Port Aventura Hotel, Universal Mediterranea, Spain
Hotel Information
Recent Price: £175
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
The Hotel Port Aventura recreates, in breathtaking detail, the charm and romance of the Mediterranean. Due to its ideal situation within the Universal Mediterranea – the only Universal Studios resort in Europe, this hotel offers its guests a complete holiday experience. Only a walk away from the entrance to Port Aventura theme park and Costa Caribe water park and located near to Salou and Playa Larga Beach. loading...
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Port Aventura Hotel Reviews
" Just returned from 7 nights at Hotel... "
Submitted By: Mrs Bell
Just returned from 7 nights at Hotel Portaventura. Stayed 2 Adults 2 Children. Our room was ready when we arrived at 1pm and what a fantastic room overlooking pool opposite restaurant - nice and spacious and the fridge and complimentary 2 bottles of water were much needed in the 30 degree heat!
Reception staff were very friendly and spoke english. Safe in room is free to use and fast trak tickets for park are given out on arrival 2 per person per week, also your room card acts as a fast trak after 9pm.
Towels changed every day and sheets twice a week. You can hire towels for the pool at 15euros deposit each which you get back when you are finished with them. You just take the towels to the gym and they can be changed for fresh ones on a daily basis. This saves a lot of room in your case. If you have any queries just go to reception and they will do their best to help you.
All the restaurant staff were nice and the buffet gave a good choice. You can always find something to eat. Only problem we had were the flies in the restaurant but if you sit close to the entrance inside it was a lot better!!
Portaventura theme park is just amazing from the rides to the shows which are just a walk around the corner away. Our favourite show was China Town and Bubble Bou is also really good, especially for the kids.
The characters around the park and hotel keep the youngsters happy and add atmosphere to the place. A special mention must go to Ralf and Nicholas the childrens entertainers who really worked hard and chatted to the kids on a night and did a fantastic mini disco.
Reception staff were very friendly and spoke english. Safe in room is free to use and fast trak tickets for park are given out on arrival 2 per person per week, also your room card acts as a fast trak after 9pm.
Towels changed every day and sheets twice a week. You can hire towels for the pool at 15euros deposit each which you get back when you are finished with them. You just take the towels to the gym and they can be changed for fresh ones on a daily basis. This saves a lot of room in your case. If you have any queries just go to reception and they will do their best to help you.
All the restaurant staff were nice and the buffet gave a good choice. You can always find something to eat. Only problem we had were the flies in the restaurant but if you sit close to the entrance inside it was a lot better!!
Portaventura theme park is just amazing from the rides to the shows which are just a walk around the corner away. Our favourite show was China Town and Bubble Bou is also really good, especially for the kids.
The characters around the park and hotel keep the youngsters happy and add atmosphere to the place. A special mention must go to Ralf and Nicholas the childrens entertainers who really worked hard and chatted to the kids on a night and did a fantastic mini disco.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Direct Holidays
" Absolutley loved this hotel. Rooms... "
Submitted By: Miss Halliday
Absolutley loved this hotel. Rooms were great, big and modern and cleaned everyday with fresh towels provided. My boyfriend and I stayed half board and the food was great! The biggest bonus about this hotel is that it is the only one that allows you to walk straight into the theme park from your hotel so you can come and go as you please. You can use you're room key to get into the park so there is no need to buy tickets and they also provide you with express passes for the rides and tickets to the water park which is in the theme park.
Pool area was clean and comfortable, always enough sunbeds and lifeguards are all around the pool. I would definatley recommend this hotel to anyone! Also spoke to people staying in the el paso and the Caribe who ended up coming to the portaventura hotel for dinner and most days to sunbathe as it was far nicer. Overall 10/10!
Pool area was clean and comfortable, always enough sunbeds and lifeguards are all around the pool. I would definatley recommend this hotel to anyone! Also spoke to people staying in the el paso and the Caribe who ended up coming to the portaventura hotel for dinner and most days to sunbathe as it was far nicer. Overall 10/10!
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2007
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" My family (myself, husband, son age... "
Submitted By: Mrs K Provan
My family (myself, husband, son age 13 & daughter age 10) didn't quite know what to expect as we have only ever been to the Florida theme parks and villas, but this holiday was fantastic, due to the fact that everything was within walking distance so no need for hot and sticky car journeys!!
Hotel Port Aventura was very clean and the staff were friendly enough. Reception could be quite busy at times. All staff members, from managers to cleaning staff, were friendly and if you make the effort to learn few easy Spanish words you will always are greeted with a hola or gracias from them.
