Playacalida Hotel

Stunning, friendly and immaculate hotel in scenic if remote location

+ I've given a 4 purely because of location - the hotel is a 5 for me it's stunning. I booked before reading the previous reviews and I was a bit alarmed when I did! There was no need to worry though as I found the staff and the predominantly Spanish guests to be really friendly towards a solo English older female tourist. The room (and I only had the standard room) was immaculate with balcony, views over the hillside dotted with villas and a side view of the beach. It had 2 very large king-size beds, a bath, a walk in shower, large wardrobe and a fridge with complimentary bottles of water. There are several pools - one that is tastefully designed like a river (with slides, jacuzzis etc) an indoor pool and a large fresh water infinity pool overlooking the sea. There is also a gym and a spa (which you pay extra for). There are several restaurants and bars and the food I found to be really good - it's all made freshly (omelettes, eggs, meat and fish cooked in front of you and plenty of fresh local produce) and there's lots of variety - you won't get the typical English "fry up" and "chips with everything! but there's plenty to suit all tastes. Also nice touches to cater for those with allergies etc. There's tapas, snacks and cakes and meals served at different venues throughout the day so you won't go hungry! If you tend to stay in resort you will find lots to keep you occupied (all ages), there's also a kids club and a theatre hosting shows every evening. I like to tour around and see places, but without a car it is hard work here. There is local bus service into Almunecar and you can get busses to other places from there, but it's not easy to tie them in with the local bus service. Also I'm quite fit, but the hotel might not suit those less mobile that want to get out and about as everything outside (including the beach) is either up or down a steep hill. There are no local tour companies offering trips to other places. If you like touring around this hotel is

Basic

+ I wish I had delved deeper into the reviews before booking this hotel. The hotel itself is beautiful with the infinity pool and hot tubs but apart from that I don’t have many positive things to say. The first day we went to the pool my son had a small ball, he was told no balls allowed, this is the main reason a child stays entertained on holiday a basic ball. The rules are also dont jump in and don’t swim under water? So basically kids - no fun aloud. The lazy river pool and water slides are in the middle of the hotel amongst trees and bushes so these pools are constantly freezing in the shade. The buffet area is dirty i picked up various cutlery that had stale food stuck to it and for some bizarre reason not everything has a sign above it to tell you what it is very risky for someone who has any food allergies, the staff can’t keep on top of keeping the buffet topped up you have a chef trying to make fried eggs in one pan, omelettes in another then warming up some pancakes. I wouldn’t touch the meat it’s all pink. The all inclusive is different rules depend on which part of the hotel you go to, the infinity pool bar includes everything, if you go to the indoor cafe you have to pay for the same thing even though we booked all inclusive. In the indoor cafe I asked if my son could have a straw for his drink and she said no straws are for cocktails only - how pathetic. The beach nearby isn’t a beach it’s all stones no sand but there are some nice places to eat, we had to go out and pay to eat as we couldn’t face the buffet 3 times a day. I visited in April so dread to think what state the hotel is in when it comes to summer.

Paola lovely worker

+ Paola was an absolute dream she was so incredibly lovely! Had some problems at check in and she was so helpful and understanding. Great property and food.

Family Christmas Holiday

+ Will definately come back again Excellent customer service Good food Good quality hotel beds. Children loved playing football by the beach There is a tennis cot, golf , swimming pools ( closed due to season) Spa facility with free gym access, however you pay for indoor swimming, jacuzzi and sauna (€40 per two adults ) A shop nearby for snacks if u need any otherwise plenty at the hotel . Reception staff - special mention to Eva who provided us with excellent service from the day we arrived Will definitely come nack

Amazing family holiday with all you could want! Stunning views!

+ We had a wonder holiday at Playacalida! The hotel has everything from amazing views to a small onsite shop. The infinity pool was breathtaking and the lazy river and slides kept us all busy for hours. The food has lots of choice however as a vegetarian it was limited but they are very happy to cook specific vegetarian food upon request. The bar has lots of choice of drinks however the cocktails aren’t included with all inclusive so you have to pay a small supplement if you want one. There is a bus stop 5mins away that costs £1 to get into town which was great! Lots of daytime and evening activities and the kids club was good. We will definitely be returning.

