Catalonia del Mar

"Similar to a lot of other reviews , this hotel is … ok, but just ok, the photos absolutely need updating because they are not a true representation of what you get. Main positives are the staff and the location, but just strolling round the area and seeing some of the other 4 star hotels was very deflating . When we arrived at 3am, we had been travelling all day due to delays, the coach journey was an hour and 40 mins and we were dropped off on a road, down a street round the back, no idea where we were and no direction from the coach driver . Found the hotel with google maps , walked in and I immediately knew the poor reviews were accurate, very dated, damp smell in the reception, ripped and marked wall paper , stained walls, the rooms are basic, we had 3 “superior Mountain View rooms “ all we could see were the bins , the other hotel building and a bar ( but to be fair we were out every day so view not the end of the world ) our room had a table and chairs , the others just had a bed and a long desk under the tv, no drawers , just shelves and a big wardrobe, only 2 English channels and they were news , Cleaning was hit and miss, some days our towels were just hung back up and not changed, the cups were just wiped out and turned back upside down, they still had marks and wet in them, tea coffee not always replenished. You can hear every flush and running tap in the walls, when the room above us took a shower we would have a huge leak through the ceiling into the bath, we didn’t bother reporting because at that point I had made my peace with it being what it was . Food was fine, you won’t go hungry, I would of liked more pasta salads/more salad bits in the evening, the layout did cause a bit of congestion, breakfast had literally everything you could want . The pool is small, and always full of people floating on pool noodles so no room to swim , pool area is cramped and busy, the indoor pool is quieter but you can’t take drinks into that area , the gym wasn’t adequate in my opinion, a few cardio machines, a smith machine with missing attachments and a mix of odd dumbbells , the heaviest being 5kg, I was especially gutted about this because we do like to use the gym regularly on holiday. Entertainment was 9:30 to 10:30 in the evening but then they turn the lights all the way up after , no background music to sit and have a drink, but just walking down the strip in the evening and you see the difference in other hotels. It’s true this is fine as a base for exploring the area but I kind of feel like “fine for base” isn’t good enough for a 4 star hotel, if you’re looking at booking from the photos, lower your expectations."

"Mix of pros and cons. Nice pool well maintained, clean rooms and food ok. Reception, dining and bar area very old fashioned and cheaply decorated- not at all what I’d expect for a four star adult only hotel. Stale musty smell which definitely put us off staying in the bar for a drink. We definitely won’t be returning as some of the other four star hotels in the area looked much nicer"

"We booked as a last minute 4 day break in the sun through Jet 2. We stayed in a double room with Terrace and Panoramic Sea View on the fouth floor and were very glad we booked the room. The room itself is basic but clean. The bathroom had been refurbished with a good sized walk in rain shower. It's lacking some sockets and there are no USB ports or dressing table mirror for doing hair and makeup so had to improvise. The sea view from the balcony is stunning and great for sitting out at night. It has a large terrace with table and chairs and 2 sun loungers that came in very handy. The pool area is across the street in another building. We wouldn't mind this but the pool is deceptively small compared with the brochure photos and absolutely jam packed with people crammed in like sardines. We only went to see it when we arrived and the pool was filled with guests doing water aerobics. It wasn't a pleasant area, too small and crowded, so we spent our 4 days sun bathing on the balcony. Pool towels are available from reception for a refundable 20 Euro deposit and changed daily. The staff were very friendly and welcoming so I'd give 5 stars for service. The food was also good for both breakfast and dinner, again service was excellent. This was our first time in Cala Bona and we weren't sure what to expect as we prefer quieter areas. The marina is lovely and the front is great for strolling along with plenty restaurants/bars but not too crowded. Our biggest disappointment was with the hotel bar and entertainment. Choice was limited especially the cocktails (no espresso martini or pina colada so improvised with Baileys and espresso). The worst part was when the some male guests arrived, loud and using constant foul language verging on the sectarian. This isn't the fault of Jet 2 or the hotel but it made us question what kind of hotel and resort we'd booked. We waited to see if it calmed down for the evening entertainment but left just after 9.30 when there was no sign of anything starting. We gave the quiz and bingo a miss the following nights as not our thing. On the whole we enjoyed our stay. A quietish friendly hotel and resort but perhaps not for us."