Meal quality reviews: how to read them

A food review tells you what one guest thought on one day, so read for patterns, not for a verdict. The most useful comments name a dish, a meal and a date. Use reviews to decide what to ask the resort, not to decide on your own what the food will be like.

For the wider picture, read reading star ratings and guest scores for islands and how old the reviews are. To check what the meal plan covers, use the resort inclusion comparator.

What does a useful food review look like?

A helpful review gives you something specific enough to check. Compare these two types of comment. The examples are made up to show the difference and are not real reviews.

Less helpful	More helpful
“The food was bad.”	“Dinner was a buffet with a few dishes, and the rice ran out early.”
“Amazing meals!”	“Breakfast had eggs cooked to order and fresh fruit, and the staff knew our child’s allergy.”
“Not worth it.”	“Lunch was not included on the day we left, and there was no place to buy food.”
“Terrible.”	“Our room was far from the dining area, so we skipped breakfast on the first morning.”

The second column tells you something you can ask about. The first tells you only how someone felt.

Which patterns are worth noticing?

Look across many reviews for repeated points, not single remarks.

1. The same dish or meal mentioned by several different guests.
2. Comments about the buffet running out at a late hour.
3. Comments on how the kitchen handled a special diet or allergy.
4. Comments on portions for children.
5. Comments on whether drinks, tea and coffee were included.
6. Comments on mealtimes and queues at peak hours.

If one worry appears again and again, take it seriously and ask the resort about it directly. If it appears once, treat it as a question, not a conclusion.

How does the meal plan change a review?

The same resort can serve very different meals under different plans. A reviewer on a buffet package, on half board or ordering a la carte may describe quite different food. Check which plan a reviewer was on before you compare.

The date matters too. A review from a busy school holiday may describe crowds and queues, while a quiet week may sound easy. Our guide on full board on islands helps you ask what your own plan and dates will look like.

How do you turn a review into a question?

Take each worry and rewrite it as a neutral question to the resort.

• A guest says the buffet was repetitive. Ask: does the menu rotate over several nights?
• A guest says the food ran out. Ask: how is the buffet restocked, and until what hour?
• A guest says the kitchen ignored an allergy. Ask: how do you manage allergy requests, and who is the contact?
• A guest says the drinks were expensive. Ask: which drinks are included, and what do extras cost?

This way you are not accusing the resort, and you get a reply in its own words. A good answer is a good sign.

A better fit if…

Reading reviews closely may be a better fit if you have a particular worry, such as diet, children or a long stay.

Relying mainly on the resort’s written answers may be a better fit if the reviews are old, few or contradict each other.

Use reviews as a starting point, then ask for the details in writing. Read halal and dietary needs for how to word a diet question.