Mar Hotels Rosa del Mar & Spa

The staff were really friendly, and we liked the rooms, the location, and the in-room service. But I came away with mixed feelings because the food and restaurant need work. The restaurant is too small for the hotel, so people were often lined up for food. Inside, it was hectic and noisy, with all kinds of smells mixed together. Maybe that's down to the self-service setup, but I've stayed at other hotels using the same setup that managed it better. The spa and indoor pool also need better management. Too many adults and kids were going into those areas at once. Better time slots and a capacity limit might help.

The shared spaces are lovely, especially the pool, indoor pool, and sauna area. The hotel is large and close to the beach, though the surrounding area isn't the most impressive. The staff are among the friendliest I've met, and they have to be, because some things are really low standard. Breakfast may have been the worst I've had at a hotel: the hot food was cold, the glasses and plates were greasy, and the ingredients were poor quality. They really need to sort out the kitchen.

We really enjoyed our week here. It's a nice hotel with a great location, close to everything we needed, so we walked everywhere. The staff were top tier, very kind and attentive to details. Food and drinks were great too, with a varied dinner and something special each night. I appreciated the environmentally minded touches, like edible straws and cleaning rooms every other day to cut down on cleaning products and water. On the second day it was my birthday. I hadn't mentioned it when booking, but they wished me happy birthday at breakfast, and later I found a surprise in my room. That was thoughtful. They handled every little issue we had. It's a family hotel, which we knew when we booked as a couple without kids, and children didn't bother us. Two nights before checkout, a group of girls moved into the room next door and were shouting loudly all night, so we couldn't sleep. I called reception, and the night staff came each time to make sure they quieted down so other guests could sleep. They responded quickly and did everything they could to help. Our flight was late on checkout day, so they let us stay by the pool, shower, and even invited us to dinner, although dinner wasn't included after we'd checked out that morning. The service was incredible, and we'd definitely recommend the hotel.

The food changed each evening, and there was always enough choice to find something we liked. We also loved the cocktails, definitely worth trying. My best friend and I had a great week here, with staff who were always warm, saying hello and checking how we were doing. We had an amazing stay and I'd love to come back.