Andon Lapa Hotel & Spa

We had reserved a deluxe suite, assuming that this would include a seating area with comfortable chairs and a table, as in the photos. We were extremely disappointed to discover that our “suite” was basically a family room - one double bed and two twin beds!!! Nowhere to sit at all! When we asked for the room we had booked, showing the photos, we were told that this was it, and there was no option to change. As a couple, we didn’t use the twin room for a whole week - such a waste, and completely NOT what we had expected! Essentially, we ended up with just a double room; no bath, no seating area and no tea/coffee making facilities. We even had to ask for robes. It was all so disappointing. The hotel is a large, impersonal complex of three buildings, set on steeply sloping terrain, on the outskirts of Sarandë. It’s located about a kilometer away from the nearest decent restaurant (no bus) and there are lots of roadworks on the way into town for walkers. The beach is not private; anyone can (and does) just walk up and use a lounger. It’s shingle, and shelves very steeply, so it’s difficult to get in and out of the sea - and not at all suitable for small children. We didn’t appreciate the drones hovering right overhead. The outdoor pool needs a really good clean! Black mould is coating the steps (and the floor and walls too, in places.) There is a general air of tiredness and lack of maintenance throughout the complex. The sauna and steam room did not work in our building. Reception is unstaffed for long periods of time, and the internal phone goes unanswered. For a 4-star hotel, I would have expected a more professional approach from some of the staff, although others were great! On one afternoon there was a power cut - we couldn’t use the lift for four hours, the water and the fridge stopped working and obviously none of our devices charged up. The whole experience was just disappointing.

We have just got back from our 11 night stay at Andon Lapa. We had the two bedroom suite on the top floor of the main hotel. The room was lovely. Nice views. Bathroom was modern and clean. Me and my partner shared the double bed which was comfortable enough. My sister had a single bed in the second room which she was a bit too hard for her. The cleaners came in everyday to give fresh towels and clean. Both bedrooms had a tv but no English channels or option to log into . The main room had a couch and coffee table. The balcony was huge and has two sun loungers, 4 seats and a coffee table. My only complaint about the room was there was no coffee or tea in the room. There was a small fridge provided but freezer. So we had to keep asking the hotel for ice which they gave us a small glass of at a time. Which was nice of them. But we could have bought ice and kept our own so not to disturb staff with such a request. The hotel itself is modern, clean, it has a really nice pool area. The pool is very clean. Although my partner perhaps felt it was too clean and he felt there was a lot of chlorine in the pool which stung his eyes. The private beach is lovely. We had no issues getting beds and at no extra charge. The staff were friendly enough and helped us when we needed it. We walked around and definitely felt our hotel was the nicest on that stretch of saranda. There is a bar area that offers a limited range of drinks. Cocktails weren’t great. But it was nice and relaxing there. We had breakfast included in our stay which unfortunately was a huge let down. I wasn’t sure if it was Albanian culture to have cold eggs for breakfast or what? The eggs and sausage were placed in hot plates but these were not heated to keep the food warm. Which made the hot plates seem irrelevant. They had a nice selection of breads to have toast and some pastries that were satisfactory. But that was it really. There was one toaster between everyone so it felt like a bit of fight to use it. The coffee was ok. I didn’t notice any English tea on offer but there were herbal teas. There was yoghurt but this was kept in a bowl on the table. So when I tried it it was warm. Overall the breakfast needs a huge improvement. In particular with the “warm” food options. They should be served warm if put on hot plates. Overall we had a nice stay at Andon Lapa. I would recommend this hotel and even stay again if I came. However, I would avoid paying for the breakfast and opt to give your money to a local cafe and eat there.