"The hotel has undergone recent refurbishment after previously being the Hotel Mercury, especially in the rooms, reception, and corridors, giving it a more modern and updated feel overall. The atmosphere was generally quiet and relaxing, which made for a comfortable stay. Room comfort was good, with a decent bed and strong shower pressure.
Staff were a real highlight, particularly at reception where I believe her name was Hayley, an English lady, who provided a very warm and friendly welcome. There was also a lady working at the bar during the day/afternoon who was very nice, approachable, and chatty, and she made a positive impression during the stay.
Food was also a positive, with a good variety at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including pasta and pizza cooking stations and typical Spanish hotel buffet options.
Housekeeping maintained a good daily cleaning standard, and overall the hotel shows clear potential following the refurbishment.
There were some areas that fell short of expectations for a 4 star superior rating.
The all inclusive drinks selection was fairly limited in my opinion. There were only around 3 cocktails included, and unfortunately they did not taste particularly good. Draught soft drinks were included, however bottled versions were chargeable. Draught beer, house wine, and sangria were included, but liqueurs such as house amaretto, limoncello, Baileys, etc were only available at an extra charge, although all-inclusive guests do receive a discount. Staff training appeared inconsistent at the bar, where there was sometimes uncertainty around drink preparation and what was included in the all-inclusive package, leading to occasional inconsistencies in charging. I was initially charged €7.32 for 2 amaretto and cokes, but on another occasion only €1.83.
Some areas of the hotel still feel outdated, particularly the reception toilets and the bar seating from the previous Mercury branding, which do not fully match the modernised sections. The reception toilets have not yet been updated and still retain the old Mercury branding. During my stay there was no soap available in those toilets, lighting was not fully working, and the facilities overall felt tired and run down. The hand dryers were also not working, with toilet paper being used instead. I am sure the hotel will get around to addressing these issues as refurbishment continues.
There were also minor ongoing works during the visit, including painting around the pool area and, on one of the days, a crane visible from the pool area. This did not bother me personally, but it could be disruptive for other guests. However, it is currently early on in the season and guests should be understanding that these works are necessary, and the hotel is clearly working hard to continue improving and completing the refurbishment.
A notable issue occurred in the restaurant area where a juice machine overflow led to a small electric shock incident.
Personally, I’d say it’s a 3.5-star hotel, maybe a 4-star with improvements, but I wouldn’t call it 4-star superior/ 4.5. “Superior” seems to be a rating that is often given too easily in Santa Susanna and the surrounding area, but many hotels don’t really match that level. TripAdvisor reviews support this, with many 4 star superior hotels often rating closer to around 3 star in practice. Possibly due to facilities based ratings.
Overall, a good stay and I am sure they will continue working hard to improve it. I would return."
