INNSiDE by Melia Valencia Oceanic

The location worked really well, with a beautiful park, gorgeous architecture and great restaurants just a few minutes’ walk away. It was also easy to get to the beach and old town. I’ll definitely come back and would highly recommend it. Even in a busy city, the pool area was quiet and relaxing. Sitting in the sun with a book and the best mojito I’ve ever had was just what I needed, and the food was great throughout our stay. The hotel was modern and clean, but it was the staff who made it stand out. Sophia at reception was especially accommodating, and José was wonderful about making guests feel at home and looked after. He handled any issues we had straight away, which we really appreciated.

The staff were super welcoming, and parking was easy with plenty of space. The rooms had all the amenities we needed for a comfortable stay, and it was really good value for money. Just several minutes from Oceanographic.

Rafa, Belen and Pablo made our stay especially memorable. It was Caleb’s birthday, and Rafa and Belen decorated the room with a banner and balloons, added a hand-drawn card from Belen, and brought cakes and macarons that Caleb loved. Pablo was wonderful too, and some of the housekeeping staff were genuinely friendly. The bathrooms were a highlight, with good pressure, hot water, a generous tub and a bidet-style wash basin fixture, a thoughtful touch for guests from the Middle East or Asia. Our premium room was much better equipped than the standard one, which we had for the first two nights. That room was clean and comfortable, but had no electric kettle, though it did have a hair dryer. The premium room had a kettle, but it didn’t turn itself off, so we had to unplug it each time. A few small maintenance details were frustrating. The shower head kept slipping off, toiletries that should have been fixed in place weren’t, and the room often missed little refills like tissues and milk pods. We were three guests but only got two mugs. There were a few other comfort issues. The TV volume was stuck at 13 and most channels were in Spanish. It would be great if guests could connect their own devices to watch what they want. The air conditioning wasn’t working, or maybe we couldn’t figure out how to use it; an introduction to the equipment would help. The bed was two beds pushed together, and our son Caleb kept slipping into the gap. A single mattress or topper to join them would make a big difference. Room service was slow both times we ordered, and eventually we had to go downstairs to pick it up ourselves. Even with those issues, we genuinely enjoyed our stay. With more attention to maintenance, the room setup and consistent service, it could feel like a 5-star experience. Thanks again to Rafa, Belen and Pablo for making Caleb’s birthday so special.

Everything else was great, but the AC didn’t work. Also, at 9PM on March 1st, the woman working at the bar was very impolite when she came over to tell us we couldn’t eat the food we’d ordered in the lobby.