The Level at Meliá Villaitana

Alina Maria Petrovici

Dear Meliá Villaitana Management Team, I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding the experience my family and I had during our recent stay at your hotel. I made my reservation through Booking.com in advance, expecting a smooth and welcoming arrival. Unfortunately, upon reaching the reception, I was informed that the hotel had no record of our booking. What followed was an extremely uncomfortable situation: I remained standing at the reception desk for approximately 40 minutes with my young son, while the receptionist attempted to contact Booking.com. After finally reaching a Booking.com call center agent, I was asked to wait an additional 15–20 minutes for a confirmation email. Although I received the confirmation promptly, the hotel informed me that the email had been sent to a reservations address that the reception staff could not access. The situation remained unresolved until I requested that a manager be involved. The manager did not come personally, but apparently advised reception by phone that the confirmation had been received at the hotel’s reservations email. We were finally given our room approximately 45 minutes later. By this point, the experience had already been very stressful and exhausting. Unfortunately, the difficulties did not end there. The room was prepared with two twin beds, despite our stay including our son. No one asked whether we needed the sofa bed to be prepared for him. Additionally, there were towels only for two guests. I had to call reception to request additional towels, as none were proactively provided. At check-out, another receptionist acknowledged the issue and apologized on behalf of the hotel. While I appreciated the apology, it came after no real attempt had been made during our stay to recover the service or compensate for the inconvenience and distress caused. In the spirit of hospitality — where the guest experience is central — I believe the handling of this situation fell significantly below the standards expected from a hotel of Meliá Villaitana’s reputation. The prolonged waiting time, lack of proactive communication, absence of managerial presence during a service failure, and the lack of basic room preparation for the number of guests demonstrate a clear breakdown in guest care. Traveling with a child should not involve standing at reception for nearly one hour due to internal communication issues between the hotel and a booking platform. Nor should guests need to repeatedly request basic room amenities. I trust that you will take this feedback seriously, review your reservation procedures and guest recovery protocols, and consider appropriate compensation for the inconvenience and discomfort caused. I look forward to your response.

Gary Dougan

Beautiful hotel over expansive grounds. There in February on a work conference so not really for pleasure, however the food quality was excellent, attentive and friendly staff and views over Benidorm to the sea were lovely. Great room size with a lounge and verandah. Would like to come back when its warmer.

Paulomi Debnath

I recently stayed at Meliá Villaitana in Alicante, and it completely exceeded my expectations. The hotel itself is breathtaking – designed in the style of a traditional Spanish village with charming architecture, cobbled-style streets, and colourful facades that make every corner picture-perfect. From my room, I had the most beautiful blue sea views, and with so many swimming pools scattered across the resort, there was always a new spot to relax and enjoy the sunshine. The design and atmosphere create a true Mediterranean escape – elegant yet so inviting. The service was outstanding throughout my stay – warm, professional, and always with a smile. Whether it was at reception, in the restaurants, or by the pool, every detail was taken care of to make the experience memorable. A stunning destination where style, comfort, and hospitality meet – I can’t wait to return!

Edin Salaka

This hotel is advertised as a 5-star hotel, but in reality it feels more like a 3-star property. The only thing that truly feels 5 stars is the price. Honestly, based on value for money, I would give it 1 star — but I am giving 2 stars as an average, and also because the girls at the reception were very kind and helpful. Maybe this hotel was a luxury 5-star hotel many years ago, but now it feels old and in need of renovation. The food in the restaurant is average. The selection is fine, but the taste could definitely be better. The service, however, was very poor and not helpful. On our first night, we arrived with our baby and were seated next to a large seminar group that was very loud. When our baby started crying, we asked to move to another area of the restaurant that was completely empty. After a short discussion, they allowed us to move — but I had to carry all the food and things from the table myself while the staff just watched. Is this 5-star service? Dinner starts at 7:30 PM, which is very inconvenient when traveling with a small child. All other restaurants in the complex were closed because it was off-season. The spa is open, but it costs 25 euros per hour per person. Considering the high price of the hotel, this extra charge feels unnecessary. At least in the off-season it should be included. Parking is free, but it is very unorganized and dusty. Garage parking costs extra. We were given a room in the corner of the hotel, and it was quite cold, especially in the hallways. Walking to other hotel facilities took time, and with a baby stroller it was not very practical. The manager called us on the first day to check if everything was okay. She probably expected me to say yes, but when I started to explain the problems, she simply redirected me to reception. Fortunately, the reception staff were very kind and helped with some of our requests. Also, during the weekend hotel was quite full and restaurants for dinner and breakfast suddenly changed and this was not communicated to us. We were walking around and searching for it, and then we ended up eating in non Level guests restaurant cause we didnt know there is restaurant for Level guests. Overall, this is a very expensive hotel that I would recommend avoiding, especially in the off-season. In the surrounding area, you can find much better service for half the price. This was the most expensive option when I booked. Before arriving here, we spent three days at Innside by Melia in Alicante (a 4-star hotel), and it felt much more luxurious than this one. It is a pity that our first flight trip with our baby ended this way. I had high hopes that the hotel would be great and that we would truly enjoy our stay.

Nariman Jahani

The noise level was very disappointing. Grass cutting starts as early as 7:00 a.m., and the pool area, which should be peaceful, was filled with loud music and constant noise from lawn equipment and other machinery.