Reviews of Aqua Hotel Onabrava, Santa Susanna, Spain

Nice Hotel - Shame about the Area

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

sgordon2

Comments:

Just got back from half term holidays in Spain, we booked flights directly with Ryan Air and from Bournemouth to Girona the flight time was only 1hr 45. The flights only cost £140 for four of us so a bargain really. Taxi from airport cost 60 Euros including tip and it was the same coming back. The hotel is listed as 4 star and we found it modern, clean and appealing. Dinner was amazing for the choices available, carvery, soups, salads, fish, meat, vegetarian etc all in a massive buffet operation, but while quantity was outstanding, quality was average, some things were tasty, other items had us getting new plates and choosing again! We obviously went at the very end of the hotel season, so it wasnt full and I can imagine the race for sunbeds in the height of summer must be a pain, the pool is fabulous and if like us you have a rainy day there is an indoor one too, but the hotel charges 6 Euros per adult and 3 per child to use it. The hotel also charges for safe hire and fridge hire in your room if you want them, require a deposit of 15 euros per towel hire, you can pay 20 or 35 euros for a mini bar pack (drinks only). Our kids loved the Kids club and kids entertainment (aimed really at 4 to 10 year olds) there were two tabletennis tables outside and a very small amusements so again whilst not affected I think that maybe teenagers would be bored here a little other than using the pool there is not much else for them. BAr drinks were expensive for spirits 7.20 euros for a southern comfort and lemonade, spanish beer and wine great value though. The area of Santa Susanna is basically a 10 year old 2 mile strip of hotels along the seafront on the way to Malgrat de Mar, this is where you find the souvineer shops, discos, british pubs and local bars. The boulevard walk into Malgrat is modern and pleasant with cafes and bars along the way but this time of year they were mostly closed. In between the hotel boulevard and the sea runs the local train service which takes you all the way into Barcelona for 6.5 euros each. This was a 1hr 10min journey and we enjoyed the daytrip to the city. The beqach at Santa Susanna is not pleasant. Think of lovely sandy beaches at Bournemouth, Cornwall or Scarborough and then you have this, what can really be described as gravel. The beach slopes steeply into the sea meaning young ones should stay well clear. Our 10 year old, a good swimmer could not stand up, with the gravel giving way under his feet and the waves knocking him over we only lasted 20 minutes on the beach before coming off. I know other Spanish resorts will have much better beaches than Santa Susanna. All the staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful even if not all spoke english and our Spanish was limited we still got on ok. Being a popular hotel with the Spanish too, who bus in for shows in the mini theatre and while we were there, weddings took place in the hotel. This leads to a bit of noise in the hotel corridors upto about midnight. On our last morning we even had the maid burst in on us sleeping at 8am expecting the room to be empty but the manager did apologise. During our stay there was an equal mix of Brits, dutch, german and french. Everyone got on well and seemed very sociable. We got a 1st floor room so had no sea view but if you go I suggest asking for a room on floor 3 or higher!!! All in all a lovely hotel, a great choice of average food in an average location. We are glad we went, the kids loved it but we wont be back to Santa Susanna!!!

holiday at santa sussanna

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Other - Please Specify

Submitted By:

ron bev

Comments:

I have just returned from a brilliant two weeks at the Aqua Hotel Onabrava
with my wife daughter and son in law,food was of a very high standard and varied too. The staff were pleasant at all times.
Only down point was having to leave at the end of the holiday as every norning at breakfast if you wanted there was bottles of cava which you just helped yourself to by the glassful if you felt like can recommend this hotel to anyone thinking of going there, anybody reading this and does go to the Ona Brava if they see Francis around the restuarant please tell him Ron and Shaun were saying hello he is usually on the desk in the restuarant or at the door of it welcoming guests.

only arrived back home yesterday...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

bargain holiday direct

Submitted By:

Miss P Fowler

Comments:

only arrived back home yesterday after a weeks family holiday in this fantastic hotel,this was the first family holiday abroad with 3 children the youngest 3 and twins at 6,the hotel is spot on the highest understand of cleaniness i have ever seen staffs were excellent and the food was to die for..the twins had a great time in the kids club which was open most of the day the youngest had a great time in the swimming pool outside although it was icy cold to cold for me and my partner but kids thought it was great.

