Hesperia Sabinal Hotel

We have just returned from another week-end break at the Hesperia Sabinal and really enjoyed it once again. This time we opted for a suite other than a superior room that we stayed in last time as our 12 year old daughter was with us again, there was no problem with an extra bed in the superior rooms as they are very spacious but with a suite you get a room with a sofa and arm chair a t.v and desk and huge sliding windows it was really light an airy. you also get a seperate bedroom and bathroom & balcony. We go to the Hotel for the indoor pool facilities that include sauna, steam room hydro-pool and two huge jacuzzis. you can pay 5 euros for the day which is great because you can come and go as often as you please. I can see why some people would not like it because of the entertainment being geared to the Spanish, but this is what we like as we live in Almeria and speak Spanish.Some of the English people we spoke to on holiday seemed to enjoy this aspect as they really felt that they were in a foreign country rather than some other resorts that really are nothing more than England with the sun. The Spanish are very warm and friendly people if you just make the effort to say a few words no matter how bad you pronounce them. I would say that this Hotel was not suitable for younger people if you wished to be entertained but if you are a couple who just wish to spend time together in relaxing suroundings then it is perfect, my husband is 48 and I am 42, we are going back to this hotel again in January and taking my retired parents with us. The only worry I would have would be putting on too much weight as the food is really good and plentiful, I would advise people to just try some of the traditional spanish dishes as they are really good. Lots of the Spanish that holiday here are from Madrid, barcelona and other Spanish cities and they rate this hotels food very high. I have got one complaint and that is that there is no tea and coffee making facilities in the room.

Arrived at the Hotel in the evening, greeted by very pleasant Receptionist who gave us details of our rooms and told us to leave our luggage in the room and go to the Restaurant for dinner, even though the Restaurant had closed the staff had reserved a cold buffet meal which was covered and a bottle of water each. We found the superior room very spacious, the bed in one of the rooms was huge (queen size) and the other room had twin beds, the bed linen was emaculate and I like the fact the rooms was fully tiled instead of carpet, so you knew it was clean. We had a lovely bathroom with bath and shower, bidet etc. the towels were pristine and changed as often as you liked. We had a tv, although most of the channels were spanish you could watch CNN or Sky News. There was plenty or storage space for clothes etc. but you may want to bring a few more hangers if staying for two weeks and you have quite a few clothes. There was a safe in the wardrobe which you had to pay for but you receive your deposit back when you check out. We didn't have a fridge but we found the bottled water very cheap at the supermarket across the road from the hotel so we bought a fresh bottle every day. The supermarket is well stocked and open most of the day. The breakfast was great, plenty of choice and the eggs, bacon and sausages were cooked well and not swimming in grease, we had baked beans, tomatoes, fruit, freshly squeezed juices, fresh bread and rolls, toasters, waffles a couple of times during the week, these were delicious with the hot chocolate sauce. There was cereals and the usual continental breakfast as well, the tea and coffee was nice as was the milk, I say this as some countries I have been to the milk, tea and coffee has been disgusting but this time I was well impressed. The evening buffet offered an excellent choice, always piping hot and most of the food was cooked in front of you so you knew it was fresh and hadn't been standing for a while. We had beef, chicken, pork, fresh salmon on different nights, all cut in front of you and you could add gravy if you wished. The chips were nice, not greasy at all, we had a choice of vegetables, rice, salad, fruit, fresh cream cakes, ice cream and creme brulee every night. You had to pay for your drinks in the Restaurant but if you had not finished a bottle of wine they would reserve it for you until the next evening. The pool was cold, but nice to swim in once you got in and it was a lovely clean pool. The only thing I didn't like was the flies, there were alot of them and they did get on your nerves when trying to rest but if you were walking around you didn't notice them. Also, the sunbeds around the pool are mostly on the grass which is a bed muddy so your feet get a bit dirty and so does your towel if you are not careful. The promenade just outside the hotel is spotless as is the beach, although shingle it was a nice beach, it was so nice to walk along the promenade and you could walk for miles. The hotel entertainment for this time of the year was mainly somebody playing an organ of some sort and singing a mixture of Italian, Spanish and English, they did have different entertainers each evening as well as bingo and a magic show and that's it, so if you are looking for a lively hotel and entertainment for the children then I would suggest trying another hotel but only for the entertainment. We found Almeria a lovely place for a holiday, very relaxing, pleasant people and an excellent climate (85 degrees most days), we would not hesitate to return and would definitely stay at this hotel again.

