Playacartaya Hotel

The setting was peaceful and green, with a beautiful, large hotel and clean rooms that had terraces. There was entertainment for everyone, and the ocean was comfortable enough for swimming even for people who worry about cold water. We all got the kind of rest we wanted on this family holiday. Thanks to the staff for organizing everything so well, and for the lovely surprise for my daughter's birthday. I hope we can come back.

We never made it to the hotel because our trip had to be cut short, and by then we’d missed the refundable deadline by one day. We booked through booking.com and asked to move our dates, but the property declined twice. On our first calls, the hotel told us to contact booking.com, then hung up after we explained we already had. Someone at another number on the hotel website was helpful and explained the refusal was due to the wrong price for a date change, but said only booking.com could change the booking. Booking.com tried several numbers, left a message and emailed the hotel, and told us we should hear back within 24 hours. They later said the hotel hadn’t replied. With little time left to rearrange the trip and recover some of what we’d paid, we asked to cancel for free and explained why. After 26 hours without an answer, we called again. The woman said she couldn’t approve a free cancellation and put us on hold; another person picked up and hung up on us. Really disappointing service after all those good reviews.

The rooms were roomy and kept up well, and housekeeping cleaned on time and changed the towels. We liked the indoor and outdoor pools and the slides, which were fun for adults and kids. The beach was an easy 10-minute walk. Staff were warm and helpful, especially when we ran into language issues. There was a reasonable choice of lunch and dinner, particularly if you eat pork, beef, or fish, plus a good range of alcoholic drinks and some juices and soft drinks. Guest parking is available at the hotel. A few things made the stay less comfortable. Room 442 had doors that creaked loudly, and the slow ceiling fan was noisy. Since air conditioning only starts in June, that wasn’t ideal for our May visit. There weren’t many chicken dishes, which was tricky for people who avoid beef and only sometimes eat pork. Buffet food had no labels, so we often had to ask what things were, and language barriers made that harder. The hotel has Premium and Imperial service levels; Imperial comes with better rooms, services, and drinks, but adds €20 a day at check-in. Spa entry is €25, massages start at €65, and the massage we had didn’t meet our expectations for pressure or technique. The Kids Club ran from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, with a Sunday afternoon break, and the children enjoyed it. Kids’ entertainment was average, perhaps because it was the off-season. Underground parking costs an extra €9 per day. There isn’t much to see nearby; Sevilla is the option if you want to explore. The beds are large, but they’re all spring mattresses and weren’t comfortable.

It worked really well for our family with kids. Three to five nights feels about right before they start getting tired of the routine. The staff were great and clearly making an effort to improve the activities, especially for children.