Arena Blanca

There were repeated problems with the water, and it made me question the hotel's health and safety. The hotel had put up a notice on Tuesday saying water and showers were “strictly forbidden” on Thursday because of maintenance, which made it sound unsafe. But on Wednesday, after I brushed my teeth, water came out of the tap looking like it did in the video. At reception, they told us the maintenance had actually happened that day. I said it was unacceptable that people had been using dirty water all day. The receptionist, Lillian, was very rude and confrontational. She told me people should never drink the water in Spain, ignoring the fact that people also shower and brush their teeth with it. I live in Spain and drink tap water, and know that over 99% of the tap water here is safe to consume. She laughed in my face when I told her. The water issues continued the next day. Maintenance had to come into rooms to check the water, soft drinks were unavailable for a while because they couldn't use the fountain, and some spa facilities were closed. There was often a sewage smell around the hotel, outside and in the rooms, so I believe there may be serious problems with the pipes and water supply. There was a separate safety concern at breakfast: the chef at the live cooking station left a frying pan unattended, and it caught fire. It took a few minutes for anyone to notice and put it out. The hotel also seemed generally understaffed, especially in the dining room. I wouldn't recommend it at all.

Lovely location and a great price, with such nice staff. Special shout-out to Hassan. The room was comfortable and clean, with a separate bath, though you'll need to bring your own kettle. We went all-inclusive and found a great choice of food, fresh meat cooked by the chef, and drinks always available. There was always somewhere to sit. The drinks were good, maybe a bit strong for me! There's a Lidl across the road, along with pubs, tribute venues and places to eat, including takeaways. The Rock and Roll place opposite had good acts, but only took cash. It's a 10-minute walk to the strip. We walked through there to reach the Old Town, which wasn't a good experience as we were offered drugs three times. The Old Town itself is beautiful, with lovely pubs, restaurants and good shopping.

The indoor pool let me down. It wasn't clean, with rubbish and hair floating in the water, even though a sign showed when it had last been inspected. One small suggestion for the hotel: the luxury suite balconies would be much nicer with comfortable adjustable chairs, or perhaps a lounger. We stayed 10 days in a luxury suite. The room was lovely and clean when we arrived, and the staff were very helpful. Cleanliness varied from day to day, perhaps because different cleaners came, but it was okay overall. Breakfast had enough choice, and the staff there were nice too. The pools were beautiful and had plenty of sunbeds when we visited in April. There are pubs and restaurants nearby, and the beach was a 10-minute walk for us. I'd recommend a visit to the spa. It's beautiful and clean, swimwear is required, and the staff are friendly. I didn't use the gym because at first I thought it was elsewhere, in an empty room with a “gym” sign 😂. It's actually near the sauna. I wish I'd known sooner, as it looked good.

The food was the big problem here, and it spoiled what could have been a much better stay. The restaurant felt chaotic and the offering was more like a canteen, with food on a first-come, first-served basis. Staff tried their best to find us a table, but on Christmas Day we put our drinks down, went to get food, and came back to find someone else at our table and our drinks removed by a waiter. It wasn't a festive, relaxing or enjoyable Christmas dinner. There were no pigs in blankets, mash, sprouts, roast potatoes, parsnips, Christmas pudding or Christmas cake, and the tables had no festive decorations or crackers. The Christmas Day evening meal was the worst we'd had so far: very little choice, nothing warm, and no taste. I felt sorry for the guests who'd gone out that day expecting the evening meal to be their Christmas dinner. Breakfast could have been good, but the bacon, eggs, sausages, hash browns, beans, scrambled egg, omelette and mushrooms were all cold, and the sausages were poor quality. The restaurant's management is the elephant in the room. That isn't the hard-working dining staff's fault, it rests with hotel management. There were plenty of things to like. Check-in was quick and easy, and the reception team were friendly and attentive. The hotel was very clean, the rooms spacious and well equipped, the beds comfortable, and the balconies roomy with great views. All-inclusive included a wide range of alcoholic drinks, international beers, spirits, wine, cocktails, coffees and soft drinks. The bar staff were very friendly and made fabulous cocktails. The two live singers were good, as was the evening entertainment in the downstairs bar. The hotel offers a lot in quality service, helpful staff, drinks, rooms and facilities, but the restaurant experience really fell short.