After a strenuous summer at work, we really wanted to relax and fly in the sun in September. But not so far this time. Therefore we decided on Greece, more precisely on Thessaloniki. We chose the 5-star all-inclusive TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess. For us it was the first time for a holiday just beach, pool, food and drink. You can find out how we liked it and whether we would do it again here in the hotel rating.
Booking, arrival and check-in
Opened in 2016, the TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess is located about 1 hour from Thessaloniki near Gerakini. In a very quiet location, directly on the Mediterranean Sea, as no other large hotels have been built around it yet. The check-in was very quick and extremely friendly with a small welcome drink.
What are the rooms (Junior Suite with Sea View) like at the TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess?
The room types at the TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess are very diverse and we had the impression partly randomly distributed over the hotel grounds. This creates a good mix and you don't get the impression that there is a special area for special guests. All room types can be booked with either garden view or sea view, some even with their own jacuzzi, direct access to the communal pool or even private pool. The room types are as follows:
- Family room with two separate bedrooms (with double bunk bed for children)
- Standard Double Room
- Junior suites with lounge and bedroom
- Suites with large lounge and bedroom and two bathrooms
- Duplex apartments over 2 floors
We were upgraded to a junior suite with sea view on our arrival. The junior suites and all rooms are bright and modern, but with lots of white they do not look cool, but typically Greek. As a contrast, blue and turquoise tones have been chosen for the upholstery. The furniture with its light wood also does not look cool, but summery fresh.
Our Juniors Suite was a really good size, with a lounge with a sofa (converted into a bed for our son), armchair and small table as well as a desk and a bedroom with a king-size bed. There were flat screen TVs in both rooms. The bathroom was spacious, with two sinks, toilet and a Rain shower. What surprised us a lot were the fresh flowers in the room and a bottle of Prosecco in the fridge. Rarely do you get such a service at a family hotel. Very attentive and simply part of it is the fresh fruit plate, which our son immediately occupied.
What does the TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess offer for relaxation?
The hotel complex is spacious, but not too big, well maintained and clean, beautifully planted and green. The rooms and suites are located in the main building and in the small houses spread over the area. The many different pools are distributed in the same way. In the main building there is the reception and lobby, the breakfast and Buffet dinner restaurantthe Kids' Club (one small one from the hotel and one large one from TUI), the baby club, a Minimarket, bars, the spa area with indoor pool and an entertainment room with stage.
Zwei weitere Restaurants befinden sich im Areal verteilt: das Green & Grill Restaurant und das Mylos Greek Tavern. Außerdem noch drei weitere Bars: die Poolbar Thalassa Pool Bar, eine Strandbar Mylos Pool & Beach Bar und die Poseidon Pool Bar. Direkt am Haupthaus, neben dem Restaurant, befindet sich der Spielplatz des Hotels. Für ein Familienhotel finden wir ihn etwas klein, aber während unseres Aufenthaltes hat er für alle Kinder ausgereicht. Könnte aber in der Hauptsaison etwas eng werden.
You can see how new the hotel is, everything shines in a beautiful typical Greek white and the rooms are hardly worn or worn. In any case, there is still room for expansion and the construction of new guesthouses on the hotel grounds. Throughout the area, the hotel staff are equipped with small Electric golf cars on the way. A clean and quiet variant with the spacious grounds. This is how you will At- and departure also chauffeured with luggage.
Pool
The TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess has 6 Pool facilities, which are spread over the site and have different shapes and equipment. In addition, the indoor pool and wellness area are located in the basement of the main building. Due to the somewhat changeable weather at the end of September, we also visited the indoor pool for one day. Children are not welcome here according to the hotel, which we find a bit strange for a family hotel, but apparently this is not taken so seriously, because no one was bothered by the children who were in the pool area. The indoor pool is not very big, but sufficient and we found the water quite fresh.
