Arena Center

1 reader found this review helpful

Full marks to accommodation. Rooms spacious, well, equipped a great bathroom and big balcony.
The food was dicey. Buffet style cooked earlier and put on hot plates which barely kept it warm. In my professional capacity as a health inspector I have to comment that uncovered buffet food is more likely to give slight food poisoning as guests cough on it often inadvertently and spread germs. It was certainly the buffet food that put us both out of action for 2 days with sickness and diarrhoea .
The staff from reception to cleaners were all polite, helpful and efficient. Conclusion great accommodation but best to try self catering option as food is suspect in our opinion.
Roquetas de Mar is a nice resort suited to couples or families. The majority of British guests were 55 plus or families with young children. Two bars worth trying the strangely named M25 and Theo’s in the centre for a fun evening. Also walk along to the other end of the promenade to the harbour and marina. A long casual and pleasurable stroll. We stopped a couple of times on route for a beer .If you are not energetic you can catch a bus back!!

1 reader found this review helpful

After arrival at accommodation we waited nearly 3 hours before our room was ready. This seemed common to a majority of guest arriving before 3 o'clock and it is something you should be prepared for if booking at Arena Centre Aparthotel.
The size, comfort and cleanliness were beyond reproach. Clean towels every day linen changed most days. A good bathroom and a large balcony. Air Conditioning included in the price.
All the meals were buffet style and the breakfast was wonderful. The evening meal especially the main course was passable but with the food being kept warm (not hot) on hot plates meant the main course was just about passable. We are not sure whether the evening meal was the cause of our violent stomach upset but there was something at the hotel causing this illness as a number of British holidaymakers went down with this complaint. It was reported to the tour operator representative who was still looking into it when we returned home. We lost 2 days of our holiday because of diarrhoea and sickness which somewhat spoilt our holiday.
Also beware there were hoards of young children staying here-far too many for us- as they took over the swimming pool area-and made the bar and evening entertainment a no go area for us.
We cannot fault the standard of accommodation but thought the evening meal to be a bit iffy and in our personal opinion it was the food that causes our gastroenteritis illness.

Our holiday got off to a bad start as when we checked in at the Arena Centre Aparthotel we were informed our room was not ready. We actually waited 3 hours until we could get into our room and this did seem a common problem for British guests.
Once we got access to our room our opinion changed a fantastic sized room simply but well furnished with a fridge and cooker. Air conditioning included in the cost. The bathroom was excellent and we had a large balcony. The staff were good throughout our stay.
All meals were buffet style and breakfast was tremendous varied and plentiful. The evening meal was a disappointment especially the main course which was mass produced and edible but it was not very hot being kept warm on hot plates. We wondered if that was why a number of British guests we spoke to suffered in various degrees from diarrhoea and vomiting. Some were quite ill and had to get the doctor out. We shall never know if it was the food or a bug.
The swimming pool was extensive if somewhat over run by hoards of children the majority of which were Spanish. This fact also spoilt the evening entertainment as children were constantly running about and across the dance floor. Plenty of good bars some with middle of the road live music.
Overall we rated the Arena Center very highly but from our experience if you have a choice book bed and breakfast rather than half board. There were some great Tapas bars in the resort which is best suited to families or couples over 40.
Also be warned the tour operator’s day trips were very expensive and you could find cheaper locally.

1 reader found this review helpful

Great rooms large and comfortable with a fridge and cooker. Satellite television not much use as only one English speaking channel. Hotel is in a good position 3 minutes from beach and near the golf course. Food is average on half board basis.
Do not leave eating at breakfast or evening meal until towards end of meal times as choices very limited and food not fresh. Mainly Spanish Guests entertainment best missed and bar area quite noisy. Overall if good accommodation is your priority you will find the Arena hard to beat.

