Top Planamar Hotel

just returned 1st of may 2007, what a disgrace this hotel is, week of hell. while staying there all we got day in day out was drunken [--] runners, from 10am when the bar opened till midnight . and all through the night drunks fighting in the corridoors. drunk girls sceaming and crying all night. the local police in and out all night , (called out 4 times while we were there.) you could not get to sleep till six in the morning after the drunks had settled down for 4 hours sleep before the bar opend again. the cleaner,s also liked to go through your cuboards looking at your clothes. as we caught them out several times. 2 rooms were broken into. 2 bag snatches just out side the hotel. the food must have surley come from some soup kitchen. ( mind you i think the cochroaches enjoyed it ) the sun beds had some sort of rare fungus growing on them. the pool was never cleaned ( full of fag packet rappers) so if you fancie a council estate drunken a,s,b,o holiday with fight clubs every night this is the place for you. the best moment of this holiday was the flight home ( dont go )

we stayed her from 1st to 8th april 2007. After reading the reviews I was worried about staying at this hotel. We arrived and got checked in very quickly. We found the staff to be very helpful and friendly. The staff work very long hours and their workload could be reduced greatly if some of the guests would just take their empties to the bar when going for refills, pick their cups up from the pool area etc. My husband is a very fussy eater but always found something he could eat. The salads are lovely and there was always fish and meat a good choice of fresh fruit and desserts. The only problem we found with this hotel were some of the English guest who are so arrogant and very loud. One couple arrived and the lady reminded me of Mrs McGuire from shameless, her partner was always drunk before 2pm and she was so loud you couldnt hear the entertainment. The hotel is very centrally located for shops, train station beach etc., Yes the rooms are small but are clean and are adequate if all you want to do is use it for sleeping in. I really think that some people just like to moan. If you treat the staff as people and not slaves like some of the guests seemed to think they were they are really good to you. I would be quite happy to stay at this hotel again. Mrs C, Scotland.

We are frequent travellers who travel abroad very regularly. If you can imagine something going wrong, it will happen here. But this hotel has prompted us to advise others. The hotel is situated about 30 metres (100 ft ) from the beach, just across a road and railway line. The train does not whistle every time it arrives but it is good to set your watch with. The beach is sandy and during our stay, relatively empty. If you are not travelling with prearranged transfers from Girona Airport, there is a bus service but this is infrequent and after 1:30pm does not stop at the town at all. Alternatively you can take a taxi but expect to pay 47 to 55 euros each way. There are plenty local shops and a weekly market (Thursdays). About the hotel, an interesting place to stay in order to study anthropology , but not if you are on holiday and looking for somewhere to relax, unwind and recuperate. So let us start with the room. The bathroom, as advertised has bath and shower ( see pictures ) It is only about 1m x 1m70cm. So where is the bath you may ask – so did we. The bath was in the 1m wide part- (yes under 3ft in total length). Great if you are under 3 years old but anywhere else could almost be considered as being a bidet. As mentioned by one of the previous contributors, yes you really can put your feet in the bath whilst on the toilet, even though the toilet is the opposite end of the bathroom to the “bath”. The room itself was tiny being barely large enough to contain the 2 single beds ( and incase you were wondering, there are no double beds at this hotel – we checked). In order to hold the beds together we ended up buying a couple of bungee straps. It didn’t work – the mattresses still slid apart, and we spent half the night extracting ourselves from the gap in the middle. The walls definitely would not have even passed the Barratt test for minimalism. We could easily hear the most intimate conversations, not to mention grunts, and then the night long chorus of snores from the guest two rooms up. Added to this, we are fully versed in the bowel habits, and on occasions even had cause to wonder if the next door occupants had accidentally moved into our bathroom as the sound suggested. (and if you were our neighbours, we hope Beryl’s hernia operation went well ). But before we leave the rooms, it is worth mentioning a couple of areas the staff have excelled themselves by trying to help make your stay more pleasing. As the hotel offers a fully inclusive package, they have emptied the mini bar so there is no need to worry about reporting any usage. To help reduce waking the neighbours during the night with repeated flushes of the toilet, the all inclusive option does not include any facilities of bottled drinking water during the night . You may be concerned with losing the key or forgetting the combination of you room safe box. This has been mitigated by removing the lock mechanism so now it makes a nice insecure shelf on which to keep your passport, wallet and bankers cards. The air conditioning continually pumped out hot air, making nights even more uncomfortable. The reason for this as was explained to us by reception was that the whole hotel was on winter setting and it was not possible to cool the air (ummmmm). Besides this, one morning we woke with no hot water – possibly to help reduce the temperature in the rooms and also the lift broke down. There is an internet termial but this did not work at anytime during our stay. Need we say any more… The hotel staff may have tried to address the paper thin walls by limiting the volume of the TVs. These are restricted to only 1/3 of the capable volume. Excellent you may be thinking, but again in the context of things, during the evening you are unable to hear anything from the programs due to the high volume of discos, karaoke, and excessive piped music broadcast by the hotel (note the video recording ). But that is not all, just when you thought it might be safe to consider a moments shut eye before 1am , you have to contend with the children’s soccer club holiday party rampaging up and down the echoing corridor, the over indulged, alcohol fired, testosterone fuelled male adults face up to each other while teaching the world Anglo-Saxon at full volume. And that is with your patio doors firmly closed Now if you dare open the doors , you can even admire ancient gladiatorial sports. These tournaments involved both male and females in bouts of fisticuffs. (this happened on 3 out of 7 or the nights) Following this one can respect the professionalism of the local police who came to sort things out. Then you can once more retire to the rhythmic nasal rendition from the next room to lull you to sleep. But not all is so exciting and unpredictable. You can enjoy the foresight of knowing what tomorrow’s menu will be tempting your taste buds with, in fact the day after and the day after that. Yes just look at today’s offerings. I should just add at this point we did note that if you are a vegi, bring your own as even the salads contain meat. As regards the meals, there was always plenty to eat and if you did find a partially flavourful item at a meal time, you can be sure that you can enjoy it again during the snack time and even at the next meal period. By day 4 we had had more than enough and requested a different room in order to reduce the noise during the night. It was no surprise to be told we could not change as there was no vacant rooms. We continued to watch numerous people book in and book out. But obviously it was beyond the competencies of a customer facing reception to change us to one of these rooms. As this had failed we even requested to move to another one of their chain and pay for any additional cost. They boast 8 hotels in which you can book to eat at but even with out a telephone call we were informed this would not be possible. On our insistence they did make a brief telephone call and you have probably guessed it but there was no room at the inns. So in short, would we recommend a stay here, absolutely ……………..not

