We arrived at Beneste Frigiliana Hotel on 9 June 2026 only to discover that the town was in the middle of preparations for a major local festival. Trucks, fairground rides, carousels, and loudspeaker testing were already underway. Anticipating that the third day would be even worse, we politely asked at reception if we could cancel our final night.
What followed was one of the most unpleasant customer service experiences we have encountered in more than 45 years of travelling. A young receptionist, supported by an older lady who appeared to be the hotel manager, immediately rejected our request. We were informed that cancellation was out of the question and were told that we should have checked the town’s festival calendar before booking. The arrogant and dismissive attitude was astonishing.
The problems continued when we discovered there was no usable WiFi in our room. After multiple visits to reception, repeated QR code registrations, and several discussions, we were even told that our iPhone 17 Pro Max phones might be defective. Maintenance was supposedly informed, but nobody ever investigated the issue. During our entire three day stay, the hotel WiFi was effectively unusable.
The so called swimming pool was another disappointment. Both the hotel information and Booking.com advertise a swimming pool, but in reality it is little more than a tiny 4 metre by 4 metre plunge pool overlooking a public car park. Describing it as a swimming pool is highly misleading.
Breakfast was among the worst we have ever experienced. The juice appeared to be coloured water mixed with powder. The buffet consisted mainly of extremely low quality industrial products. Cakes and croissants were stale and dry, while the dining area felt more like a military canteen than a hotel breakfast room.
To make matters worse, flies were everywhere. They hovered around the buffet, landed on the food, and even fell into guests’ glasses. The lack of basic hygiene standards was unacceptable.
The room overlooked a public car park and an area that had effectively become a noisy festival ground. Instead of enjoying the tranquillity that Frigiliana is known for, we were subjected to constant disturbance and noise.
Between the festival disruption, arrogant staff, non functioning WiFi, misleading pool description, poor breakfast, and unacceptable hygiene conditions, this hotel failed on every level.
Based on our experience, we strongly recommend that travellers avoid this hotel.
Response from the property
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
The hotel would like to share its perspective based strictly on verifiable facts. The Patron Saint Festivities in honour of San Antonio are a public annual event in Frigiliana held around 13 June. The hotel publicly informs guests about this and other local celebrations (like the Festival of the Three Cultures and New Year's Eve) via our website and social media channels due to the noise generated. In addition, we individually notify every guest whose stay coincides with the event dates.
Specifically, you received this communication on 26 May 2026 at 19:25, as confirmed by your travelling companion. At that time, your reservation still had a full free cancellation policy and could be modified without charge. We cannot anticipate whether a guest intends to attend the fair or prefers a quiet stay. The period to cancel or modify ended on 1 June. As no changes were requested, we understood you accepted the conditions.
Regarding your request to cancel the final night, we simply applied the booking conditions you previously accepted. We regret your disappointment, but this was handled in accordance with our policies applied to all guests.
Concerning the internet service, our technical department conducted a thorough review of our network logs. The system data confirms that your device was successfully connected to our network with an excellent-quality signal throughout your stay. Furthermore, during your stay, we did not receive any other complaints from guests regarding the Wi-Fi service.
Our swimming pool is accurately described and pictured across all platforms, including Booking.com. The dimensions of the pool are proportionate to the size and capacity of the hotel, which is an urban boutique hotel where the pool is intended to provide guests with an opportunity to cool off and relax. The hotel is neither a sun-and-beach destination nor a Caribbean-style resort.
We serve a fresh continental breakfast exactly as advertised through our official channels. The breakfast costs €6 per person when purchased in advance, or €7 if purchased after arrival. Guests can choose from more than 50 products, including fresh fruit, pastries, cold cuts, and juices. Cleanliness and safety are our absolute priorities, so we thoroughly reviewed our daily quality controls and internal security camera recordings. Our reception team is always available to resolve any issue in real time. Had you informed us of any concern during your three-day stay, we would have gladly taken immediate action. Surprisingly, no such complaint was brought to our attention. After reviewing the security footage, we observed inappropriate behaviour at the breakfast buffet, including leaving food trays uncovered. Furthermore, the photograph included in your review appears to be an artificially generated image, clearly intended to create the impression of a problem that did not exist.
Your description of the staff at Hotel Beneste Frigiliana as arrogant and dismissive has come as a great surprise. If there is one characteristic that consistently distinguishes our team, it is the kindness, warmth, professionalism, and respect with which we treat every guest. We understand that your dissatisfaction stems from our decision to uphold the booking conditions you voluntarily accepted.
However, using your right to leave a review as a means of publishing a destructive, partially inaccurate, and biased account with the apparent intention of pressuring, damaging, or defaming an establishment is something we consider entirely unacceptable.
Kind regards.
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