1 reader found this review helpful

The British staying at this aparthotel are in the minority. There is a great variety of nationalities staying here but the majority are Spanish. The only problem with this issue is in the evenings when the poor quality entertainment is in Spanish. Also the bar area can get noisy and its best avoided as the Spanish contingent take it over.
The rooms here are a nice size, air conditioned and are really excellent. They are well equipped, clean and comfortable and as this is one of the most important aspects of our holiday we must rate it overall as very good. Being on half board the breakfasts started the day off well and we were highly satisfied with them. One point of interest with the breakfasts is if you leave it until the last half hour then they do not replenish the empty dishes and therefore choice can be limited.
There was nothing wrong with the evening meals but nothing special about them either as they were mass produced and sometimes a bit bland. There is no doubt if you eat early the food is fresher. The swimming pool and the surrounding area is first class and there is a sauna and jacuzzi here but there is an extra charge for both these facilities.
In the evenings, we ate early and it was lovely to walk along the promenade afterwards and stop for a drink at one of the bars which in the main are low key although you can find a few with entertainment if you look for them.
It is worthwhile once forgoing your evening meal and eating out at one of traditionally Spanish tapas bars. Also for a day out take the local half hourly bus to Almeiria which costs 4 Euros per person per journey. Car hire is a possibility but look around as prices vary enormously and be careful if you drive up into the mountains where you need confidence and nerve to drive but we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery.
To summarise Roquetas de Mar is a more laid back and a less commercialised resort than the other Costas although the beach is not as good. There does seem to an abundance of flies around in the heat of the day. The Arena Center Aparthotel comes highly recommended with the only shortfall being in the evenings when out of choice we would have eaten, drunk and been entertained somewhere else in the resort.

The Arena Center Aparthotel is geared mainly for Spanish guests. The main effect this has on British guests who are vastly in the minority, is the entertainment is in Spanish.
The bar which is quite nice can get very noisy in the evenings as all the Spaniards congregate here as probably it is best to avoid this and have a drink at one of the nearby bars. Nevertheless the rooms at this hotel are first rate, clean, spacious and comfortable. One of the better accommodation we have stayed at over the past 10 years. we would have preferred to have booked on a bed and breakfast basis but this was not option so we had to book half board.
This option did not suit us as we prefer to eat out in the evenings but as we had paid for the evening meals we used the hotel restaurant most evenings as we were on a restricted budget. The meals were buffet style and lacked any individuality. The food was OK but it could have been better. it was best to eat early in the evening as the food was fresher then and not reheated. Breakfast was very acceptable but if you leave it until the last 30 minutes of opening they do not refill the empty dishes.
The swimming pool and other facilities at the hotel were great. We would recommend the Arena Centre Aparthotel to anyone considering coming here with our only slight reservation being the food in the evenings. Local buses run twice an hour and is a good and cheap way to visit Almeria and other resorts only the immediate coast. Look out for bars that give you free tasting tapas with your drinks, a good experience and a way to try a taster of local dishes. We stayed a week and for us this was ideal.

The rooms at the Arena centre aparthotel and clean, large and really excellent- hard to fault. This is the prime reason for our high rating. The hotel food is average although some of the meat was undercooked.
It is best to go for the evening meal at an early time as the food is fresher and nothing has runs out. Meals are buffet style. Wine expensive with meal. The Bar we found the drinks to be overpriced and it is best to go out after your evening meal for a walk and a visit to one of the bars in the resort. Roquetas de Mar is far more relaxed and quieter than the other Costas but the beach is shingle and if you prime aim is for a sandy beach this is not the resort for you, otherwise we can highly recommend.
Bus services to other local resorts and worth a visit. The aparthotel is well worth its 4* rating for the accommodation but the food was below this but still acceptable.

Great. The pool was superb. There was a waterfall, sprays, Jacuzzi, volleyball net.....etc. They let you have inflables. The life guard just sat there talking so if you were drowning he wouldn't have seen. Alot of the sun beds were broken and so were the umbrellas however you could get up early and reserve a bed.
Food was mediocre. Ice cream and jelly, cakes, fresh fruit. Alot of the meat said Poultry so you didn't know what the meat actually was. Some of the food wasn't actually cooked properly despite this most of it was. I you are going half or full board be ready for fish most nights and chips or potatoes.
Rooms were clean and maids came every day. Fresh towels and clean floors. Lovely rooms.....one of the cleanest I have ever stayed in.
Beach is shingle and the only sand beach is the nudist beach! The Gran plaza is not what it is cracked up to be and is not worth a visit. There is flies everywhere (invest in a fly squatter 1 euro) May I add if you are British go into the bar:
Y.DA.WAKES (Yvonne, Dave and Little John run it) It has footie, bingo, pool etc. Hotel entertainment is rubbish it is a man with a computer downloading tracks and playing them to the public. Don't forget the super Mercado round the corner is great and very very cheap.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. The staff were very friendly and helpful and our apartment was spotless, cleaned daily with plenty of fresh towels.
We found the food in the hotel restaurant excellent with plenty of choice to suit all tastes. Very spacious and relaxed atmosphere around the hotel and plenty of sun beds around the pool. Resort quiet but plenty of bars/shops. We especially enjoyed the tapas bars (free tapas in most!!).
Frequent local bus service, great for a trip to Almeria. Lovely clean beaches and promenade which stretches for miles. Pretty fishing harbour. Will definitely be making a return visit.