We were at this hotel from 31/3/07 to 7/4/07 so have just got back and we had a really wonderful time. The weather was dreadful (which was not their fault) but we still had a lovely holiday. We can understand some of the poor reviews but this is SUCH A CHEAP HOLIDAY we felt we had really had our monies worth! We LOVED the food - if you want burgers/chips/nuggets and lots of processed food this hotel is NOT for you - our 10 year old didn't like the food much but loved the deserts etc . We tried every food - 90 percent of it delicious - not a single tummy upset which was a first for us. The rooms were small but exceptionally clean as were all the public areas. The dining room had linen table cloths and napkins (apart from breakfast when they used paper ones) and the table clearing was fast and efficient. The staff were helpful and friendly. We asked for extra pillows and they were there when we returned from a walk. Our wardrobe in our room was damaged (obviously by a previous occupant) but the heater/airconditioning unit / fridge / TV / safe / patio doors / shower etc all worked perfectly. The pool was very cold (well it was 31st March when we arrived) but we still used it every day. It was very noisy at night so we recommend ear plugs if you want a good nights sleep. You get what you pay for on this holiday - if you were like us and expected to have a horrendous holiday you will be pleasantly surprised. The hotel wasn't full when we were there so our review is based on an out of season break. It may be quite a different story in the height of summer.

Just joined TripAdvisor and looked at reviews for Planamar out of interest. I cant believe the moaning minnies were staying in the same hotel where we had such a good time last Autumn. Our room was changed from one overlooking the bins to one overlooking the pool after a polite word with the english receptionist. She even gave us keys to 3 alternatives and let us choose our own. AIl food was good, varied and hot.with enough choice to suit anyone. All staff very helpful, short queues for bar moved quickly and the local beers & spirits served were excellant. We like our "pop" and got plenty down - without getting noisily drunk! Hotel Entertainment was good on the 3 nights out of 7 we stayed in and the organised trips to the joust and the flamenco palace for the all in coach price of £21 for both of us for the 2 nights out were superb. We even went on the free trips to 2 other HTop hotels for an equally good lunch in a different venue and a walk round town for "nowt" I cant believe the other moans about noise after midnight, fights etc as there was absolutely nothing like that during our stay. Even if there had been it is hardly the hotel's fault that rowdy yobs choose to stay with them. My advice to anyone considering the Planamar - fill your boots! It.s not the Ritz but it is very good value and to those who moan about greasy foreign (spanish style with olive oil) food- go to Blackpool for your fights next time. (The fish and chips are so much healthier!) The Planamar was AOK for me! And also for the dozens of others we spoke to during our stay. We are looking forward to a week in the HTop Royal Beach in Fanals later this year, its a shame we cant afford a month there.

Staff ignorant during stay. Room and bathroom very small and old fashioned. The food was always cold and not a lot of choce. We where all inclusive where drinks where free from 10am till midnight after which you had to pay for. You had no chance getting a drink after midnight the bar staff just wanted to go home. Once the bar closed there was no where to sit apart from your room as the whole bar area was locked up. Very noisy. High speed train going past hotel every half hour. Hotel rooms not double glazed. Take my advice just dont go there.

