Macael

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It's fair to say that wherever you chose to go on holiday, which country, resort, board basis and tour operator you use, there will always be good and bad points to make on reflection. When reflecting on our recent 2 weeks at the Macael apartments and resort of Roquetas, unfortunately I have to say that there are more bad than good points.
Firstly the complex itself. The apartments are perhaps the most spacious ones we've ever stayed in. They are simply but tastefully decorated, tidy and cleaned twice per week. Towels and beds are also changed twice weekly. There was a good sized living room area, balcony, dining area, open plan kitchen, good sized twin bedroom with ample storage and a very clean bathroom with well maintained appliances. The bad points are mainly the fact that as this is supposed to be a self-catering facility, the average family of 4 would struggle in this respect. we only had a 4-ring hob but no oven, toaster or microwave. we were the lucky ones though as many of the other guests we spoke to only had 2 hobs. Clearly these facilities are inadiquate, making it very difficult to self-cater, as it were, forcing most people to eat out more often than they might have budgeted for.
The pool and surrounding areas are without doubt the nicest weve seen on any of our previous holidays. The pool layout is excellent, well maintained and very child-friendly. The gardens are also very pleasing on the eye, making this an excellent environment to relax in. There are however a few bad points to all this. Firstly, each person pays 1.50 euros per sun lounger per day. this was a sore point for me personally, as it was unexpected and eats into your holiday spends if your there every day. The key here is to make sure you're all in the pool when the attendant comes to collect your money. We only got away with this once as he is very sneaky and seems to appear at any time and from any direction. Also the patio area outside the bar is in dire need of a revamp as is the eyesore of an old stage/activity area to the corner of the pool area. The bar is ok and the staff friendly and helpful. The reception lady we found to be helpful and friendly although we heard different opinions from other guests. I can't really comment on the reps as we did not use their services or seek their advice on any issues.
Other bad points are the fact that, unlike any other places we've visited, the pool is not open until 11am, the bar is closed very early, around 10pm, reception is closed on wednesdays, although there is a phone number for emergencies or lost keys. (at a cost of 20 euros)
The pool and bar is shared between Macael and Moguima apartments, which are mostly filled with spanish people and a sprinkling of brits, germans and french although this is not an issue.
The resort itself is very low key with plenty of bars and restaurants but virtually no nightlife at all. Basically, if your after a busy resort with a range of entertainment at night then my advice to you is to steer well clear of Roquetas. This is where spanish people come for their holidays, short breaks or days out by the sea. The place is a virtual ghost town by day but at around 9 or 10 at night they come out in their thousands with their children, eat and drink and wander around. Roquetas has a very spanish feel to it and does not cater for those who seek some night time entertainment, apart from one or two bars which try, quite poorly to buck the trend, with large screen tv's, british soaps and football and poorly attended karaoki.
It would be harsh to generalise and say that all the locals were unfriendly and unwelcoming, so i will tactfully say that I had issues with a large minority of them. I found lots of them, particularly in the supermarket and on the crouded pavements at night, to be quite ignorant, making you step off the pavement whilst we allow them to pass and brushing past you without a word of thanks or apology. We and many other guests we spoke to felt quite unwelcome overall. It's safe to say that our foreign language skills are not quite up to the standards of some of our european counterparts, but at the end of the day politeness is the same in any language.
It's not all doom and gloom though. The restaurants are many and varied, from the usual british fry up and everything with chips, (yawn!) to the more continental choices in some of the restaurants and tapas bars tucked away, if you feeling more adventurous. Beware though, the resort is infested with flies. Maybe it's the heat, i don't know, but be prepared to share your evening meal with them.
The beach is uncrouded and very pleasant. It is a sand/shingle type beach which I found to be quite a plus as it can easily be shaken from the toes when dry and does'nt annoy you all day like the traditional sand does. The resort is generally quite clean and high-rise hotels are at a minimum, although there does seem to be a local problem with graffiti in some parts.
Overall, if you want a quiet, relaxing week or two, nice quiet beach, local food and culture away from the traditional, stereotypical british package holiday to Spain, then this is the place for you. If, like us you want a combination of quiet, local culture but with the option of something to look forward to in the evenings, other than just dining with the flies every night, then I would avoid Roquetas.