Our room was clean and bright with two double beds, shower, bath, and wash basin and wash stand. There was plenty of room for all your holiday bits and pieces, including a security safe (a small deposit was needed) for your valuables and a mini fridge that was cool enough to keep bottles of juice & water cold. Our balcony overlooked one of the pool areas although that was due to more luck than anything else as there was rooms that overlooked the big concrete car park. A couple of downsides were our room was a good 5 mins walk from reception, which might not seem a lot but when you've been out all day, the kids are getting tired (you as well!) and your feet are starting to hurt it seems to take forever and the television in the room could have had a few more English speaking channels, although to be fair you aren't going to a theme park to watch the TV.
Breakfast was very good with a wide range of foods from cereal and bacon & eggs to cold meats and cakes & pastries - pancakes with chocolate syrup and small madelene cakes were a firm favourite of my children (well they were on holiday after all!). I can't comment on any other restaurant in the hotel area as we ate in the theme park most nights.
One big plus is that the hotel and park are joined onto each other so you can dash in and out as many times as you like. Our favourite was heading out at about 11am, having a great time, coming back at 5pm (ish) for a siesta and chill out then back out for dinner and more shows, rides and fireworks. Older children can have a little bit of independence - a couple of times our son was all roller coasted out and just wanted to relax so he headed off back to the hotel by himself to chill out with his psp.
Seeing the fireworks at least once is a must, but be warned, to get a good view you will need to start looking for a place to sit/stand about 10.45 or 11pm, as it gets exceptionally busy. Shows not to be missed are China Town, Aloha Tahiti, Fort Frenzee and Templo del Fuego. Rides not to be missed are Dragon Khan, Hukuran Condor and Stampida.
Hotel Port Aventura was very clean and the staff were friendly enough. Reception could be quite busy at times. All staff members, from managers to cleaning staff, were friendly and if you make the effort to learn few easy Spanish words you will always are greeted with a hola or gracias from them.
Our room was clean and bright with two double beds, shower, bath, and wash basin and wash stand. There was plenty of room for all your holiday bits and pieces, including a security safe (a small deposit was needed) for your valuables and a mini fridge that was cool enough to keep bottles of juice & water cold. Our balcony overlooked one of the pool areas although that was due to more luck than anything else as there was rooms that overlooked the big concrete car park. A couple of downsides were our room was a good 5 mins walk from reception, which might not seem a lot but when you've been out all day, the kids are getting tired (you as well!) and your feet are starting to hurt it seems to take forever and the television in the room could have had a few more English speaking channels, although to be fair you aren't going to a theme park to watch the TV.
Breakfast was very good with a wide range of foods from cereal and bacon & eggs to cold meats and cakes & pastries - pancakes with chocolate syrup and small madelene cakes were a firm favourite of my children (well they were on holiday after all!). I can't comment on any other restaurant in the hotel area as we ate in the theme park most nights.
One big plus is that the hotel and park are joined onto each other so you can dash in and out as many times as you like. Our favourite was heading out at about 11am, having a great time, coming back at 5pm (ish) for a siesta and chill out then back out for dinner and more shows, rides and fireworks. Older children can have a little bit of independence - a couple of times our son was all roller coasted out and just wanted to relax so he headed off back to the hotel by himself to chill out with his psp.
Seeing the fireworks at least once is a must, but be warned, to get a good view you will need to start looking for a place to sit/stand about 10.45 or 11pm, as it gets exceptionally busy. Shows not to be missed are China Town, Aloha Tahiti, Fort Frenzee and Templo del Fuego. Rides not to be missed are Dragon Khan, Hukuran Condor and Stampida.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" My husband and I and our six year old... "
Submitted By: Mrs C Mathews
My husband and I and our six year old son stayed at the Hotel Portaventura on the theme park at the beginning of August 2006.
We had a nice large airy room very close to the theme park entrance, with a good size bathroom. One kingsize bed and a pull out sofa bed for my son. Mini fridge provided in room was useful.
The public areas of the hotel were very pleasant and nicely looked after, swimming pool and surrounding area was particularly nice. Cocktails in main hotel bar were yummy, if a bit on the expensive side for Spain.
Breakfast (for which you are given a time slot of around an hour) was excellent; a wide variety of everything from bacon and eggs to pancakes and maple syrup to cakes and pastries to cold meats and cheese was available, all buffet style.
