Hotel Bali

13 readers found this review helpful

I have just returned from the Hotel Bali in Benalmadena after going with a group of 7 other girls for a hen party. I really couldn't fault the hotel and its facilities.
We arrived at 10 o'clock at night. Check in was very quick and easy, and the hotel staff had even saved us some salads for our tea!
The rooms were fine - no mod cons but absolutely spotless. The maids came round daily and changed the towels etc.
There are 2 main pools and a kids pool within the hotel. Both adult pools had plenty of sun loungers and they also had a pool bar each too.
The hotel runs an entertainment programme every night of the week which seemed ok but we didn't really stay to watch it as we went out at night.
Food was nice (much better than i expected it to be) There is alot of choice at breakfast and again for tea. Everything was kept well stocked so nothing ran out. The only thing i could suggest with the food is that they get another toasting machine coz sometimes there was a wait but it wasn't the end of the world.
Location wise, it was good, far enough away from the madness of 24 hour square but still within walking distance (even in heels!) I wouldn't recommend the hotel for people who are elderly or have difficulty walking though because its situated on quite a steep hill.
All in all, i really enjoyed my stay here and i would definately go to the Hotel Bali again.

9 readers found this review helpful

Myself, my husband and our then 4yr old daughter spent a week in Benalmadena and the Hotel Bali in August last year (2008) and it was amazing. It also happened to be the 1st heat wave they had seen in 10years, it was un-describable heat reaching between 37-41 every day and 25-28 at night, rooms are very well air conditioned!!
The staff are friendly and speak English very well, the room we had was clean and basic (which lets face it on holiday all you do is sleep in it) and the food was gorgeous...
Our daughter only went to the kids club 1 day but loved it. We spent some time beside the pools which were clean, no complaints. The night time entertainment was brilliant, it was all done by the hotel entertainment staff and had something different every night, including the Miss Bali 2008 competition, which I came 2nd in, very proud moment lol.
The hotel doesn't look appealing from the out side I will be honest but it is a different story once inside. It is situated on a hill but its not that bad, like all hills its harder getting up than down lol but its manageable, the hill leads straight down to the beach, it could not be easier finding it and its a lovely clean beach as well, just be ware of the people walking around trying to sell you EVERYTHING and I mean everything!
We booked up with Thompson and they had day trips to the big water park, the Crocodile Park which was incredible and also a day trip over to Gibraltar with the chance to shop and go see the Rock Apes and my favourite the Dolphins, well worth the money to do all of that it cost us about £200 which is brilliant!!
We also went to the Marina, which is where the Bomb scare happened. While we were over there it was a huge religious festival and while we were in the Marina, which is absolutely breath taking, we had police officers approaching us (who didn't speak English, typical) ushering us out of the marina, so rather than enjoying our lovely restaurant meal we had looked forward to we ended up in Mcdonolds (much to the delight of our daughter)...funnily while we were in there eating we heard the controlled explosion of the bomb, all very exciting. This isn't a usual event in Benalmadena but at that time it was the biggest religious festival in Europe...there was also a bomb threat in Malaga airport that night.

8 readers found this review helpful

Stayed at the Bali hotel from the 11th to the 18th of march.Could not fault the excellent food and service.Staff were lovely and efficient.Rooms were very clean and comfortable with daily maid service.Good varied entertainment if you needed it but if not there were plenty of bars etc in nearby "bonanza square" with lager at 1 euro a pint if you fancied a stroll.Benalmadena is a lovely clean resort which has retained it's charm and character since I last visited 23 yrs ago.However,it now has a large marina which joins it to it's neighbour Torremolinos.Also a visit to La paloma park with it's numerous birds{inc chickens and rabbits running freely is a must].One last thing,some people moaned about the steep incline upto the Bali but as a 63 yr old I found it no problem and I suffer from dodgy knees.However,there will always be a minority of people who will always look for negatives instead of getting on with what they are there for,to enjoy their holiday!

We have just returned from 4 days in the Bali and to be fair this was enough. On entering our room on arrival the shock was enough to make us turn around and head for the hills. We honestly thought we had stepped beck in time about 25 years, it was so old and worn.No handles on old decrepit sliding ( or rather what should have been sliding they were more like hanging )wardrobe doors, cigarette burns on every available surface, walls with patches of paint and plaster missing. Amongst an array of other things. On the plus side the maids were good and did their best to make good of a bad job. The bedding and towels were both very clean. The staff were friendly, well most of them anyway. All in all i would never recomend this hotel to anyone. We called it the tardis at the top of cardiac hill. NOT GOOD AT ALL. STEER WELL CLEAR. There is no way on earth this is a 3star hotel.

