Hotel Rocca Dorada

The food and staff were highlights for our family trip. The buffet had plenty of starters, and it was varied and tasty. I’m not much of a pasta person, but there were lots of other healthy, good options. The entertainment team was amazing and especially friendly with the kids, and all the staff were welcoming. The shuttle to the nearby beach was handy, and that beach is pretty good. There are also some amazing beaches about 15-20 minutes away. The rooms are nothing special and could use refurbishment. One concern for the owners: the lifeguard should watch the pool continuously instead of chatting or using her phone.

Hard to put this place into words. Each night, a bad smell came up from the drains, and the restaurant was poor. The food and staff felt like they were dealing with everything for the first time, and it didn’t feel like Italy. Meat and fish were served on the same plate, the carrots weren’t cooked, the chicken was dry, and 9/10 of the food seemed defrosted. There weren’t enough high chairs, and no one gave us information about the full-board meals. You can get a good espresso and breakfast if you pay extra, even though food is already included in full board. I wonder if that’s a marketing choice. A trip to forget.

We only stayed two or three nights, and there was enough to see and do without a car. For a longer visit, I’d recommend hiring one. The best parts were the friendly service, frequent beach shuttle, and fantastic food. We were blown away by the lunch and dinner options. The rooms at Hotel Rocca Dorada are dated, though the beds are comfortable and the showers get nice and hot. I agree it doesn’t quite feel like a four-star hotel, but we really enjoyed our short stay.

We booked ten days with all meals included, but the hotel’s restaurant was shut by the authorities on day three, with no email or notice to us. The hotel arranged meals at another restaurant ten minutes away by car, which was very inconvenient with our 18-month-old. Food took around three hours to arrive. Families without cars, including those with children, had to wait for a shuttle to fill before going there and coming back. Lunch and dinner could each take up to three hours, so we spent more than six hours a day on meals. After putting up with this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we were moved to another hotel for three days. We packed, moved, then overheard that we’d be there for only two days, not three, and were expected to pack again and return to Roca Dorada. This is the first holiday we’ve wanted to cut short and go home early. Never again. The three days the original restaurant was open were disappointing too. Breakfast had no options for children, just eggs, bacon, sausages, one kind of cheap cheese, prosciutto cotto, and lots of frozen pastries. We had to bring supermarket food for our child. We paid €15 a day for child meals and got only a few small jars of baby food, with no steamed vegetables or meat. The hotel had just three high chairs, and none worked because they were missing safety straps. Based on all this, I can’t rate the property four stars, or even three.