Hotel Iris

The downsides were the early morning noise and the coffee. We had a ‘Pool C’ room, which was handy for the pool and sunbathing, but the clattering and breakfast setup started around 5.45am every day and was very loud. Breakfast was adequate, though the coffee machine needed replacing. It was being fixed both mornings, and when it worked the coffee still wasn't tasty. There were plenty of positives. The location is brilliant, just 50m from the main promenade and beach at Arenal, with lots of bars, restaurants, and shops nearby. The airport is under 10 minutes away by taxi, which cost €19 one way. The bed was comfortable enough, the shower was very good, and the hairdryer was powerful. That might sound like a small thing, but most places give you a tiny one that takes 90 minutes to dry your hair. The room was impressively clean too. We paid an extra €25 for late checkout at 6pm, which I thought was good value. The two nights with buffet breakfast cost £118.

For what it cost, I thought the hotel was good value. The rooms were tidy and clean, and the bed was good. Breakfast was okay, though the coffee tasted really bad. Staff spoke English and were willing to help with taxis and other things if needed.

The breakfast was good, rooms were cleaned every day, and staff were helpful. Otherwise everything was great. My concern is the listing: it says the hotel has sea-view rooms, but I don't think it has any. The room described as “sea view” seems to mean “pool view”, and I hope the site gets updated to make that clear. I'm also not sure whether Agoda's “Parking” means free parking. The hotel does have parking, but it definitely isn't free.

The hotel is clean and in a very good location, but management has a long way to go in balancing guests who want loud music and football-style celebrations with those who come to relax, especially at 3am. The bar was completely taken over by loud German youths, with no room for anyone else. It's a decent hotel, but I wouldn't stay here again because of that.