Hotel Izán Cavanna

The rooms are very old and need renovating. The hotel restaurant was nice, and the beach access is great. Breakfast was okay, and it worked for a last-minute getaway. There are also some lovely restaurants nearby.

The only real plus was the hotel's position between the two seas. If you decide to escape, you can head either way and reach water before changing your mind. For a supposed four-star hotel, the rooms were a jolt back to the 1970s, with no charming retro feel. The Wi-Fi was practically symbolic. The bathroom grout was visibly dirty and worn, even if the room itself may have been cleaned. Dinner in the buffet was loud, cramped, and unpleasant: long lines, bland food, cafeteria atmosphere, and drinks cost extra. We had half board but refused to eat there again. Our “family room” had three narrow 90 cm beds set far apart, and they felt like rock-hard camp beds. Every morning we woke up sore and stiff. The pool area was noisy and chaotic, and sunbeds cost extra. Elevators had long queues, and we rarely got on when one arrived, so we ended up carrying luggage up many flights of stairs. After staying at more than 80 hotels over seven years, this one stands out for all the wrong reasons.

The location is excellent, with its own beach and pool, and the beach by the sea is a wonderful place to spend the day. There are lots of restaurants nearby, plus an indoor cafeteria and a playroom for younger guests. Service was mostly really good, and the employees were very friendly, though their English was a bit limited. The all-inclusive food was okay, with enough variety at each meal. The hotel's age shows in the somewhat old-fashioned rooms. For the price, I'd give it four stars.

The pool is quite nice, and there’s direct access to the beach, but sunbeds cost extra. The beach access comes with an environmental downside too: the hotel doesn't clean the beach, even though its bar is right there serving drinks in cans and plastic cups. I found rubbish in the morning where I was meant to sit with my son. Someone could blame the people who left it, but they were all hotel guests served by the hotel's bar. The hotel should look after a beach that helps it earn money. There are a lot of problems with the hotel now, though it may once have been great. The furniture in the rooms looks about 25 or 30 years old. The windows don't open, only the terrace door does, and the bathroom has no window or ventilation. They give you just one room key, which is inconvenient if you need to split up. There are only three elevators, so high season means long queues. Guest parking is €10 a day and very limited, leaving you to compete for a space in the always crowded Cavanna Square parking area. We also had to pay €8 a night for a cot.