Holiday World POLYNESIA Affiliated by Melia

The location is peaceful, with lovely views, and makes a good base for exploring the Costa del Sol. We had a fantastic holiday at Holiday World Polynesia and would definitely come back. The Polynesian theme gives the hotel a relaxing, exotic feel from the moment you arrive. Our room was spacious, comfortable and very clean, with daily housekeeping done to a high standard. There was a tasty, varied spread at every meal, including themed dinners with different cuisines, so everyone had options. The facilities were excellent, especially the pools and family attractions. Highly recommended!

We’re on day two and enjoying the facilities. The room is large, with a decent balcony, and the mattress is comfortable. Too bad the bed base creaks whenever you move. The restaurant is spacious and has a good range, with something for everyone. We’re on half board, which is enough, but if you drink beer or wine, all-inclusive might make sense. A pint (3/4) is €4, with a big foamy head 😫.

This was a deeply upsetting experience on what should have been a family holiday. I don't recommend this hotel. We found bed bugs in two different rooms during our stay. I recorded live bugs on video, and both my 12 month old baby and I were bitten several times on the face, neck and arms. I was reacting to bites from the first night, though I didn't realise what was causing them until later. We were travelling with two children and a pram, and I had to bag and spray all our belongings, including the suitcases, myself. Staff did not do this despite the infestation. We had never had bed bugs before this trip. The bites stopped immediately after we moved to a completely different hotel, and we had no trouble there or anywhere else afterward. That makes it clear to me that the problem came from the Polynesia, not us or our belongings. After getting home, I had to take time off work to steam-clean everything, including our car. I also threw away a fabric suitcase as a precaution, which cost a lot of time, money and stress. It was to avoid bringing contaminated belongings home. The hotel refunded part of the stay and moved us to another hotel. But its insurer ultimately denied all responsibility, despite the evidence we supplied. The hotel offered me a full refund if I agreed not to pursue any claims or action over the issue. We refused because we consider it extremely serious. I'm now pursuing an official consumer complaint because of how it was handled.

The hotel was spotless, with what seemed like an army of staff working hard around the clock to keep it that way. Rooms are generous in size, and I believe they all have balconies with great views of the sea, wildlife, sunrises and sunsets. There's a good variety of food and drinks at convenient times throughout the day. The interior is unique, with fish, turtles and birds living happily in the hotel. A perfect spot for young families. We'd definitely come again.