Hotel Don Pepe - Adults Only

The area is very much geared toward partying, and at 3 a.m. we could hear lots of people returning drunk because there isn’t much sound insulation. I hadn’t realized El Arenal is so German- and Dutch-oriented: things are in German or Dutch, there are many German restaurants, and people even speak to you in German. If you’re after a Spanish experience, I’d stay somewhere else. At check-in around 2 a.m., we were told to leave our passports or IDs at reception and collect them in the morning. That felt strange and scary. In the morning we had to sign the information from our passports, which also seemed odd, as I’d expected a hotel contract or rules agreement. Our room had no towels when we arrived, so I had to ask for them. There were red stains on furniture and a hanging picture, and our friends’ fridge was leaking. They charge €5 just to use the mini fridge, even if you’re only putting your own things inside.

The reception was fine, but our room wasn’t ready properly when we went in at 4 p.m. The floor was wet, there was a bad smell, and there were suspicious marks on the walls. The bathroom glasses stayed covered in toothpaste for our whole stay, the shampoo couldn’t be used, and the shower tiles had lots of mold stains. Sleeping was awful because the soundproofing was basically nonexistent. We could hear everything the German neighbors said, including when they got back completely drunk at 3 a.m. A mini-bar bottle of water costs €2.50, which was really disappointing for a hotel calling itself 3-star.

It’s adults only, which I loved. There are no loud children, though teens and young adults on stag or hen trips can still be playing music at strange hours. The S'arenal area is known for that scene, so it wasn’t a surprise, but hearing it at 5 a.m. after a long flight was frustrating. The hotel is affordable, and seems to attract plenty of disruptive stag and hen groups, especially German and British ones. The beach is five minutes away, and the hotel is far enough from the clubs. There’s a German supermarket opposite that closes at 9 p.m., plus a local one less than a minute away for drinks, snacks, and other basics. Restaurants nearby cover everything from seafood and juices to local tapas. Our room had a balcony and was mostly clean, but the beds were awful and springy. You could feel each spring digging into your back. The view was nothing special, just other buildings. The air conditioning didn’t get very cold, so we opened both the bathroom window and balcony door for air. It’s about a five-minute walk to buses 23 or 25 for the old town. The airport bus stop is a minute away, behind the bins, and costs €5. Bring cash or a local top-up card, since contactless isn’t available.

The original room had a 'courtyard' view, which turned out to be more like a closed atrium with no air or light. We paid an extra £10 per night to move to another room. The mini fridge was tiny. Otherwise, things were fine: the rooms were clean and tidy, and it felt like good value. Staff were okay. The beach is fairly close and the hotel is easy to reach, but parking is impossible unless you’re on a motorbike.