The food was probably the best thing at this hotel, with plenty of choice (although vegetarian meals are limited). The staff were pleasant, and rooms were cleaned every day, with plenty of clean bedlinen and towels. The area itself is not pretty and the shingle manmade beach looked good but was not nice to walk on. However there is an attractive tiled promenade to walk all the way along it for quite a distance. It was a good base to visit Grenada and the Alhambra Palace, which is a very worthwhile trip. The Sierra Nevada and mountain areas are green and scenic, but the coastal region around Roquetas de Mar is a rocky desert area and not at all attractive. The area is covered in plastic sheeting greenhouses. There are a lot of flies (black house fly variety), but I didn't get bitten by mosquitoes, which was a first for me on any overseas holiday. The majority of guests during our stay were of pensionable age and this meant it was fairly quiet. There were quite a few Spanish families, especially those with very young children and babies. They were all very nice, with very well behaved children. There was a very entertaining parrot show once a week, but the music nights were a bit too tame. It is worth visiting the Alcazaba fortress in Almeria, with free entry if you take your passport. It has lovely courtyard gardens with waterfountains and pools. There is an art gallery opposite the bus station which is also worth going to see (free entry).

Arrived in evening, the transfer guide (Colin) dumped us on the side of the street then left. Went in to Reception a young lad told us to leave cases in middle of reception and to go in and have dinner. Went in, sat at table, waitress? asked what we would like to drink told her two bottles of water ( in spanish) noticed other diners were helping self at buffet so we proceeded to do the same. When we got back to table the water was there plus plates with covers on with salad stuff etc on them. Thought they had been delivered by mistake so started to eat what we had collected from buffet the waitress came back and started shouting at us and aking for number we did not at this time have a number, tried to explain that we did not have a number as yet. She left and came back with the Head waitress? who could speak some English who asked why we did not have a number told her we had not been given one as yet. said that we were supposed to eat the food under the plastic covers as it was too late to eat from the buffet even though we in the middle of eating hot food. Had to pay for water on the way out. Went to reception given room number and cards for meals. Room very disappointing two singles squashed together and a camp bed for our 17 year old son, which was folded up and we had no idea where we going to put it, after moving some chairs around we managed to open it up jammed against the patio window. No tea making facilities in room which even in the most basic of BB's have this facility but of course this was supposed to be a 4 keys establishment - this may have been true when it was first built but not any more. Not a good start. One evening I paid 1.80 euros for a lime and lemon from the bar the same thing the next day at about 1.30pm I was charged 3.20 euros!! In the Thomas Cook brochure it states that there were just over 500 rooms, which is not true as there are 800+ rooms, one of the reasons we picked this is that we do not like huge hotels, something I will be taking up with Thomas Cook about. Most other clients were very loud Spanish families and Germans. Few English but these were mostly OAP's. Entertainment rubbish the only good thing about the holiday was the weather. Will I go there again - NO !!!!

We have just returned from a 2 week stay at this hotel. On arrival late in the evening it is very impressive. We had a sea view superior room which was lovely but were disappointed that you had to hire a fridge (which incidentally we only knew about by reading this web site!) and also a key for the safe. As it was a superior room one would expect these to be included. However the room was huge (as was the bed) and the view was magnificent. The room was beautifully maintained daily by the cleaning staff. The Bar staff and the Reception staff were very friendly and very helpful, however the same cannot be said about the Restaurant staff. The waiter/resses mostly looked very sullen and often we were onto our main course before were offered anything to drink. Talking of drink, future visitors please be advised that you have to pay for any drink that you have with your meal before leaving the restaurant or the Restaurant Manager will hunt you down in front of everyone else and ask for payment during your meal. This is unfortunately what happened to us as there was no notification anywhere to inform us that this was the case. As we were asked for our room number when we ordered our usual bottle of water we assumed that it would be costed to our room - how wrong we were!! It does seem however that whilst you cannot have a tab for the water with your meal you can however have a room tab in the bar for your alcohol! The food in the restaurant became very boring and monotinous with potatoes only being offered once a week unless of course you were looking for sloppy mash which you could have every second day. All the fish on offer was fried and the meat stewed. If you like chips you will be happy because you can have them every day. On the whole I was very disappointed with the food. Previous reports on the flies were true there are loads especially down the far end of the garden away from the pool. Although you are requested not to reseve sun beds some people are placing their towels on their preferred bed at 7.30am and then not using them until late in the afternoon. We would visit this hotel again but only on a B&B basis. On the whole the hotel is well maintained and very comfortable.