There's a choice of restaurants for dinner - we tried the Italian which was very disappointing with mediocre food and appalling service.
Overall, I would stay in this hotel again, but mostly because it is very conveniently located for the theme park, rather than for its service or facilities.
We had a nice large airy room very close to the theme park entrance, with a good size bathroom. One kingsize bed and a pull out sofa bed for my son. Mini fridge provided in room was useful.
The public areas of the hotel were very pleasant and nicely looked after, swimming pool and surrounding area was particularly nice. Cocktails in main hotel bar were yummy, if a bit on the expensive side for Spain.
Breakfast (for which you are given a time slot of around an hour) was excellent; a wide variety of everything from bacon and eggs to pancakes and maple syrup to cakes and pastries to cold meats and cheese was available, all buffet style.
There's a choice of restaurants for dinner - we tried the Italian which was very disappointing with mediocre food and appalling service.
Overall, I would stay in this hotel again, but mostly because it is very conveniently located for the theme park, rather than for its service or facilities.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" Myself, wife and 8yr old son spent a... "
Submitted By: Mr Tim Cooke
Myself, wife and 8yr old son spent a week here in July. The only fault I have would be with the Tour operator, Airtours - terrible.
Our flights were changed several weeks prior to departure from early morning to late afternoon, and even this outgoing flight was delayed, meaning we missed a full day of our holiday.
The hotel itself was set in lovely landscaped grounds, and everything about the hotel was spotlessly clean. The pools were excellent with two specifically for the kids, but all were joined by a series of connecting pools. This gave each pool area its own feeling of privacy. Lifeguards were everywhere, and were quite strict about ball games, larking about etc in the pool. The Beach club was not open during our stay, but did open a week or two after we left. This should give you even more of a choice for sunbathing, swimming etc.
We were staying on a half board basis, and ate our tea in the "Buffet Del Port". Food was excellent, massive choice, menu changed every day and I could not find fault with any of the staff, anywhere in the hotel.
We greeted them all with a happy "Hola" (hello) and thanked them all with a happy Gracias, and they all responded in kind. The hotel is soooo handy to the fantastic theme park, literally nip out the back of the hotel, you are there.
Be careful with the trips, make sure you check when they leave and return. The tour busses do NOT pick you up at the hotel, you have to walk out of the hotel grounds to the main road and wait there. It is a good ten minute walk and obviously a bit of a wait for the bus, depending how good their time keeping is. In the middle of a hot Spanish day, it is not a nice place for the little ones to be, so check details carefully.
We took the Barcelona Fountains tour; it left at 2pm and returned at half past midnight. In saying that it was very enjoyable, with a tour of the Neucamp, Barcelona's football stadium included. HOT TIP. The shop gets VERY BUSY; if you run out of time and are unable to get names and numbers printed on the back of the football shirts, don’t despair as there is another official Barcelona Football Shop in the shopping centre beside the Aquarium, which will do it for you. This is one of the drop off points where you have an hour or two shopping.
The Markets tour was a load of cobblers and waste of time for us, but if you are into stall after stall selling cheap replicas etc then go for it.
Our room had a double bed and a single camp bed. Both were comfortable and the room, although small did the job. We had a nice view but that is suppose is luck of the draw.
We had paid an extra £10 each for the Universal VIP Upgrade for the week. Which allowed you to take breakfast in the Pica Pica restaurant.
It also, more importantly, provided towels and bathrobes, which meant we did not have to pay 15 Euros (refundable each day) every time we wanted towels for the pool. We also got a bucket load of free toiletries, and a daily newspaper, although sometimes it hadn’t arrived by breakfast and we had to wait until mid morning before it arrived in our room. If it is on time it will be given to you at breakfast at the Pica Pica. There is a small shop and it has postcards and stamps and basic essentials.
The best time for tea for us was 7pm, it started to get busy from 7.30 onwards, and breakfast was best at 8.30am.
The theme park was always busy but use your express pass and skip the queues. Unfortunately you can only do this once per ride, but if you hit the park, first thing 10.30am or wait until after tea, the crowds are much less. DO NOT miss the Fiesta Ventura show each night (July & August) at 11.45pm. It is well worth keeping the kids up for, but get a seat on the wall at the harbour in the Meddditeranean village at 10.30pm or you will not get a good view.
Overall we had absolutely no complaints about the hotel or staff, treat them politely, make the effort to speak the basic Spanish works and they treat you accordingly. Go with a different tour operator (our flight was delayed 4 hours on the way back) but stay with confidence at the Portaventura Hotel.
