I could recommend this hotel with a clear conscience, if only the food had been better. I’m not choosy about cooking, but for the first time for several years now I had to eat so bad-tasting meals (it refers to lunches and dinners). Although we came immediately after opening the restaurant, some meals were almost cold and on the top of some of them a disgusting “skin” could be found, or they were being prepared while people were standing in a long queue waiting for finishing. And the taste of these meals was hopeless, they were simply tasteless. Taking cutlery or plates one should have checked them carefully – they were dirty. I think that in the four-star hotel the lack of butter or lemon shouldn’t occur. The quality of cooking in this hotel is best proven by the fact that after coming back home my son said that my dinner was delicious (and I’m not a masterchef).
Fortunately I only once asked for a lunch-packet. There were an apple, a peach, a little bottle of water, 3 (three) little snacks, one breadroll with a slice of cheese and a tiny box of margarine – I wondered how to spread it without cutlery, perhaps using a fingertips?
The interior of the hotel (on the ground floor near the reception) is very spacious and a little darken – the windows with colourful glass-panel are placed rather high and the sunshine illuminates the lobby pleasingly to the eye. And next to the main entrance (on the right side standing face to it) there is a huge cage with parrots – one can stand and stare at them and time goes by unnoticeably.
As for the room we were very satisfied. The room was on the first floor with the side view of the sea (in the westerly direction), but in my opinion it was better than front view because we could admire a little bay with beach, a slope with cypresses and vine (apartment buildings in the distance were the worst thing). The terrace was big and shadow, equipped with a table and two chairs – an excellent place to sit and read a book or simply meditate (if only tourists weren’t too noisy playing mini-golf).
In the room there were two big beds, two bedside tables, a bigger table under the mirror, a fridge, a 32’ TV set, an individual air-conditioning and a fan as well. The bathroom was also big: there were a shower, a bath, a toilet with a bidet, two hand towels, two bath towels and a miniature set consisting of soaps, shampoo, shower gel for two persons and a bathing-cap.
But it would be wonderful if the walls between rooms weren’t so thin – every word was heard from the rooms beside. Another problem was with a key-card: it had to be shown entering the restaurant and each time when one wanted to take a drink or coffee in the pool-bar or reception-restaurant (although an all-inclusive option was paid).
The hotel has an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, two jacuzzi (outdoor and indoor) and something special mainly for children: river with slides. The panoramic swimming pool with view towards the bay and little town Almunecar is admirable. It’s a pity that the majority of deckchairs by the swimming pools are in terrible conditions – a beach towel is absolutely necessary if you don’t want to lie on dirty or covered with bird’s excrement material. It’s shocking that the hotel holding 4 stars offers such disgusting conditions. On the other side I must praise the management for the quantity of deckchairs, there were a great number of them.
If you want to visit Almunecar, the best way is to go by bus (a ticket costs 1 EUR); of course one can go on foot, but the passage takes 1 hour at a fast pace. Coming back to the hotel you’d rather get on the bus in the centre of the city (nearby the bus station) than on the sea front or even in Avenida Juan Carlos I; there are so many people (inhabitants and tourists) willing to get on the bus that on those later stops there are no possibility to get in because the bus can be overcrowded.
PS. Many thanks for the kindness of reception staff when I was struck by misfortune during my trip to Granada. I’m infinitely grateful to some participants of a/m trip for their disinterested help and care – thank you from the bottom of my heart.