"First, I must state the framework parameters of our vacation so that our opinion can be better categorized.
We traveled as a couple and spent 10 nights at the resort at the beginning of October. The surcharge from breakfast to half board
was a total of approx. €180 - so we naturally didn't think long and booked half board. Furthermore, we had
We booked a double room with a balcony and a partial sea view as a "superior" room (which means floors 4-6 here).
We were on the 6th floor.
Arrival / Check-in:
Unfortunately, our transfer was significantly delayed due to someone parked illegally in Alcudia, so we only
arrived around 9 PM. Because of this, we were already a bit exhausted and just wanted to get to our room quickly and have
something to eat. Unfortunately, the check-in procedure then took quite a while - despite having our ID cards and having pre-paid
the "tourist tax" (it is definitely called something else there, but I cannot think of it right now), I was then absolutely required to send the travel documents
from TUI via email to the reception, which unfortunately worked poorly at best (a combination of the TUI app
and poor network coverage). Since there was only a hot buffet until 9:15 PM, there is an option for late arrivals starting at 10:00 PM
for a cold buffet - we thought that was fair, but we did not take advantage of it because we still wanted to eat something hot.
It is also important to know - and this will accompany us throughout the entire review - that the air conditioning in this resort
is set extremely cold in our opinion, which is not only very uncomfortable, but unfortunately it also gave both of us a
bad cold. The reception area is always very busy, bustling, and loud.
Room:
The room was fine and largely corresponded to the presentation photos. You can see the age of the rooms and furniture
however, the high-frequency usage. Unfortunately, there is no real wardrobe, only an open coat rack. Due to a lack of
storage space, we had to live out of our suitcases the whole time. The beds were fine, but for our taste,
the pillows are unfortunately too high. Fortunately, you can regulate the air conditioning yourself here or turn it off completely. The bathroom is modern
and stocked with shower gel, shampoo, soap, and lotion from Rituals - we liked that. The room was always kept clean,
only twice were there dirty marks visible on one of the pillows each time. What is annoying are the room doors that slam shut loudly, which is an issue especially
in the mornings and evenings. The walls to the neighbors are well insulated; you can hear screaming children in the next room, if at all,
only very quietly. Unfortunately, the minibar is very loud and annoying. The resort consists of several buildings,
we were in the main building where the reception and the "restaurant" are also located. Our room was on the north-west side with a view
towards Alcudia. Unfortunately, the hotel exhaust system seems to be located here, which is constantly audibly droning, as well as the access road
for suppliers, garbage collection, and staff. Accordingly, it is unfortunately loud again and again, even early in the morning and in the evening. When
you sit on the balcony, you at least do not see this area (at least not on the 6th floor). Furthermore, this is naturally the
shady side and therefore always quite chilly. The view of Alcudia, the sea, and the mountains is beautiful and we often photographed it.
If anyone has the choice, we would definitely choose the southeast side with a view towards Can Picafort. A huge
drawback is that due to the stench of feces and occasionally also something burnt, you practically cannot sit outside on the balcony daily from approx. 10 PM - 8 AM, nor can you let fresh air into the room at night - which is immensely important to us.
- which is immensely important to us.
"Restaurant" / Breakfast / Dinner:
In the "Restaurant" Albufera, all guests from all buildings come together. Since there are unfortunately no really separate areas,
everyone sits table to table and you feel like you are in a huge cafeteria. It is very loud and restless and also very cold due to the
air conditioning. A relaxed meal is unfortunately not possible here; for us, it was such that we actually always wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. At some spots, you at least have a nice view of the sea and the bay.
A tip from us: If the temperature and wind allow it, you should rather sit outside. Even if you have to wait for an available table there,
it is much quieter and warmer there. It is worth it. Unfortunately, we discovered it for ourselves much too late.
For breakfast, there is actually everything for every taste at the buffet, a huge selection for young and old. Also many
coffee machines and beverage dispensers. The food is good, but occasionally some dishes (e.g., scrambled eggs) are way too salty.
Unfortunately, you always had to be careful in the buffet area not to walk in food that had fallen and been stepped on.
As soon as the plate is empty, a staff member usually appears from somewhere and takes it away, which is sometimes stressful.
We also had days again and again where we had to wait in a line that stretched from the "restaurant" to the reception until
we could enter the "restaurant." The longest wait time here was 15 minutes.
At dinner, no drinks (not even water) are included. But that is understandable given the small surcharge. But they did to us
not explained, but we only understood it that way upon inquiry. A drink menu is only available in the form of a QR code on the table number.
Unfortunately, this table number sign is not on all tables. Anyone who is just as overwhelmed by the wine selection as we were - have fun.
There is no consultation; the service staff member who was with us had no idea herself and could speak neither German nor hardly any English.
But she then became snappy and annoyed if you did not decide quickly enough. Wines are only available by the bottle, but at least
you can continue drinking them on another day; you hang a sign with the room number around the bottle for that, and the service puts
it back into a refrigerated cabinet. The dinner was good, with some buffet components that changed regularly.
Unfortunately, the hot buffet food is extremely poorly organized, so long lines always form there. You cannot even properly
see what is available for the day. If you stand at the back of the line and already take some hot food from a few stations there,
it is cold again by the time you get through and back to the table. We will not be booking half-board in this form again for the time being,
even if it is inexpensive.
Resort grounds / beach / immediate surroundings
The resort itself is very beautifully landscaped, tidy, and clean. Despite the large number of people, it is pleasantly quiet outside in the complex.
The children's play and animation areas were always far away from where we were staying, so we didn't notice anything of them.
You can actually always get lounge chairs, and there are 3 pools and 3 pool bars distributed throughout the resort. The staff at the pool bars was always very friendly,
and at the Luna pool bar we also had a delicious lunch once, much better than in the Albufera restaurant. Within the complex there is also a
supermarket, where you can also charge to your room with your resort wristband (as in all areas). The direct beach access points are especially great,
straight from the lounge chair in the resort onto the beach and into the sea. The beach itself is narrow, but clean and has plenty of sand (not rocky). The sea is
naturally spectacularly beautiful, crystal-clear water, sandy bottom, practically no algae or seagrass. Lifeguards are also on site.
The sea has a very gentle slope, so you definitely have to walk in at least 100m before you can swim properly.
For families with children, this is of course great. Directly adjacent to the resort begins the huge S'Albufera nature reserve, where there are supposedly
hundreds of bird species to admire. We had therefore specifically brought our camera with a zoom lens, unfortunately the nature reserve was
closed for maintenance work during the time we were there; there was no information about this beforehand that we were aware of.
The town itself is not really a proper town, but rather a string of hotels and, in between, many supermarkets with tourist junk,
cycling shops, and restaurants."
