Reviews of Amaika Hotel, Calella, Spain

OK Hotel

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2008

Tour Operator:

Nextescape

Submitted By:

PaellaPete

Comments:

Just returned from the Amaika. Had room 227 - good room, rubbish location at the back of the hotel overlooking service area which added to all the noise coming through the paper-thin walls. Public areas are superb - all based on the Titanic of all things! Food is fantastic if, as everyone else has said, served lukewarm at best. Plenty of selection at all meals. Your best friend in the dining room is the microwave - find the big black comercial one. Seek it out and sit near your new best friend. Wine waiters at lunchtime and dinner are great if, like most of the very efficient staff, are a bit unsmiling but boy do they work hard.
Look at the left end of the reception counter and find the free boiled sweets - great for the flight home!
When we eventually return to Calella, we'll definately book the Amaika again.

seven days in Calella-is too much

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

guliiver israel

Submitted By:

danas

Comments:

two of my friends and i took a 7 days vacation in Calella- Costa Brava cause we thought it would be chipper than Barcelona and to be able to explore other places besides.
the hotel is in a really good location, near the beach, and it's the closest to Bacrelona than santa suzanna and lloret del mar, which are sooo much far. if to Calella takes one hour by train- to other places at Costa Brava it will take two hours and a extra bus so we were very fortunate to choose Calella.
but the distance from the train to the hotel is huge approximately 20 min by foot but sometimes it worked really well cause there are so many great, not expansive shops in Calella, that it was worth buying there than in Barcelona itself but in other hand you spend for a ticked train almost 8 euro a day or 24 if you buy the T10 and that's a lot.
the hotel is very close to bars and pubs and lots of restaurants but in the winter or at the time that we were there, the places of dance bars were empty and it was boring being there cause there was no enough entertainment (every day we passed next to a restaurant the played football -boring!!) and that made us regret being in Calella and not Barcelona where there're so much things to do!!
the food in the hotel was average and but diverse.
the rooms were always clean but you don't get a mini bar (you have to perches the stuff in advance) and the entertainment was for oldies and it was a little geriatric hotel and we are young 25 years girls and that was boring cause you had nothing to do..
the hotel is pretty! Really Titanic style and we liked it and the hotel people were really nice!!.
to sums things up if you are young and it's not summer stay in Barcelona
maybe in the summer there's more things to do

hotel amaika

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

jammyc

Comments:

excellent hotel. stayed for three days, which allowed us to eat and drink as much as we wanted. hotel also had a bar on the beach which was great. food was plentiful and varied. chips were available for every meal, but there was a good selection of meats and salads and fish.

hotel also runs a bus between other hotels in thegroup. we went to lloret del mar and had lunch at the royal beach - AVOID THIS HOTEL, it was not a patch on the amaika

I have now been to the Amaika 3...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Sun4U

Submitted By:

Mr J Hinchliffe

Comments:

I have now been to the Amaika 3 times in the past 15 months so the review I am now going to write is what you can expect of this Hotel. First of all the food is very varied and of good quality. We always received prompt and polite service from all the staff so I cannot accept the previous comments. Some of the clientel did wear what I would call inappropriate clothing that did not leave much to the imagination. The rooms are very clean with fresh linen on a daily basis. On the subject of rooms all I can say is you are in the hands of the immediate guests near your room. The rooms have very THIN walls so if you have the neighbours from hell next door you will need earplugs (I am not joking) and why do some guests need to wear hard soled shoes on tiled floors!! The pool area needs updating, the pool is tiny although the beach is only 5 minutes away. Purchase your sunbed ticket at reception it will save you 50% on beach prices. The sunbeds at the pool area are a very drab brown colour so this spoils the ambience of the area. The restaurant opens for evening meals at 1930 so it is best to get down there at that time if you like hot soup with your meal! This is probably the best Hotel in the H Top group and good value for your money. Barcelona airport is a nightmare, hold onto your personal baggage this airport is targeted by organised criminals that bag snatch. All in all you should enjoy your stay at the Amaika.

