"Just returned from a 4-day trip to Ohtels Villa Dorada. We knew it wouldn’t be amazing as it was on the cheaper side and a last minute getaway, but the experience was still quite poor.
Check-in: We had requested a cot for our baby via email weeks prior to our arrival and knew there was a €20 deposit. However, upon arrival, we were told it was cash only. We rarely carry cash or physical cards, so luckily I had brought my purse by chance, but they never made us aware of this policy beforehand.
Food & Pool Bar: The food is just "meh" you won't starve, as there’s always pizza, chips, pasta, melon, and some variation of stew, fish, or roast meat, but it's very basic. The pool bar system is ridiculous: you have to queue to order, get a ticket, and then go wait on the other side for your name to be called. The whole pool/games room bar area was completely closed off during peak season, which is a total waste of space.
Bar System & Queues: Drinks operate on a token system (one token per cup) where you exchange your glass every time. Nothing is self-service even if you just want water or coke, you have to stand in huge queues. Because we were All inclusive, this was exhausting, and we ended up buying our own bottled drinks from the shop across the road just to avoid waiting. Their was only one bar staff serving at throughout the day as well (from what we noticed but as we bought our own we didn't really use the bar)
The Pool Area & Safety: By far the worst part of the trip. Towels are left on loungers all day with no one on them. People queue up at 8:00 AM with 10+ towels to claim entire rows. Despite signs everywhere saying reserving loungers isn't allowed, staff do not monitor or enforce it at all. We left for lunch with our stuff and came back at 1:00 PM looking for loungers, to find the exact same loungers still empty from the morning. Additionally, the baby pool had a broken, very sharp plastic drain filter on the floor the entire time extremely dangerous for little feet (I've attached a photo)
Lifts & Rooms: The hotel has hundreds of guests, yet only two tiny lifts that barely fit a small pushchair and two adults. Being heavily pregnant with a young baby on the 4th floor made this incredibly frustrating. To top it off, our corridor constantly stank of weed, and our street-facing room meant hearing rowdy drunks, screaming, and car horns all night till early hours.
Staff Service: Service was a real mixed bag and generally not the friendliest. The people clearing the tables were definitely the nicest people, but the rest of the team left a lot to be desired i was literally swatted away when I asked for a straw and had to get another staff member to accompany me to the till in the restaurant just to get one! The pool guy wasn't very nice either, though to be fair, I'm not entirely surprised given the rowdy crowd he has to deal with every morning.
We’ve had quieter nights on party strips!
Pros:
- Close to the airport: Quick and easy transfer time.
- Great location for dining/drinking out: Plenty of restaurants surrounding the hotel (even though we didn't end up venturing out).
- Beautiful beach nearby: Just a short walk down the road to a beautiful, stunning beach by far the most relaxing part of our trip! (It is on a steep bank for those who are disabled or struggle walking uphill, I'm not very fit and 30 weeks pregnant and I managed though)
- Air con does work...it was just so hot it didn't feel like it did at times.
Final Verdict:
Mediocre at absolute best. If you have young children, I wouldn't recommend it. If you do go, save your money, go self-catering, and take the short walk to the beach instead of trying to get yourself around the pool, you'll have a much better day believe me!"
