Brilliant Hotel & SPA

We recently stayed here on an all-inclusive package for 4 nights (Saturday to Wednesday). While there were some positives, overall we were disappointed and didn’t feel the experience reflected the price we paid.

When we arrived at 1:50 pm, we were told the lunch buffet was closing in just 10 minutes. The meal times are quite limited: breakfast is 7:30–10:00 am, lunch 12:00–2:00 pm, the snack bar only opens from 4:00–5:00 pm, and dinner is 7:00–9:00 pm. There are no snacks available between these times. The buffet food was also very repetitive throughout our stay, and there was very little information about ingredients, which could be a concern for guests with allergies or dietary requirements.

The à la carte restaurant is not included in the all-inclusive package and requires an additional charge. The room minibar is also chargeable. The main bar closes at 10:00 pm, the drink selection is very limited, and there wasn’t even a cocktail menu. The cocktails we tried were unfortunately not very enjoyable.

We chose this hotel partly because it advertised a kids’ club, but it only operates two days a week, which was disappointing. Evening entertainment consisted only of singers each night, so after a few evenings it became quite repetitive.

There are also several unexpected extra charges. If you want to use the indoor pool, it’s €10 per person. If you’d like access to the nicer pool and bar area featured in many of the promotional photos, it’s €22 per person, and drinks there are not included either.

We appreciate that Albania is still developing as an all-inclusive destination, but this wasn’t what we expected from an all-inclusive holiday. Compared with our experiences in destinations such as Turkey, Egypt and the Canary Islands, there were far fewer inclusions and many additional costs. We paid around £700 per person for 4 nights, and unfortunately we don’t feel the stay offered good value for money.

It was also my sister’s birthday during our stay. We had to purchase a birthday cake for €15, and there was no small complimentary gesture such as a slice of cake or a glass of wine, which would have been a thoughtful touch.

A small detail, but the wall-mounted body wash dispenser in our bathroom was never refilled. Instead, we were given several small travel-sized bottles of shower gel.

On a positive note, the reception staff, the barman, and the housekeeping team were all friendly, welcoming, and hardworking. They were the highlight of our stay and deserve recognition for their excellent service.

Overall, while the staff made us feel welcome, we left feeling disappointed by the limited all-inclusive offering, the number of additional charges, and the overall value for money.

If you decide to come to this hotel, you have to be aware that you are joining techno and electro music festival that lasts on the beach 8-20, you will not be able to sit in silence and relax or read a book on the beach, because there is loud music and base beat that is uneascapable wherever you go on the beach, which is exhausting and irritating for the nervous system. There is no single quiet spot in the hotel where you can hide from the music to read a book or relax in silence. It is impossible to talk to the manager as front staff is blocking it and some of the staff at the reception is dismissive and rude (e.g. Reifa). They don’t try to understand a basic human need to rest on holidays and to be able to choose whether you want to listen to the techno / electro music all day long on your holidays or not. I tried to attach the video but it is impossible here. We asked the staff to take the music down on the beach but they refused. Spending your holidays here is like a torture in Guantanamo when they will not let you sleep or relax but force you to listen to the music all the time. I am writing this because nobody respects our need and there is no senior person who would talk to us and help us find a solution. It is a warning for anybody who is considering this place - if you want to listen to electro beat 8-20 on the beach, go for it. Otherwise - dont consider it.

Beautiful hotel with very friendly and polite stuff.

Everything was wonderful.the service was great also the weather. A storm happend but the hotel was very good to spend time even with the storm.

We had a pleasant stay at this hotel overall. The hotel itself was nice, clean, and comfortable, and the service was excellent throughout our stay. The staff were friendly, helpful, and always willing to assist, which made the experience much better.

One downside was that the food was sometimes served cold, which was a bit disappointing. Also, the surrounding area did not offer much to do for families. The area where the hotel is located mainly consists of hotels, and the beach is still somewhat messy and undeveloped in places.

