour went on until 8am the next morning and upon contacting the management were told that there had been widespread damage throughout the hotel, they had threatened the lone staff on duty and when we asked why the police were not called and it was allowed to go on we were given the answer that there is no point in calling the police as they would not attend anyway. The staff were rude and unhelpful and we were not even offered a complimentary breakfast for the very scary experience. It was horrendous.
We returned to the hotel in April this year only to find that whilst the common parts are being just about adequately maintained everything is going slightly downhill. The beautiful wicker furniture on the terrace has been replaced with cheap plastic tables and chairs and it appears that the hotel is now martketing itself to the lower end of the tourist market. The apartment we stayed in was infested with mosquitos resulting in both of us being badly bitten. This is mainly due to the two fonts with fountains in the garden in front of that particular block no longer working and there is brown stagnant water lying in them which is a breeding ground for mossies. The apartments themselves are now in dire need of refurb and looking very dirty and tired. If something is not done soon what used to be a really pleasant hotel will only continue to decline.
Two years ago they used to erect beautiful cream umbrellas to shade guest from the sun, these are all now gone and a lot of the paths are cracked and can be dangerous when walking towards accommodations when dark.
The service has never been a strength at this hotel, you will get put in the worse apartment and when you ask if you can change to another will get told the hotel is full when in fact it is not even a quarter full. The soundproofing in the rooms is totally non-existent, you hear everything going on next door, above and below and the noise levels are annoying at times. The maid service can be patchy, only once during a 5 night stay unless you pay extra. Beware and hide anything of any value away in the safe provided for which a charge is made. Items have gone missing on one of our visits and some clothing got damaged although when reported to reception this was dismissed as not being possible.
Probably would not visit here again unless bargain basement rate, they appear to have increased their rates dramatically recently despite the hotel becoming more run down.
This establishment caters more for their core clientele which are mainly Spanish and German guests.
- Tartessus Sancti Petri Apartahotel Hotel