The area in general was ok but theres not to much to do theres one main strip of shops,pubs etc once you have walked it then thats it,there is a park for kids just up the road from the onabrava the sea is just across the road the beach isnt sand though its more like gravel but still enjoyable,we have a lovely first family holiday abroad all in all we enjoyed it and so did the kids..

This Hotel was first class,...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

northern coach holidays

Submitted By:

Miss Brenda Vickers

Comments:

This Hotel was first class, could not find a bad thing to say about it! We stayed for 14 nights and from arriving to leaving we had superb service from all levels of staff. The rooms were cleaned daily plus change of towels daily. Dinning room service was excellent, and the food well what can I say, I have been travelling around the world for the last 30 years, and I have never come across a Hotel that is good at everything, from helpfulness of staff, at all levels. Good choice of food and quality was excellent, I am a very fussy eater! but the choice of food men't I was always satisfied. The Hotel was in a good postion, near to beach , resort, all the shops. Santa sussanna is not the prettiest of places but it has lot's of character, and is a very flat area so good for walking. And across the road is the rail station you can visit other resorts from here very cheaply. The hotel I think is far superior to other 4 star hotels I have stayed in. The hotel is a very nice building, lots of rooms large Reception area with bars, night club, piana bar. The pool area is also very organised, plenty of sun beds, so no need to get up at 4 in the morning to grab a place! lol. nice large pools 2 of them nice pool bar also. All I can say is that i had a great holiday in great surroundings, with excellent staff that went all out to make sure that everybody is having a great time. Can't wait to go back

Just returned from our two week...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

siesta coach holidays

Submitted By:

Mr A P SAUNDERS

Comments:

Just returned from our two week holidays at the hotel aqua onabrava in Santa Susanna. No doubt was the best hotel we have stayed at on all the Costa Brava. I truly could not fault the hotel, the staff we very friendly and glad to help all they could. The hotel was spotlessly clean with the rooms being cleaned daily. The Animation team must be the best on the costa with all activities for all age groups, from aqua gym,archery,football, tennis, table tennis, water volleyball, water rugby, rifle shooting etc . All the team was very friendly and between them all i think they spoke all languages. The bar was very nice with entertainment on every night whether it was on the terrace or in the music bar the entertainment was very professional from parrot show, flamenco dancing, belly dancing, acrobatic comedy act also the animation team shows which are very funny. My overall review of this hotel is well worth 4 stars excellent rooms super pool indoor and outdoor,spotlessly clean restaurant with lots of variety, its an excellent family holiday hotel and would recomend this holiday to anybody. We will definately be going there again in the near future.

I can agree with all stated by...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

GreatLateDeals.co.uk

Submitted By:

Mr A J Naylor

Comments:

I can agree with all stated by others regarding the hotels standards, cleanliness food etc, I can only add the following: The hotel was quite busy with unattached youngsters when we were there 16/19 year olds mostly German 22/06/08 ---- 06/07/08 there was a minority who liked to continue their partying upon their return from the club(s) until the early hours 1 / 3am one night 5am, reception agreed if the perpetrators could be found this would be stopped but that was easier said than done. Lastly I don’t know if this is new but the hotel has introduced a 1 euro sun bed charge per bed, this is during their high season, the cost is per day, this includes a towel, I thought this was a bit of a poor do for residents & families alike, you could now be totting up an extra 50euros or so for a 2 week stay for a family of 4, especially when the beds are not at their best, we just went to another hotel close by on the resort where like most other hotels the sun beds were free, I don’t know if they have really thought this one through, the hotel lost all our pools side food and drinks business, my only last grip was the early morning towel brigade, bearing in mind it was costing to bathe now, I was annoying to find my bed not quite where I remember it being, sorry to say mostly English were restructuring / claiming the most favorable bathing positions, I confronted one who said he had been coming for 6 years and this gave him the right, anyway don’t let me put you off we have been twice and I am sure we will be back.

I found the hotel to exceed my...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

Siesta Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr D Adams

Comments:

I found the hotel to exceed my expectations, which were high having read the reviews here and elsewhere! The hotel was kept exceptionally clean throughout, the staff were friendly and helpful and were able to speak English.



The rooms were barge, nice comfy beds, nice bathroom with a great shower! All seemed to have a balcony, although the view from where we were staying had nothing to offer so didn't really spend any time there!