Happy hols
Our flights were changed several weeks prior to departure from early morning to late afternoon, and even this outgoing flight was delayed, meaning we missed a full day of our holiday.
The hotel itself was set in lovely landscaped grounds, and everything about the hotel was spotlessly clean. The pools were excellent with two specifically for the kids, but all were joined by a series of connecting pools. This gave each pool area its own feeling of privacy. Lifeguards were everywhere, and were quite strict about ball games, larking about etc in the pool. The Beach club was not open during our stay, but did open a week or two after we left. This should give you even more of a choice for sunbathing, swimming etc.
We were staying on a half board basis, and ate our tea in the "Buffet Del Port". Food was excellent, massive choice, menu changed every day and I could not find fault with any of the staff, anywhere in the hotel.
We greeted them all with a happy "Hola" (hello) and thanked them all with a happy Gracias, and they all responded in kind. The hotel is soooo handy to the fantastic theme park, literally nip out the back of the hotel, you are there.
Be careful with the trips, make sure you check when they leave and return. The tour busses do NOT pick you up at the hotel, you have to walk out of the hotel grounds to the main road and wait there. It is a good ten minute walk and obviously a bit of a wait for the bus, depending how good their time keeping is. In the middle of a hot Spanish day, it is not a nice place for the little ones to be, so check details carefully.
We took the Barcelona Fountains tour; it left at 2pm and returned at half past midnight. In saying that it was very enjoyable, with a tour of the Neucamp, Barcelona's football stadium included. HOT TIP. The shop gets VERY BUSY; if you run out of time and are unable to get names and numbers printed on the back of the football shirts, don’t despair as there is another official Barcelona Football Shop in the shopping centre beside the Aquarium, which will do it for you. This is one of the drop off points where you have an hour or two shopping.
The Markets tour was a load of cobblers and waste of time for us, but if you are into stall after stall selling cheap replicas etc then go for it.
Our room had a double bed and a single camp bed. Both were comfortable and the room, although small did the job. We had a nice view but that is suppose is luck of the draw.
We had paid an extra £10 each for the Universal VIP Upgrade for the week. Which allowed you to take breakfast in the Pica Pica restaurant.
It also, more importantly, provided towels and bathrobes, which meant we did not have to pay 15 Euros (refundable each day) every time we wanted towels for the pool. We also got a bucket load of free toiletries, and a daily newspaper, although sometimes it hadn’t arrived by breakfast and we had to wait until mid morning before it arrived in our room. If it is on time it will be given to you at breakfast at the Pica Pica. There is a small shop and it has postcards and stamps and basic essentials.
The best time for tea for us was 7pm, it started to get busy from 7.30 onwards, and breakfast was best at 8.30am.
The theme park was always busy but use your express pass and skip the queues. Unfortunately you can only do this once per ride, but if you hit the park, first thing 10.30am or wait until after tea, the crowds are much less. DO NOT miss the Fiesta Ventura show each night (July & August) at 11.45pm. It is well worth keeping the kids up for, but get a seat on the wall at the harbour in the Meddditeranean village at 10.30pm or you will not get a good view.
Overall we had absolutely no complaints about the hotel or staff, treat them politely, make the effort to speak the basic Spanish works and they treat you accordingly. Go with a different tour operator (our flight was delayed 4 hours on the way back) but stay with confidence at the Portaventura Hotel.
Happy hols
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" My family of 2 adults and 2 children... "
Submitted By: Mrs M Redfearn
My family of 2 adults and 2 children aged 8 and 11 have just returned from the hotel Port Aventura. We decided to stay at the most expensive on site hotel due to the fact that it was right on the entrance to the parks. I wasn't sure that it would be worth the extra cost but it turned out to be a great choice. We used to pop in and out of the park just for an odd hour or 2 here and there because we were so close, when the heat became too much we could nip back to the pool!
We found our room comfortable and modern and the whole resort is beautiful in its design and cleanliness. It has 2 pools both are nice but the larger lagoon style pool is really lovely with plenty of sun beds!
We stayed bed and breakfast, the food was very good compared to all the hotels we have stayed in before. There was tons to choose from and quality was good.
Our only complaint which affected our entire stay was the staff. They were miserable, ignorant and unfriendly. Whether they just don't like English tourists I don't know. After 8 days it drives you nuts! There are a lot worse things that can affect your holiday and if you can get your head around the rude staff you will have a fab time. We have put a letter of complaint in to the hotel in the hope that if people do complain staff will get better.
