Ona Mar Menor Golf & Spa

We stayed from 17th-20th September and had no construction work or other inconvenience during our visit. After 12 years of using the Residences, this was our first stay at the main hotel. It looks old and needs a proper renovation, which I believe is already underway, though our twin room was perfectly acceptable. The air conditioning worked, the mattresses were firm, and the pillows were good. We were on the 4th floor, with a balcony and a great view over the pool towards the golf course. The pool was the hotel's best feature for us: clean, not too heavily chlorinated, a decent depth, and almost deserted. We only ate breakfast at the hotel. It was basic but freshly prepared and had enough variety. The Clover bar is the usual fake Irish bar you find at golf resorts in Murcia, but it was lively, with plenty of outdoor seating and lots of screens showing sport. We ate there on the first evening. The food was simple, freshly cooked, and not too expensive. Check-in and check-out were quick and efficient, and housekeeping seemed to have covered everything. I agree that the five-star rating doesn't really fit. It's more like a three-star place, but perfectly fine as a base for golfers exploring the many courses in the area. We both left thinking we'd stay at the hotel again next year.

The room they gave us was one of the worst in the complex: on the first floor, just above a noisy bar, with no outdoor space. You won't find photos of small rooms like that online. We were told there was no way to change rooms, basically just to put up with it and pay. The pillows were flat, there were hardly any amenities, the window had a large crack, and the door's soft-close mechanism was broken. We were also assured there would be no renovation work on Saturday or Sunday. At 12:30 on Saturday, we were sitting by the pool listening to construction happening one floor below our room, which we'd also been assured was as far away from the noise as possible. And it's the lousy room with no terrace. You couldn't make this stuff up 🙄 Apart from the nice building, this is a two-star place at best. It has all the signs of investors trying to squeeze out every euro. Five-star resorts don't start construction and renovation in June, keep charging full price without telling guests, block the hotel entrance with construction trucks, and close two on-site restaurants without notice while still charging full price. It's just pretty terrible.

I checked out early while still within the 24hr free cancellation policy, so I was supposed to get a refund. I've called the hotel several times since and still haven't received it. I have no option left except to contact the credit police. Please don't stay at this hotel!

The breakfast buffet cost us 19 euros per person, and it wasn't anything special. It felt like a lot to pay for a scaled-back breakfast in a smelly conference room. After we'd paid, we had an issue with the room manager when we took our breakfast out onto the terrace because we had dogs. He made it obvious he wasn't happy and spoiled the experience. Maybe we'll come back once the proper restaurant is open.