Review date: 17 November 2007 - A HotelStreet visitor from Norwich, England, UK wrote:-

Review title: "Best Ever Holiday!"
Travel date: October 2007
Myself and my family have just arrived home from having a fantastic time at the Villa Marina. We paid just under £500 for four, for a week all inclusive at this three star hotel and it was worth every single penny.

The food was good with a great variety. The entertainment was also great, my little girl just loved the dancing every night and the entertainment staff did their very best to keep both the adults and kids entertained both day and night.

The staff I found in the whole to be very friendly. The male receptionist and Eva, the manager, were especially helpful and went out of their way to make sure we were OK and couldn't have been nicer. I see some people have complained that the bar staff's English was not brilliant! It's a different country where another language is spoken and I had no problem in getting them to understand what drink I wanted. Jesi the snack bar staff, was most entertaining and made our holiday complete!

People are also moaning about the swimming pools. The pools were average size, they were kept clean and there are plenty of sunbeds around them to relax on. The children's pool was a big hit with my little girl and very easy to keep an eye on.

The rooms are small but you only sleep, shower and get changed in them. They were cleaned every day and fresh towels were provided daily if you wanted them. If you want to live in your room stay at home! There is a TV in every room with Sky TV included.

What more do want for just £125 each for the whole week? You would spend more than that staying in a caravan in cold old England. Even my 15 year old son said it was the best holiday ever and never wanted to go anywhere but there again.

Would I go back? Just try and stop me! Fantastic value for money and a great family holiday.

Review date: 24 October 2007 - A HotelStreet visitor from Isle Of Man wrote:-

Review title: "Yes! Beware!"
Travel date: October 2007
The Hotel Villamarina, I would not recommend to anyone. Why the low rating? Read and find out.

The receptionist was rude and was caught several times rolling her eyes at the guests.

The nightly entertainment was good; the kids had fun, bingo, quizzes, pool tables shooting games, machines of that variety for kids. They did have a little play area for toddlers.

Even though it was all inclusive and there was a limit to how much alcohol you could get at one time, the staff still gave free (a word which British people love) alcohol to those guests already drunk.

The flies there were the worst part of my holiday. If you were anywhere outside the hotel, you were attacked by flies.
At one point I had ten on my feet and three on my arms (not including the rest of my body and surrounding area). Other guests were complaining about the flies and one boy refused to go outside because of them.

There was also a sewage smell around the outside tables and chairs that wafted in and out regularly.

The dining times were a little out for families with young children. Breakfast 8 - 10.30, lunch around 12 - 2ish (I was out eating other places during the day) and dinner 7 - 9.30 (a little late for kiddies I think). For breakfast on the first day there was bacon, fried egg, sausages, beans and some salads. It was OK. Day two and breakfast was bacon, scrambled egg, sausages, beans and found the toast machine.
Day three and breakfast was bacon, fried egg, sausages and beans. Realized there was cereal around the corner and some melon. There was staff in there but they just refilled the serving trays or cleared away the paper table cloths. No variety on the breakfast and the food became dull and not nice enough to have (even though you didn't have to pay for every meal). I had meals outside the hotel. The coffee was foamy; the tea was, it was, horribly foamy? Horrible and luke warm.

Free alcohol and anything local. Warm water in the coffee machine and juice machine was free. Local bottled water was not, even thought it is a vital thing for the human body and obviously the tap water was undrinkable. It was easy to taste the cordial and flat lemonade that made the juices in the machines.

The rooms are not all the same. When we arrived we could peek into other rooms as we passed. Some were a single bed - small and tiny. Some were like the pictures they show you on the internet. Mine was OK. It had two single beds and a camp bed? No flower on the table, no nicely just cleaned smell and the bath was half the size of a standard bath. The shower hose dribbled out, (seriously, no exaggeration there).