The hotel is immaculately clean and from the moment you walk in to the place - til the last day, you will not find anything to complain about! The rooms are spotless and the maids clean and replace all towels etc EVERY SINGLE DAY! The food is tremendous with more choice of fine food than any hotel we have visited previously. All in all - a great place and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a great holiday. You will not be disappointed if you choose this hotel.

When we arrived at the Hotel Hesperia Sabinal we were greeted warmly by the reception staff. We had taken a taxi transfer from the airport (the journey took about half an hour) and so had arrived there before anyone else on our flight. We were immediately offered an upgrade to a sea view room. If you are offered this take it! It cost us around 125 euros for 2 rooms, for 2 weeks. It is defiantly worth the money as the view from the front of the hotel looks over a children’s playground and it is very noisy there! In reception by the tour operators desk there is a book/magazine shelf where you can swap books. There are some much more mature cliental there so there was lots of Mills & Boon books and Peoples friend. But I managed to find a couple of good books and magazines to keep me occupied. On arrival only one of our rooms (529) was ready the one next door (530) was still being cleaned, we were allowed to go in there within a couple of hours or so. We took this time to explore. The maids and cleaning staff are very efficient. Our bedding was changed every 3 days and the towels every day, the floors, balcony and bathroom were also cleaned. The staff maintained a high standard of hygiene in the pool and the surrounding area. The beach and promenade were also well kept. This was one of the first places I have stayed in a long time that has a regular life guard for the pool. The beach also has a lifeguard that is also on duty as well as a medical centre, so you always felt safe swimming in the sea and the pool. The medical centre proved useful when my brother was stung by a jellyfish at least one other person was stung as well so watch out when you go in the sea. The medical staff on the beach were extremely helpful in sorting this out. In the hotel ‘rules’ it says that you cannot reserve sun loungers everyone does though (especially the Germans) so you have to get down early to bag a good spot. We avoided this problem by reserving 4 loungers on the beach. This was 150 euros for 2 weeks. It saved a lot of bother we didn’t have to worry about rushing down to the pool to out our towels down and we always knew where our spot was, the beach is also a lot quieter and the loungers on the beach had nice mattresses instead of hard plastic like the pool. We reserved with Tony a nice Spanish chap (he has the yellow loungers). The food in the hotel restaurant is good we were half board and at breakfast there was always cooked food, lovely croissants and fresh fruit. Dinner was equally as good never repetitious and great food. Once a week they do a cut of beef try that as it is very good. The waiting staff was mostly very pleasant but some were very sullen and did not make you feel welcome. For lunch we went to La Pirata a small café on the promenade. Lovely food the staff doesn’t speak much English but there is always service with a smile and you get you meal. I have to say the entertainment in the evenings was nothing to go over the moon about. The variety show was o.k. a bit cheesy, and the singers ‘Merlin’ they had on twice a week got boring after an hour. Every other Monday they do a pirate show in the bar. This is worth going to even if you don’t have kids lots of magic, fire eating and laughs. Luckily there are several shops and tapas bars in the area so if you get bored with the hotel entertainment you could always go out. One night we went on the mini train that takes you for a tour around town we had good fun. Walk along the promenade to the Playa Luna, there are even more shops and bars down there, we went to the ‘Malibu Cocktail’ bar several times. Competent staff who serve great cocktails and ice-creams. There are several trips you can go on. We went on three. The Vicar market. Waste of time and a waste of money; don’t bother unless your idea of a good buy is a tacky top and plastic sunglasses. The trip to Granda to see the Alhambra Palace is well worth the long journey. Lots of history, beautiful architecture and some brilliant photo opportunities. Anyone should find this an interesting trip. Then there is Mini Hollywood. We went on the evening trip. Again we had a wonderful time there are two very different shows and before the barbecue you have the chance to explore the western town, following in the foot steps of Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood. The barbecue served good meat. The cowboys from the show came to join us for dinner and one let off a couple of shots on his gun! There was a live band and the can-can girls to keep us entertained. Maybe not a trip for younger children as you don’t get back until nearly one o’clock but you could take them during the day and then visit the animal sanctuary as well. After reading some other reviews I was a bit apprehensive about the flies but those people must have been making a fuss. We never had a fly problem during the day or whilst eating our meals ( although we bought a swat just in case. ) I have also read reviews where people complain that the entertainment is all in Spanish; well you have come to Spain, what you expect! There is about 2 British bars in Roquetas de Mar. Personally I like the fact that this area is a holiday spot for the Spanish it really makes you feel that you are in a different country when you go down to the pool or restaurant and the first accent you hear isn’t a British one. All in all the Sabinal lives up to its 4* reputation. Great resort and beach and several excellent day trips on offer. Add the fantastic weather to that (35 degrees or more every day and always sunny.) What more could you ask for? We will defiantly consider returning again.