After reading the reviews here was very sceptical about our booking at this hotel. However was pleasantly surprised to find that most of what was said was untrue (at least when we were there - long weekend from 23/3 to 26/3/07). The staff were very friendly, place very clean and food superb for the price paid. Admittedly the bathrooms were small but enough space for one (the person who said their feet was in the bathtub when on the toilet must have been about 7' +) baths not regular size but adequate. Again balconies could have been bigger but who spends their holiday on the balcony! Anyway thought I'd air my views - we went in a party of 4 and all of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Had more grumbles with the airline than the hotel. Train service excellent even on a Sunday. Plenty of beachfront shops & cafes. Don't be put off, if you're not expecting the Ritz you'll enjoy it.

We have just returned from 4 nights at the Planamar Hotel in Malgrat de Mar, and were very disappointed. The rooms although clean were tiny, this would have been alright had it not been for the paper thin walls and other holiday guests very loud and agressive behaviour. Fights heard - many, ambulance - 1! This was in the quiet season, i would not want to visit in the middle of the busy season. The food was edible, however we chose to eat out for all meals except breakfast so the money spent on AI was a waste. I would not recommend this as a childrens hotel. Our holiday was wonderful but this was due the fact that we spent as little time as possible at the hotel. Malgrat de Mar itself seemed really quiet during the day, however really came alive at night with some fantastic spanish restuarants tucked away in the back streets. Barcelona was wonderful, and is really easy to get to by train, with the stop not far from the hotel. We used this as a way of traveling the coast, Blanes (1 stop away from Malgrat) is worth a visit, it has some fantastic eateries and botanical gardens. I would visit the area again, however i would spend more on the accommodation and go for higher stars to make it more enjoyable and relaxing.

We stayed at the Hotel Planamar for a week from 3/10/06 and were a bit apprehensive after reading some of the previous reviews. It would seem that people have slated the hotel rather than apply blame to where it really belongs and that can be summed up quite simply as BRITS ABROAD !!! There was a wide range of food available which included a salad bar, a choice of meat dishes, various pasta dishes, potatoes and vegetables. All the meals were tasty and well cooked. For Breakfast there was everything ranging from a full English breakfast to continental, cereal, toast and a never ending supply of fruit. The thing that most people seemed to object to with regards to the food was that it was not 'English' enough !!!! What everybody seems to forget is that they are in SPAIN not England so of course there is going to be some difference in the food !!! There also seemed to be an outcry if there was any kind of fish on the menu. Mackeral Salad, Calamari and whitebait were all served in addition to everything else on the menu and were all delicious. If your pallete can only cope with fish fingers and chips then I would suggest that you stay at home and eat just that !! The rooms are fairly small and basic but they are kept very clean. The ONLY fault that I could find with the hotel is that you can hear every little noise in the corridors from your room. This probably wouldnt be such an issue if the other guests were in the slightest bit more considerate with regards to noise ! Finally we found the staff to be extremely helpful and polite provided you treated them like human beings. For those people who chose to speak to them like they were some kind of second rate idiots they might have found them to be slightly less than helpful. In short, the only thing that is wrong with this hotel is the scummy clientelle that it seems to attract.

This was our First holiday abroad in 10 years and a bit of a put off. Bad stuff > 1st night there was a fight on 3rd floor so no sleep for fear. 2nd night police arrived for a disturbance 2nd floor. 3 rooms broken in to. I've never stayed somewhere where at least 50% of guest were complaining. Some couples upgraded to 4 star which we nearly did but we struggled through it. Food was if totally honest a 3 to 4 out of 10, very repetitive. Nice salad and pastas but meats unrecogniseable. If you like coffee take your own and use there hot water as its really bad. Free drinks are cheap crap and taste like it too but bearable if you stick to standard drinks like wine and beer. Very noisy all night in hotel and outside. Difficult to get to sleep all week. Just hope there is no footy on when you go. Beach is nice but not safe for young kids to swim as bit of a shear drop so its a pool job. Good stuff > We found the room clean and adequate. Staff in general quite helpful except the english lady on reception with attitude problems. Rooms kept clean daily. Waitresses nice enough. There was a free bus between the group of 12 hotels H Top have. swimming pool clean and kids liked it. We went to the casino Royale twice but not much better than planamar. Visited the Royal Sun a 4 star for an evening and this was lovely. should have stayed there. tried to move once but her on reception made you give up the will to live. Some nice local pubs both spanish or english nearby to get some fairly decent grub. Barcelona superb well worth the visit but stay a night if you can. LLoret better than malgrat. All in all if you find plenty to do and just sleep here you'll be ok as we did. if your a hotel all day person you'll hate it. Trains and public transport really cheap so get about. In fairness some of the people staying here were your typical british lager louts and ruined it for families. if you pay cheap as we did you get the undesireables where as a few bob more and you get a nicer hotel with a better group of people. all the 4 stars were fine. stayed 16th oct to 23rd oct 06.. Andy and Tina (isle of wight)