1 reader found this review helpful

Just returned from a week at the Barli How anyone can give a high score for this hotel is unbeliveable. The reception was a disgrace furniture dirty and ripped and should have been thrown out years ago. I am a smoker and the lounge that was provided absoulty stank and the furniture in here was worse than reception infact I brought a towel to sit on the sofas they were that dirty. When we arrived at 10 oclock were provided with a cold meal of salad and old chicken and choped pork just fit for the bin. The room my god had a terriable smell as did the 2 other rooms they showed us eventually given a room that was the best of three with the least smell and at least got a little sun in the morning some rooms do not get the sun at all. We were charged 30 erous to park the car in the hotel car park reps not interested. satilite tv well 2 english channels at best and news chanel reception hopless. Food hmmmmmmmmm
everything covered in grease plenty to chose from at breakfast evenings had one meal there made me ill and the noise from english and spanish pushing and shoving filling there plates to bursting as if they had never eaten for weeks. if your like caferteria food and lounging in sha bby soroundings like bingo and naff entertainment in and out of the hotel then go to the Barli you will not be dissapointed.
Beware at the airport thompson now way your hand luggage we paid 45euros although scales at hotel said we were only 1 klio over an old couple were charged 9erous for not even being a kilo over.
thompsons hotels are a load of rubbish and this last me holiday has decied me never to go with again so travelers beware

3 readers found this review helpful

just got back and would like to go again , staff were friendly and helpful. we had a studio in the hotel the room was clean and spacious and had everything we needed. being a smoker i was pleased they had a seperate smoking room near the bar area, lots of entertainment in hotel , also a games room . the pool area looked nice but being january it wasn't the weather for going in, they also have crazy golf. the area by the hotel had lots of cheap place to eat and drink and the beach was only a few minutes walk. wouldn't reccomend the area for disabled as it is very hilly and the pavement are to narrow and uneven for a whealchair.

1 reader found this review helpful

We stayed for a week at the Bali on a half board basis and it was ok, but not one of the best hotels we have stayed in. The rooms were quite small and in desperate need of a modern update-or even a lick of paint and change of curtains! Very 70's! There were a few chipped tiles on the floor and we had to pay a supplement for a shower. The room was very basic (no hairdryer-although we could hire one for the week from reception for 7euros and no kettle :-( ....but fairly clean all the same. Towels changed every day, beds made each day and changed two or three times for the week we stayed. We were in block 2, floor 3 and had a lovely view of the sea.
A lot of Spanish holiday makers were there at the same time as us and personally, we found most of them very rude when it came to queuing for the food at breakfast or evening meal-they basically pushed in or 'nudged' us along from behind to try and get us to move along quicker! Staff however were very friendly. Food was average and most of the same thing every night. Bacon in the morning very greasy and just soaking in fat. Evening meals seemed to be a lot of veal...one night it woud be plain and the following night, they would attempt to make it different by just covering it in sauce! The next night it would be veal again.
Lovely Marina nearby and highly recommend the Metro cafe bar on the Marina. It's also worth a walk into Torremolinos (approx 10 mins after you come to the end of the Marina) as it's really pretty there to walk along the prom with lots of restaurants and cafes-one serves gorgeous crepes with sweet and savoury fillings :-) Lots of shops called 'Andycraft' dotted along the Marina which sell lovely jewerllrey and wooden animals etc.
There was also a lovely brasserie on the prom just under the 'Triton' hotel. Can't remember the name of it but it had a big wooden monk by the menus. We had 2 steak and chips and a bottle of wine for 16euros...bargain! The steak was huge and very tasty!
Overall the holiday was very good. We got it at a bargain price so didn't mind the room so much but I wouldn't have been happy paying full price otherwise!

3 readers found this review helpful

myself husband and two children went to the bali in september 08 and had a great time.we were self catering and the apartment was of good size and cleaned often with fresh towels.the hotel its self is great for families and staff are very nice and always helpfull if needed.the kids club for children is brilliant and the thomson reps really do dedicate there selfs to there job amy and martin were fantastic with my two boys.we only wished we had booked for two weeks but will be returning next year hopefully for two weeks.

1 reader found this review helpful

I did not enjoy this hotel AT ALL.
Where can I start?! I think the worse thing about it is the quality of the service. By that I mean the way staffs treat customers. I speak English, French and Spanish very fluently and I talked to any of the staff in Spanish they answered in English! When I was asking for information (in spanish) I wouldn't get a proper respond but I asked in english I was treated like a queen!!! I don't find that normal! Other thing about the service is that waiters were swearing at people (and us) and insulting us in Spanish thinking we couldn't understand them. I am not impressed.
The food was a very big disappointment to me. Coming to Spain, you would think that you would get fresh fruits and fresh orange juice (from really orange), knowing that Spain is the biggest country to produce oranges! I would have loved to be able to have a proper Andalucian breakfast but instead we got everything for a full english breakfast and tined fruits. Could have just stayed in England for that!
The noise was an other issue. Holidays to me is to destress and relax. It was noisy every night from 7pm until 3am and again in the morning from 8am! Not a very restfull stay.
The only positive thing I found were the animations. good trips were organized and good night animation.
I would not go back to this hotel ever again.

1 reader found this review helpful

Well what can I say a fantastic hotel!!!... Was a large groups of familys kids ages from 10,7,7,4 year old.. Good choice of food every day, the hotel was very clean, maids was always about and cleaned the rooms everyday.
Animation team was great well organized and lots happening the kids love them all.At night the shows was super and never stopped laughing......
The Kidzone reps was fantastic again Martin,Amy and Keri what a great trio all the kids loved them to bits the best was the chocolate party.
Can recommend Tivilo World the kids will love it great choice of rides and the cable cars a must only for people what like heights some great views.
Would definetly recommend the hotel and the resort and I would go back to the hotel Bali.