Me and my best friend went to...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Ola holidays (for SUN4U)

Submitted By:

Miss Amy Robinson

Comments:

Me and my best friend went to calella for a week long girly holiday, and my first impressions of the hotel where that it was VERY clean, beautifully decorated and the rooms where a good size. We also got the bonus of lots of free toiletries already in our room. We were checked in very quickly by a very polite girl on reception. The food was what i was dreading more than anything but we were pleasantly suprised, alot of it was very europian (but you cant expect to have all english food in a spanish hotel) but they always had something you could eat, the soup was awfull but was no big loss, the chips where great (my and my friend pretty much had them every meal time) they also had different grilled meats and they where great esp the grilled chicken, mmm! they also had a couple of fish dishes every day and i especially liked the tuna steak! but i ended up trying alsorts and liked most of it. the service during dinner was very good, they were prompt at bringing your drinks to the table and usually came straight over when they notice you've finished a drink. the snack bar was a strange one, it was pretty much just the restaurant, but almost empty, most days me and my friend went there mid morning if we'd missed breakfast and it usually consisted of bits that where left from the prev meal, but they always had chips, which was alright, only thing was that at the snack bar there where no drinks as it was just the restaurant but empty, there where no waiters of staff apart from the cleaners, so we had to snack then go down to the bar to get a drink. That brings me onto the Bar!! the idea of all inclusive drinks really appealed to me and my friend and the selection of drinks and cocktails (coco loco is the most yummy!!) but the bar staff completely ruined the good time we were having! the barmen where polite at first but after going to the bar a couple of times they must have realised that me and my friend where there on our own and from then on we were practially harrassed, we ended up having to go to the bar with our handbargs over our chests to try and stop them from staring at us, they asked us very rude questions and would laugh amongst themselves and talk to each other in spanish which made us feel incredibly uncomfortable, even when we where in other parts on the hotel, they would have some creepy comment to give, i was walking through the restaurant one and one of the barnmen where there for some reason and he shouted over 'oh my god' and signalled my chest, which was mortifying!! esp when other guests in the restaurant where watching! so it's just a warning, if your a group of girls just know what to expect!

Calella itself is a wonderful place, weather was beautiful (28-30 deg all week3-10 sept) and the beach was a gravel type beach but was still lovely! the shops are brilliant and the cheapest thing is the alcohol, a big bottle of jagermeister which is about £18-19 over here will only set you back about 12 euros in the shops over there which is brilliant! the Clubs are dotted all around the hotel, we went to kauai which was a polynesian beach club, it does the best cocktails, and isn't expensive to get in, 10 euros on a saturday but that includes 2 free cocktails and if you buy 5 drinks you get a free t-shirt, monday was ladies night so girls got in free and you get ur second cocktail free and the music was brilliant alot of hip hop and pop which was great to dance to. i definately recomend going to barcelona for the day as it's just a train ride away along the coast but be aware of the train coming back if you hit around tea time then it gets really full! and park guelle makes the journey more than worth it!

overall our holiday was fab but i have had to put down no more than 7 basically just because of the bar staff, if they were okay i would have given this hotel a 9! but nevertheless it would be fab for couples and families with children as the animation team a great for the kids! hope this review helps people!

Hotel was exactly if not more...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Travel Republic

Submitted By:

Mrs A Roberts

Comments:

Hotel was exactly if not more than what we had expected as we did our homework before booking and read the usual review web pages. The hotel has taken some of its design's and splender from the recent film Titantic and even hangs a replica of the portrait from the film. The food is lovely with lots to choose from and the proof is in the extra pounds my husband and I brought home on our hips! The entertainment is not bad but not great either but our 6 year old enjoyed the mini disco run by the Animation Staff who had activities running throughout the day but sometimes at the sister hotels which we only a 5 minute walk away.

Calella is a loving place, the hotel is a 5 minute walk, the beach is big and the said is small gravel pieces great for mums and dads and it brushes off easily but not so good for making sandcastles!. The sea was quite rough and with a small drop just near the waters edge when sea recedes the sand can take your feet away, however there is plenty to do on the beach, volley ball, bouncy castle foam parties (for the kids), bars close by when if you are AC you can use your card to get two free drinks a day.

The town has plenty of shops and a market twice a week, the and bars and restaurants are very reasonable with a chinese all you can eat for £9 euro's which I was told by friends was the high light of there holiday.

However if your a football (sports) mad fan like my husband and son I would really recommend "Alcatraz" this fun english pub cater's for all sports mad fan's, it has several (about 6) flat screen tv's and the show many of the usual football matches plus a few others they can get. We spent many an afternoon here watching football and on an evening they even accomade us with a game of bingo. To find this pub, turn right at the enterance of the hotel, once at the bottom turn right again then upto the next road, cross over there on your left and you will see the pub on the lefthand side.

Calella railway station is a 15 minute walk (along the beach) and we would certainly recommend a trip to Barcelona, it takes around 50 minutes but the journey is very picturesque (you might want to distract the children just after leaving calella as they is a nudist beach and my 6 year old got great delight is shouting and laughing at what he saw, yes very embarassing). Barcelona is a breath taking city, and the bus tour is definitly a must at only 20 euros each for all day you can jump on and off at each destination whenever you wish, the tour of the Nucamp was one of our favourites.