The cleaners came to the rooms during breakfast (you had to be at breakfast 8 - 10.30, no lying in). They only changed the towels if you put them in the bath (sometimes), they made the beds and mop the floor. They never changed the sheets, at all, for the whole week. The cleaners did such a good job that on our neighbouring balcony I saw two old, dry, dirty bikinis, (not on the balcony, down the front of it). The wardrobe was broken, the walls inside were peeling and I did not take my clothes out of my case.

Most of the things you would have liked to have i.e. TV remote; riding bikes, use of the safe in the wardrobe, most of it was a high deposit.

By 12 midnight everyone had to go to their rooms, so the drunkards didn't cause too much bother, but it took a lot of time for them to actually leave the tables and go their rooms.

One of the handrails in the bathroom was broken. The ceiling tiles around the air conditioning were disgusting. There was two single plug sockets the entire room, one in the bathroom for the 100 years old hose hair dryer, (which took over an hour to dry my thick hair) and another for the television.
The lighting in the bedroom was awful, the bathroom lighting was ten times better. A tiny little window in the bathroom, that if you tried to look out of it all you could see was a tunnel from the window up to the roof. The walls were so thin we could hear the TV next door and people talking up the corridor.

The music or entertainment was so loud that if you decided to go to bed early, you would not have any sleep until all the guests were in their rooms, at around 1 a.m.

The shop keepers said 'gracias' or thank you in a void type of voice, or either didn't say a word other than the price.
Only the doctor in the chemist was polite and he was the only one throughout the holiday.

So over all, the weather, the shopping, the beach and the other dining places were good, but the disappointment of this hotel ruined my holiday.

Do not go. Another guest wrote on their hotel review sheet, 'Should be knocked down and start again'.

Review date: 17 October 2007 - A HotelStreet visitor from Australia wrote:-

Review title: "Beware"
Travel date: October 2007
I have just returned from holidaying at Villamarina. On arrival there was no room booked for us so we were taken across the road to another lot of apartments where there was serious domestic fighting and dogs barking.

We were then reluctantly changed to another room above the entertainment area. The volume of screeching from the microphones could be heard about a block from the resort at night and our room was inhabitable until after midnight each evening.

The reception area dealt with many complaints on a daily basis and refused to alter our room even though on two consecutive mornings I observed others being changed.

This resort is definitely not all inclusive. Last month we stayed at another all inclusive resort and paid nothing additional for the whole week. Villamarina had so many traps in regards to money, especially for children. There were vending machines placed throughout the hotels for sweets, toys, tattoos and even the pool tables required money to use them. The entertainment program had some excellent artists but again parents needed to pay for photos with entertainers rather than use their own cameras.

The reception staff were abrupt and abrasive. They only recommended the use of taxis, although we found the train to be very convenient. My advice is that this resort would suit people who don't mind loud noise and have unruly children. If you have already booked then make use of the fantastic sight seeing that the area has to offer.

Review date: 30 March 2008 - A HotelStreet visitor from England wrote:-

Review title: "The Greatest Place To Go"
Travel date: August 2007
I was reading everyone's reviews and I believed the good ones, not the bad ones and guess what, the good ones were right.

OK, the rooms may not be big but why stay in your room all day, what's the point? The staff, well I have never met such nice people. They are always helping you out if you're stuck and the entertainment is fab if you have kids and you're going there or if you don't.

Trust me, I had a wonderful time and I'm very fussy about what hotels I'm staying in but this one is just amazing and I'm going back this year to the Villamarina Club. I just can't wait!

Review date: 30 March 2008 - A HotelStreet visitor from UK wrote:-

Review title: "For Kids And Adults Alike"
Travel date: August 2007
Hotel Villamarina was great as it caters for all - young, old and especially for the kids. It's near to the shops and the health clinic if needed. It's 15 minutes away from two beaches. There is also a swing park for the kids if they get fed up at the hotel, which is only ten minutes away. I thought it was good and we would like to go back again. It's also only a bus journey away from Portaventura, which we loved. We went twice while on holiday there for two weeks. Hoping to get back next year, fingers crossed.

