Caleia Mar Menor Golf & Spa Resort

The birthday party, which was the reason for our trip, was a lot of fun and worth all the flights around Europe. We were welcomed by excellent reception staff and got to our pool-view room quickly. The underground car park was cool and secure, and dinner was a real success, with professional service and lovely food. Service in the bar during lunch and late afternoon on Saturday and Sunday was much less organised. The staff were pleasant and clearly working hard, but there wasn't enough coordination. We saw three couples waiting late on Saturday afternoon, June 4, just wanting to pay and continue their journeys. Regularly checking the tables would have helped keep service at the high level the resort otherwise offered. The country was still recovering from the pandemic, so I'm willing to allow for the possibility that fewer staff were on duty than needed. One or two more daytime bar staff might have brought the service up to the same five-star level as the rest of the resort. Would I return? No. The manufactured golf-and-villa-resort idea isn't really for me. But if Mar Menor is what you're after, this place will suit you.

For about £230, we got a three-night stay in a really lovely two-bedroom ground-floor apartment with our springer spaniel. The apartment was clean, the beds were comfortable, and check-in through the main hotel staff was smooth as anything. The security team at the main gates and the friendly bar staff on the terrace by the hotel pool were great too. It's peaceful, though there's still plenty to watch, and just outside the main gate a short walk takes you to a whole strip of independent bars and restaurants. Booking.com sent us to another website to pay, which made us a little uneasy, but we loved everything about our stay. We'll be back. Maybe I should've bought here when I moved to Spain five years ago!

Good value for what we paid. The setting is lovely, with views across the golf course and pool, and there's a nice restaurant, bar and cafe too.

We'd recommend this resort without hesitation. It was our first visit, and the apartments are laid out around the golf course. The one we stayed in easily deserved its five-star rating. There are lots of restaurants, bars and coffee shops, with excellent food and service. The whole place, including its many pools, was spotlessly clean. It's the best resort we've played golf at on mainland Spain. Bravo!