The hotel staff we very nice and helpful and spoke very good english. The rooms are cleaned everyday. We enjoyed it that much we are definitly going back next year and taking the in laws with us.

Well, not really a good hotel...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

LastminuteALBATROSS AIRWAYS

Submitted By:

Mr R Taylor

Comments:

Well, not really a good hotel for kids, food o.k, service without a smile,and once youve paid up they dont give a damn.



This by far and ive travelled far,Is without question the worst hotel i have ever encountered. if you expect quality dont bother.!!!

We have just come back from the...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Co-operative Travel

Submitted By:

Mr K Nelson

Comments:

We have just come back from the Amaika on the 22nd August 2008 after a seven day stay.



Yes the pool and the surrounding area is a little small, but the kids still had fun. Sun beds weren't always available but there were always chairs around.



The entertainment was a little hitty/missy in the evenings but the daytime entertainment staff, a bunch of Dutch students at the time we were there, were great with the kids.



The real reason for writing this review is to inform future holiday goers who have eating disorders that the Amaika bent over backwards for our daughter who suffers from an intolerance to gluten, basically she can't eat wheat, barley, rye and oats. The maitre'd would point out what food she could or could not eat from the buffet selection and then cater specifically for her. This was in the form of providing gluten free pizzas, pastas and so on.



We started the holiday with apprehension about how the hotel would cater for our daughter. We had contacted the hotel prior to our stay to inform them of our needs and they said it was no problem, but you always have a doubt. By the end of the holiday all the doubt had disappeared.



Anyone with a child who has such an intolerance can appreciate the fear you have if a hotel cannot cater, and, as a result your child either becomes ill or is very restricted in their diet which can lead to a very depressing hotel.



We salute the Amaika who made our stay very enjoyable.

Holiday was 12-19th august 08....

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Hotels4u

Submitted By:

Mr S R Felton

Comments:

Holiday was 12-19th august 08. Food, accomodation was excellent , hotel very clean throughout. Pool and hotel entertainment was adequate. Hotel very close to a lovely beach and local town centre. Hotel was a H-top hotel which allowed you to use 2 other hotels with better swimming pools. Would definately recommend staying at the Hotel Amaika.

Just come back from Calella on...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

SUN4U

Submitted By:

Mrs J Douglass

Comments:

Just come back from Calella on the 29th June stayed in the amaika h-top hotel the hotel was very clean but the reception toilets were a bit dirty at times .

The pool was like a paddling pool not big enough for the amount of guests.

I would say that the food was very good lots of choice always piping hot and plenty variety you could eat from 7 in the morning until midnight if you wished.

it is a good location lots of shops bars and restaurants , the train station is only about a 15 mins walk for getting to Barcelona and only 6.40 euros return.

The entertainment was very poor which was the only minus point for the whole holiday .

We did not have children but there were plenty of activies put on by the staff for them during the day .

overall a very good hotel it seemed to one of the best in the area and i would recommend it for anyone staying in Calella .

WE HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM A...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

Sunshine.co.uk

Submitted By:

Mr N GARRETT

Comments:

WE HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM A WEEKS STAY. ON FIRST IMPRESSION THE HOTEL WAS VERY CLEAN, SO WERE THE ROOMS, THESE WERE CLEANED DAILY.

:- POOL AREA WAS VERY SMALL FOR THE SIZE OF THE HOTEL UNABLE

TO GET ROUND THE POOL AREA ALL HOLIDAY FOR SON TO GO IN

KIDS POOL. ONLY 30 OR SO SUNBEDS

NOTHING FOR CHILDREN AT THIS HOTEL ALL THAT THE CALELLA PALACE.

FOOD MORE OR LESS THE SAME EVERY LUNCH & DINNER TIMES.

BOTH ME AND MY SON WERE ILL DUE TO FOOD NOT BEING COOKED PROPERLY

(CHICKEN)

WOULD MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE ALL INCLUSIVE AS THAT COSTS ALOT FOR

YOUR DRINKS ESPEICALLY WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT YOU EVEN HAVE

TO PAY 3EUROS FOR BOTTLED WATER & 2.50EUROS FOR A SMALL BOTTLE OF

COKE.

RESORT VERY QUIET NOT MUCH TO DO

TRAIN TO BARCELONA ONLY 6.25EUROS RETURN PER PERSON

BETTER FOR COUPLES DEFINITLY NOT FOR KIDS AS WE FOUND OUT.

