Mamula Island by Banyan Tree

For this price level, our expectations were much higher. One major downside is that there is no complimentary bottle water placed on the bedside table in the evening or available on the beach. This feels like a basic standard in resorts of this category.
The gym was a disappointment, two treadmills and a few weights, more or less. Anyone who enjoys a proper workout while on holiday will not be satisfied, especially since the space is not fully air conditioned.
There is no food service on the beach. The beach has no showers and could be much better maintained. At least having a beach bar.
Because of a private event organized during one day of our stay, our movement around the hotel was restricted. Only one restaurant was operating, and several dishes from an already very limited menu were unavailable. The management made up for this with a complimentary lunch, which we appreciated.

The next morning, there was no à la carte breakfast, only boiled eggs and tomatoes, with the explanation that the hotel was too full due to an event and they couldn’t manage to prepare the full offering. At that point, the stay had already left a bitter taste for me, however they offered us a la carte breakfast at the end.

Overall, it was nice to isolate ourselves there for two nights, but anything longer would have been too much. In my opinion, the lack of active management presence at the resort is noticeable.

Overall, Mamula Island is a beautiful property with a unique atmosphere and stunning architecture. However, for a hotel of this level, there are several areas that need significant improvement.

The menu is surprisingly limited. It is especially difficult for guests with dietary restrictions or those who simply prefer healthy, uncomplicated food. There should be more options such as simple salads, grilled fish without heavy spices, and other customizable dishes. It was also quite strange to see raw fish featured as a main poolside lunch option on a very hot summer day.

Another point concerns the spa. When confirming a treatment, I believe it should be mandatory to ask guests about their therapist preference. My husband and I only feel comfortable with female therapists, and finding out the therapist assignment only upon arrival was an unpleasant surprise that could have easily been avoided.

Finally, it was disappointing that a luxury hotel of this standard does not provide complimentary drinking water at the beach or pool during the peak summer season. Considering the heat, this is a basic gesture of hospitality and guest care that should be expected.

Mamula Island has enormous potential, but paying greater attention to guest comfort and service details would make the experience much more aligned with the hotel's luxury positioning.

- in one restaurant only half of the menu was available, due to missing items, should not hapens at 5* hotel

The service was very poor for a hotel of this caliber. The staff didn’t seem experienced. The food was not very tasty. When you’re stuck on an island with no other choice the food selection should be outstanding.

The overall cost was very high, and some of the added charges did not feel as clearly explained as they could have been. In particular, the additional service charge on items made the final bill higher than expected. For a luxury property, I would have appreciated more transparency around pricing and extra charges.

It was all great
Maybe free water on tap around the pool would be nice so you could help yourself

La salle de sport est petite. Mais comme la capacité de l'hôtel est assez limitée, j'étais toujours seule à faire du sport, ce qui a compensé :)
Et le service du dîner est plutôt long, ce qui est difficile à comprendre en raison du peu de plats proposés à la carte.

Nothing. There is nothing bad to say about the hotel or the whole experience at this fabulous place.

Probably not the best option for long stays as the island is really tiny. However is you want to slow down a bit you should enjoy this one.

The only notable concern I had during my stay was the boat transfer experience. While I personally was able to manage it, the vessel sits quite low to the water, requiring guests to step down into the boat and then be assisted back out upon arrival. I could see this being difficult for guests with mobility limitations, balance concerns, or physical disabilities, and I do think it is something management should consider addressing in the future, perhaps with a different transfer vessel or additional accessibility accommodations.

I also experienced a small service issue during my stay. I had requested champagne flutes for the room, and despite following up, the request was never fulfilled. It was not a major issue, especially considering the property had just reopened for the season under new management, but at this level of hospitality and price point, guests generally expect simple requests to be handled promptly and without needing multiple reminders.

It was their soft launch season