Popular Ismehela Hera 4-star Hotels

This is potentially a nice resort.  However, as many other reviews have stated their all inclusive policy totally ruins your holiday plans.  We booked a water villa so we could sunbathe, read and snorkel with privacy.  This cost us much more than normal villas but it was what we wanted. All inclusive is, however, not all inclusive. Unfortunately you cannot get drinks in the room as the mini bar is not included.  It is chargeable.  So we need to dry off,  walk to the bar (10 mins walk or get a shuttle).  Have your drink, walk back, reapply suncream and them half an hour later repeat the process.  We are avid readers and want to sit with a book and a beer in the evening.  We cannot do this either. We can either read in our room in the evening or go to the bar or restaurant where it us too dark to read.   This issue has ruined our holiday.  At Oblu Experience in Maldives last year we could take drinks to the room and do as we pleased. The same at Sunrise Attitude I'm Mauritius.  Both of these were amazing. When we complained to the manager of South Palm he spoke to my wife but he was not remotely interested in resolving the issue just saying repeatedly it was their policy. Clearly, as many other reviewers have noted, this is an issue.  The hotel is no more than 15% full so they are clearly trying to get as much money from people as possible as it is pretty unlikely they are currently breaking even.  I expect the hotel will close down if its occupancy doesn't increase.  This won't happen given how many people are complaining about this. Other issues The steps to the sea on our villa have two broken steps so it hard to get out of the sea   The bannister and guard rail both wobble ferociously if you lean on them due to age and /or not being varnished.  Decking is also aged and causes splinters so you need footwear.  Thes are basic maintenence issues.  The villas are positioned so that, unfortunately, you get very little sun to sunbathe on the sun terrace. Don't be swayed by the free 'butler service'  either.  Its just delivering room service (which is expensive). There is a bar nearer to the villas.  However it is chargeable.  It is manned with staff and they are the only people you ever see in there.  Not once have I seen a guest drinking in there.  Clearly paying for drink on top of all inclusive is not what customers  are prepared to do and is a waste of the hotels resources. Watching the Euro 2024 final they very kindly put it on the big screen and advertised this to guests.  Brilliant we thought!  Unfortunately they stopped serving drink just as the match kicked off which infuriated everyone there. Positives The island is truly picturesque.  The rest of the staff are truly amazing and nothing is too much trouble. The food is tasty and quite varied (given how few guests there are).  The water villas have nice spacious rooms. The potential is there to make it a holiday haven if they were to listen to what so many customer