Iberostar Suites Hotel Islantilla

2 readers found this review helpful

This hotel is utterly fabulous.
Not only is the location beautiful and mainly calm, the area really shows you true Spanish culture. Forget Majorca, Benidorm, and even the Costa Del Sol. Just because you've visited those places, doesn't mean you've seen real Spain.
The hotel is an extremley short walk from a very clean beach, perfect for families and from a big group of shops.
The staff are not only polite, but some of the most friendly people I have ever met on my travels. They are warm, pleasant people, genuinley eager to chat. If you ever need any help, assistance or have any queries it doesn't matter who you ask as they are all happy to help. One of the waiters in the outside bar actually gave us some directions to a nearby town he thought we'd like as he overheard us discussing where to go in the hire car! They are all lovely, and most have a good grasp of several languages.
The entertainment team all speak several other different languages each, all including English. They are fantastic at their jobs, happy to include people of all ages and are great with children. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in activites, but in no way forced or pushed into them.
What's nice about this hotel is that it is not overrun with Brits, and is not in any way designed to suit them unlike in places such as Majorca, which is specifically styled to keep British people happy losing all Spanish culture it may have had.
*I warn you now- do not visit this hotel if you often visit and enjoy staying Spanish hotels where chips are constantly on offer at mealtimes and there are typically British and Irish pubs, clubs and bars around. This hotel is not in an area known for its nightlife.*
The fact that you may only be one of four or five British families is not a problem. It certainly wasn't for us! At no point did we feel left out or unwelcome. As I previously mentioned, on the whole the staff speak very good English. Any language barriers there were the staff and guests alike didn't let stop them from communication or from being friendly. The kids found the language barriers even easier to cope with, making friends with Polish, Spanish and Portugese children as a result of the kids club and the wonderful reps.
Food was consistently of a high standard. As a result we ate in the hotel every night. There was always a wide range of food catering for ALL nationalities and there were dishes suitable for both adults and children.
Our room was cleaned thoroughly daily, done very promptly in the morning. Towels were changed daily too.
There wasn't the usual mad dash for sunbeds that I have encountered on previous holidays. It was very civilised, with many spare.
The hotel gives off a real energy, especially at the weekends when all the Spanish visit. You really see the real Spain and I urge you to experience it.
I have now visited this hotel 3 times with my family for ten days each time, and I look forward to many more visits there.

Rooms are spacious, not so clean. We had quite a lot of ant problems. A lot of noise if your room is located in front of the swimming and the majority is on both sides, you have 2 main streets with a lot of traffic.
Pool: Even though the pool is simple and nice, the biggest backdrop are the sun loungers which are packed with 1 inch space in-between. Clients in the morning fight for their places, reservation of the chairs are made already at 6 AM. Believe me if you arrive at 9 AM with your kids, there is not a single place left, even though nobody is in the water. Many clients complained about this, but there has been no reaction from Management. It is very strange, but most have an economic reason, the little grass on the left and right of the pool is completely forbidden to lay down on it, chairs - forget it. The pool area is awful; it really looks like sardines lying in the sun. We had to go to the beach to have a little privacy and able to let the children run around.
Food: is sort of OK, not excellent and not bad, but you quickly get tired of it. Not a 4 star.
All inclusive is ridiculous! A couple of drinks and a ice cream which they offer cannot make the difference in prices.
Management: Total lack of Management, no security, saw people fighting and arguing over umbrellas and sun chairs, without anyone from staff intervening.
Lifts: only 4 lifts and only 2 which go all the way down to the dining room and pool area. You have to expect long waiting to take a lift at “rush hours”.
Complete lack of staff and security. It is like in the old time, the louder you speak the stronger you look the more chance you have to get a place, a sun bed etc.
I will definitely not return to this Hotel, in the area are a lot better ones (the one in front for example) with better views, quieter and in the first row to the beach.
Conclusion: Hotel to be avoided.

This was our first holiday we booked ourselves. The hotel was lovely as was the whole resort and beach. Not your typical town with shops and bars and Irish/British tourists. Seemed to be mostly Spanish families with children.
It was difficult to get sun loungers, but this was the only complaint. We ate in the hotel a few nights and found the food excellent - not the case in every restaurant in the resort.
The rooms and general hotel area were of a high standard and very clean. The two lifts were very busy. I would stay in this hotel again.

Stayed at this hotel with my company Future Travel which is part of United Co-op trading group.
We held a conference at this hotel and stayed for 3 nights on AI. The hotel was lovely really clean with typical Iberostar service. Although I wasn't too impressed with AI I would have been more than happy on HB.
I say this because there aren't really any snacks to speak of during the day except rolls and cheese/ham.
The pool side bar was very nice but did not serve any food at all. It is not a typical AI so not worth doing unless you want to drink yourself silly!!
Food was lovely though and I would go again definitely.

Holidaymakers beware. This is a fabulous hotel, with one big drawback. It is also a conference hotel.
For three nights out of seven, we were kept awake until 3 am. Discos organised for delegates, fire work displays at 1am. We were unable to use the pool bar or lounge area, as this had been completely taken over.
Delegates left rubbish all around the pool area.
The irony of this is that they were all travel agents, with Future Travel, the company that we booked our holiday with.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Iberostar, there were just a few English people, but the overall atmosphere of the whole complex was great. The only problem which did occur was the fact that you had to pay to use the spa, but we managed to go without for the week we were there.
Plenty of sun loungers around the pool, and the pool games were great, the little team leader Leo became our new best friend, he was lovely really looked out for the guests whether it was getting them involved in the activities or rubbing suntan lotion into their backs!
We rarely ate in the evenings at the hotel as the food in resort was so very cheap, there is a little train which goes around the resort in the evenings which for 3 euros will take you to varying spots!
Over all would highly recommend the Iberostar, we will definitely be going back next year, cant wait!