What we really enjoyed was the food. I'm a single mum and went all inclusive. This was my first time flying and first time abroad and, like I said, we hope to get back next year. I know my son wants to go back too as he still talks about it.

Review date: 20 May 2008 - A HotelStreet visitor from Derbyshire wrote:-

Review title: "Great All Inclusive Holiday"
Travel date: July 2007
This was our first holiday abroad for our family - two adults, four children 14,12,seven and one and our friends - two adults and two children. We found the Villamarina Club hotel to be just what we expected for the price. All of us loved it and would go back again.

Rooms are quite small and I would say take your own hair dryer. The staff were all friendly, including the driver of the free hotel minibus and they all had a sense of humour. Towels and bed sheets were changed if you leave them in the bath. Food was great and plenty of fresh trays being put out. Kids loved the snacks of pizza, chips, hot dogs and burgers. Pools were cleaned regularly.

We walked into Salou most nights which took about 15 minutes and got a cheap taxi back. All in all there is nothing I would complain about.

Review date: 05 October 2007 - A HotelStreet visitor from UK wrote:-

Review title: "Good Hotel"
Travel date: July 2007
This is a pretty good hotel. We were told before going that we should ask to stay in one of the apartments across the road. This was a very good idea, especially if you have a big family.

The apartments are spacious and a lot bigger than the hotel rooms. The pool here was small but suited us fine. The food was OK. The entertainment was great and the staff were friendly. It is definitely a good idea to ask for an apartment in the Villamarina Club if you want a bit more space.

Review date: 11 July 2007 - A HotelStreet visitor from Chesterfield, England wrote:-

Review title: "Poor Stay"
Travel date: June 2007
The rooms are too small and no good for families with teenagers as everybody sleeps in one room. Food not superb - breakfast is either fried eggs or scrambled beans, always cold. Main meals OK if you like chips and spicy meats. Security staff aggressive with teenage boys and well over the top.

Rooms are very clean and done everyday. The entertainment staff do an excellent job and are the best feature this hotel has to offer.

Review date: 27 September 2006 - A HotelStreet visitor from England wrote:-

Review title: "Excellent Stay At Villamarina"
Travel date: September 2006
Me and my mate went to Salou and stayed at the Villamarina Club for a week for a girly holiday and it was great. The food was lovely and we noticed they were always changing the food regularly and had a great variety and it was very nice.

Entertainment was very good, especially if have got children. It keeps them very entertained.

Location was good bit of a walk - 15 minutes to beach but it is a nice walk past all the shops.

The rooms were nice and clean and had everything you need. Would definitely go back, hopefully next year.

Review date: 02 September 2005 - A HotelStreet visitor from Lake District, England wrote:-

Review title: "Brilliant Holiday At Villamarina"
Travel date: August 2005
My family had a wonderful time. Entertainment was very good. Food was very good. Hotel was central for most things we wanted to do. Dino and Geezer made me laugh. Bar staff very friendly. Claudio the lifeguard was very fair. If sun beds were not being used, he removed towels and at least people that were on the premises could get one. The arranged trips were also excellent and good value for money.

Review date: 18 August 2005 - A HotelStreet visitor from Northamptonshire, England wrote:-

Review title: "Villamarina Club Hotel Pool"
Travel date: August 2004
Balcony four feet by one foot, no air conditioning, some small rooms have five beds. Only allowed two drinks per person at bar at one time so have to queue for at least 30 minutes for drinks. Not many sun beds, no food near pool, not even an ice cream, no lilos, no rubber rings, photos taken of sun beds with towels on, if not used for one hour towels taken off (early morning) couple of staff very rude (tell you off as if you were children), patio door no lock on it.

Some people were given keys to rooms already occupied and had to go to hotel across road. Complaints being made by people every day. Daytime activities poor, no activities for teenagers only for small children, and a few for sixteen and over.