English Review - Terrible

+ Negatives: -Booked a family room which essentially was 2 double beds pushed together and a cot! The room was tiny!!!! -Hotel very dated, paint peeling at away all over -Looks like a prison -Lazy river is a good idea but the slides on it have no water pressure so people cant even slide down them. Lazy river is also freezing -Food very repetitive -Staff are rude, barely speak a word of English and don't event try to help English tourists -Not enough staff, big queues at pool side bar Positives: - Infinity pool is nice

NOT FOR THE ENGLISH GUESTS

+ The hotel is definitely not for English guests, when looking at the reviews they have all been translated. We were pretty much the only English in the hotel, the staff had a very different attitude towards us when we spoke but extremely friendly and polite to the Spanish. The hotel has an onsite shop selling inflatables and balls for use in the pool, however the hotel does not permit the use of any of these which was extremely annoying. We stayed for one week, we did not receive clean towels or bedding over the stay surely mid week you would hope for clean linen and towels. We booked all inclusive on Love Holidays, expecting no limitations. However when we arrived we were told we were not all inclusive there are different levels and there were lots of things of limit to us. I asked at reception and showed them the love holidays advert but they were not interested, which I find extremely strange surely you don't want your hotel being advertised falsely??? We had on more than one occasion raw fish, chicken & pork which we showed the staff but the raw food kept coming. The chefs hygiene was not to a good standard one young chef coughed into his bare hand and then took a plate from a guest, other chefs were handling raw food with bare hands with no washing in between, there were sinks right behind them !!!!! Love holidays also state tea and coffee making facilities in your room, which there wasn't, the restaurant doesn't open until 8am and there is no where to get a drink. You are also not permitted to take a coffee to your room, one lady literally jumped in front of us and wouldn't let us leave the restaurant to have our drinks in the room. Four star is definitely not for this hotel. I would NOT recommend to any English people.

Road trip

+ Lovely , clean hotel Staff amazing Room with beautiful view Pools were great Seemed to be a very good family friendly hotel

We are here now and the hotel mislead you to what you think you have paid for, DO NOT GO TO THIS HOTEL.

+ We are currently staying here as a family of 7, 3 adults and 4 children (currently our 1st day). We paid alot of money to stay here for our once a year holiday that we all very much look forward too but since arriving we has been highly disappointed and disgusted with the hotel. We booked through LoveHoliday a all inclusive package which states all food and drinks included throughout the day including beers, wine, cocktails and non-alcohol drinks there was only one option of all inclusive and no other packages that could be booked through LoveHolidays . However upon arrival at the hotel you find out there all inclusive does not mean all inclusive and they do not allow you to have what you have paid for and is advertised , you can not have snacks during the day, no minibar, no kettle and coffee in room, no cocktails or spirt drinks with you having to pay about 4 euros for a drink you have already paid for within your stated all inclusive package. I really do not think this hotel wants you to enjoy your stay with them as also today our 1st day to the pool the kids took a foam ball the size of a tennis ball to the pool to play catch and was instantly told no balls were aloud, then to make matters worse they then took a rubber ring to the pool and again was told they were not aloud in the pool. It seems this hotel only wants to make as much money from you as possible and falsely advertise what is included with there all inclusive by offering what you have paid for on the website but when you arrive are told something totally different. We went to the reception to show them what was on our invoice and it included everything as stated above but they did not care and said we can not have it without paying, I asked to speak to a manager but was told one wasn't avaliable I bet they tell that to all customers that make a complaint. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE HOTEL YOU DO NOT GET WHAT YOU HAVE PAID LARGE SUMS OF MONEY FOR.

+ Das Personal ist super und absolut liebenswert. Schönes Hotel mit super Lage. Das Essen ist nicht Spitzenklasse, geht aber. Zur Halbpension bekommt man jetzt Getränke, dafür haben sie aber an der Bar etc. Ganz schön die Preise erhöht. Am Pool ist es wegen den französischen Animateuren ziemlich laut, den ganzen Tag läuft nervtötende Musik (vor allem jeden Tag das selbe TamTam). Das ist echt schade, wir gehen seit Jahren in dieses Hotel, dies hat sich leider nicht zum Vorteil entwickelt. Aber die Lage und das Hotel an sich machen das wieder wett.

+ Pros:Beautiful location, spacious rooms and amazing swimming pools (infinity and lazy river). Hotel offers stunning bay views even in 'partial sea view' rooms. All places clean with exotic plants and tropical plants, excellent and very well maintain.Spa facilities very pleasant with nice and welcoming staff. Overall gardens, cliff top location and swimming pools made our stay worth-while. Cons:Food very average, repetitive and tasteless, some seafood, pastas, occassional international dishes - choice limited overall - much below any 4 star hotels we visited before. Meats hard or overcooked, salads very limited. Snack bar very limited - some basic crisps, icecream and peanuts on offer, drinks ok however coctails need a supplement paid. Evening entertainment far from desired, only flamenco show was interesting. Staff speak very basic English, so sometimes communication was tricky. Service feels very impersonal. No medical staff or support on-site.

+ El hotel normal, decoración de los 80. Las zonas exteriores muy buenas: piscina infinita, toboganes y buenas piscinas. El bufé del desayuno una locura de gente.

Not bad but….

