this wasn't a bad holiday—but it was certainly the most disappointing 4-star hotel I've stayed in.
Stayed 20–26 July – Family Holiday (Dad and 11-year-old Daughter) Overall, our stay wasn't terrible, but it wasn't particularly good either. I've stayed in many 4-star hotels around the world, including Benidorm and Cyprus within the last three years, and this is the first time I've genuinely felt a hotel's star rating didn't reflect the experience. In my opinion, this is a 3-star hotel, perhaps 3+ at best, rather than a true 4-star. Check-in & Room Like most guests, we arrived tired after travelling. Before travelling, I had contacted the hotel to request twin beds for my 11-year-old daughter and me. In my experience, most hotels have twin rooms as standard, but I wanted to be sure. When we arrived, the room had a double bed. We returned to reception, but understandably there was little they could do that late in the evening. The younger gentleman with the longer hair was friendly and helpful throughout our stay. However, when I explained I'd contacted the hotel in advance to avoid this situation, another receptionist simply laughed and said, "This is Spain." I found that response dismissive and unnecessary. The following day they added a single bed to the room. It reduced the available floor space considerably, but we accepted it and moved on. Our room had a lovely sea view, which was definitely one of its best features. Unfortunately, the room itself felt very dated and, in my opinion, wasn't of a 4-star standard. It was already quite small before the additional bed was added, so once it was in place there was very little room left to move around comfortably. The furnishings also felt basic and inexpensive. Apart from the beds, there was a wardrobe, a small desk and just one plastic chair. The shower was poorly designed, with the shower screen failing to keep the water inside, meaning the bathroom floor became soaked after every shower. The mattress was well past its best. One side had completely dipped, making it feel as though you were rolling out of bed. Thankfully, once my daughter had her own bed, I simply slept on the better side of the mattress rather than making another complaint. The air conditioning also stopped working one evening, leaving the room uncomfortably hot. To the hotel's credit, it was repaired quickly the following day. However, the unit itself felt very old and the controls were awkward and dated. Like much of the room, it simply reinforced the feeling that this was closer to a 3-star hotel than a genuine 4-star experience. Drinks Token System This was probably my biggest frustration. Guests are given two tiny plastic tokens which must be exchanged for cups every time you order a drink. At the end of the day, you return the cups to get your tokens back, then repeat the process the following day. Fair play to anyone who finds that system easy, but I found it unnecessarily stressful. I misplaced the tokens once, and another evening there was a huge queue at the bar while my daughter was tired. Rather than stand there simply to return two empty cups, I took them back to the room intending to return them the following morning. The next day we got ourselves settled by the pool before realising we'd forgotten the cups. At that point we simply didn't bother getting drinks because the whole process had become more hassle than it was worth. It's a holiday. Keeping track of cups and tiny plastic tokens shouldn't feel like another job. Pool Tables One evening my daughter fancied a game of pool. The first table was broken, so reception refunded our €2 without any issue. We then tried the second table only to discover it had every ball except the white ball. We ended up using the black ball instead. Several other families also tried the broken table before walking away disappointed. Eventually, after quite some time, a member of reception came down. A group of children asked for their money back after discovering the table didn't work, but he refused, saying they couldn't keep refunding people. There was no sign saying the table was out of order. If guests are expected to pay, the least the hotel can do is make sure the equipment works or clearly mark it as unavailable. Change at Reception Another strange experience was asking reception to change a €10 note. I was told they could only give me €5 in coins because they were running out of change. In 2026, it seems odd that a large hotel still relies on a small cash drawer rather than having a simple change machine where guests can exchange notes for coins themselves. Towel Deposit This was probably the most disappointing part of our stay. On our final day I returned both pool towels to reception. I'd paid the €20 deposit on arrival but had unfortunately misplaced the receipt. Reception checked their computer and told me their system showed my towel deposit had already been refunded to our room. That simply wasn't true. Despite me standing there with both hotel towels in my hands, they refused to refund the deposit without the receipt. I found this astonishing. If I had wanted to keep the towels, why would I be returning them? Thankfully I searched through the bin in our room and eventually found the receipt. When I returned, the younger receptionist looked genuinely confused while I explained what had happened before his older colleague spoke to him in Spanish. I honestly don't believe for a second that the system genuinely showed my deposit had already been refunded. Whether it was a misunderstanding or an attempt to justify refusing the refund, it left a very poor impression and completely overshadowed our final day. Reception Staff Throughout the week I noticed a significant difference between the younger and older reception staff. The younger staff were consistently friendly, approachable and genuinely helpful. Unfortunately, I found some of the older reception staff lacked empathy and customer service. In my opinion, they could learn a great deal from their younger colleagues. Location Parents should be aware that this hotel is extremely isolated. Apart from a golf course and a pleasant coastal walk into a nearby village, there is very little for children to do nearby. The hotel's free shuttle bus is almost always fully booked. Reception simply advised us to return the following morning in case of cancellations, although none ever became available. What reception never mentioned—and we only discovered thanks to the lovely French lady who runs the gift shop—was that there's a nearby public bus stop where you can travel to Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas for around €5. Instead, reception repeatedly suggested taxis costing around €30 each way. We used the public bus three times and it was excellent. I only wish we'd known about it from the beginning. Also bear in mind there are virtually no shops, pharmacies or places to buy essentials nearby. If, like me, airport security confiscates toiletries or medicines, don't expect to easily replace them. There really is very little around the hotel unless you're prepared to travel. Food & Facilities The food was generally good. Some evenings were very enjoyable, although overall I didn't think it quite matched the standard of other 4-star hotels I've stayed in. The Italian buffet was definitely the highlight, so I'd recommend arriving early before it gets busy. The pools were pleasant and always clean, although there isn't much aimed at children over about seven years old. The splash park is very small and there are no water slides. The water aerobics sessions were brilliant. The female instructor brought fantastic energy every day and made them genuinely enjoyable. Finding sun loungers was never an issue. The hotel also enforced rules against guests reserving loungers with towels for hours without using them, which I thought was excellent. The drinks themselves were good, and the hotel was consistently clean throughout. A couple of complimentary bottles of chilled water in the room fridge would also have been a nice touch and is fairly standard in many other 4-star hotels. Overall There are definitely positives here. The hotel was clean, the drinks were good, the pools were pleasant, and many of the staff—particularly the younger reception team—were excellent. However, the dated rooms, poor mattress, awkward drinks token system, towel deposit experience, inconsistent customer service from some reception staff and the isolated location all took away from the holiday. For couples looking for a quiet getaway, this hotel may suit you well. For families with older children, however, I'd recommend doing plenty of research beforehand. Unless you're happy paying for regular taxis or using the local bus network, there simply isn't enough nearby to keep children entertained. For me, this wasn't a bad holiday, but it was certainly the most disappointing 4-star hotel I've stayed in, and unfortunately I wouldn't return.