The grounds of the hotel and the theme park and water parks are superb without a doubt, the rides are excellent if you like theme parks you will love it here. We will most certainly return we just won't expect staff to make us feel welcome!
We found our room comfortable and modern and the whole resort is beautiful in its design and cleanliness. It has 2 pools both are nice but the larger lagoon style pool is really lovely with plenty of sun beds!
We stayed bed and breakfast, the food was very good compared to all the hotels we have stayed in before. There was tons to choose from and quality was good.
Our only complaint which affected our entire stay was the staff. They were miserable, ignorant and unfriendly. Whether they just don't like English tourists I don't know. After 8 days it drives you nuts! There are a lot worse things that can affect your holiday and if you can get your head around the rude staff you will have a fab time. We have put a letter of complaint in to the hotel in the hope that if people do complain staff will get better.
The grounds of the hotel and the theme park and water parks are superb without a doubt, the rides are excellent if you like theme parks you will love it here. We will most certainly return we just won't expect staff to make us feel welcome!
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" I just got back from a 7 nights... "
Submitted By: Mr P Meaby
I just got back from a 7 nights holiday at the Port Aventura hotel. I couldn't believe how horrible the hotel and the rooms were. The room was so bad we had to get moved. The first room overlooked a huge car-park and had 2 extremely uncomfortable fold up beds one double bed, and a tiny single bed obviously not designed for adults.
Reluctantly the unhelpful and unfriendly receptionists finally moved us (with help from our rep). But the second room was no better still horrible fold up beds and now a view of a load of dirt oh and an extremely loud vent above the room just along from us. And the rooms not the only bad thing the restaurant staff at the half board restaurant (Buffet del Port) are extremely rude and the restaurant is always extremely crowded. But of course you could always go to a different one of there restaurants such as the Port Riggata I would have nothing bad to say about this restaurant if it wasn’t for one night where a completely different set of staff was running it.
The food was extremely undercooked and made me feel very ill. I could go on as there was a lot more wrong with this holiday and I don't understand why anyone would recommend it. However the Theme Park is great and so were the excursions but if you do go to Salou find a different hotel! Another tip is make sure you go as a package holiday unless you speak fluent Catalonian, they are very proud of there language and don’t appreciate being spoken to in English! Although this is not a problem once your in Salou.
Reluctantly the unhelpful and unfriendly receptionists finally moved us (with help from our rep). But the second room was no better still horrible fold up beds and now a view of a load of dirt oh and an extremely loud vent above the room just along from us. And the rooms not the only bad thing the restaurant staff at the half board restaurant (Buffet del Port) are extremely rude and the restaurant is always extremely crowded. But of course you could always go to a different one of there restaurants such as the Port Riggata I would have nothing bad to say about this restaurant if it wasn’t for one night where a completely different set of staff was running it.
The food was extremely undercooked and made me feel very ill. I could go on as there was a lot more wrong with this holiday and I don't understand why anyone would recommend it. However the Theme Park is great and so were the excursions but if you do go to Salou find a different hotel! Another tip is make sure you go as a package holiday unless you speak fluent Catalonian, they are very proud of there language and don’t appreciate being spoken to in English! Although this is not a problem once your in Salou.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2006
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Great Holiday we all loved it, food... "
Submitted By: Mrs K Winder
Great Holiday we all loved it, food great, parks good, the only down side the bar closed too early!!!!!!
11 of us went (2 families) and we all enjoyed it, excellent. We had 4 rooms all very nice and clean.
Great for the older kids as they could go in and out the park as they pleased.
Went to Barcelona for the day, got on the train just outside the hotel. Just had time to go on a open top bus then back home again.
Would recommend to everyone.
11 of us went (2 families) and we all enjoyed it, excellent. We had 4 rooms all very nice and clean.
Great for the older kids as they could go in and out the park as they pleased.
Went to Barcelona for the day, got on the train just outside the hotel. Just had time to go on a open top bus then back home again.
Would recommend to everyone.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2005
- Board Basis:Full Board
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" We had a great fun filled holiday for... "
Submitted By: Ms J Lawrence
We had a great fun filled holiday for my family of five at this resort. The food was excellent and a very good choice, the hotel was clean, as were the pools. We visited the Port Aventura theme park each evening as it was cooler and the shows (especially the Polynesian) was better in the dark and there were less people (particularly Spanish School kids).
