"We specifically targeted this 'Best' brand hotel, as 2 years prior we had stayed around the same time of year, just along the road at the 4 star Best Maritim and everything there was so wonderful, especially the food offer. The photos seen for the Best Cambrils, also 4 star, suggested we could expect the same. But alas no (more later).
The hotel was clean, well situated, bus stops just outside if not able or inclined to walk the pleasant coastal edge paths to more up market Cambrils or less so Salou. A little local bar, around the back of the hotel offered respite from the hubbub of the "English/Irish" bars nearby. Location ideal.
For late May, the impression was the season hadn't really started. No entertainment in the evenings. Pool side chairs always available, but packed in like sardines so have to crawl along from the toe as no room to the side, creates comedy when they flip up I suppose. Could do with better signage to such things as the outdoor toilets - spent 2 days dripping wet walking through the lobby to the only ones we'd seen signage for. Beach is close, a few minutes walk. Loungers available for hire on the beach, sitting on sand is free.
Room was clean, and serviced daily. Sheets had a stain (not changed daily, but then I don't change daily at home so not an issue). Stain a problem with the laundry not the hotel. Curious smell in room each time when entered. Soon went nose blind. Wonder if pumped through aircon? Aircon not the best in the world, but as controlled by room entry key card, leave a business card/spent gift card in the slot when not around. (shattered glass on the balcony, stuck in foot, not removed in the 5 days we were there - from the balcony, not my foot!).
The Hotel website maintains that "Formal Dress (Long Trousers) is required for dinner". This is not the case. Vests and bikinis are not allowed, but otherwise casual dress is the norm.
Glad didn't pay the extra for all inclusive, as with half board and no entertainment to keep us in the hotel, felt the only real extra for all that added cost was lunch and a few cheap drinks. - even cheaper if buy from local supermarket and drink around pool.
So the food. Aside from the mouldy 'fresh' tomato sitting in the breakfast choice, it all seemed substandard. Cheap cheeses and processed meats for continental. All non-Spanish (same for evening meal cheese and biscuits, non local). Cooked offering seemed a better choice, but when on the continent... Plenty of coffee machines to service the masses, but only two toasters.. Limited yoghurt option, unlike most other hotels visited (no rice pudding for breakfast - a highlight of my Maritim review! and no free breakfast 'bubbly' either - there was up the road).
Dinner. stayed 4 nights, offered Chinese as the theme for 2 of them, and mussels (cold and warmed) dominated another. (no range of seafood, no Spanish paella, no other Spanish specialities - again see the Maritim). Food labelling left a lot to the imagination. eg Spring rolls on the two Chinese nights, no idea if meat or vegetable. Little things like this matters when there's a vegetarian/pescatarian in the party. Tune was available for the 'show cooked' pizza (basically a guy adding cheese to dough, popping it in oven, cutting it up and sliding it into a dish - what a show, encore!). But they wouldn't cook it on to the pizza. The choice was to gamble at the non meat pizza pile, and add fresh tune to the top - having to use the tongs all guests used to help themselves to pizza - not great for meat transfer, and definitely high risk for the fish allergy folk.
I booked with high hopes, with some expectation from the photos I'd seen that the food offering would make this a worthy expense and a 4 star hotel. The experience of a Best hotel this time was its a 3 star. It offers the basic holiday needs - bed and breakfast, dinner, drinks and drunks, pool and position. Its worth booking, but I felt let down."