The outdoor pools are very diverse, for example there are pools with small waterfalls or massage jets. We spent most of our time with our son at the children's pool. This is very nicely laid out, with three small water slides and a play boat that splashes water. The water basin has different water depths, so that all children can play and swim in it. Nevertheless, you should always keep an eye on your child, because even the lowest water was deep enough that our son slipped and could not get up again on his own. We found the water in all the outdoor pools to be cold, we had to think of a Kneipp cure. Apparently, the pools were cooled just as they always were in midsummer. Our son didn't mind that at all. Even with blue lips he was still of the opinion that he Not cold.
The loungers and umbrellas by the pools are plentiful and clean and tidy. Even in the high season, you should always find a free lounger. Reserving loungers early at 6:00 a.m. like at Ballermann is therefore not necessary here and we have not experienced it. Such a hotel should not allow itself either.
Strand
There are hardly any fine sandy beaches in all of Greece. This is not the case here either. However, the sand-pebble beach was still quite pleasant for building sandcastles and swimming. The sunbeds and umbrellas were also available here, but we doubt whether they will be enough in the high season. The upholstery was clean and well-maintained, even if sometimes sandy, but you are, yes on the beach, there is a lot of it lying around. Towels for pool and beach were available by towel card on a beach. Unfortunately for pool and beach the same and only once a day. The sea was still really nice and warm, as it was still heated up from the very hot summer. This suited us, as the air was already quite cool on some days.
Sport and wellness
The fitness center is located in the main building, but we did not test it. Many sports offered are included, such as yoga. These take place at certain times and those who come join in. Water sports, such as banana boats or jet skis, are only offered on the beach for a fee and are operated by a non-hotel company. The indoor pool, Finnish sauna and steam bath are free of charge. The massages and cosmetic treatments in the spa area, on the other hand, can only be booked for an extra charge. Visually, the spa area was very appealing, we can't say anything about the quality of the treatments, as we didn't enjoy any.
What's the food like at TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess?
Im TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess gibt es drei Restaurants: das The Aegean Restaurant (Hauptrestaurant), das Green & Grill Restaurant und das Mylos Greek Tavern sowie die Food Stalls für den Snack zwischendurch.
The Aegean Restaurant
In The Aegean Restaurant in the main building you will find the breakfast and dinner buffet. The food is made to mass due to the amount of hotel guests, but very tasty and varied. As you would expect from a 5-star hotel, there were various theme evenings. We never missed anything, neither for dinner nor for breakfast. The fruit was always fresh and there were even oranges to squeeze yourself. Unfortunately, I had a maggot in the juice one morning, but it's a natural product. The various juices from the vending machines were quite watery and made of syrup, but OK. In the evening, drinks were served directly to the table. For the little guests, there is an extra buffet early and evening with everything a child's heart desires. From simple fries to schnitzel, fresh fruit and vegetables and sweet treats for dessert. Pancakes and French toast for breakfast were also a hit for the little ones.
The seating areas are directly attached to the buffet and then extend into three glazed side arms. The volume was sometimes like a dining room, which is why we never sat directly near the buffet. It is much quieter in the side arms and we recommend the area at the very back, which is the last seating area in the third side arm. The glazing can be completely opened in summer so that they function as terraces. In the autumn weather, however, all the glass doors were locked, which did not diminish the beautiful impression of the surroundings.
Green & Grill Restaurant
Das Green & Grill Restaurant ist für das Mittagsbuffet und zum Abendessen geöffnet. Die Auswahl zum Mittag ist recht klein, aber völlig ausreichend. Alle Speisen sind frisch und werden zügig nachgelegt, sollte etwas alle sein. Es gibt selbst gemachte Pizza aus dem Steinofen und allerlei griechische Spezialitäten.
For stays of one week, dinner is included with advance reservation at this restaurant. That was our highlight! You can roast your own meat, fish and vegetables on a grill. Just the right thing for the men ... and also for women. In addition, there was still a buffet with salad, cheese and other small things. The food is really delicious and highly recommended. The restaurant is open plan and therefore without walls or windows. In the low season, you should therefore take a thin jacket with you for the evening. We had a somewhat slow impression of the service and not quite as friendly as in the other restaurants. Nevertheless, we can't really complain.
