Apartamentos Santa Rosa

The staff were lovely and friendly, and there’s a good gym. We were self-catering and only tried the pool bar, which was good. Go for the local bocadlio, a small freshly baked bread, as the sandwiches were basic and not quite like English bread. The other main meals we saw people having looked good. The properties were very clean and well kept. It’s a 10-15 minute walk to the main centre, which suited us, and the airport is only about 25 minutes away, so we weren’t stuck on a bus for ages. The pool was cold when we visited in January and wasn’t heated. The pool bar was on a par with the pubs outside the complex.

The complex looked nice and had two pools, but the water was freezing so we didn’t swim. The photos show three pools, though one is part of the neighbouring complex and fenced off. The soft play was okay but always busy with locals, and the bowling was good when it worked, though it kept breaking down. Bins were often full and left unemptied too. We arrived in the dark and had trouble finding our room because so many lights were broken. Our four-year-old tripped, and the next day we saw the broken tiles that caused it. The apartment was spacious, but there were cockroaches: five when we arrived, then three more in the bedroom and another two a couple of days later. The bed sheets were damp and the room freezing at night. The air conditioning stayed on cold mode. Switching it to heat only made the cold air move around. Breakfast was basic. Even though it was included, I bought cereal from the shop because the hotel’s stuff wasn’t the same. The place looks nice, but the poor maintenance and cockroaches made this a one-star stay for me. We won’t come back.

We wouldn’t stay here again. The cockroaches, damp bedding, cold nights, broken heating, and overflowing bins put us off too much. It could be a fantastic place if those problems were sorted. We arrived on Monday evening in December 2025 with three kids under eight. Check-in was great, and the desk staff member was professional and helpful. The lobby looked nice. Finding our room with the map wasn’t easy in the dark, especially with the kids and luggage. Many ground lights weren’t working, so we couldn’t see where we were walking. The room numbers were hard to make out unless we went right up to the doors. Once inside, we found four or five cockroaches running around. I spent five minutes catching them in a glass and putting them outside, then did a ten-minute check so my daughters wouldn’t be scared. I caught three more in the bedrooms and told the kids they were like woodlice at home, which helped them settle. The cleaners had left the windows open to air the rooms. The outer shutters were locked, but small gaps still let roaches in. After I got rid of them, there were none for two days, then two came from under the fridge and one from under the bed. Catching them all was another drama. The superior two-bedroom apartment was good and had what we needed. The kitchen area was small but fine for four people. The living area had a sofa bed, coffee table, and large LCD TV. The previous guests had left their YouTube accounts logged in, so the kids watched without ads. Thanks, Big Ed, Jennifer F and Luca. The beds and pillows were very comfortable. The complex itself is lovely, and the pools looked great, though they were freezing in December and we didn’t go in. Breakfast was great, with plenty of fresh hot and cold food, including made-to-order omelettes and fresh pancakes for the kids. The soft play is free for kids and also used by locals for birthday parties. That was okay. The staff there spoke little English but did a fantastic job and kept a close eye on the kids. There’s a cafe next door where we could relax and charge our phones, so we went every day. Ten-pin bowling cost 5 euro per game and the kids loved it, but the broken frame had sharp edges sticking out and seemed dangerous. I’ll upload a photo. There were lots of handy shops and restaurants too. The upkeep needs work. I saw grounds staff working hard to trim trees, and one person replacing broken tiles, but there were still many more to fix and they could use extra help. I’ve renovated a few houses, and it looked to me like not enough adhesive was being used under the tiles. Dabbing adhesive onto each one is okay on walls, but floors need a proper layer or they’ll crack again, which seems to be happening. There are plenty of bins around, but many were overflowing. We put three large Kinder boxes in the bin outside our room, and five days later it was still full. Check out Lucas, Nigina and Zarina travel adventures for their YouTube videos of the place.

We had a lovely family holiday despite the problems, and the nearby beach was beautiful. The beds were very comfortable and the complex clean and modern, but there were limited things to do and some hazards that need attention. The cleaners were excellent, friendly, and the whole complex was kept incredibly clean. The facilities were basic. There wasn’t any daytime entertainment as advertised, and aside from a couple of quiet pubs next door, we had to take a taxi to the square for entertainment. Taxis were very cheap at €2.80. The pharmacy, gift shop, supermarket, and ATM outside the hotel were all handy. Food choices were limited, but what was available tasted delicious, including the poolside bar food. Drinks were reasonably priced. The kids’ options weren’t great. Bowling cost extra, which was annoying, though not too expensive. The soft play was impressive, but it was stressful for my autistic little boy. The staff didn’t speak any English, and it was open to the public, so most people there seemed to be locals. Each time we went, a big birthday party was happening, which was overwhelming. There were also broken slabs on the entrance floor. My disabled mum tripped and had a nasty fall in front of everyone, and no one came to help. I wasn’t there at the time. Some staff were lovely, but most were really rude. We often felt like a huge inconvenience. Even a small smile got a dirty look back, which was awkward. Their English was very limited, so download Google Translate. We used it often, and they appreciated it. They’re in their own country, after all. The pool was ridiculously salty and hurt my eyes, so I sometimes didn’t want to get in. We all wore sunglasses in the water, and it was very cold. The poolside was extremely slippery: my son banged his elbow in a fall, and two other people slipped in different places within an hour. The little park was all plastic, and the equipment got too hot in the sun for the kids to use. Excursions were ridiculously expensive, so look online for cheaper tickets before travelling. If you want lots to do, especially with a family, this probably isn’t the hotel for you.