California Palace

I’m 19 and went on my 1st holiday with my boyfriend. I am pleased to say I am really happy with the whole experience.
The rooms were cleaned every morning and fresh towels were replaced every day the cleaners were awesome but could not speak a word of English. Overall the hygiene of the place was excellent. We were not charged for using the fridge.
We stayed half board and to be honest the food did get a bit tiresome although there was a wide range of food to choose from both English and Spanish we opted to eat out a few nights just for a change.
The restaurant staff were lovely but I found the bar staff to be rude and abrupt (little hint watch your change). I cost of a coke at the bar was 1.80 Euros which I found a bit expensive! And don’t bother with the sangria in the hotel it was disgusting and this is coming from a sangria lover!
The reception staff were always helpful and there if you needed them.
The pool area was always kept clean and there was always a lifeguard on duty. The only downside is that there were not enough sundowners and the sundowners that were there some were broken. The pool was a tidy size. We did not experience the indoor pool and facilities due to the fact we were just too busy.
The hotel is located about a 10 minute walk from the beach which I have to say is gorgeous. They have beautiful coloured fountains along the front. On the walk to the beach there are plenty of nice shops (remember to haggle). There was also a little supermarket across the road, which we found handy.
We attended excursions, which we both enjoyed. We attended the reps night where they put on a show suitable for the whole family. Barcelona zoo and a cruise on a glass bottom boat around the coast. I would defiantly recommend the zoo but I only found myself on the boat because my partner wanted to go on it!
The Port Aventura theme park is a MUST DO! We had a seven-day pass! Lol we both LOVED IT! And a bonus is that it’s only a 15-minute bus journey away (the buses are easy to catch from the beach)J
Note: at my time of departure the plot of land next to us was currently being built on. We think they were building a new hotel. Neither my partner nor me were told about this. It was very noisy throughout the day.
Overall a great holiday but I would say more of a 3 star hotel rather than a 4 star. But we both still really enjoyed our stay.

I am just back from a week in California Palace and it was really good. The hotel is modern, very clean and tidy. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from the beach but the walk itself takes you past a number of bars/cafes/shops and is a nice stroll. Can't understand why other reviewers complained about the food- it was varied, plentiful and well cooked. Another reviewer thought the drinks were expensive in the restaurant which I did not find- a bottle of nice Rioja was €10.
The hotel does cater for a wide range of tastes but remember this is a Spanish hotel in the old town of Salou where a lot of Spanish people actually live so it caters for local as well as tourist needs. So don't expect entertainment and food to cater for UK tastes only.
I found the staff very nice. The receptionists all speak very good English whereas the restaurant and bar staff have a more limited vocabulary. The pool area was good with areas of shade in the earlier part of the day but less in the afternoons and evenings. The indoor pool is minute more like a large bath.
There are a couple of bars/cafes across the street from the hotel where the drinks are very cheap. I got a bottle of beer and 2 glasses of wine for €3.50.
Overall this is a very nice hotel which I would return to if I go back to Salou.

The California palace was a great holiday for me but I have to say it was the people that I met in the hotel that really made the holiday not the hotel.
I would definitely say that the California Palace is more a 3* than 4* due to the fact that I felt it was very much so a Spanish hotel which therefore affected the food, drink, service and entertainment of the hotel. first piece of advice the food is not English in anyway it caters for Spanish, Germans and a few others not us.
It was bearable for the first week but grew very tiresome and repetitive by the second and forced most to eat out, but staff there were rather unfriendly the first few days but after they grew to knew you were very nice and accommodating (even though only one of them could speak good English). i also thought the drinks were rather limited as a thing such as a Bacardi breezer or WKD was completely unheard of there.
Nextly I have to say that the entertainment there was the worst I have ever seen.
Every Sunday the elderly Spaniards would flock to the hotel to show off there ball room dancing skills and completely take over the place, which I thought was not very well handled by the hotel as they purposely catered for the locals taste while they only bought one drink at the most and were gone in 10 minutes of the act finishing (trust me I counted) while paying customers had to sit in complete boredom!
I also have to say that the Port Aventura trip is a must, though do not be deceived by what is said about it in the brochures, it is not a 10 minute walk away which some people thought and therefore bought 14 day passes, it is a 10 minute walk away .... to the bus stop which is around 8 euros each, it is must cheaper just ordering a taxi at reception and quicker! oh and another thing you cannot bring any food into the theme park so don’t go ordering big picnic baskets like some then having to leave them at the gate. oh and don’t go to Port Aventura water park it is really not at all good, aquapolis in La Pienda is much better.( get a taxi there too).
also please for your bank balances sake and your own personal happiness’s sake do not go to STARTS IN SALOU excursion. for the same price in Tenerife with Thomson’s last year we got a 3 course delicious meal with as much free drink as you can take, a beautiful warm theatre, your picture taken with a beautifully dressed show girl and a night watching really talented and jaw dropping acts, BUT with my travel we got a 1 hour 45 min bus journey to a place that is a 10 minute taxi ride up the road, then put outside watching stallion horses which weren’t really that entertaining ( though they were beautiful huge creatures but they were kept in terrible cramped conditions) then were forced to watch 3 flamenco untalented dancers which had previously appeared at the hotel twice which we then paid to watch them on a few benches outside in the cold on what looked like a bit of wood with a fence behind it, they called it a stage with no food or drink provided only revolting sangria and some cheap bear. I have to say this was a terrible boring night and would not recommend to the most easily entertained people it is so bad!
sorry for drifting away from talking about the hotel but I have alot to say about the excursions, I hope this info helps but I have to say it is not a bad hotel just takes a bit of adjusting to and not got anything to do in it really.
Last piece of advice take your Spanish dictionary you’ll need it in this hotel.

