Reina Cristina Hotel Algeciras

The hotel is set in very impressive grounds and upon arrival into the grand reception area and then on to the ballroom and bar which are well kept and full of history you have the impression of being in a 4 star hotel, however you then climb the stairs to the rooms which are thread bear and dirty. There are pieces of furniture in the corridors which were thick in dust and had the same used glasses on them for five days plus one morning a little present on the floor left by one of the hotel guests' dog! The rooms themselves were of a decent standard and clean. The food was good but there was very little choice and at busy times nothing in the service trays. We booked the hotel as an all inclusive which had a long list of facilities, but there was no day time activaties program and the week's evening entertainment consisted of two 40 minutes shows and a singer on a saturday which all the local OAPs attended along with a wedding which took over most of the hotel. The hotel was advertised as over 14 years only but you could not get in the pool for all the small chrildren and not to mention that dog again. Not as discribed in the brochure and DIRTY.

We have also spent the last 6 years coming to Reina Cristina and although it has changed over the years, we still love the place and the ambience and the different friends we make each time we stay there. We spent May/June there again this year (instead of our usual March/April) and although Juanma had gone, which we were very sorry to find out, Emilie more than made up for his absence with her cheeky smile and wonderful French accent. Again we met up with some lovely people who hopefully we will see there again. The staff are always happy and friendly even if you dont speak Spanish and dont try to. The food could be better (and Raphael, you do need to fix those lifts!!) but to us it is still a lovely place. We too heard that it will be losing its 'all inclusive' status at the end of November - it wont stop us from going as we travel independently but I am sure a lot of our 'old' friends won't go anymore, which means the hotel won't be the same. If there is no laid on entertainment in the evenings to encourage people to unite and make friends, the friendly atmosphere I think will disappear a little. I really hope this doesnt spoil our hotel.

Stayed here in May/June this year (2006), with family. Really enjoyed ourselves. The food was excellent and displayed well, with lots of choice. The service from all members of staff was of a high standard. The hotel itself was absolutely stunning and very clean (despite the clean-up works at the time which did not disrupt our holiday at all), and the entertainment was very enjoyable - Emily did an excellent job in entertaining the family and everyone else. We met some wonderful people and would gladly come again in the future.

We love the hotel, the staff and entertainment. We have been for the last six years. Sad though because they are changing it to full board and no entertainment. So, we would not go again. Will miss the friends we have met over the years.

Where to start? What an enigma. OK number 1. If your of the sand and bucket persuasion, then this is not for you, stick to the tried and tested. Number 2. If you want to feel the energy of a busy working Spanish city encapsulating the authenticity and reality of life on an every day basis. DON'T miss this "GEM", sat in the middle of a very busy Sea port area. Number 3. Ideal for the traveller wishing to see an Andalusia that the broucher's don't show, good, bad, warts and all. A car is a must if you wish to tour, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the tourist trip's, A visit to Ronda is easy with the railway station within a ten minute walk. ( Two trains each dirrection daily) Places within easy journeys ,are, Gibraltar, the afore mentioned Ronda, Cadiz and Seville Andalusia's capital city, a 7 minute drive from the Hotel is a magnificent beach area, ask the helpful staff, they'll put you right. The Hotel it's self was (as you'll find out reading other review's) Built in the mid 1800's by an English engineer who just happened to be an I K Brunnel type and built the railway to Ronda. It's a relic of the early Victorian period but it's having a face lift. At this time of writing, new windows, room design, decor is all being replaced and updated. The decor and surroundings will either blow you away or make you run for home, my Mrs and me, we loved it. The restaurant is in three sections, 1 self service cold buffet and self service hot food, both are plentiful, well cooked and temperature tested, cooling food is immediatly removed and replaced. Section 2, is an Alle Carte restuarant, waiter service, food off the menu but this does come as an extra. Section 3, this is used by the hotel for Wedding parties, conferance feeding and the like. The hotel is used reguarly at weekends for Weddings A general discription of the bedrooms is. Very CLEAN (Daily service, bedding towels moping etc:). One big room with either double or two singles, as required. Hall way with locker room for cases. Large bathroom (I'm 6ft 4" and could stretch out with no trouble, one draw back to be aware of is that the bath's do not have a flat bottom. (This can be a problem, if like me you are disabled. The sink is at a good hight and is accessable for a wheelchair. The loo is behnd another door adjoining. The hotel grounds are a sight to behold, well gardened and managed, these gardens are approximately 2.5 acres an surround the hotel which is central to the estate. There is an indoor pool for use during autunm,winter and spring The out door pool is clean and pristine, as expected of a high quality place. The staff are extreamly polite and helpful, the manager is approachable and at times may search you out for conversation. Bar staff are fast, slow, funny all depends on you, try to speak Spanish and they are true fun, be blunt, speak only English and you'll get only bluntness in return, live and let live was our motto. At this point i have to make reference to the hotels entertainment team, especially two young ladies. Emmillie and Lilly-Anna. wonderfull outlook on life a joy to be in the company off, and boy did they work hard (Hope the manager reads this and you get a pay increase, it would be deserved) The the, that's all folks