Just got back from a week at this hotel - never visited before and checked out the comments on TA before we went; as most of them were favourable, it cheered us up! Have to agree that the hotel is a lovely place to stay in Roquetas - its right on the beach, has a good size clean pool and is a popular choice for the Spanish, as well as us 'foreigners'. All of the staff on reception spoke English, which was helpful checking in but in general, brush up on your Spanish because unlike, say, the Canaries or the Algarve, English isn't widely spoken. Definitely opt for a Superior room with a view if you can - large airy clean rooms, great storage space and with a good sized bathroom and a beautiful view of the Med! We really enjoyed the food at the hotel (we were staying on a half board basis) - I'm veggie and my husband is diabetic (yeah - the dinner-guests from hell!) but we had no trouble finding an interesting and varied selection of food every day (they even supplied sugar free muffins and jams as standard at the breakfast buffet!). If your kids are of the 'chips-and-burgers' variety you might have a problem - there are generally fries available each night, but not much else they would recognise. We didn't think it would be a good place for teenagers anyway - the hotel is more suitable for couples and younger children who are happy with the pool and the beach for entertainment. The hotel provides some form of entertainment each night, which the young children we watched enjoyed very much, despite the obviously language barrier! The young guy who seemed to run the kids entertainment single handed had more energy that everyone else combined and the children obviously loved him for it (the parents looked grateful too....!) Couple of things to look out for - the beach parasol/lounger hire in front of the hotel (Toni's) isn't great - its worth walking along the beach to the right or (especially) the left, where there are other parasols/loungers to hire and the beach is a bit quieter (Toni's was attended by a young lad from 3.00pm onwards, who favoured his very loud radio..... and Spanish pop music isn't that fab). The little supermarket opposite is great value and has friendly staff - if you're hiring a fridge for your room, its worth getting your milk, wine and water here, because we didn't find anywhere else cheaper. If you want to travel to the large shopping centre on the edge of Roquetas (Its called Grand Plaza and its worth a look - as well as some lovely boutiques there's a huge supermarket which stocks excellent value Rioja) take the blue/green bus from the roundabout next to the hotel. It only costs 90c one-way and you get to see a bit of Roquetas (or a taxi will cost just 5 euros - our driver was very funny and entertaining, so that's worth considering too!) Lastly, take some bug-repellent - the flies were there and in abundance. To be perfectly honest, they were a nuisance, and its worth heading for the beach because the breeze helps to keep them away! All in all - a nice hotel with a Spanish feel. Roquetas is an up-an-coming resort with a building programme to match, but there's still enough individuality to make it welcoming and feel 'Spanish'.

Upgraded to a superior room, well worth the money, bed was 6'6" wide, plenty of wardrobe space, bathroom fine. U.K. T.V. reception was a joke kept losing signal early morning and late evening just when you want it. Average age of guests was high felt we were staying in an old peoples home. Great access for people in wheelchairs. Pool was great good size and 10' deep, surrounding grounds area OK not too much shade and temp was very hot average 30 degrees, would suggest you go in May if you have to. Flies were a major problem Food OK typical buffet, could be hotter, staff OK. Area was a dissapointment, very little to do or see, and not at all pretty. Town was rubbish, sea was not all that clean. Colosimo bar opposite hotel is friendly and a favourite with hotel guests although we nicknamed it the colostomy bar for reasons you will see. There are much better holidays to be had, would not give Almeria a second thought.

We went for 2 weeks to this hotel. We had a superior room with see view. We were satisfied with the food, especially the traditional local food was excellent. The staff was not all that friendly. One evening we were in the restaurant, and we sat accidently on a wrong place. The waitress was shouting in spanish to us, and walked away. These incidents also accured some other times. Although we had see view, there was a lot of noise from outside. Our room was located near a bar, which had disco music every evening and night! The room was okay, but the tv signal was not that good. I would reccomend this hotel for the quality of the food. Although the rest of it raises doubts.