Catalonia Punta del Rey

7 readers found this review helpful

Just like most of you, I came here a few weeks ago to read the reviews about Hotel Del Rey. And, just like most of you I was somewhat hesitant, if not horrified.
Thankfully, everything turned out to be absolutely brilliant and we've had one of the best holidays of our lives. We don't usually do package holidays (this year was an exception) as we like to have a bit of independence, flexibility and prefer to spend time in an active way. This is why we went only for 5 nights - in case we didn't like it. Having arrived back home a few hours ago I can say with confidence that I would not mind going back, even tomorrow, for 5 more.
Now, all the facts!
Getting to Del Rey:
If you are flying to the southern airport then get bus number 111. Costs around 5 euros per person one way. As you exit the airport there is a tourist information office - get your bus schedule and maps there.
An alternative is the taxi service, but you will pay between 50 - 60 euros. Most people chose the taxi, but I think it's a waste of money. Forget about haggling too.
Location:
Las Caletillas is somewhat off the beaten track as, from what we've heard, most tourists go to the southern part of the island. The surrounding area is quiet and a good choice if you'd rather stay away from the party-hard tattooed ape types. On the other hand, if you have a driving license you can rent a car at the hotel for around 30 euros and easily get to all the tourist attractions.
Public transport is great too - there is a bus stop some 200m from the hotel, that will take you to Santa Cruz or Candelaria. Alternatively, there is a bus stop 600m away next to the motorway if you'd like to get to the southern part of the island.
Facilities and surrounding area:
Facilities are pretty good - most of the stuff listed on their website is true. One disappointment - the ocean pool is 'officially' closed and not maintained. However, on a windy day, at high tide, the pool will fill itself up with seawated and can be enjoyed (at your own risk).
Local beaches are fairly poor - just black sand that is not pleasant to walk on and rocky oceanfloor. It's great for a walk, the sights and a bit of sunbathing but not for swimming. If you want white sand and crystal-clear water then you DEFINITELY want to go to San Andreas, which is to the north-east of Santa Cruz.
Rooms:
Balcony, TV, aircon and a ceiling fan in (I think) every room. Beds in double rooms are actually two singles, rather than one double. Safes available, but at an extra cost (around 20 euros a week). Rooms are well-maintained and cleaned regularly.
Food:
A really wide choice of food available. Great salads, vegetarian options, few kinds of meat etc. Even though we're not big fans of seafood, we've seen frutti di mare at least twice and caviar once.
Service and staff:
Very good and friendly - if you are friendly and polite. Don't expect them to pamper you if you constantly moan. Learn a bit of Spanish to easily get on their good side.
Nothing ever went missing from our room.
Not everyone speaks English, so you may sometimes have to improvise if you don't know a single word in Spanish.
Entertainment:
There is some sort of a performance every evening, and the quality is pretty good. Expecially kids seemed to really enjoy it. If you booked an all inclusive holiday, free unlimited drinks definitely help to enjoy all the performances :)
Bad bits:
If you intend to sunbathe in the pool area then you may struggle to find an available sunbed. People tend to queue for them at 9 in the morning, leave their towels, thus 'booking' them and then disappear for hours. Not a problem with the hotel itself, just the guests abusing the system. Hang about for a moment and you will eventually find a sunbed.
Overall:
Highly recommended - would definitely go there again and recommend to friends and family.
Not sure why the hotel got so many negative reviews, although we suspect it might be down to the arrival date. One would think that the hotel is at it's best in the middle of the season.
Tip:
It's easy to meet great people, as the hotel is massive. We've met some great people there and enjoyed our evenings even more.
Feel free to send me an email if you would like more info :)

3 readers found this review helpful

I spend a lovely holidays in this hotel, all staff is lovely, good food, but not that much variety in dessert(that sad)))). planning to came back there

10 readers found this review helpful

Just come back from a 1 week stay at this hotel, and felt compelled to write a review as my husband and I could not believe we were at the same hotel that we had read about in some reviews. We found the hotel to be exceptionally clean, the staff were all friendly, the food was of an acceptable standard. I am a fussy eater but always found something to my liking.There was no problem getting drinks on the AI package, the only time these were served in plastic beakers was, as you would expect in the pool area.The sea pool area was especially nice, although the pool was not full, and the area could have been improved with a toilet and somewhere to eat. However, it was only across the road from the hotel. It was quiet in the resort whilst we were there, although I would imagine it gets quite busy in the summer season. Even so I do not think it would be lively enough for the younger generation. Although, there was a group of young people there who seemed to be really enjoying themselves. It is a very nice walk along the seafront to the next resort.Do take beach towels as they are not supplied. Our only complaint would have been that the walls were rather thin, so there was not much privacy.We would recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxing week.

