Estival Maramar

"My recent stay at the Estival Maramar Coma-ruga was unfortunately quite disappointing, especially considering the price paid for an all-inclusive plus package. While I understand that a standard room doesn't guarantee a prime view, having a large generator as the sole balcony outlook was genuinely unsightly and not something I'd expect from a "4-star" establishment. Staff interactions were hit and miss some happy to help others with a dismissive and unhelpful attitude, even when the hotel wasn't busy. My complaint about the room's view and the connecting door to the next room (which allowed for clear noise transfer) was met with unhelpful responses. I was told the hotel was full, then offered an upgrade for an additional €25 per night, which felt unfair given the significant cost already paid. After being directed to complain via email, the response simply reiterated that a poor view is a possibility without paying extra, despite this not being advertised during booking. Ultimately, neither the hotel nor my booking agent, Jet2, offered any resolution. The dining experience was consistently mediocre. The food lacked flavor, and the meat was often tough, with very little variety day-to-day. The "all-inclusive plus" felt incredibly restrictive. Many basic amenities, such as two-person loungers by the pool or on the beach, and even access to the beach bar, came with significant extra charges. Not only were there restrictions, but it also closed promptly at 11:00 PM. When I went to the bar after this time to simply get a bottle of water for our room, I was informed that all-inclusive was closed. Upon asking if I could still get water, the bartender rolled her eyes and had another staff member assist me while she continued serving other paying customers. A particularly baffling aspect was the violin entertainment, where all-inclusive guests received only a 50% discount and had to pay full price for drinks that would normally be included. This felt like pure greed. The entertainment around the pool was extremely disappointing, consisting solely of acoustic or slow jazz covers of popular songs. This was clearly a measure to avoid paying music licensing fees, and it resulted in a very boring and repetitive atmosphere that is not what one expects or desires on a holiday. On top of this we experienced a serious security lapse when the cleaner left our room door open, stuck on the lock, for the entire day while we were out. We were fortunate that nothing was stolen. The drinks were also a letdown, tasting cheap and watered down, with artificial flavors. The mojito was perhaps the only redeeming beverage. While the hotel itself has potential, it's clear that it's run with an emphasis on extracting extra money for every little thing, rather than providing a quality experience. The limited attractions in the surrounding area further contributed to a less than ideal holiday. I would not recommend this hotel, especially for the price, as there are undoubtedly better value-for-money options available elsewhere with more genuinely inclusive packages."

"Such a beautiful hotel - it felt like a five star, honestly. We had a junior suite soul which was spotless and absolutely massive. Huge bathroom and really powerful shower. Huge, super king bed, and double sofa bed. Cleaned every day. Kettle and fridge in room. Big TVs that you can cast to. We absolutely loved the pools, the bar area, and the proximity to the beach. Buffet was stunning. A big variety of food. Had a lovely, lovely holiday here - super chill. Still feel relaxed even though we’ve been back a few weeks."

"Me (32), my partner (32) and our two kids (4 years & 21 months) stayed here for a week in July and thoroughly enjoyed it. Firstly, we thought the location was excellent. Costa Daurada/Coma-ruga was very relaxed, which was just what we wanted from this holiday. There’s a train station within walking distance (15 minutes) from the hotel which has services to Barcelona (and Salou/Portaventura, from what we heard from others). The hotel is also directly across a quiet road from the [sandy] beach which was very clean and had plenty of space. There’s a shop/small supermarket in the street directly behind the hotel, no more than a minute’s walk from the beachfront entrance, which is handy. We booked a standard double room which had a large comfy bed for us, a pull-out single sofa bed for our oldest and a travel cot for our youngest. The kids’ beds were set up in advance of our arrival. The room was a decent size, had plenty of storage, a nice big balcony, and a good size bathroom with large walk-in shower. The room was clean on arrival and kept clean throughout by the cleaning staff. We were pleasantly surprised to have a nice sea view and a very private balcony due to our room’s location on the 2nd floor. The hotel in general is lovely and has been furnished and finished to a high standard. The vibe/atmosphere was very relaxed throughout our stay and the hotel had a good mixture of nationalities staying there (Spanish, British, French and German). There was also a mixture of couples, small families and larger families. The hotel has 3 pools: the splash pool which our kids liked, the main pool, and the adult-only rooftop pool. The entertainment staff would put on water polo or water basketball most afternoons in the main pool which I enjoyed. If I were to be very picky, it would be better if the main pool was slightly larger, but it’s big enough as it is. We were very impressed and pleasantly surprised by the food. We done our research in advance and didn’t see much about the food in the reviews, other than that it could be hotter. We felt the selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner was fantastic. I like to try new foods and eat things that I wouldn’t normally eat at home when I’m on holiday, so I absolutely loved the buffet due to the unique dishes and variety. On the other hand, my partner and youngest aren’t quite as bold with food, but they also loved the food as it caters to more “beige” pallets too. Yes, the food at the buffet isn’t always piping hot, but it’s cooked to perfection and the temperature is ideal if you have young kids as you generally don’t have to spend an age trying to cool it down. There’s a snack bar by the pool areas which has burgers, hot dogs, pizza, chicken nuggets, chips, and fruit available throughout the day. There’s also an ice-cream machine you can help yourself to. The staff were fine - some more helpful and friendly than others. My oldest knocked the wooden frame mirror off the wall in our room and when we reported this as broken to reception, they advised there would be no charge and promptly arranged to have the damaged mirror replaced and the mess cleaned up. I was fully expecting to have to pay for the damage, so it was genuinely appreciated that the hotel opted not to bill us for this. They could quite easily have done so and we wouldn’t have argued it. The evening entertainment wasn’t great from what we seen, but this didn’t bother us as we didn’t see much of it due to the kids’ bedtimes. The “mini disco” isn’t actually a mini disco. It’s hosted outside next to the snack bar at 6pm (a hour and a half before dinner starts) and is more like a 15-20 minute dance-along with the entertainment guys. The rooftop area is amazing. My partner and I only had around half an hour there each while the other had the kids as it’s adults only, but the view is phenomenal and it’s very peaceful up there. The hotel also has a spa and gym which we didn’t use/go to (although I’d have loved to), so can’t comment on those facilities. One thing I would highlight, particularly to non-Spanish visitors, is that the hotel timings are very much reflective of Spanish societal standards. This wasn’t a problem for us as I don’t expect a Spanish hotel with a large number of Spanish guests to adopt a non-Spanish schedule, but regardless, it did take us a couple of days to adjust. Breakfast is from 8-10:30, pool area opens at 10, lunch is from 1:30-3:30, “mini disco” is at 6, dinner is from 7:30-10, and the entertainment is at 9:30 or 10. We were able to alter our usual routine around these timings, but we wish we’d have known in advance so we could have been more prepared. If I were to make a recommendation for something to change, it would be to change the wording from “all inclusive plus” as this suggests that you’re getting something superior to all inclusive, but that’s not the case. The “all inclusive plus” was absolutely fine for us as there was Estrella and sangria on tap as well as soft drinks, and the cocktails we liked were included. However, packaged ice-creams/ice-lollies aren’t included, as well as a good number of spirits/cocktails. It may help to manage guests’ expectations to not call it “all inclusive plus”, or at least have more information regarding what that means in reality so guests know exactly what they’re getting before/when they book. Overall, our experience at this hotel was very good - we had a brilliant stay and would definitely go back."