ALEGRIA Fénix Family

We spent five nights here, and the food was much better than some reviews had led me to expect. There was a broad mix of dishes for different tastes, with food from various countries appearing on several occasions. At every meal, a chef was cooking fish and meat to order. The dining room staff were friendly and helpful, even when they were rushed off their feet. I'd definitely stay again.

The pool is impressive and the rooms are nice, though the pool sometimes looked dirty. The hotel itself is lovely to look at and very clean, which is why I can give it two stars. But I wouldn't recommend it to English visitors. Around 98% of the guests seemed to be Spanish, and staff spoke very little English, so communicating was a real struggle. The food was the biggest problem. For what we paid, we expected better, but it was cold, dry and chewy, and we ended up eating every meal out. There was hardly any variety, and it was the worst restaurant I've been to. My boyfriend even saw a chef tell a customer to get him water. Drinks tasted watered down, as I expected, and service at the pool shack was awful: one person made drinks for a long queue while other staff stood around behind it. The only food I wanted there was sold at the shack, but it wasn't included in all inclusive. It's a pretty place, but I wouldn't stay if I wanted a hot meal.

The location made it easy to enjoy the beach, bars and shops, and the local buses were great for getting around when we wanted a break from the pool. WiFi was excellent, and our room had air conditioning. The food was good too, as my waistline can confirm. We had a great holiday for the price over our seven nights.

The apartments suited us really well. Ours was one of the best I've stayed in, and the pool had plenty of loungers, plus there's a pool bar and a buffet restaurant at a fair €15 per person. The beach and lots of restaurants are about a five minute walk away. Guests are almost entirely Spanish, so this may not suit Brits looking for a home-from-home holiday. I liked that atmosphere, though. You can get by with a little Spanish, and some staff speak a bit of English. The Spanish guests also seemed more considerate around the pool, so there were no inflatable killer whales or water guns to dodge. My kids weren't happy about that, but I was. If you want a British style resort abroad, this probably isn't for you. If you're comfortable somewhere catering almost entirely to Spanish guests, I'd highly recommend these apartments.