I think the hotle is great,the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr John Makalnok

Comments:

I think the hotle is great,the staff are friendly the food is lovely,i spent a week at benidorm, there was alot of entertainment and kids activities ,the pool was cold and quite relaxing.I can't wait for next year at benidorm all of the clubs were brilliant.There is a chinese just across the road from the hotel,the food from there is very nice.There is a water park called aqualandia you can see it from the hotel and you can see the hotel from the water park.They also sell hotdogs and burgers that are yummy!!!!,my best ride at the water park was kamerkasi and the black hole.

We stayed at the hotel Amaika...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

holiday Bargains

Submitted By:

Mrs F Dransfield

Comments:

We stayed at the hotel Amaika for the last week in april returning home on the 1st May (which was unfortunately their bank holiday so all the shops were closed and we had all day to spend there before going home!!)

The hotel was absolutely lovely, a lot better than i expected, Myself my husband and our two kids (aged 3 & 4) and my husbands teenage sister stayed there for one week half board, which we quickly learned that we should have gone all inclusive.. i would reccommend to anyone going half board to re-consider and go al in...if you've already booked you can upgrade when your there for about 12 Euro's per day per person and its well worth it as the price of drinks in the hotel are quite expensive as are the restaurants / cafes in Calella itself.



The staff in the restaurant and bar are wonderful and were absolutely fantastic with our kids.. i couldn't have asked for more and ourselves!! The reception staff however were not so good, they were ok but a couple of then were quite abrupt. One of our kids smashed the glass in a picture above the beds in the room, and being honest i informed the reception who then said rudely we would have to pay which was fair enough...but the glass was never removed (even though it was half hanging out) and we were never charged...nothing was mentioned again!!



The food was delicious there was a great selection some nights better than others but we never left the dining room hungry!, on reading other reveiws someone had commented that there was not a great selection of desserts and they tended to do the same day in day out... they did do some the same each day but the choice was big and there were different things each day no complaints with the food at all and the kitchen area is open so you can see them cooking... it was always fresh and hot. The breakfast however was not great it was ok but not a lot of choice, and the drinks were out of a vending machine which was ok but could have been better.



The entertainment was quite good, there was always a good atmosphere and we didn't bother going anywhere else, we tried another bar one night but preferred the hotel so stayed there..



Overall we had a wonderful holiday, and we hope to re-visit next year, Calella is a lovely place with loads of shops and bars and cafes and i would recommend it to anyone, not so cheap but do-able and well worth a visit.



Happy holidays!!

4 ADULTS (25-37) APRIL 21/25....

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

MEDIA TRAVEL (TELETEXT)

Submitted By:

Mrs S Stubbs

Comments:

4 ADULTS (25-37) APRIL 21/25. WE HAVE JUST SPENT 4 NIGHTS AT THIS HOTEL, WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS GREAT, WE WERE IMPRESSED WHEN WE ARRIVED WITH HOW CLEAN IT WAS, THE ROOMS WERE MORE THAN ADEQUATE IN SIZE, THE CLEANERS WERE IN EVERY DAY WITH CLEAN TOWELS ETC. MEALS CATERED FOR EVERYONE WITH A GOOD VARIETY TO CHOOSE FROM. THE WEATHER WAS A BIG PLUS LOVELY AND HOT. WE ALSO WENT INTO BARCELONA ON THE THURSDAY GO BY THE TRAIN ONLY 6.40 EURO RETURN, IF YOU GET OFF AT CATLUNYA THE STOP BEFORE BARCELONA, THIS IS WHERE ALL THE SHOPS ARE AND WORTH SEEING IS THE REAL LIFE LIKE MODELS. BUT BEWARE THIS IS WHERE THE PICK POCKETS ARE SO WATCH YOUR VALUABLES... STAFF WITHIN THE HOTEL WERE VERY FRIENDLY, ENTERTAINMENT WAS OK, MIGHT BE BETTER IN HIGH SEASON. THE ONLY DOWN SIDE WAS THE SIZE OF THE POOL AND THE AMOUNT OF SUNBEDS THEY HAD SO COULD IMAGINE THIS WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE IN HIGH SEASON, APART FROM THAT WE WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND, AND DEFFINATELY BOOKING FOR NEXT YEAR.

My friend and i stayed at the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Booked Independentlysunseekers,blackpool

Submitted By:

Ms MD NAYLOR

Comments:

My friend and i stayed at the amaika hotel for a week from 8th -15th april and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.Everything about this hotel is excellent and superb value for money based on an all inclusive basis.

The food and drinks were excellent and catered for everyone providing nutritious,appetising and various assortments of food.

I would definately reccommend this hotel and i am looking forward to going there again in the not so distant future.I would rate this hotel 100% in al areas.