Just returned from a fabulous 7 night break at the California Palace - allocated on arrival and very satisfied with My Travel choice!
Hotel was only built in 2003 and lives up to its 4 stars. This is a much smaller hotel and subsequently the service/facilities were excellent. We liked the fact that they charged for use of Turkish Bath / Jacuzzi because it restricted the number of guests using it at one go and also stopped children rampaging through it - we used it on the last day and had the whole area to ourselves - did not have the energy to use the gym equipment though!
Also liked the fact that the hotel stuck to its policy of no towels to save sun loungers! Service staff always went around and removed any towels put out at breakfast but with no guest accompanying them!
Reception and restaurant staff all very pleasant - nothing too much trouble - they do only serve bottles of wine with the main meal but you can put a room label on it and save it for the next day if you don’t want to drink it all at one go! One tiny criticism - the bar staff were not particularly friendly which was a shame in such a nice hotel.
If you go half-board and want a quick snack try the Montreal Bar across the street - simple but quick snacks with a smile.
10 minute walk to the lovely sandy beaches and marina area - take care when walking down on the first day - take a left then right turn at the first main junction before the railway line - otherwise you have to run the gauntlet and try crossing the railway tracks - there is a much safer crossing on the main street!
Never been to Salou before but would definitely go back - Hotel California in the quieter cosmopolitan area but well within easy reach of the more commercialised 'holiday' bars/shops. Usual holiday train runs around the town plus the added bonus of 24 hour buses!
Took the local bus to Tarragona and Cambrils - both very nice to visit - watch out for the beggars in Tarragona on the Ramblas - they are very persistent! Night out to Port Aventura was great - cheaper ticket 7 p.m. - midnight but get there at 7 to take in all the shows etc. Great firework display at midnight but be warned everyone tries to leave the park at the same time and trains/buses always full!
All in all a great holiday.

I found my stay in the Hotel California Palace was satisfactory. Although, I personally would rate the hotel more of a 3* then a 4*.
This is due to the fact there are a lot of hidden costs (the spa costs 4 euros each for half a day!). I was disappointed to discover that the satellite TV included was in Spanish! apart from CNN and Eurosport a bit deceiving! The fridge, minibar and safety deposit box were also at extra cost to use (safety deposit box costs 14 euros!).
The hotel wasn’t far from the town as other reviews said, the shops were only 3mins away there was nice bars across from the hotel too so you didn’t have to walk far from the hotel if you didn’t want to. Salou is a big place the beach was only a 15min walk away though.
I didn’t think much of the breakfast in the hotel, the cooked food was often cold as buffet style and a bit like a staff canteen. Evening meals were a better, food was good although could have been more varied and I would advise you to keep of the dairy food, tasted funny! Drinks cost a fortune with your meals too so didn’t bother,
This was my first time in Spain and has put me off a bit, Salou is like a hotter Blackpool! I found the staff rude as the cleaners would wake you in the morning talking really loudly!

When we first arrived at the hotel, we were amazed. It was all very fancy. The rooms were nice, although our air conditioning didn’t appear to work. It was nice in the evenings to be able to go for a dip before dinner, although it would have been better if the pool were open later. The food was very nice and a good varied selection every day. I especially enjoyed the exotic fruit served every evening. A bit annoyed that the half board price didn’t even include a bottle of water with your evening meal. There were several parts of the hotel advertised that had hidden extra costs including the gym and sauna.
All in all, a very nice hotel, let down by the simple fact that the staff were often quite rude, not something you expect in a 4* hotel.

We found the California Palace Hotel was too far from the beach, a 10 min walk. We ended up catching cabs. The same problem with the town and nightlife. The hotel has many hidden costs also, the sauna and indoor pool, which attracted us to the hotel, was only for use at an extra charge. There was also an extra charge for the fridge. The outdoor pool was nice but no cover from the sun.
The food was average. Overall- location very poor. Hotel average, but beware of extra costs they will charge for facilities.