Mainare Playa

The pool area was peaceful when we were there, with plenty of sunbeds and a relaxed feel, no loud music. The staff were wonderful and very helpful. We stayed at the beginning of September, and otherwise had a great time. The beach is about a five-minute walk away, and there’s a bus stop right outside. The main drawback is the VERY busy road right by the hotel. We were first given a room looking straight onto it, so we paid €25 to move. Even at the other end of the hotel, we could hear traffic through the night. If you’re a light sleeper, bear that in mind.

The dinner was absolutely diabolical. There were maybe three choices at most, mostly fish, and the food was bland and always cold. I wish I hadn’t paid extra for it. There also didn’t seem to be any allergy awareness: the dishes were labelled, but there was no allergy advice. Breakfast, by contrast, was very good, with a nice selection and food cooked well. Definitely recommend that. The chef was lovely. We got to the hotel at 10pm after a delay, and there was no food or drink for us. The local shops were shut too. At other hotels and in other countries I’ve visited, they’ve kept food and drinks for guests who miss dinner, which we’d paid for in the package. Not here. The location is good, close to a lovely beach and not too far from the airport, about 30 minutes by taxi or an hour by coach. There are cafés, restaurants, bars and shops nearby, and markets are a bus ride away or an €8 taxi ride. The room was nice, with a bed for each of us, a fridge and a bath. The beds were very comfortable, though the sofa bed less so, as you’d expect. Toiletries and towels were provided, and the Wi-Fi was very good. Towels can’t be used at the pool or taken out of the hotel, but you can rent them at reception. I paid extra for a sea view and got a big balcony overlooking the pool with a partial beach view. That was nice and worth it. You have to pay to use the safe. The window wouldn’t lock, which worried me with children. There was drilling and loud noise every day from repairs at the hotel next door, so it wasn’t as relaxing as we’d hoped. The room was cleaned well, and the cleaning staff were friendly and efficient. Reception staff were helpful and friendly too, but the dinner waitresses were consistently rather abrupt and not very welcoming. I was charged a €100 deposit on arrival without knowing about it. Getting it back took a while because someone had to inspect the room, and I’d misplaced the paper receipt. Keep that in mind if your transport to the airport is waiting.

It’s really convenient for the train station, with a bus stop right outside and the beach across the road. We had a lovely stay. The rooms were clean, spacious and nicely decorated. They’re fairly basic, but had everything we needed. The staff were friendly and helpful, and we’d definitely come back.

We stayed for five nights, and the hotel was spotless. Breakfast was the only meal we ate there, with loads of choice and indoor and outdoor seating. The staff were polite and very helpful, and the location worked well for the beach, shops, bars and restaurants. There were three adults and a baby in our room. It felt quite tight with the travel cot and the sofa folded out into a double bed. There was a fridge, and the air conditioning was good.