The drinks were about average for the area, 2 euros for a can of coke, about 12 euros for house wines (didn't really like these, tasted way too cheap). Food was priced reasonably but only tried it once so can't really comment on that. The only thing this resort seemed to lack was a good restaurant, we walked around all over but could only find the same menu's and average food - the Hotel Mercury offered a reasonable steak and chips with helpful staff but thats about it.



The best thing we found at this particular hotel was the entertainment staff, Abel and Jack from Spain and Holland were the main entertainers during the daytimes and evenings. I somehow managed to get dragged up for the Mr Onabrava too (which I won!), well worth watching some of the entertainment acts they put on, they are fantastic! One warning, if you watch the parrot show, they come around taking pictures with you and the parrot(s), they charged us 20 euros for 2 photos for this, so be ready with plenty of money if you want these!



The pool area is great here, large and never really seemed to be a lack of sun beds. The male life guard didn't like anyone having any inflatables in the pool however, so be warned! The female life guard didn't seem too bothered though!



Out of the hotel, the train station is immediately opposite the hotel and can take you through many different areas for almost no cost - we paid 6.40 euros each for a return ticket to Barcelona - and thanks to the helpful lady working at the train station, we were able to find a couple of things we hadn't heard about, such as a market a few junctions down.



We had a go on a buggy from Daves Rentals, not cheap at 60 euros, but was nice for an hour, fun to drift around on the sandy areas of the mountains (dont worry, you follow a staff member, so wont get lost!). We also visited Blanes which seemed nice, although not too much to do there!



Had a go on one of the flying blue boats you see whizzing up and down the coast all day, expensive and to be honest, rubbish! Its very very windy, nauseating and expensive!



We went to the Medieval night, which is about 46 euros per person, the coach picks you up just round the corner and takes you there before the show starts (and returns you when its finished). Along with the medieval show, you also get the flamenco dancing show afterwards too. In all honesty, I felt this was a great build up event, you turn up to a very realistic looking castle, internally is all realistic too, you walk to the main hall where you line up in classic old style rows, lots of drinks in front of you to drink in your own time. The show however was a huge let down, very fake and childish, good for kids, bad for adults! The food was also awful so I would eat prior to going to this event!



The last thing to mention really is a small pub about 10 minutes walk from this hotel, The Ship, a scottish bar. Great atmosphere and friendly staff, Karen and Kay in the evenings and Paul during the daytimes. Its on the other side of the road just after the promenade, if you cross over on the bridge (theres only one of these!) its a 2 minute walk to the left after this.

We would highly recommend the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr N ROOK

Comments:

We would highly recommend the Onabrava hotel for familys we took our 3 year old boy and he loved it,the staff where excellant and the rooms where large and cleaned daily,i put 6lb in weight on with the food,great location not noisy, lovely pools, this hotel is easily the best in the resort (we had a good look round the others),lots of people we met had been there before and returned because they loved it ,we will go back !!

I went on holiday with 4 other...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Miss K Kerr

Comments:

I went on holiday with 4 other friends from uni to Aqua Hotel Onabrava on September 2007. We thought it was an excellent hotel and just what we were looking for. It is a beautiful hotel, very clean and we had excellent service. The rooms were lovely and the complete decor to the whole place was stunning.



It was a very quiet and relaxing hotel with quite a few things on offer to do. Alot of the residents at the hotel were of retirement age and there were a few families, which was excellent for us. If you want a quite relaxing holiday this is the place to go.



We thought the food in the hotel was quite good; it was all buffet style food. The hotel tried to cover food from all nationalities, some of which we didn't like but there was always something on that you could eat! Lots of fresh fruits and salads and ice-cream every night which was so good!



The entertainment in the hotel was OK but we were there off high season in late September.



The weather was excellent the week when we were there, we only had one mild day and the rest of the days were hot. The train station is just across the road and the train fare is very cheap, (you cannot hear the train from the hotel was brilliant). The hotel is situated and the surrounding area is situated on completely flat land and there are no hills in the immediate area. The beach is also just across the road from the hotel, although it is a shingle beach and the gradient of the beach is very steep when you are going into the water.



We went to the Water Park in Lloret de Mar (www.waterworld.es/index_idioma.html) this was fab for those who are into water slides, we went here on the mild day and there were no queues to wait in but apparently when the weather is really hot the queues are really long. A must to go to though!



We also went to the Marine world animal Park which was situated near to Santa Susanna. Marine world has more than 300 animals, dolphin and sea lion shows, it was really good. Though very similar to animal parks in Tenerife etc... Bus stop situated just outside the hotel for this.



