"Family holiday – 2 weeks All Inclusive
We stayed here as a family of three for two weeks All Inclusive — two adults and our 7-year-old. This was our second visit, having first stayed here around 8 years ago. Overall, not a huge amount has changed, although the hotel is currently refurbishing some of the rooms.
We arrived around 10:30pm and were checked in very quickly. There were sandwiches and fruit available at reception for late arrivals, although we didn't take any so can't comment on the quality. The reception staff were extremely helpful throughout our stay and were always happy to assist with anything, including arranging taxis.
Our apartment
We had a lower-level apartment in Zone 2, directly across from the entertainment stage. The apartment consisted of a living room with a sofa bed, couch, TV, fridge and kettle with tea and coffee facilities. The bedroom had two single beds pushed together, although the mattresses were extremely hard, along with Air con, a TV, safe and large wardrobe.
The bathroom had a walk-in shower as well as a bath with a shower over it. There was a decent hairdryer and soap, shampoo and body wash were provided. The air conditioning was also good.
Outside, we had a patio with sun loungers, a table and chairs.
We did have an issue with ants in the room, which appeared to be coming from underneath the wardrobe.
Cleaning
On arrival, we were given the option of having the room cleaned daily or every second day. We chose every second day, although the cleaners actually came every day anyway.
Unfortunately, the standard of cleaning wasn't great. Fresh towels were provided daily, but surfaces weren't really wiped down, and the floors weren't brushed or mopped. Our beds were also never changed during the entire two weeks.
Pools
There are three pool areas. Zone 2 is where the main entertainment takes place, so this is the livelier area. Zone 3 is a little quieter and was our preferred area.
Food & drinks
For the most part, we really enjoyed the food and never struggled to find something we liked. The omelettes at breakfast were lovely, and I particularly enjoyed the chicken curry at dinner. There was fresh salad and bread available daily, as well as pizza.
The snack bar served fresh pizza, burgers and hot dogs, with small tubs of ice cream, nachos and pastries also available. Desserts were a bit hit and miss.
Drinks included Strongbow, Amstel, a variety of cocktails and spirits, fizzy drinks, fresh juice and water.
Entertainment
The entertainment team were absolutely fabulous and are a real credit to the hotel! 🫶 There were lots of activities for both children and adults throughout the day, followed by the mini disco and shows in the evening. Our 7-year-old loved it.
Sunbeds
This was probably the biggest frustration of the holiday.
For the first few days, we could easily get a sunbed at around 10am at either pool. However, after about three days, the usual sunbed wars started! If the hotel is busy, you could be lucky to get a bed after 6am, so be prepared to set that alarm early.
What was particularly frustrating was seeing people reserving sunbeds right at the poolside, even when they had apartments just a stone's throw away with their own private sunbeds.
There are also a couple of cats around the complex. We didn't notice any unpleasant smells or faeces around the hotel, so they weren't an issue for us.
Location & things to do
There isn't a huge amount immediately surrounding the hotel. Holiday World is around a 5-minute walk away and has arcades, a small fairground and a food court.
We hired a car for a few days, which was really easy to arrange through a screen at hotel reception. We would also highly recommend Poema del Mar Aquarium for a day out — it was fantastic.
Why I'm deducting a star ⭐
There were a few things that stopped this being a 5-star review for us:
• Cleanliness: The rooms really needed a good deep clean, particularly the floors and surfaces. There was also food and cigarette butts around the poolside and on the grass near some of the apartments. The grass and outdoor areas could definitely have been better maintained.
• Smoking: Unfortunately, some smokers were very inconsiderate of those around them, including smoking on sun loungers around children. Koala, please consider introducing designated smoking areas away from the pools and bar.
• Wasps: There were a lot of wasps around the pool areas, particularly around the children's pool in Zone 3 and the pool showers. Unfortunately, I was actually stung twice while simply lying on a sun lounger.
Overall
Despite the issues above, we had a really enjoyable two-week holiday and would happily return. The entertainment team were fantastic, the food was generally very good, the staff were friendly and helpful, and there was plenty to keep both adults and children entertained.
With improvements to the room cleaning, outdoor cleanliness, smoking arrangements and wasp issue, this could easily have been a 5-star stay for us."