Mylos Greek Tavern
In Mylos Greek Tavern dinner and lunch are served. The Food selection for lunch buffet is big and delicious. Everything fresh and again very good despite the masses. The tables are quickly prepared for new guests and the service is friendly. As in the Green & Grill, kann man hier, bei einem Aufenthalt von einer Woche, einmal mit Voranmeldung Abendessen. Dieses Restaurant bietet à la carte Gerichte beim Hauptgang und der Nachspeise an. Bei der Vorspeise wird eine Variation von 4 verschiedenen griechischen Speisen gemeinsam gereicht. Unsere Speisenauswahl war sehr lecker und frisch zubereitet. Wir hatten Glück, das an dem Abend als wir dort aßen, kaum jemand das Restaurant besuchte. So hatte unser Sohnemann jede Menge Platz zum Spielen und störten dabei keinen.
Food Stalls
For a small snack in between during the day, there are also the Food Stalls. If you can't get enough at the buffet, you can stock up on crêpes, hot dogs, waffles and sandwiches. Not to forget the ice cream, our son's favorite snack. In addition, there is always fresh fruit. So there is something for everyone and absolutely recommended as an afternoon snack.
How is the service at the TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess?
Die Mitarbeiter im Hotel sind durchweg freundlich und hilfsbereit, natürlich der eine mehr, der andere weniger, aber es war niemand unhöflich. Im Green & Grill Restaurant hätte der Service teilweise etwas schneller und umsichtiger sein können, doch das ist Jammern auf hohem Niveau. Wir hatten im Aegean Restaurant im hinteren Teil eine sehr nette und hilfsbereite Kellnerin, die uns immer schon einen Schritt voraus war, wenn unser Sohn mal wieder kleckerte oder etwas aus Versehen umstieß. Das war wirklich Top! An der Poseidon Pool Bar, welche sich direkt neben unserem Haus befand, waren die Barkeeper auch alle flink und umsichtig. Zu jeder Tageszeit bekamen wir ein freundliches Lächeln und ganz besonders hat unserem Sohn der Service von Constantina gefallen. Der kleine Charmeur hat sich genau die richtige angelacht und bekam immer einen extra Strohhalm oder ein Cocktailschirmchen. Ein großes Dankeschön an Constantina.
In the children's club of TUI itself were we because we didn't want to give up the little man just like that. Instead, we tried out the hotel's own playroom and an employee offered to take care of our son for a while. Since we don't actually know the types for the Kids' Club and our son very, very reluctantly towards strangers, I was not quite as enthusiastic at first. But he was so frenzy that we were able to steal out for 30 minutes and sip a cocktail in peace. But then the longing on both sides was so great that we spent the time together again. The little man really enjoyed it, there were handicrafts and games. It was really nice! A good, simple service. By the way, the playroom is accessible to everyone and parents can also play along.
The TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess an absolute family hotel. We have seen very few couples and those who come here as a couple have to adjust to the children. Due to its size and spaciousness, we never found the hotel complex to be too loud or crowded, although we spent our holidays there in the low season. Children are children and one is louder, the other is quieter. The hotel concept is based on All Inclusive guests with high demands from mainly Germany and Great Britain. We never had the impression of a Ballermann atmosphere, which is what you would expect from an all-inclusive hotel. Or our ideas have been wrong so far.
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Review of the TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess
- Location
- Room
- Cleanliness
- Service
- Food
- Price/performance
Summary
The TUI BLUE Lagoon Princess is an upscale all-inclusive hotel with good to very good service. The rooms, pools and the entire complex are very well maintained and beautifully designed. But you should never forget that these large hotel complexes are still all made for mass. However, as with this hotel, this does not always have to be negative. We spent a really great holiday here and can absolutely recommend the hotel. This hotel clearly shows that all-inclusive and a touch of luxury do not have to be mutually exclusive.