5 readers found this review helpful

just come back from this dirty hotel all i can say is dont go the beds are dirty the pools are dirty dont waste your money stone cold food catered more for the spanish people not much going on for the brits can only get 1 drink half full from the bar the staff look at you like your asking for a free drink when you have payed up front for food and drink will never go to this hotel again it is a 2star dont no who rated it a 4 star plus they must have been drunk at the time

66 readers found this review helpful

To all those people who leave rubbish reviews, if you after high class quality and expect to be treated by royalty then go and book a bloody over priced over rated cruise !!!!
We booked a week at this resort and we got there on the sunday afternoon. OK the hotel doesnt look much form the outside but you cant always judge on first impressions. We were met at reception by the staff who were pleasant and helpful, sorted out our room. and up we went. can i addd also that the reception area is very large and was noticeably clean and tidy. the only drawback is that it was very warm and there was no air con in this reception area.
The room was very adequate, spacious and clean and tidy. the toilet had a hygiene seal on it and the bathroom was very clean as was the balcony area. room had an aircon unit and a ceiling fan which helped during the hot nights. We opted for the use of the safe in the wardrobe, whcih was 18euro for the week, 10 euro being refuned at the end. Room also had a colour tv and telephone. Most channels were spanish but Channel 10 was the FOX channel and showed most us shows, simpsons/family guy/house/cold/case/ghost whisperer etc so werent short of something to watch now and again.
The shower was really good and powerful i might add and the rooms were cleaned daily regardless of us not putting the little door notice on the outside of the door. the cleaners were corteous and always knocked a few times before entering and they understood fine if we asked them to come back the next day!.
The food was actually very good. to all of you that complain, for gods sake you go on holiday to experience a different culture, not do what youd do at home???? but they had a wide range of fruits meats cheeses for b/fast also including cereals, toast, rolls, croissants and they ddi have sausages (albeit spanish variety), bacon, eggs, beans etc. Lunch was a varied range as was dinner, yes there was some repetetiveness during the week but they have to cater for their market and can i add that the majority of guests at the time we were there were spanish. they also had a fresh pasta and pizza service at dinner which was very nice indeed.
The pool area was spacious with plenty of room and the pool bar small but aduequate. it did get busy but the staff were always very nice and helpful. yes the pool is cold?? but when its so hot in the sun you need a nice cold pool to cool off in.
It tended to cater for the more senior holidaymaker but there were plently of young couples and families there also. there were activities for the kids duringthe day and the entertainment did their best in the evening to try and cater for all.
Overall this was a very nice hotel with friendly staff and good facilities. very clean and tidy and albeit in the middle of a little rural town, there isnt much outwith the hotel but its quiet and peaceful and great if you want a relaxing time on holiday.

19 readers found this review helpful

As many of the other comments are quite negative we accepted this hotel with some reservations - we simply wanted Christmas in the sun and had left it until late. We took our 8year old daughter.
On arrival the hotel was very clean and whilst somewhat dated we were quite pleased. Ok so some of the reception floor tiles were broken and paint was peeling in some areas but we have stayed in far worse London hotels.
The room was comfortable and cleaned daily - quite adequate for us and our daughter. The pool was too cold for us as the weather was around 20degrees and the pool didn’t seem to be heated. The food was acceptable for a 'Spanish' resort and we ate ok - on Christmas Day and New Years Eve a special menu was provided which was a great thought but not really to our taste.
Overall the area is very quiet with little to do (certainly at this time of year) but we hired a car for around £15 a day and had great fun exploring the island.
I would certainly stay there again as despite some of the other comments - It isn’t as bad as some people have made out - infact it appeared that some other rooms were being re-furbished to a higher standard than the one we stayed in.
To sum up - accommodation clean and perfectly acceptable.
Food- breakfast was fine, lunch great if you enjoy salad every day. and dinner acceptable but plenty of local eateries - great Chinese just down the road.
Other facilities - pool looked ok but too cold (December) all else perfectly ok.

6 readers found this review helpful

Having read so many negative comments about Imperial Travel we were very wary about booking with them. However, as their price was extremely competitive we went ahead and have no regrets whatsoever about doing so! I contacted them three or four times in total and on each occasion found them to be very pleasant and willing to give me their names (even though I hadn't confirmed that we intended to book with them).
We eventually made our booking through Leon, who was extremely helpful and phoned me back within minutes when I had a query. Our whole experience was a positive one and we would have no hesitation in booking with Imperial Travel again. They would get full marks from us!
The hotel was alright - we chose it following recommendation from a friend. The hotel staff were very helpful and the hotel itself was spotlessly clean. The location is a smallish town and the surrounding scenery was nowhere near as impressive as on the western side of the island. We were pleased that we had hired a car rather than have to rely on buses.
There aren't a great number of bars/restaurants nearby and in fact some hotel guests even chose to travel to the beach in the next town - albeit the hotel do provide two large areas for sunbathing, one on each side of the road.

