Fantastic site!! Highly recommend the Boat Tour with Pepe (sightseeing along the coast, snorkeling) and the Cefalù Tour with Connie (a must as well); both were amazing tour guides! Service everywhere in the hotel was great. The only thing that disappointed was the food, therefore I give it a 4/5.
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Absolutely would not recommend.
Still currently staying in Domina Zagarella (as of 12/09), will update review if necessary. Booked through TUI.
Let’s start with the positives. Hotel is clean, bright and has a lovely view from the main pool area. Peppe, boat captain for the boat trips, is wonderful and very knowledgeable. That’s about it.
One of the most reoccurring negative reviews I have seen is that of the ‘D Club’, and the segregation that it entails. After trawling through Domina Zagarella and TUI’s website, I couldn’t find any information really detailing what it’s about. Sun-beds at the bottom pool for the ‘normal customers’ are minimal, located in one strip along the side of the pool where the sun reaches the least (almost completely shaded by 3pm). I can understand, to an extent, that D Club members have a share in the hotel and that they are entitled to some bonuses, but the difference in treatment the ‘normal customers’ get compared to D Club is astonishing.
The food in buffet restaurant is bang average at best, little to no variety each day / night. Definitely doesn’t reflect ‘authentic Sicilian cuisine’ as detailed on the website. No information provided on either website or upon check-in about any of the other restaurants or if they are included in price you pay. Also a very limited description, if any, about the food that is displayed - very much a guessing game.
The pharmacy would not refund an un-opened bottle of Suncream, purchased on the same day as attempted return. Reason being ‘an invoice has already been made’. Offered to exchange for items in the store for the value of €24 (suncream was €25.11), which was begrudgingly accepted.
The TUI website claims a ‘fantastic location’. False, absolutely nothing around the hotel for about 25 minutes walk. Very secluded. The view is great and that’s about the best thing about the location.
I enquired about scuba diving about 8 times, only to be passed from place to place, told to come back at certain times in the day for it to be closed every time. To put this into perspective, the scuba diving shed is located right at the bottom of the resort so you’d have to climb 100 stairs each way to get to it (not a short / easy walk if you have mobility issues). I’d left my phone number when there was finally someone in the hut, to be told at 9pm that night ‘sorry the instructor is not available’. I’d attempted to book a dive for 7 days of my 10 day stay. Safe to say they would not be receiving my €95 for the cost of the dive.
Most of the staff are decent, but they are let down massively by the evening pool bar staff. Members of my party were laughed at, on multiple occasions, when trying to order a cocktail. The staff spoke to each other blatantly in front of me, a paying customer, seemingly mocking my order. One staff member in particular, a young man with dark hair and tattoos on his neck aged roughly 25-35, seemed to show absolutely no interest in customer care or satisfaction. It was as if some of the staff had thought they’d completed the busy season so couldn’t be bothered anymore.
To sum it up, don’t waste your money here unless you are a D Club member.
Perfect location with amazing views, good amenities, and professional and personalized services, the pool has all needed to spend a complete day having fun and enjoying water activities or just enjoying the sun.
Very disappointed with this hotel.
It is a clean hotel very basic in comparison to it's advertisement.
If you are not a member of the D Club I would vehemently advise that you give this hotel a very wide berth. It's a them and an us situation. You can only use certain parts of the pool area and dining area.
The food is of very poor quality.
Some of the staff at the bar were lovely others not, one morning I ordered a coffee and a crossaint and 17 D CLUB
people that arrived after me were served before me. The girl that operated the tour desk lovely. Our tour guide Connie and pepe were very nice.
Infrastructure outside the hotel was very bad. Won't be returning to this hotel or Sicily again. Such a disappointment.
Dear Customer,
thank you for taking the time to write your comments. I am sorry that during the booking process your agency did not inform you of the features of our club, which provides for members who have invested in the real estate and who are entitled, like all members of a club, to different benefits such as areas dedicated to them. From what I read, you have only eaten in one buffet restaurant and have never tried the a la carte ones...it's a pity you didn't ask to speak to us we could have explained the other catering formulas to you.
Thank you again for your comments.
