Gran Peñíscola Hotel

I contacted the hotel within two minutes of spotting that my Booking.com reservation had gone through for the wrong dates. I had selected the right ones, but the system suggested something different. The hotel sent me back to Booking.com, and Booking.com sent me back to the hotel. Neither would take responsibility or correct what seemed like an obvious mistake caught straight away. It looks like a system problem, but the customer gets no support. I can't recommend booking here, and I'd urge others to be careful.

The buffet's hot dishes were lukewarm at best at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which was my biggest disappointment. Our room, though, was spacious, lovely, and exceptionally clean, and the cleaning staff were very friendly. The air-con sensor on the balcony door was cracked; I reported it and it was supposedly fixed, but the box still came loose every time the door opened and really needs replacing. The hotel is nicely placed, with great views of the beach and Peniscola Castle depending on your room. We were directly above the pool activities, so it was noisy, and we hadn't realized how much entertainment and music there would be from morning until midnight, apart from the Siesta break. It's a good fit if that's what you want with Full Board, but not if you're after peace and quiet.

We could sleep with the balcony doors open and listen to the waves, with a lovely front-facing view. The location is wonderful, though the old town is a bit of a walk away, still doable on foot. The rooms were spacious, comfortable, and clean, and the facilities were great. Service varied a lot by employee; a few could use a change in attitude. I understand the same guest questions get tiring when tourism is constant, but that's part of the job. We had half board, and the meals were just okay. Eating out for one meal, we found much better food. Breakfast was the same every day, which could get boring on a longer stay. We had a fantastic time overall and would come back in the off season.

The pool area is beautiful, and having laundry service available was a real bonus since we could catch up on washing. We visited before the busy season, and there was definitely a retirement feel to the place. Still, the hotel and food were great, and we had a really good stay.