On Hotels Oceanfront - Adults Only

We chose this hotel to be near Doñana Park, which was excellent and well worth visiting. The hotel was a very different story, and grossly overpriced. Its website is hard to navigate, gives only basic information, and doesn't make it clear how little service is available for the dates we booked, October 9th. Nothing around the hotel was open in October, either, and the website didn't explain that. The buffet was the only food option, and it was not good. Plates sat in big piles and were often wet and dirty, which seems like a serious bacterial growth and food poisoning risk. The food was lukewarm or cold even right when the restaurant opened. Coffee was only included at breakfast. After dinner, you had to pay for coffee at the bar, though wine and beer were free. There was only one bar open, inside the shop, and it closed when something was happening in the disco area on Saturdays. The only way to get there was outside, which was miserable in wet, windy weather. The room had no drawers for underwear, and the hanging space was too short for longer clothes like dresses. Only reception could adjust the air conditioning, and it shut off at night. The bath was too small, there were no instructions for the safe or phone, and there was no kettle or coffee machine. There were no robes for walking between the room and spa. Even nearly bald men had to buy and wear an ON swim cap in the spa pool. Treatments were only offered Friday and Saturday, and advance booking was very difficult. The gym was too warm, had uneven flooring that was wet in places, and none of the staff knew how to use the equipment. The soft cushion loungers by the lower pool were dirty, while the older loungers at the main pool were rusty and uncomfortable. Most staff did try to help. The beach, main pool, and proximity to the National Park were good. But at this time of year, it was nowhere near a 4-star hotel, despite charging 5-star prices. Avoid it.

I had a nice stay, and the hotel is luxurious with a good beachfront location. The sea was rough, though, and the waves kept knocking me down when I tried to swim. I visited off season, and many local places were closed in the evenings, so we had to stay at the hotel. It would help if more staff spoke English and if the buffet food was labelled. My friend is vegetarian and ended up with meat a few times, which she really wasn't happy about.

The rooms were nice, and the mini bar was restocked daily at no extra charge. We also liked the views and the pools. We hadn't properly checked beforehand that the hotel is in an area with nothing but resorts, so it wasn't what we expected. We went in May, when many restaurants outside the hotels were closed.

Being right across from the beach was one of my favorite things. We could wander along the shore and get back to the hotel quickly whenever we got tired. The room had a huge bed that could fit at least five people, though the balcony was small. That was fine unless you plan to spend your whole vacation shut in the room. The buffet food was pretty good. I especially liked that they had fresh orange juice and almond milk, little extras you don't find at every hotel. Bikes were included in the stay at no charge, which was another big plus. We were unlucky with the first five or so bikes we tried, since they needed fixing or upgrading, and it took a while to find one that worked properly. Still, riding by the beach in the evenings was so relaxing, and I really recommend trying it. At first, the reception decorations surprised me. It looked more like a gift shop crammed with things than a reception, but after looking around the hotel, I got used to the style. I was really satisfied with my stay and would definitely return.