Melia Llana Beach Resort & Spa

For anyone who is accustomed to, or expecting, a full 5-star luxury experience, then approach the Melia Llana with caution. However, for those keen to travel somewhere unique, experience a peaceful adults only retreat with wonderful staff and a “no stress” island attitude, then keep reading! We booked an easyJet Holidays booking for 5 adults for 7 nights. We purchased the VIP (The Level) booking through easyJet in advance of arriving and would 100% recommend doing this for the full all inclusive experience. You can upgrade to VIP on arrival but it will cost more. At the time, booking The Level in advance was only possible with easyJet and not TUI. The hotel grounds are spacious, well laid out, clean, welcoming and with WiFi available everywhere. The two main pool areas offer a mix of daytime entertainment programmes as well as a chilled vibe. The perfect adults pools with plenty of sun beds available at all times. There is an additional pool and bar area for VIP guests (recommended for international drinks brands and lunch away from the buffet) and the beach is seconds away. There is a small gym and spa… with VIP guests receiving a complimentary 25minute massage… otherwise treatments are chargeable. Sal days can start with lots of cloud coverage, but don’t be fooled, the UV is extremely high and we saw lots of lobster people! Factor 30 SPF at least… and you’ll still tan under the clouds! The wind is also great to keep you cool. For food, the main buffet selections are kept fresh and adapted slightly every day - we could have eaten here daily but this is where the VIP upgrade shines. You have access to a concierge service (in person and via WhatsApp) to book multiple a la carte experiences throughout the 4 sister resorts. (Melia Llana, Melia Dunas, Melia Tortuga and TUI Blue). Book as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment, but we loved being able to eat somewhere different every night. Some great food options (lots of fish) especially for an island that has to import a lot of food. The rooms are good. A bit inconsistent with towel replenishment, the mini bar is mainly soft drinks and the beds are quite firm. But again, spacious, clean and air conditioned with an individual WiFi network per room. We asked for a high, quiet room and would recommend this as some of the rooms look out onto the late night bar and DJ area (with music till 2am). We suspect that our room had mosquitoes that we couldn’t get rid of until a few days of spraying insect repellent. Bring the strongest repellent you can and lots of it!! And it wasn’t just us… with lots of legs around the pool showing similar mozzie bite experiences. In summary, we believe we had the best experience due to upgrading to VIP and would definitely recommend this… but this may not be the unrivalled VIP experience some travellers could expect. You may have some “at least they’re trying” moments where the hotel hits solid 4 stars but not 5. Things like a questionable pool towel sys

The hotel is very nice, the room was very clean and a good size, we opted for a sea front view room giving a great view. Only niggle with the room was cold water from taps was crystal clear however hot water had brown tinge to it. The facilities at the hotel were very good, I noticed a couple of wheelchair users who benefitted from good accessibility. The staff were generally very good and welcoming although we did notice some of the young male staff who huffed when asked for a menu or would ignore you when trying to order drinks or food, in short pretty ignorant, all the female staff were excellent. The pools were great all with easy availability to sun beds ( no having to beat the rush for a bed in the mornings). The main restaurant was buffet style as usual, there was always something to eat but this was not the standard expected for 5 star. Meat was generally overcooked and quite an odd choice of accompanying dishes. Good choice of sweets though. Melia have built three hotels in a row at the location, they look great but outside of this area don't expect anything else other than the beach. Essentially what we saw of the island is that it is a work in progress which will take a good while to get to the same level (very sparse and barren) as more established resorts. In short, lovely hotel, great beach, ( warned about not swimming due to under currents in sea), Food needs improving, but lovely getaway for a week by the pool in the sun at a very attractive price.

The highlights of our stay were the delightful staff at reception, in the bars and restauraunt, and housekeeping and grounds staff - friendly, helpful and welcoming; the excellent choice and quality of food - especially seafood, shellfish, vegan and vegetarian; the beautiful swim up room with private sun terrace; and the excellent location on the beach, and to explore the island. Overall fantastic value for money.

Hotel is old, needs renovation and for sure doesn’t pass expectations of 5*. Rooms are big with a comfortable beds. Even it is selected for adults only there are animations that should be prohibited in such places, since we paid to have a quiet vacation. Does not understand all good comments about the food; small variety, often lack of most of products (see cheese, ham, fruits during breakfast), bread is cheap, problem to find cups and glasses. However, the main problem is low temperature of the food, even scrambled eggs were cold. Next to the pool drinks are served in plastic (plastic cups in 5* hotel!!!!!). Pool towels are old; red ones are too small. WiFi is slow.

My husband and I stayed at the Melia Llana from December 10th - 17th, we were apprehensive due to reviews, however as seasoned travellers we are aware that everyone has their own personal preferences and expectations, so we arrived with open minds and a want to have the best time. We weren't disappointed! We did upgrade to the VIP package as we're nosey and get fomo whilst on holiday and for us it was worth it. We had a jacuzzi oceanfront room, which had a stunning view of the beach and sunset. Serviced everyday if you wanted it to be, you leave the sign on the door which is standard practice. We used The Level pool & lounge and walked to the sea for a dip and back to our loungers within minutes, perfect for sea lovers. We ate at the a la carte restaurants across Melia Llana, Tui Blue and Melia Dunas all beautiful food. We also had an allowance of €100 per day per couple to use at Bikini Beach Club and all inclusive at Bar Marley. The food at Bikini Beach club was amazing, lovely atmosphere too. Bar Marley was lively and had a proper holiday vibe to it. The wine at Melia Llana was nice, the rose was a blush and the merlot was nice too, sometimes AI house wines are not good, but not this time, lovely. The team who worked at The Level pool were an asset to the hotel, friendly, hospitable and extremely hard working and always remembered a bellini and a beer at 12pm!! This was our first time in Cape Verde and it absolutely stole our hearts we will definitely return and return to Melia Llana. Thankyou for a beautiful escape. Emma & Richard Randall

Our stay was exceptional! From the warm welcome to the check-in, everything was handled with care and attention. The apartment was spacious and impeccably clean, with a small terrace that gave us a breathtaking view of the pool. We can't wait to come back! This hotel is a real gem! The staff went beyond our expectations to make sure our stay was perfect. Great location, comfortable rooms and excellent customer service. Highly recommended! We had a warm welcome from Mario, a guy who worked in the resort as an animator, a very good guy, he kept us company throughout the holiday, making it spectacular.