The food and drink in the theme park is very expensive so taking bottled water and snacks is a cheaper option.
The best part of the evening is every night at midnight Portaventura do a fireworks extravaganza (supposed to be the best in the world), get a space to watch early (from 11 onwards) as it gets very busy. If you stay at this hotel you will hear the noise from the show each night but it does only last 20 minutes.
The beach at Salou was ok, the water wasn't that clean though so try not to swallow any! There is a free bus from the hotel to take you to and from the beach twice a day.
My only real moan was the First Choice Rep, I found her rude and inexperienced and after our first meeting you could never find her again!
Buy your bottled water from one of the supermarkets in Salou, you can buy it in bulk and it is really cheap.
Buying it in the hotel shop is expensive and you only get small bottles.
We had fantastic weather and I also recommend visiting Coste Caribe Water Park also in Hotel/theme park grounds it is a bathers paradise!
The food and drink in the theme park is very expensive so taking bottled water and snacks is a cheaper option.
The best part of the evening is every night at midnight Portaventura do a fireworks extravaganza (supposed to be the best in the world), get a space to watch early (from 11 onwards) as it gets very busy. If you stay at this hotel you will hear the noise from the show each night but it does only last 20 minutes.
The beach at Salou was ok, the water wasn't that clean though so try not to swallow any! There is a free bus from the hotel to take you to and from the beach twice a day.
My only real moan was the First Choice Rep, I found her rude and inexperienced and after our first meeting you could never find her again!
Buy your bottled water from one of the supermarkets in Salou, you can buy it in bulk and it is really cheap.
Buying it in the hotel shop is expensive and you only get small bottles.
We had fantastic weather and I also recommend visiting Coste Caribe Water Park also in Hotel/theme park grounds it is a bathers paradise!
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2005
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" What a holiday!!! I have to say I... "
Submitted By: Miss J E Mitchell
What a holiday!!! I have to say I love travelling and have been to a number of places but this was fantastic.
My boyfriend and I saved a bit of money as this was an expensive holiday but it was well worth it. You walk in the hotels entrance and are taken in with the size and structure of the hotel. We unfortunately had the room at the very end of the building but it was lovely. Maid service every day with nice little toiletries. The room has a TV, fridge, balcony, hairdryer, bath and showers and towels changed daily.
Being in this hotel made the park even better as we did not have to queue (just show hotel cards) and could pop in and out when we felt like it. The hotel and the park however are pricey and it is far cheaper to pop into town 5 euros and stock up as room has lovely fridge.
The weather was hot during the day but stormy at night, and we had some horrific storms. This had a knock on effect that the swimming pool was then closed for 2 days. (bit annoying.)
I went on this site before I left and I read about buying fried breakfast and I have to admit we did risk it and bought it on the last day. I must advise do not do this it is awful, the worst fried breakfast ever, do not waste money!!!
This was a fantastic holiday and I strongly recommend that you book it, especially if you have children old enough to go on the ride but not too old that the cartoon characters are embarrassing. Loved every minute of it.
My boyfriend and I saved a bit of money as this was an expensive holiday but it was well worth it. You walk in the hotels entrance and are taken in with the size and structure of the hotel. We unfortunately had the room at the very end of the building but it was lovely. Maid service every day with nice little toiletries. The room has a TV, fridge, balcony, hairdryer, bath and showers and towels changed daily.
Being in this hotel made the park even better as we did not have to queue (just show hotel cards) and could pop in and out when we felt like it. The hotel and the park however are pricey and it is far cheaper to pop into town 5 euros and stock up as room has lovely fridge.
The weather was hot during the day but stormy at night, and we had some horrific storms. This had a knock on effect that the swimming pool was then closed for 2 days. (bit annoying.)
I went on this site before I left and I read about buying fried breakfast and I have to admit we did risk it and bought it on the last day. I must advise do not do this it is awful, the worst fried breakfast ever, do not waste money!!!
This was a fantastic holiday and I strongly recommend that you book it, especially if you have children old enough to go on the ride but not too old that the cartoon characters are embarrassing. Loved every minute of it.
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2004
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" First time abroad alone with 2... "
Submitted By: Mrs C Bourne
First time abroad alone with 2 children, 12&9yrs. Short journey from the airport. Immediate check-in at the busy reception. Staff spoke English and were helpful and informative. Luggage taken directly to the room by a porter. Room modern, nicely furnished and large. Quite a walk to the lifts though! Hotel is large and modern. Catering very much for theme park lovers - as we are!
