ApartHotel Koala Tarifa

The location is central, and the staff were friendly and welcoming, but for the price the room quality was poor. The bed was only 120 cm wide, and its old mattress sagged like a ditch. Sleeping there as two people was impossible. The bathroom also didn't work for two people sharing a room. It has a door but no ceiling, so the other person can hear and smell everything. The room was around 16 degrees at night, and even with the heater turned all the way up, it stayed cold. It's a very small room, too, with no practical way to manage two suitcases. There are much better options in Tarifa for even less money. The pictures might look less appealing, but the actual rooms can be much nicer.

***Warning: possible bed bugs!*** Our stay didn't live up to the good reviews we'd read here and elsewhere. We left a day early because of repeated bites at night, a bathtub drain that kept clogging, an impolite and unprofessional assistant manager, and no staff around after 5:00 PM. The tub drain clogged easily. We were told it was because we'd brought sand in from the beach. The bigger issue began when we reported that one of us was getting bitten repeatedly at night, with clear red marks all over her body. It only happened when someone lay in the bed, so we suspected bed bugs, though we couldn't be certain. The manager referred us to the owner, who also owns another hotel. We were told to meet the owner at that other property, but instead we met her assistant. He was rude and unprofessional, said he had no reason to believe us, and hinted that we might be making it up to avoid costs. After bullying us, he suggested the bites could have come from something jumping onto our clothes while we were outdoors or at another hotel. He offered us a room at their other hotel or the option to leave without a refund. After those insults, staying at either property was out of the question, so we left rather than risk another room that might be infested.

I stayed here a year ago and the service was outstanding. The rooms were wonderful, and I especially liked the hidden backyard, where I could sit, relax, and get some work done. Simply wow. If I'm ever back in Tarifa, I'll stay here again.

The apartments were clean and very nice, right in the middle of the old town. Restaurants and shops were just a short walk away, yet the place was quiet too.