Hotel Best Cambrils

We had a fantastic four-night stay and I'd definitely come back. I was there with friends for a 21st birthday, and honestly couldn't find anything to complain about, which is unusual for me. We had a gorgeous room with two double beds, although we expected two singles. The shower pressure was amazing. The sheets were really thin, but there was a quilt in the wardrobe to use if we got cold. The room didn't get any sun, so our towels wouldn't dry, but we took them down the next day and dried them on a sun lounger. The hotel is right on the beach. There was plenty of different food, with something for everyone. I'm not picky, but the only thing missing was hashbrowns at breakfast, and I'm clutching at straws there. The drinks were good, though you had to pay a bit more for top brands, and the cocktails came on tap. Staff were friendly and communicated well. Reception could call a taxi when we needed one. There wasn't much background music during the day, just around 2pm to 3pm, but that's down to preference. The entertainment team was great, with lots going on in the evenings. Salou is a 45-minute walk. We walked back once, and with the shops along the front it didn't seem too far. The hotel called us a taxi there for €17, and it was €15 for the ride back around 2:30am. A taxi to Portaventura was supposed to cost €23, but the driver charged us €32, which was a complete scam. We got the bus back instead. We don't know much about the buses, but managed to get to the hotel on two different ones for €8 altogether.

The room air conditioning barely worked all holiday, and after a technician came, it stopped working completely. It was unbearable in there. I was told last week the hotel had no fans, but once Jet 2 got involved, suddenly I could have one. Mosquitoes were everywhere for all 11 days. People were covered in bites, even those of us using repellent. Having a drink in the bar at night was awful, and they were landing on glasses and food in the restaurant too. The lifts, toilets, bar and restaurant were full of them. I've never been bitten so much, not even in the Caribbean. There was also a terrible smell around the pool and bar on some days. The food was good for all inclusive, though often cold. The kids' mini disco didn't exist. There were lots of sunbeds, but they were so close together you couldn't always get around them. General cleanliness was good. I wouldn't come back.

The hotel looks great at night and the building itself is clean and attractive. Our room was clean too, though very basic. The area around it wasn't much to look at and smelled really bad. At night, there seemed to be very little staff or security. After 12:30am, groups of guests kept going into areas that were closed, playing music loudly, shouting and disturbing people. The only receptionist didn't do anything, and most nights he was somewhere else.

The location was convenient, with easy access to the beach and surrounding area, but my parents left disappointed and wouldn't return. They paid for what they understood to be all inclusive, yet it turned out to be full board. Drinks, even water, cost extra, and this wasn't clearly explained during booking or at check-in. They felt misled and as if they hadn't received what they paid for. The worst part was €100 going missing from their room on the last day. When they told reception, the woman at the desk seemed casual and almost dismissive. She didn't take the complaint seriously, and there was no real attempt to investigate or help. My parents felt ignored and unprotected, and that response overshadowed everything else. The buffet was one of the better parts of the stay. It had a good range, changed each day, and the food was fresh and suited different tastes. Staff were generally polite and could speak English, though it was noticeably difficult to communicate in other languages, especially German. That made it harder for my parents to ask questions or clarify things. The rooms seemed to have been renovated recently and had modern furniture, so they felt comfortable. The bathrooms didn't match, with worn fittings and old-looking tiles. A hair stayed in the room for several days even after housekeeping, which made them question how thoroughly it had been cleaned. With the booking confusion, dated bathrooms, cleanliness concerns and the way the theft report was handled, the value was far below what they expected. There were some positives, but they wouldn't recommend the hotel.