After many years I finally acheived my ambition to stay at this hotel and it didn't disappoint. We were warned beforehand of work taking place but it didn't spoil our enjoyment one bit. The staff are excellent, the buffet food was excellent, the area is real spain and it is easy to get to many places like Ceuta, Morocco, Gibralter, Rhonda, Estepona. The hotel was more or less all adult, perfect and a really good ambience. will go back soon. Its shame it lost the character of the old green shutters but now has double glazing, and time moves on. Thanks to everybody you are doing a great job .Hope to be back

We are just about to return to this strange hotel for the third time!!! Why? On the first occasion I cried for three days to return home!!! I almost ripped the tour rep to pieces. Then the hotel wove its magic and I was hooked!! I guess you can not escape the personality that this old Spanish lady ooses. Every angle, every view, every picture, holds a tale of romance and mystery that few old ladies can equal. Faded, unkempt, qwerky and sometimes bad tempered. She is a pearl, concealled inside a worn velvet case. Musty, misunderstood and Spanish to the core of its long and magnificent history. I am used to slick, well oiled machines with supine service staffed with immigrant workers. Not so this Spanish treasure. Staffed with long time local people who love the hotel and care nothing for the sophisticants from other 4 star holidays the RC gives as good as it gets. I love it. Thats why I'm going back on Sunday.

We thoroughly enjoyed this oasis in a barron dessert of industialisation. This historic hotel has found its self in the middle of a working port in the middle of the arab district. Recentlt renovated the decor is quaint and the staff welcoming. The buffet style food was boring and unimaginative and let the overall standard of our stay down. Well done to the entertainment team for their efforts, we enjoyed our stay but the Costa Del Sol is not for us...we'll go back to the islands.

My husband and I stayed at the Reina Cristina Hotel Algeciras, after showing up at the Alarde Husa, which we had booked in the USA, and is closed permanently. Be advised that the ferry route from Algeciras is also closed permanently for independent travelers. In spite of these troubles, we found the hotel atmospheric--decayed elegance, as if right out of an Agatha Christie novel--not for everyone, but the grounds exude the spirit of times past, with interesting walkways, a decent pool and a view of the Rock. Breakfast was superb, the bar fine, companionship interesting and the dinner buffet had a first-rate seafood salad.

Never, ever again! I can only agree with the other bad reviews. We stayed here September 2005 and unfortunately booked in for two nights. I was very tempted to write off the money and move on as it was that bad. It was dirty, run down and altogether an experience I’d like to forget. The area of Algericas is a huge industrial port with nothing to offer other than ferries to Morocco. The irony is that it cost more than any of the other hotels we stayed in and was by far the worst! Stay well away!