+ The rooms: Functional, clean, great views. There’s a fridge to use, huge shower and separate bath. (There is no smoking in the rooms or on the balconies) There is no coffee or tea facility which for a 4star hotel is disappointing, especially as there is no other way to get one until the breakfast serving begins.. so if you’re an early riser you’re out of luck. The pools: As good as they look in the pictures, The slides are in a separate pool. There is a pool side bar, a hot tub and plenty of sunbeds. Mini golf: Passes the time… clubs and balls available from reception. WiFi: Free and decent signal Parking: there is an underground car park but isn’t free… Free parking is available on the street but there’s competition for spaces… however we did manage to find a spot each day we stayed Restaurants: only the simbad was open when we stayed (October half term) this is a buffet restaurant and if you are bed and breakfast is €25 euro per adult (not including drinks or water) which to be honest I think is a little excessive if you’re a normal person who eats within reason. The food itself was what you’d expect, it was nothing spectacular but decent enough. Having said that, our intention was to eat out and try different places which we did most days. Breakfast: Served in the simbad and is typical of most hotels I have stayed in Spain. There is a fresh omelette station which was nice enough (however for any vegetarian I would say the concept of cross contamination doesn’t seem to be a thing so meat goes in all the pans) Bar food: The bar does a proper cafe con lecce and the bar food was reasonable The staff: Honestly, did not have a problem with any of the staff, they were all polite, helpful and all spoke English, I don’t know who other reviewers met but all my interactions were 10 out of 10. Overall I would say the hotel and staff are nice enough, it’s a little out of the way so I would recommend a hire car unless you’re a fan of walking as the nearest sh

+ Grand hotel agreable et pratique. Magnifique piscine a debordement avec vue mer.

+ Good stay at the hotel, the staff is really nice, the view from the bedroom on the sea, the swimming pools. Food was nice. Very big hotel, can be crowded in summer.

It has potential, but falls short.

+ In short - the hotel has great facilities, but isn't easy to get to. The hotel makes no effort to assist visitors who arrive via the airport, other than offering to call a taxi (which may or may not be available). This means most of the visitors are Spanish (which suited us, as we wanted to avoid the ex-pat parts of Spain, although as we found out, anti-social behaviour isn't an English monopoly). Will we be back? Probably not. The Good: Although there was only one hotel restaurant open (being at the end of season), the buffet range was excellent for every meal (the selection gets even better at the weekend when the hotel is at its busiest). There is always chefs cooking fresh omlettes / steaks/ fish/ crepes, depending on which meal time. American food like burgers and pizza are available at the bar, not the restaurant, and are a disappointment. The restaurant does occasionally make modest attempt at British staples like mashed potato and baked beans, but always had the consistency of soup and looked inedible. We went as a large family group. The kids all had a great time, the kids club has its own playground and the staff are amazing. The scenery of the mountains and coast is stunning, particularly from the rear of the hotel where the infinity pool is. Even the standard rooms have good views. The Bad: Not easy to get to, poor public transport links. The hotel doesn't even recommend a company for hotel transfers. Taxis are around £100 each way to Malaga. The nearest shop is 20 min walk away and is open sporadically. The immediate environs is very steep paths and roads and not suitable for people with mobility issues. Information is sparse. There was no welcome pack or information at the front desk or in the rooms. We had no idea of the facilities, the layout, what was or wasn't available due to the time of year. The bulletin board posts activities but doesn't explain where anything is. We found out about most things too late. This involved visiting the

Lovely holiday can't wait to go back.

+ We loved this hotel. We was a couple and it was half term so there was lots of children. But that didn't bother us. The hotel is ideal for families. We had bad weather but that didn't stop us thoroughly enjoying our stay. We will definitely be back hopefully when it is sunny because the outside space is amazing.

Inte familjevänligt

+ Marknadsför sig familjevänligt, det är det inte.. Orkar inte skriva allting, personalen var trevlig men ledningen måste ge personalen bättre förutsättningar för att göra ett bättre jobb. Orkar inte skriva allt, men ett par exempel. Låna en vinöppnare till rummet, fanns inte och går inte, utan man får ta med sig vinflaskan till baren så får de öppna där. Äta något vid poolen? Typ pommes eller något litet till barnen, nej det går inte, utan då ska man hasa med sig hela familjen och äta buffé inomhus. Finns fler saker att anmärka gällande familjevänlighet..