Breakfasts were sumptuous with every imaginable item available. A 3Euro supplement was required if a hot breakfast was taken. As my daughter only wanted pancakes and my son a full breakfast, it was advisable to put all on one plate.
Dinner, for us, was slightly a rushed affair, as we were keen to get into the park for 21.00. It was extremely hot when we visited in July and at times mosquitoes gathered on the pillars inside of the restaurant, we had to move tables to escape them on more than one occasion. Chairs in the restaurant are not comfortable! Be warned, the chairs are metal slatted and can be very hot and uncomfortable!
Pool areas are clean and well supervised by lifeguards. We tended to stay around the smaller, second pool as opposed to the large 'beach area' which did tend to be somewhat crowded. Pool towels are available at the hotel and this saves a lot of room in the suitcase.
Entertainment available day and night at the hotel - although we spent every evening in the theme park, so unable to comment on evening entertainment.
Access to the theme park is direct from the hotel. We found the best time to go was after dinner at approx 21.00. At this time queues for the big rides are minimal and we were able to walk straight onto most rides. Also, your pass card gives priority access to all rides after 21.00. Weather also slightly cooler in the evening. It's advisable to go on all the wet rides first in order to cool down! Shows within the park are excellent and the firework display at midnight is not to be missed. On the evenings we returned to the hotel early, we could watch the fireworks from the balcony. You are able to use your hotel key card for all purchases within the park - including food and drink. However, scrutinise your bill at check-out as we were charged for items we had not bought - the hotel were very good about this and amended the bill accordingly.
All in all an excellent holiday, if somewhat hectic.
Breakfasts were sumptuous with every imaginable item available. A 3Euro supplement was required if a hot breakfast was taken. As my daughter only wanted pancakes and my son a full breakfast, it was advisable to put all on one plate.
Dinner, for us, was slightly a rushed affair, as we were keen to get into the park for 21.00. It was extremely hot when we visited in July and at times mosquitoes gathered on the pillars inside of the restaurant, we had to move tables to escape them on more than one occasion. Chairs in the restaurant are not comfortable! Be warned, the chairs are metal slatted and can be very hot and uncomfortable!
Pool areas are clean and well supervised by lifeguards. We tended to stay around the smaller, second pool as opposed to the large 'beach area' which did tend to be somewhat crowded. Pool towels are available at the hotel and this saves a lot of room in the suitcase.
Entertainment available day and night at the hotel - although we spent every evening in the theme park, so unable to comment on evening entertainment.
Access to the theme park is direct from the hotel. We found the best time to go was after dinner at approx 21.00. At this time queues for the big rides are minimal and we were able to walk straight onto most rides. Also, your pass card gives priority access to all rides after 21.00. Weather also slightly cooler in the evening. It's advisable to go on all the wet rides first in order to cool down! Shows within the park are excellent and the firework display at midnight is not to be missed. On the evenings we returned to the hotel early, we could watch the fireworks from the balcony. You are able to use your hotel key card for all purchases within the park - including food and drink. However, scrutinise your bill at check-out as we were charged for items we had not bought - the hotel were very good about this and amended the bill accordingly.
All in all an excellent holiday, if somewhat hectic.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2003
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" It was a very nice area: five minutes... "
Submitted By: Miss NJ Macdonald
It was a very nice area: five minutes from the beach and a bus ride to the park and shops. The theme park had lots of great rides and the water park was a super way to cool off. The weather made the week even more special and the locals were quite friendly.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2002
- Board Basis:Room Only
- Tour Operator:MyTravel
" This hotel was fantastic, very clean... "
Submitted By: Mrs M Carroll
This hotel was fantastic, very clean and well maintained. The food was fantastic and catered for all including picky kids who could eat burger and chips if nothing else took their fancy (I doubt that would be case though given the side choice). The pools were fab and the waterpark kept every one amused for hours.
The hotel access to the theme park was about 30 meters from our room yet we were not disturbed by noise accept for the midnight fireworks! The park rides and shows were great.
Definitely the best of the theme park hotels the other two had quite a walk to get to the park. The town of Salou was about a 20 minute walk but it was easy to find and the route is tree lined to give shade on a hot day.
Only downside for us was a very early checkout to catch the first choice flight home which meant that we didn’t get breakfast on the last day ( a real loss because the pancakes were delicious)
This is an ideal location for families something for all the kids to enjoy.