4 readers found this review helpful

Like most people who have added reviews of this hotel and holiday resort I had wondered what on earth I had let myself in for prior to my vacation. However I must say that it isn't (hotel) as bad as some have said.
I stayed on an all inclusive basis and to be fair couldn't fault it. I travelled with my partner and as a young couple we found it to be too quiet and with respect, full of very old retired people therefore wouldn't recommend it to young people looking for a good time holiday with lots to do.
The resort shall we call it was a complete joke and was situated in the middle of nowhere literally with absolutely nothing to do outside of the hotel facilities. We took a bus ride into Santa Cruz to pass some time but found this to be a huge disappointment and not worth the bother.

Overall the holiday was a bit of a disappointment on the whole purely for the fact if its poor location. I wouldn't recommend it to those who haven't yet booked a holiday here although those of you who have already booked your stay don't worry too much just don't expect too much!

4 readers found this review helpful

Like most people, after reading some negative reviews, I was apprehensive.
Having never been to Tenerife before, I wasn't aware we were a 30 minute drive (travelling at 120kph - interesting to say the least) from the America's. (Which is exactly like Magaluf if you have ever been there).
So every time you want to go on an excursion, you have to be driven 30 minutes down the road to meet up with everyone else. We must have been backwards and forward 6 times, which gets a little tedious, nevertheless, the excursions we went on were cool.
Bearing in mind my partner and I are only 21 and 23, we went on this Jeep Safari that took you around the Island and up into the national park where the volcano El Teide is, we found out it’s the second most active volcano in the world, all interesting stuff.
I wasn't so keen to start off with, it all sounded a bit cultural when my partner explained it, but I enjoyed it. On the way back down from the mountains is an extremely scary experience as the roads are built round the protected environment, several thousand feet up and doing hairpin corners in an ancient rust bucket jeep is one for thrill seekers.
We also went on a Whales and Dolphin tour round the island on a Catamaran, it’s a long and drawn out tour and expensive! Oh, and you have to watch out for the Spanish kids, seriously lacking in manners! They'd rather tread on you than excuse themselves!
The hotel was nice, and it is 4 star by Spanish standards. The staff are ever so helpful.
There was a lot of confusion over our transfers on the last day, and two of the staff on reception looked into it thoroughly and managed to organise a new transfer, completely free of charge. If it wasn't for those two (Leticia & Tomas I think were there names) we would be paying for a taxi!
The entertainment was okish, the amount of coffin dodgers was unbelievable though, and I’m talking about men and women who look like they've been retired for 20 years!
The food was nice, not a lot of vegetarian options, however, I didn't go hungry. My partner enjoyed the choice of meats and seafood! Lots of Salad and different types of rolls. There is also a Pizza bar during the evenings at no extra cost to All Inclusive customers.
The pool is the biggest let down, I'm like a fish on holiday and love going for a swim to cool down, however, it was pretty rancid, all week I only saw it cleaned once. There was a film of sunscreen, and round the edges there were all sorts of things floating! Not nice. I even saw one dirty Spanish man cleaning out his nose in the pool... I tried to tell him off, but he didn’t understand.
All in all though a nice and relaxing break, and a cheap little getaway, my only advice is don’t be put off by negative reviews, go, and make your own decisions.

1 reader found this review helpful

We booked this holiday through Fleetway Travel as a late deal and we thought that we got a steal yet we did not know what we had booked ourselves into - 'the holiday from hell'.
Upon arrival at the airport in Tenerife we found the rep (from Resorthoppa) who told us that we had been put down on his transfer list for the wrong hotel. He told us along with another rep that we had to wait at the airport for them to drop the other passengers off in the South then come back for us in about 20 minutes to take us to the North. We waited 25-30 minutes no one returned for us so we had to get a taxi to our resort which cost us a further 42 euros (we had already paid £40 extra for transfers).
We eventually arrived at the hotel after a very long journey to find we were in the middle of nowhere - even though we had asked for a quite lively area upon booking. (There are no pubs, bars or even restaurants in the vicinity).
On our first day we woke up to disgusting food and noisy Spanish people retreating from the South for their holiday which is apparently a very common occurrence. It also rained all day we had to stay indoors and there was absolutely nothing whatsoever to do apart from sit around bored.
The second day it rained again, nothing to do. Spoke to a rep told him that we was not happy at all and wanted moving as nothing was up to the standards that we had expected (we are not snobs just your average middle class people). We were told it was 4 stars so expected to have a smashing holiday.
The rep told us that we had to pay to be moved so we paid because we would have gone mad staying there for a second longer. There were other groups that were complaining at the same time and the rep said that he dealt with complaints like this every week - people not happy at all with the standard of the hotel.
Once moved to the South (hotel Esmaralda) we were finally happy very nice clean hotel 4 star. All together we had to pay about £500 to be moved, not happy!
Once home, made a complaint about disappointing holiday, basically told that we hadn’t been left in airport, Catalonia was 4 stars and that they wouldn’t reimburse us with the extra charges to be moved. Absolutely disgusting will never ever use Fleetway again.
Beware you have been warned, what a waste of money!