Reviews of Arena Center Aparthotel, Roquetas De Mar, Spain

It was a bad start on arrival we...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs Anne Marie Brace

Comments:

It was a bad start on arrival we had to wait three and a half hours for our room to be ready. The apartment which include fridge and television was wonderful. Large and comfortable and spotlessly clean. we were on half board basis and the breakfast was very good but the evening meal left a lot to be desired. Buffet style meals and the main course was well below average and its freshness has to be questioned.



The bar and swimming pool was full of Spanish guests who seemed to have hoards of children in tow even in May and were given superior treatment. British guests here were treated as second class citizens. You really felt in the resort that as a "Brit" you were intruding and were not welcome.



The resort itself had a clean sand and shingle beach but overall lacked any character. We put this holiday down to a different experience but we would not return here.

This hotel and our holiday was...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Mrs L Colls

Comments:

This hotel and our holiday was brilliant! The hotel has lots of Spanish holiday-makers- It is in Spain, so of course there will be Spanish people there! We sent our children to the Spanish children's club (where they had lots of fun and took part in a children’s dancing show at night, even though they cannot speak Spanish), we joined in the Spanish entertainment in the evenings (it was lovely to see the real flamenco dancers) and tried to speak to the staff and other holiday makers in Spanish. Everyone was very friendly.



The food is aimed towards the majority of guests, so is not typically British, but with 3 children we found food that they enjoyed too. They do not serve pizza and chips or burgers, we had a different fish and meat every day, vegetables, salads and fruit also. Just get there early. Traditional tapas can be found in nearly all the tavernas and restaurants. Try that too.



The rooms were spotless. The pool was too. The pool toilets were cleaned 3 or 4 times a day (including mopping the floor).



Roquetas De Mar is a traditional Spanish holiday resort. You get real Spain. If you want Spanish Blackpool with "English" bars and resent "foreigners" - go elsewhere! Do British people just want to change holiday resorts into "little England"? Maybe that is why Spanish staff treat English holiday-makers differently - show them we are not all the same.

Upon arrival we had to wait...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs L Hill

Comments:

Upon arrival we had to wait nearly 3 hours before our room was ready for occupancy which was annoying to say the least. The room itself was a very high standard both in size, equipment and the cleanliness. It must be this factor alone that qualifies the Arena Centre with its 4 star rating.



We were not impressed with other facilities here. The restaurant was buffet style and the food really was not kept very hot which in our book is a big minus. The hot food in the evening was extremely limited and mass produced. We found it to be tasteless and dried out and the vegetables were overcooked. We felt unwell after eating one evening which did not surprise us as reheated food is always likely to cause possible stomach problems. We had an uncomfortable night but luckily had fully recovered by mid morning next day.



There were children in abundance during our stay, a large percentage were Spanish and they took over without regard for other guests. We stayed at the hotel one evening for the live music bit it was completely spoilt by children constantly running over the dance floor until the entertainment finished at midnight. We have been to other hotels where children are only allowed in the bar and on the dance floor until 10 o'clock which is a sensible compromise. There are a number of British bars in the area many of which insisted on showing English television and you got filthy looks in you held a conversation.



The M25 bar was the worst for this although the Highlander and Caribbean Bar were nice. 2 days trips worth going on are to the irra Nevada mountains and Granda- the latter being a long and tiring day but really worth while experience but we needed longer here and will consider booking a long weekend break too see this fascinating city in detail.

There are 4 important factors...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr J.R. Constable

Comments:

There are 4 important factors for an enjoyable holiday. Rooms; Food; Resort; Weather.

As far as this holiday is concerned here is our summary,



Rooms: First rate, everything about them excellent 10 out of 10



Food; Breakfast good; evening meal terrible reheated mass produced dried out hot food with limited choice and little taste. To make matters worse following eating the fish one evening We both had a really nasty tummy upset and sickness which lasted 36 hours. We reported to the First Choice representative who was sympathetic but just said there was a lot of it about. We were convinced it was the food and ate out for the rest of our holiday. An expensive but necessary course as we were not risking it happening again. rating 3 out of 10 (all the marks for the breakfast).



Resort; A spotless clean sand and shingle beach and a promenade that stretched for an eternity. You could always get the bus back for various points if you walked to far. We walked to the Marina area early evening where we got food and returned by bus. They ran until 10.30. Rest of resort was characterless with a number of English Bars showing Sky Sports and English Television. Avoid M25 unless you are a television addict. The Miners Arms enjoyable for a quiet drink and Theos for light hearted entertainment. A large proportion of the tourists in Roquetas de Mar are actually Spanish. Rating for resort 6 out of 10.



Weather. One semi wet day otherwise comfortable temperatures 8 out 10



Conclusion. Apart from evening meal and sickness a good holiday but probably a resort you would only visit once. If you get the opportunity visit Granada for the day an unforgettable and spectacular experience.

The two most important factors...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr P Cook

Comments:

The two most important factors when going on holiday are the weather and your room. The weather was great although we did have one day of heavy rain and our room was faultless in everyway. Size, bathroom, balcony, and equipment were all spot on. The room was clean daily to a very high standard. We did have a television in the room but it only showed 2 English speaking channel- one American news and the other Eurosport.



However other areas of The Arena Center were not up to scratch. The food was buffet style which from past experience is more prone to infection. Breakfast was satisfactory as it had a quick turnover and was constantly replenished. However the hot food for the evening meal was extremely poor in many ways. A limited choice mass produced and left standing uncovered for long periods and it was barely kept warm. This meant it dried out, was only tepid and it was not surprising to hear other guests had suffered from stomach disorders.



