"A fabulous hotel! We had a wonderful 2 week stay. Would highly recommend. Friendly and welcoming.
Location: excellent. 5 min walk to beach. 5 min walk to busy shop/ bar area. 10-15 min walk to Old Town. 10 min walk (would be less but hot and slightly up hill!) to Monday market. Easy access to bus to Tarragona.
Atmosphere: quiet, friendly, peaceful roof pool area. Occasional pool loud music but fun for aerobics.Other times mixture of jazzy type background music. Easy listening.
Room: we had 3 adults to room. Not pool view. Quite tight on space but worked for us. 2 proper beds, not put up which was great. Found beds firm but comfortable. Nice bedding. Bathroom spacious. Good, walk in shower. Always hot water anytime. Shower gel, shampoo and conditioner provided. Soap, comb and dental boxes, hairdryer provided. TV Spanish- didnt use. Think Netflix may be available at a cost but not sure. Rooms tidied daily and on request. Good balcony with drying rack and 2 chairs and table. Very clean. Walls quite thin! Could hear arguments next door but on the whole very quiet. No rowdy returners at night.
Service and cleaning very good.
Excellent air-conditioning with 4 or 5 settings. On all the time unless you turn off.
Food: excellent. Amazing selection of fresh fruit daily, peaches, nectarines, apricots, pears, apples, grapefruit, lemon, bananas, pineapple, plums with extras such as cherries/ grapes on occasion. Always good choices. Chef specials on deserts weekly (fabulous apple crumble and chocolate fountain!) and meat choice freshly cooked daily. Excellent selection of deserts. We thought food was excellent. Service good. Most staff very friendly and smiley. Purchase of drinks easy. No drinks provided at lunch or dinner but available to purchase. Lots of drink choice at breakfast: tea, coffees, juices from machine but also special juices such as mango, grapefruit, tomato, coconut, cranberry on rotation. Breakfast was excellent. Fried eggs, pancakes and omelette cooked fresh. Lots of bread choice at all meals.
Payment: if not all inclusive then hotel is cashless so pay by tapping card or when checking in you have chipped wrist band that unlocks room door ( fantastic idea). You wear all the time, even in pool. You can add cash to this too so you don't need to carry cards around. You just scan band. Easy.
Pools: we didn't use roof area much as too hot for us. Pool very shallow. Just for dipping. Nice atmosphere and bar available. Parasols provided for some beds. Opens at 10. We noticed people queuing from about 9.30 to get beds. If Parasols not wanted then probably could arrive later.
Main pool opens at 9. Beds were always available or extra deckchairs available. However, limited parasols so if wanted a specific space or parasol, then people queue from 8.20. It was really annoying to see people sit by parasols that they never opened! Especially by poolside. Attendants did remove towels on saved beds. Sometimes more than others. Nice poolside atmosphere and very friendly staff. Full of fun and joy. Toilets available by pool. Also can refill water bottles from machine by pool. Beds can be reserved if have a disability and there is seat available to lower a person into the pool.
Lovely communal area with giant tv showing current sports. Air conditioned throughout.
Nightly entertainment. Varied daily. 9.30 pm or 10 pm. Finished by 11pm or sooner. This really is where we think there could be something from 9pm. Also bar closes at strictly 12pm. We would have preferred 1am. However, we did find nearby bars which are open a lot later. We just would have stayed at the hotel longer if later bar.
Shopping: plenty of choice but beware of strict siestas. Most shops open 9 am ish until 1.30 but then closed until 5 pm. Then some open until midnight or later some close 9/ 10 pm. Found perfume at good price at shop in old town rather than big store Farnens on sea front.
We went to market on Monday 9-2. Take a fan! Out of hotel, turn right. Walk uphill (slightly incline) at top bear left then first right. Big. Good value. Lots of clothing.
Cambrils: we took bus from beachfront by McDonalds and same side. 3 euro. Be sure to mention market as some buses don't go as far as the market on Wednesdays. We had to get off at port of Cambrils and get on bus immediately behind to go further on. Probably 10 to 15 min walk up from beach if not. But very hot. Shopping nice by port. Siestas in place so most things shut 1.30-5. Pretty place. We got taxi back to Salou which was 25 euro to hotel.
You can get ferry from port area to Cambrils too.
Tarragona- loved! 3.5 euro on bus. Caught by hotel. Go out hotel, turn left. By pizza place go left. Need right side. Bus stop 3 min walk up Tarragona street. Reception can give you a map and times but not far. This is fast bus and air conditioned. Tarragona is lovely. We went in day but think would be lovely from 5pm as lots closed in afternoon for siesta. Stop at local bars for map. Out of bus station turn left then 2nd right at island. Rambla Nova, head up past bronze men Statue. Keep going up to top under umbrellas. At top lovely sea view. Walk left to find amphitheatre. Head left of that and down to find cathedral and old town with little shops and narrow, traditional streets.
Big city. Sites open until 8 or 9pm. Things closed on Mondays. Check. Buses run back late or taxis are about 25- 28 euros back to Salou.
If travelling a lot by bus get T10 card from information centre on sea front. This gives you 10 journeys and can be used by whole party. It reduces journeys to much cheaper price 1 euro or less. It is cheaper again if you top it up again.
Beach: we only went to main beach which is very busy. Beds are 10 euro per day per person. Parasols are 10 euro per day. 6pm you are asked to leave. Expensive! Lots of people buy parasols - big ones around 24 euro ir less and sit on sand ir buy chairs. Worth it if going daily. Clean beach. No seaweed. Clear, very warm water. Shallow for some way out so safe for kids. Watersports available. Toilets readily available by beds and beach bars.
We found Salou very friendly. Nice walk way by beach past 'point' statue. It felt safe at night and in the day at the beach. Lots of bars with live entertainment, karaoke, quizzes, bingo, lively, family friendly, just eating or drinking, suitable for young and old. It seemed to come to life at night. Very busy at midnight! Very warm all night too. Lots of bars. Recommend House Of Illusion. Goid value with meal, drinks and show. They also have live singers in their bar area at night.
A great hotel in a lively, lovely place!"