We went to Barcelona and took the train ourselves, we did not use the organised tours as they worked out as too expensive and we managed to do the same for alot cheaper. You get the train right outside the hotel and it takes just over an hour to get to Barcelona. We then bought an open top bus tour ticket and got on and off the bus all day. The city is beautiful, steeped in history and has lots of shops.



The market comes to Santa Susanna every Tuesday morning and the market takes place just across the road from the hotel. It's very good.



Every night after dinner we walked along the front outside the hotel and walked towards Santa Susanna town (Aqua Onabrava is situated at the furthest end of Santa Susanna). The walk into Santa Susanna had beautiful little stalls of crafts, jewellery etc right the way along the road each night. They also have a fairground with bumper cars and rides for kids that operate at night, kids would love this.



The only negative part of the holiday we did not like is the walk to the local supermarket to get water etc. The supermarket is only a short distance away from the hotel however the hotel operator’s advice you to walk over very dry land to get there. This land is dangerous there are dogs roaming there. We stopped walking there. Either walk the long way round to the supermarket via the road or just get what you need from small shops nearer the hotel, although these shops are a bit dearer.



All in all this is an excellent hotel is excellent, which we would recommend it to anyone who wanted a very quiet relaxing holiday.

The hotel is located in a good...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Ferris

Submitted By:

Mr A Tejura

Comments:

The hotel is located in a good area. It is only a few minutes walk from the beach and the train station where you can get a train to Barcelona (roughly 6 Euros), and also a free bus to the two nearby water parks (waterworld and marine land).



As for the inside of the hotel, it looks great when you enter. The staff at the reception are very helpful and will try to help as much as they can. Only downside when arriving was we had to wait 2 hours for the rooms to be cleaned.



We had two rooms, both looked very nice and modern and both had two double beds. They both also had a fridge and safety deposit box but these had to be paid for. The room was cleaned to a high standard every day.



We had breakfast and evening dinner at the hotel. Both were very good and had a lot of variety. There is also quite a lot of choice for vegeterians, such as vegi burgers, pasta, mashed potatoes etc.



Overall we were very happy with the hotel, and couldn't really find anything wrong with it.

Excellent hotel, very clean....

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr T Whitley

Comments:

Excellent hotel, very clean. Maid service very good, nothing to much bother if you ask for anything.



Meals though are very German and Dutch orientated apart from that they were enjoyable.



Animacion team very good, in fact they are excellent. They try to get everybody involved, if you don't want to do it they don't pester you.



All hotel staff very friendly and approachable, all in all highly recommended for all ages.



Would go back again.

Just returned from 2 weeks at...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr R Giles

Comments:

Just returned from 2 weeks at The Ona Brava Hotel 8-22 June 2006. Hotel very clean and spacious, good reception and facilities. Room excellent with good sea view (No.521).



Downside was the food, not 4 star standards, have had much better in lower grade hotels.

Location on promenade at Santa Susanna, nice quiet area, with more entertainment only a short walk away. Beach very gritty sand and not to safe for young children to bathe in sea, steep drop into water.



Summary, Hotel very good, area very nice, but eat out.

Spent 2 weeks HB at Onabrava...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Med Hotels

Submitted By:

Ms C Graham

Comments:

Spent 2 weeks HB at Onabrava Hotel. Rooms were spotless and spacious with 2 x double beds & large balcony overlooking pool with sea & mountain view.



Hotel staff were good, nice reception area & pool - the hotel in general was spotless. Gym & indoor pool etc were additional cost.



Excellent choice of food on most days, some days better than others.



Good beach nearby with nice clean & safe walkway directly outside the hotel which had market stalls (not too tacky!) at nights.



Only downsides - naff entertainment in hotel (to be expected in hotels!) & not much to do in the resort itself however great rail link (across the road from hotel) leading to Barcelona, where there are tons of things to see and do.

Fantastic hotel. Clean and...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2005

Tour Operator:

Festive Getaways

Submitted By:

Mr T Blur

Comments:

Fantastic hotel. Clean and everything that a four star hotel should be. We arrived by coach and immediately checked in. The rooms were spotless and with balconies overlooking the sea. Most rooms appear to have two double beds and plenty of space.



