Parador de Mojacar

"We have just returned from a 3 day stay at Parador de Mojacar 2nd to 5th March, having booked and pre paid in good faith at the end of last year as previous loyal customers. We had not checked reviews prior to our stay as we had stayed at the hotel many times before at different times of the year but this time we wished we had as this would have forewarned us of the building site which awaited us. In our view we should never have been allowed to arrive for our stay without the management sharing information with us and all guests booked and potential guests too about the major refurbishment to the outside areas which mean that the listed facilities and impressive photos of the majority of the outside areas which do not currently exist. On arrival we were greeted by skips, cordoned off areas, mud, noise and very limited outside environments. At no point during checking in did reception staff comment on the works the least we might have expected, if it wasn’t deemed necessary to inform guests prior to arrival. In the past regardless of time of year we have been able to walk out onto the Mojacar paseo by various routes through the grounds, stand and look at the sea from the raised area, sit and chill in the sun, enjoy the various fauna in the area which has always been well kept. None of this was possible this time due to the major refurbishments which will eventually provide a much improved area for future guests, with little or no consideration for paying guests now. We contacted via email the hotel directly and also head office both customer services and amigos several times and received responses from central customer services only, although we are still awaiting a reply for the most recent one. We questioned the fact that we had not been informed of the major refurbishments, which is inexcusable as our contact details were part of the booking process, also the hotel doesn’t seem to think it necessary to add information to their website or to contact guests. We have requested that both of these complaints are addressed which would give guests the choice whether to book or not. If we had know we would have requested a refund or the opportunity to amend to a later date rather than end our holiday in the area disappointed. “I am sorry that you felt information about the works should have been shared more proactively and that this communication did not meet your expectations. Your feedback is important, and we have already escalated your comments internally to ensure that future communications around refurbishment works are as transparent and detailed as possible. Our intention is always to allow guests to make their travel decisions with complete information.” We have looked today and still nothing on website. “Please be assured that your comments have been taken seriously, and that they will help us continue improving how we inform and accompany our guests during periods of renovation.” We feel we have been fobbed off and do not want any other booked or potential guests to feel the disappointment with the experience we have. We have been told that the outside pool would not be in use in the winter anyway and that refurbishment is happening now to ensure that it can be enjoyed in optimal condition when it reopens, that these works are part of a broader programme approved and managed by Turespaña, and the timelines and scope are defined by them. We were also told that “The Parador has informed us that, at this moment, the construction work itself is paused, and only measurement tasks are being carried out in the pool area. These activities do not generate construction noise.” During our visit a digger arrived and was used for further excavation of the pool and also to remove tiles from the base after others had been drilled from the side. We videoed this and sent with our complaint unfortunately it cannot be uploaded here. We paid premium prices to stay not just in a well appointed room, indoor environment but also the grounds and surroundings too. The hotel should be honest with guests who are being expected to pay high rates for facilities which are not available, the view from the restaurant is lovely as long as you don’t look down, the walks around the grounds are impossible. We are not complainers and sent repeated emails about the lack of information hoping for an apology that this wasn’t available in any form. We would suggest that anyone already booked or thinking of booking contacts the hotel directly for up to date inform about the works and also current photographs and time scale for completion to allow informed decision to be made. We are led to believe that it will be June before works are finished. We hope that the Parador de Mojacar shows their guests the respect they deserve when choosing to visit and shares information about current refurbishment and future ones too for this and individual hotels within this highly respected brand of hotels."

"We booked and paid in advance for 5 nights between 21st and 26th February. When we arrived, we were extremely disappointed to see that the front of the hotel, where the pool and decking area use to be, was not usable and resembled a building site. The response from the staff was that as it was winter, they were doing the works now in time for the summer peak period. However, they have not informed their customers of this and had we have known we would have booked elsewhere. Also, looking at the mess that the hotel is in, I would be amazed if the renovation work is completed by the end of the summer. We booked a sea & pool view but had to move to a garden view room because of the works going on and all the hotel would offer us was a credit for the difference between the sea view room and garden room. The weather was glorious, with highs in the mid 20's, so not being able to use the pool was a huge inconvenience. We had to buy a deck chair for the beach and go down there instead. There was no bar area as such, just a makeshift table upstairs in the restaurant area with some drinks on it as this too was situated near the pool area. We also had a slight issue with a broken shower which was fixed promptly and with some of our credit decided to have breakfast at the hotel this morning which was probably the worst breakfast I've had anywhere. When I mentioned this at reception, all I got was a shrug of the shoulders and told I should have sent it back. All in all, a rather unpleasant experience, so please avoid if you've not paid in advance. Pictures attached are what you think you're getting (top) compared to what you're actually getting (bottom), the bar area which is just a table and my breakfast this morning."

"At the moment this Parador is more like a building site than a luxury hotel. While the interior remains comfortable, the grounds are completely unusable. There is no pool, nowhere to relax and read in the sun. Our room (419) has a a small concrete balcony with a view of a nondescript stretch of grass and a large white wall. We were told it catches the morning sun. It doesn’t. The Parador faces the sea but access to the beach is also limited by building/road works. Mojacar itself has few attractions apart from its climate. A characterless place."