Best regards
General Manager
Domina Zagarella
Excellent hotel with friendly staff. Driver Pepe was excellent and took us around Sicily. He was very knowledgable in the areas history and geography and was easy company .
Also the woman who was organising the tours was brilliant
Dear Customer,
thank you for your review and for praising our staff and organisation.
People like our Giuseppe are rare gems and an example of the kindness of this magnificent land that is Sicily.
Thank you again and see you soon.
Best regards
Domina Zagarella
General Manager
We booked this trip as independent travellers to soak up the Sicilian culture. How foolish of us. From the moment we tried to check in we were treated like second class citizens.
If you have never heard of D-club then we wouldn’t be surprised. We hadn’t. We didn’t know such a club existed. But by the end of our holiday, by god, did we know and we were very aware of how ridiculous the business model of this hotel group is. D-club is everything. If you’re D-club you are the core client for this hotel. If you’re not a member, be warned and take heed because you will be ignored, told to move off certain chairs, not permitted to access certain areas of the hotel and worse still, made to feel cheap. This hotel is not cheap. We booked it because we love to stay in good quality hotels. We couldn’t wait to leave.
An example of a D-club member is that you have preferential sun-beds. Non members are herded in like cattle into the seats behind them. Or on one side of the side of pool only. It’s like walking through first class where the members stare at you, and in this club they’re checking for your elusive D-club wrist band. We saw couples harassed by the lifeguards every single day. Families made to move. An elderly couple were jostled along to the standard beds. The lifeguards are more like prison guards. They constantly take walks around the D-club sun-beds to target those who aren’t members. The worst thing about this whole system, is that no-one tells you. It’s hugely embarrassing!!! On our first day we were told to move. We had no idea what the staff were talking about. The lifeguards were rude and instead of watching the pool, they were watching us. Making us feel intimidated and inadequate. Even in check in nothing was mentioned. Well that’s when we were seen, D-club get to check in first. In their own special area. Of course. It is laughable if we hadn’t of spent £1000+ to stay here. Check in took an hour. There was one member of staff serving whilst the other staff were wandering around the private D-club counter. It’s absurd. Creating an elitist environment is nothing to be proud of. The staff at the swimming pool bar would bring round drinks and ice lollies to D-club members. They would walk straight past non D-club members. Making you feel really crap about yourself, when this should be a moment of time to relax and made to feel valued. Why would a hotel promote such a pretentious and pompous business. The solution Domina, make the whole hotel D-club. Then you can all clink your glasses to each other and celebrate how amazing you all are. Oh no wait. There wouldn’t be a second class audience to impress. I’m also assuming you need ‘normal’ citizens to help the bread and butter of the business.
Moving on from D-club, the breakfast is beyond basic. Tinned pineapple, a few nectarines or peaches, kiwi cut in half seemed to be effort. Yogurt pots, some ham, the cooked breakfast wasn’t enjoyable. No option for eggs. Dinner was better but the canteen style buffet was less inviting. The hotel is in a remote location so hire a car otherwise you will feel fairly stranded.
Good luck to all you non D-club members. You need to be strong willed to put up with the poor level of service, being shunned, ignored and made to feel like you shouldn’t be there.
The good things I have say about this hotel have been washed away by how every single member of staff made me feel.
To end on a positive note. The only respectable man was Peppe who ran the boat tour. Keep hold of him because he made you feel valued. Thank you Peppe. You are gold! You are funny, knowledgable, respectful and treated everyone the same. No red carpet service laid out for those with wristbands. Thank goodness! 5 stars for Peppe’s boat tour!!!! It’s the only reason why I gave my review 2 stars, without Peppe it would have been 1.
Dear Customer
thank you for choosing the Domina Zagarella and for sending us your impressions. I am sorry that you did not appreciate our DCLUB, which is a formula that exists all over the world (for your information, it was invented by English hotel groups) which is however present and well described in all our sites and in the offers with our partners. Members who buy our properties are entitled to a series of privileges just like in any Club, since the sales rates are completely different from those of a normal customer. I would have liked to discuss this with you and I am sorry that you did not ask to speak to me.
An unsatisfied customer is a big loss for us.
Thank you anyway and we will try to be more careful in describing the DCLUB and the privileges for them.
Best regards
General Manager
Domina Zagarella