The food was excellent with a wide choice to cater for all tastes. The hotel staff were very good and the hotel was full over the Christmas break but everything ran smoothly and efficiently. It is worth mentioning that the choice and sheer quantity of food on tap is amazing. Drinks are not included in the main meals although coffee and juices are free with breakfast.



Everything about this hotel is good. The pool which we couldn’t use due to it being too cold in December would have been ideal in the summer. There is an indoor pool and gym although this is charged out at 6 euro.



Safety deposit boxes are advisable. These can be rented for 26 euro with 10 euro refunded when you hand in your key and check out.



We booked with Festive Getaways on a coach trip from the UK. 24 hours in a coach is a nightmare and we would not do it again but the hotel more than made up for it. The tours are very expensive for what you get and public transport is so cheap and efficient. You can get to Barcelona and back on the metro for 7 euros rather than pay 30 euros for a coach tour.



Make sure you visit Montserrat too. Its about half an hour from Barcelona.



Santa Susanna is a small resort which is beautifully maintained with clean wide walkways and promenade. The sandy beach is beautiful and stretches for miles.

My elderly mum and myself,...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Miss T Blake

Comments:

My elderly mum and myself, arrived early in the morning check-in was straight forward with very well presented, friendly, English speaking staff. Hotel décor is very tasteful and modern.



Found our room on the 4th floor which was quite a good size, clean and tidy with everything you’d expect from a 4 star hotel. The room was quite spacious for the two of us....two large double beds, clean linen on the beds, a TV (lots of channels mainly Spanish and German, only 2 English channels, both news ones), a safe box (which you can get a lock and key from reception, costs €23 for a week of which €10 is a deposit that you get back on check-out). The balcony area is quite nice (ours overlooked the sea) and the bath/shower room was absolutely spotless.



The food was of a good standard a lot of choice due to the variety of guests in the hotel, such as Spanish, German, Dutch and of course English. I must say though there was not a lot of food for kids and it did go cold very quickly (due to hot plates not being too hot and cool air-conditioning). Overall though the food was good and you could eat as much as you liked so you wouldn’t go hungry. The restaurant staff were very good and were very quick with cleaning tables, bringing you drinks etc.



The hotel location was good, very quiet and a five minute walk from bus stop to Malgrat de Mar (€1.15) and a train station, where you can get the train to Barcelona (only €6 return, bargain!) which in itself is a fabulous city.



The hotel entertainment was a bit naff, some nights there was virtually nothing on at all, so we went to a different hotel!



I'd definitely visit this hotel again, it was just so nice and quiet.



As far as the resort goes…

Santa Susanna is quite small and quiet, ideal for families, couples and older people who just want to sit back and relax.

My mum has problems with mobility and she found the resort perfect… no steep hills in the general vicinity of the resort.



The beach is about a five minute walk from the hotel, the only downfall is that you have to walk down an underpass (under the railway lines) to get to it.....the beach is made of quite course sand and shelves off quite steeply into the sea (so be careful if you have kids with you), but very clean and it wasn’t busy at all when we went there in mid September.



There are a variety of small modern shops and cafes nearby which are very quiet and relaxing, if you want more life and action, walk about 500metres down the road to Malgrat, where there are lots of shops and restaurants and it is a lot busier. At night lots of little stalls are set up all along the main street selling everything from beaded jewellery to shoes, there is also a market on every Tuesday.



It is spotlessly clean and tidy, its very modern and feels very safe, especially when walking around at night.



Entertainment is a bit on the thin side though….apart from the hotels there’s isn’t a lot going on at night and during the day we tended to get the bus to neighbouring Malgrat or get the train to other parts of the Costa Brava (Barcelona, Blanes, Calella). There were boat trips available and water sports on the beach if you’re feeling energetic.



We would definitely visit Santa Susanna again.



We booked with Thomas Cook and my only criticism is that the Reps were a little too young, we’d have liked to have seen an older, more experienced Rep who had more knowledge of the local area and who took more interest in the holidaymakers and a little less on themselves and the fact that they were going home in a few days. This Rep in particular gave us very little information on the area and as to who would be taking over her post. Also there was very little choice when it came to excursions, a trip to Barcelona (€40) which you could do on the train, a jeep safari which wasn’t appropriate for older people and a medieval night (which we booked, but the bus didn’t show up after we walked to the "convenient" pick up point with was a 30minute walk from the hotel - also €40, which was refunded to us).



Never mind, overall we had a great holiday in a fabulous hotel.