Ohtels Villa Dorada

The location was good, close to the beach and strip, and the rooms were clean. The beds were comfortable, two doubles pushed together, but the room would feel quite small for four people staying a couple of weeks. The cleaners were lovely and pleasant. Reception staff were nice and helpful too. We were there for four days, and the food was okay for me, but our two vegetarians had little choice beyond salad, cheese, potatoes and bread. I’d have found it repetitive on a longer stay. We also had to show our room card even though we wore wristbands, which was annoying. The evening entertainment usually wasn’t worth coming back for, although one night with dancers from the adventure park was good. The restaurant and bar staff were a different story. One restaurant worker was very rude to us and two elderly ladies. Most of the bar staff seemed like they didn’t want to bother and treated you as a nuisance, with just a couple of pleasant, smiling exceptions. I’ve never had that in any hotel I’ve stayed at. It was disappointing, especially since other reviews mentioned the same thing and it’s still happening. The bar staff really let the place down. It’s an okay hotel, but we wouldn’t return, and I don’t think it’s great for an all-inclusive stay.

The pools were clean and nice, and the indoor pool and jacuzzis were lovely. There wasn’t much entertainment at the hotel, but Salou town centre is lovely. The reception staff were especially helpful, and the man checking us in was kind even though our flight arrived late. Check-in was easy. We found the rooms spacious and clean, and the air conditioning worked perfectly. Keep the doors shut, though, or mosquitoes will fly in and eat you alive. We went all-inclusive. The food was nice, but there wasn’t much variety, especially for desserts. Coffee and tea weren’t served in the buffet outside breakfast hours. Snack choices at the bar were poor, and the drink token system was a hassle. Bar and buffet staff weren’t friendly and barely returned a good morning. From Barcelona airport, expect a taxi to cost around €200. Buses from the hotel to Barcelona are easy to take.

The location is excellent, with a lovely quiet beach about five minutes away and shops and bars on the strip a similar walk. Yes, the bar staff can be a bit miserable, but it didn’t affect our holiday. We had a great week and were fed and looked after to a very good standard by some lovely staff. I’ve seen people complain about the food and drink tokens. It’s a three-star hotel serving all-inclusive meals three times a day to lots of guests, and there was a very nice, varied selection at each meal. If you’re after Gordon Ramsay-style dining, you’ll need a bigger holiday budget. The tokens work well: hand them in for a drink and keep the cup to get another. Return your last cups and you get the tokens back. I imagine that’s meant to stop plastic cups being left all over the pool, and it works. Villa Dorada is a very good budget hotel in a great location. We had a great stay.

We’d been to Salou many times, but this was our first stay at this end of town. We loved the location, with a beautiful cove beach and Salou’s lively strip of bars, restaurants and shops each about a five-minute walk away. The hotel was spotlessly clean, and we’d return. Our room had a pool view and a side view of the road. It was lovely, had everything we needed, and came with a double bed. It was cleaned and fresh towels were provided daily. The pool area was very clean, with plenty of sunbeds, though we preferred the chairs. The all-inclusive drink tokens worked well. You exchange a token for a plastic cup, then get it back when you return the cup, so there weren’t discarded cups lying around. The food was good and there was plenty of it. I’m a fussy eater but found something each meal, and the fresh bread was delicious. My only complaint was that the food was swimming in oil, though it was still flavoursome. Restaurant staff were efficient and polite.