The hotel access to the theme park was about 30 meters from our room yet we were not disturbed by noise accept for the midnight fireworks! The park rides and shows were great.
Definitely the best of the theme park hotels the other two had quite a walk to get to the park. The town of Salou was about a 20 minute walk but it was easy to find and the route is tree lined to give shade on a hot day.
Only downside for us was a very early checkout to catch the first choice flight home which meant that we didn’t get breakfast on the last day ( a real loss because the pancakes were delicious)
This is an ideal location for families something for all the kids to enjoy.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2005
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
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Having said all that, it was a brilliant holiday. The hotel room was cleaned every day. The overall cleanliness of the hotel/park was excellent. The choice of the food in the buffet was good for adults however, for children it was repetative e.g. pizza, hot dog (no buns), pasta, chicken nuggets. However, staying in the hotel meant unlimited use of any of the restaurants in the park or the other hotels. These restaurants are al a carte but when you book at reception you are given vouchers to the value of 20 euro an adult and 10 euro for a child. You use these to pay for your meal and if it is more then you simply pay the rest. We used the al a carte most nights as the buffet from Fri-Mon was busy with Spanish and you had to queue for dinner these nights.
The pool was really good too but was quiet due to time of year. Pool was freezing! However, this didn't stop my daughter who was in every other day! If you need beach towels you can hire these from reception for a deposit of 15 euro per towel but you do get this back and it saves the hassle of drying your own.
You can use any of the other hotels pools too and same applies with towels there too. The galleon was closed due to the wood starting to rot. So it will probably need replaced and therefore out of commission for sometime. The pool at Hotel Caribe was excellent. It's like a sandy beach right into the water and sand at the bottom of it. My daughter really liked this pool.
The kids club is beside the pool in El Paso and was excellent, the staff are Spanish but they were fantastic with the kids and really went out their way to make my daughter feel welcome and made a fuss of her everytime she went back.
Only one of the pool bars was open and I assume this was due to time of year and that there was not many people at the pool. Club Maya was the one that was open and it sold the usual, beer, soft drinks, toaties, chips, ice lollies.
If you are not keen on a multi-national hotel, then I would give this a miss. The Spanish come to this hotel at the weekend and come Friday through to Monday the guests at this hotel are predominantely Spanish. This didn't bother me at all and as the Spanish obv. found this time of year really cold (they had their jumpers, jeans, boots, hats and scarves on!) they didn't use the pool very much which meant it was never busy.
The weather at this time of year is not very good. Our first week was cold and raining. Being optimistic we hadn't brought clothes to suit this type of weather. It was jeans and t-shirt type weather, not as cold as at home of course but not nice enough to walk about with shorts. The second week was much better and we actually got a bit of a tan before we came home.
If you want to go into Salou, it is only about 15 mins walk. My daughter is only 5 so this was a bit long for her, so we tended to get a taxi which averages 7 euro. If there are more than 2 of you, it is cheaper to get a taxi than use the wee train from the hotel. It takes 3 euro per head. The train is free from the hotel to the theme park, however, we never used it as the theme park was 5 mins walk from the hotel.
The water park, Costa Caribe in the theme park is closed at this time of year and this is understandable as the water is too cold to spend all day in. The Beach Club is also closed at this time of year but the wee train will still take you to the Beach Club beach which is much quiter than the main beach in Salou. However, be aware that there are no shops here open at this time year either. My husband had to walk into Salou to buy some water etc.
The park closes at 7pm Mon-Fri at this time of year but stays open until midnight on Saturday and 9.30pm on Sunday.
DO NOT go to the park on a Saturday/Sunday it is mobbed. You will have to queue 2 hours for the smallest rides that during the week you can walk straight onto. Go Mon-Thur as it is really quiet. The theme park is in 4 parts. Far West, Polynesia, Mexico and China. Each part has one major ride, Far West has Furious Baco, Polynesia has most of the kiddies rides, Mexico has Hurricaine Condor, China has Dragon Khan. I don't like roller coasters just as much as I don't like spooky things but my husband and step-daughter (14) loves them and they thought that Furious Baco and Hurricain Condor were fantastic. My daughter (5) loved Sea Odessey and El Diablo (like a runaway train). The height restrictions for most rides is 1.20m. So she was too small for any of those, which is why she loved El Diablo as it is like a big roller coaster but 2 of the seats have been converted to take children under 1.20m.
I will return to this hotel again but earlier in the year to hopefully guarantee the weather.