However, you can definitely see that the area is developing and has potential for the future. Overall, we still enjoyed our stay thanks to the good service and comfortable hotel.

Me gustó que es un ligar muy tranquilo para relajarse una muy buena calidad de hotel limpio y bien atendido

Clean hotel on a sandy beach, all-including food, but we did get upset stomachs and diarrhoea for the duration of the holiday. The chemist across the road sold us electrolytes frequently for 16€ each time but it never got rid of it. Pharmacist said it was common due to the water but I think it was due to the food as we only drank bottled water. I would have given the hotel 5 stars but there is an issue with the hotel’s food. So I would recommend the hotel but not eat the hotel’s food.

ontbijt was super, hygiene top! locatie is prima er worden veel hotels nog bijgebouwd, ligt aan het strand maar niet in de buurt van een winkelcentrum of iets dergelijks. je zit in een omgeving met strand hotels en restaurants, en een klein supermarktje bijna naast het hotel. en dit hotel heeft een parkeergarage, ook handig voor je huurauto

Geen gebruik van gemaakt van zwemvad en spa, maar verder zag heter fantastisch uit!

Disappointing Service at a Beautiful Hotel

The hotel itself is visually stunning — modern, new, and with great potential. However, our overall experience was significantly undermined by service and cleanliness issues that simply shouldn’t occur at a 4- or 5-star resort.

Water Outage on First Night
On our first night, the water ran out entirely in the middle of a shower. While the issue was resolved the following day, this kind of infrastructure failure is unacceptable at a high-end property.

Housekeeping Is Severely Lacking
Housekeeping is where the experience truly fell apart. The maids did not properly clean the room. The bed was made sloppily, the bathroom was not cleaned, and used towels were replaced with “clean” ones that had visible stains and someone else’s hair. The bathroom mirror and shower door were clearly untouched, and the floors were dirty. It seems that two maids come in at once and whisper amongst themselves while rushing through the job. I am Albanian myself, and I find this level of service highly unprofessional and disappointing.

Front Desk: Polite but Ineffective
The front desk staff are polite and articulate, but often provide inaccurate information. For example, when I complained about the dirty room, I was first told it hadn’t yet been cleaned. Moments later, a maid came up, apologized, and admitted she had rushed and didn’t finish cleaning — contradicting what reception had said.

I also asked for the room to be cleaned earlier in the day, as I nap between 12–4 PM. The front desk told me this could not be accommodated due to their schedule, and that cleaning staff prioritize checkout rooms. I was told they could make a one-time exception, but typically cleaning happens until 3 PM — meaning I either skip my nap or miss room service. At a resort of this caliber, more flexibility is expected. Asked to speak with manager they said they would get the massage and manager would contact if they wanted to speak with me. I don’t think they will.

Food: Average and Unexpectedly Non-Albanian
The buffet food was just average. It’s marketed as Mediterranean but leans heavily toward Middle Eastern cuisine. Dishes like curry chicken were featured, which felt out of place for an Albanian seaside resort. It appears the chefs are Turkish — which isn’t inherently negative, but does shape the culinary identity away from local or Mediterranean expectations.

Room Quality vs. Cleanliness
The room itself is nice and modern, but the cleanliness is clearly below standard. Even the mini fridge had visible handprint stains when we checked in. It’s obvious that housekeeping only focuses on what’s immediately visible rather than paying attention to detail. Corners are cut, and deeper cleaning is neglected — which really takes away from the otherwise pleasant design of the space.

Food & Beverage Disappointment
The food is average at best. The wine is frankly terrible, there are no proper cocktails offered, and the “fruit juice” is just bottled sugar with flavoring. For a resort experience, the drinks and dining options were far below expectations.

Beach Conditions Are Poor
The beach was one of the biggest letdowns. The sand is littered with rubbish — likely due to guests who litter and the hotel not cleaning it regularly. The water itself is cloudy, with dark sand, lots of seaweed, and floating garbage like plastic bags. It doesn’t match the photos or expectations of a 4- or 5-star beachfront resort.