We would not have touched the fish with a bargepole and it is imperative fish is freshly cooked, Reheating can be dangerous. Also the number of children in the hotel was a problem and many were disorderly. We have children ourselves but do value some peace and quiet on holiday and not everyone wants children around them throughout the holiday. It would have been a good idea if they were only allowed in the hotel public rooms until 10 o'clock and it would not have been too difficult for the hotel restaurant to have an adult only section. Roquetas de Mar had a spotlessly clean beach and wonderful long promenade.



That is all it had going for it as the rest of resort lacked character and was full of big hotels. It really catered more for the large number of Spanish tourists than other Europeans. There were a number of English bars showing Sky Sports or English Television programmes. We did enjoy the quiz in the M25 bar - a social able evening and a good cheap pint of San Miguel could be found at the Highlander bar. A good holiday with reservations especially the hotels evening meal which was certainly a negative factor for us and from feedback many other British guests.

The rooms at Arena Centre...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs Sophie Tucker

Comments:

The rooms at Arena Centre Aparthotel were fabulous. Spacious with plenty of cupboard and drawer space and simply but well furnished with one of the cleanest and best bathrooms we have encountered.



A fridge and cooker were included. Also satellite television which disappointingly was restricted with only 2 English speaking channels CNN news and Eurosport. A decent sized balcony with table and chairs. The room was cleaned spotlessly every day with a change of towels and linen most days.



We are not fans of buffet style meals as we think from the health aspect that they are a disaster waiting to happen. We were especially concerned with the sub standard hot food served for the evening meal which was left standing on hot plates for long period and kept barely warm and had often dried out and lacked any taste. We did have a slight stomach problem one night but it had cleared up by lunch time the next day.



A large percentage of the guests were Spanish many of whom had young children in tow, therefore the lovely swimming pool area was often monopolized by the children whose parents had scant regard for the British guests.

When we arrived at this hotel we...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs Helena Boyd

Comments:

When we arrived at this hotel we had to hang around for 2 hours as our room was not ready, not the ideal start to our holiday.



The rooms themselves were out of the top drawer and were one of the best and cleanest we have stayed in. The food was buffet style which is always more subject to cause illness. It was left uncovered and the hot food was barely kept warm on hot plates. We both went down for a couple of days with stomach complaints. There were also a very large number of mainly Spanish children staying here even in September. They ran around the dining room and made the pool area a no go area for us.



It would have helped if the hotel had an adult only section in the restaurant and around the pool. We would recommend the Arena Center aparthotel for the accommodation but all aspects were not up to scratch. We enjoyed the M25 bar and Theos in the evenings and the beach was spotless but did shelve quite quickly into the sea.

Even in early June the hotel was...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs Andrea Gregory

Comments:

Even in early June the hotel was surprisingly full of young children which we had not anticipated and somewhat put a dampener of our holiday. We always go away outside the school holidays in an attempt to avoid the children. Not everybody wants noisy children when trying to relax and the hotel made no attempt to control them. An adult only section around the swimming pool would have been a start.



The rooms themselves were absolutely superb and were one of the best we have every stayed in. The towels were changed daily and the bedding every other day. The standard of cleaning was first class. Both breakfast and dinner were buffet style which was mass produced, left uncovered and the hot food was kept barely warm in hot dishes. We were aware that food left uncovered for any length of time could be a health hazard and we were careful what we ate especially avoiding the fish. The breakfast was very good and the dishes regularly replenished. But the evening meal main course was mass produced tasteless and not very hot. We would rate the evening meal as barely 2 star.



The staff were full of smiles, efficient and professionally but were very mechanical in their approach. You had the feeling they tolerated British guests but the Spanish guests who were by far in the majority received priority.

We waited two hours after...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr Thomas Hills

Comments:

We waited two hours after arrival before we were able to check into our room which was a disrupted start to our holiday. The room itself was out of this world easily worth its 4 star rating. Everything about it was top notch, size, comfort, cleanliness and equipment. Air conditioning also included. A spacious balcony where we sat later in the evenings enjoying a drink. Satellite television but only 2 English speaking channels.



Hotel did not really cater for English guests in this and some other aspects. A majority of the guests were Spanish who were looked after better in all ways except anything to do with the rooms. All food was buffet style and we enjoyed breakfast. The evening meal barely warranted two stars especially the main course which was bland, mass produced and unappetising. We usually try and avoid buffet style main meals for this reason.



Roquetas De Mar had a very long and well kept beach with a promenade stretching for miles.



Overall we thought the resort lacked character and was not one thing or the other. Still a lot of building work going on at the western end of the resort which attracts a lot of Spanish tourists and masses of children a large number of which seemed to be staying at the Arena Centre. The rooms were exceptional but other points have scope for improvement especially the evening meal.

Our satisfaction on our holiday...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr M Long

Comments:

Our satisfaction on our holiday is both very good and disappointing.



Firstly the rooms at the Arena Center were as good as we have had anywhere. Spacious, comfortable and plenty of storage space. The equipment included a fridge and a cooker, the bathroom was modern, clean and the balcony was large. All the staff here were highly professional. All these were positive points. There were 2 sides we found disappointing.



Firstly the food. Whilst it tasted nice it was buffet style and was kept warm and uncovered on hot plates. In my experience in the food industry this is likely to be subject to cause germs and possible salmonella and we heard of several guests suffering from severe stomach upsets. This kind of proves my observations. In the end we forfeited the evening meal we paid for and ate at on of the taps bars or restaurants.



Also we have never been on holiday where there was such a high proportion of children and for us this made the swimming pool and evening entertainment a no go area. We did expect a number of children but this for us was far too many.

Full marks to accommodation....

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Mr Peter Masters

Comments:

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!!

After arrival at accommodation...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs E Green

Comments:

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...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr O Russell

Comments:

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.

Great rooms large and...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Dr P Ross

Comments:

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.

The British staying at this...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mrs A Renwick

Comments:

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.