Not family friendly

+ WOW what a dissapointment If you are non spanish and thinking of booking here with family especially with young kids I would highly recommend go somewhere else This hotel is not child friendly, If you have a baby and think you can feed your baby with a kettle in your standard room, Then you will be dissappointed because these kettles are only for people who buy suite rooms so you will have to take trips on the elevators any time you want to feed your baby day or night and reception does not care and have no spares even though the suite rooms were not fully booked your kids will be bored no inflatables allowed, no snorkel or goggles underwater, the lazy river is not lazy because you have to walk through it and no swimming there either and mind the stones and dirt as you walk through there as well. for a hotel advertising to be family friendly it certainly is not. 1 slide is for very small children older can use only 2 which are okay but very short over in few seconds The food is terrible you have choice of 6 main hot meals for breakfast lunch and dinner in which breakfast is always the same, and lunch and dinner is usually same things over and over again, with very little food for kids really they will likely have same things daily, they have chefs that cook fresh meat in front of you, if you are going please check the meat for uncooked as we had 6 occasions across our holiday where the meat was still raw and if you tell them they dont seem to care. drinks seemed watered down as had pepsi that had the colour but taste like water, deserts are always the same daily just blended fruits into cream, rice puddings and tasteless cakes AC did not work in room but luckily was not very hot so ceiling fam was enough However the views are amazing from the hotel near the infinity pool and some rooms also but thats about all I can say positively about this place just very very dissapointed

A little piece of heaven 😊

+ This is the first time we have gone on holiday and actually felt refreshed coming home. This is a beautiful part of Spain unspoilt by tourism. The hotel looks exactly like it does in the photos. The infinity pool has to be seen to be appreciated. The photos I tried to take did not do it any justice. There was never any issue getting a sunbed around the pool. There were no towels put down early to hold beds, and even if there was, there were still plenty of beds to go around. There is a shack bar by the pool that serves a variety of drinks. A beer was only €2.50. We went half board and with a beer at this price and a glass of wine the same cost you couldn't go wrong. There is a lovely coffee shop facing reception, and it is under €2 for a coffee. The guests are mainly Spanish, as are the staff, which added to our experience as it felt more authentic. The staff are so lovely, and there was no issue with the language barrier. We chose this hotel because we wanted a relaxing break due to ill health and we couldn't have picked anywhere better. We used the spa facilities, and we were blew away by what was on offer and even happier at the cost. €25 for use of all spa facilities for 90 minutes. Food on offer for breakfast and dinner offered a lot of variety and allowed us to taste things we wouldn't normally order. We especially enjoyed having breakfast outside with some processco and fresh orange juice, which was included with the food. We were offered a superior room with a Seaview for €20 a night, and it was worth every penny. The bathroom was spacious, and the beds were big and very comfy. We loved the big fan above the bed it kept the room nice and cool. We had robes and slippers, which were great for sitting out on the balcony at night with a glass of wine looking out at the sea. The room was cleaned every day to a very high standard, as was the rest of the hotel. I seriously cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. I had actually considered not leaving a review

+ Muy buen hotel para ir con niños.

+ Breakfast was good but could be a little chaotic at busy times. Would prefer more non-buffet options at lunchtime (the bar does have a small but acceptable menu). Loved the golf, table tennis, chess, entertainment (all free). Rooms were very good & clean. Parking could be a bit tricky to find a space. Not impossible- just could take a while. Staff all very helpful in all areas. Pool areas were good - but outdoor pools were cold (end of May/early June). Overall, good value and somewhere I’d recommend to friends… but probably wouldn’t return because I prefer to visit restaurants outside the hotel rather than all-in experience.

+ Nice staff, good pool facilities. A bit dated on the dining and bedroom facilities but well maintained. Location is a beautiful view and easy access to beaches and about a 15minute Mediterranean walk to restaurants. Two issues need addressing: 1) poor wifi that is throttled and denies streaming 2) gym was mediocre and did not have any ventilation…but I was happy to have it!

+ -Los colchones ya deberían cambiarse y No hay aparcamiento suficiente fuera te ves obligado a aparcar en el parking del hotel

HOTEL CON MUY BUENAS INSTALACIONES

+ Ha ido muy bien, tanto en la habitación, muy amplia y confortable, con una terraza grande y buenas vistas. Las instalaciones del propio hotel son impresionantes, y la zona de piscinas exteriores increiblemente amplias y acogedoras, asi como la piscina climatizada con agua a buena temperatura y un ambiente bueno.

+ Todo el establecimiento en perfecto estado, no puedo decir nada malo.

+ Hôtel très sympa, piscine à débordement magnifique, personnel à l’écoute et très serviable. En revanche, pas de chaînes française à la télévision, coffre fort ne fonctionne pas et la nourriture du restaurant moyenne. Hôtel un peu éloigné du centre ville.

+ Propiedad espectacular

+ Un hotel espectacular para estar alli, no para pasear por los alrededores. Instalaciones estupendas y personal de animación de 11!

Vill tillbaka!

+ Fint och rymligt hotell. Hjälpsam och vänlig personal. Fantastisk innegård med uppvuxna träd, grönska och skugga. Poolerna fina och roliga för hela familjen. Mycket aktiviteter att välja på.

+ Muy buenas instalaciones. Personal muy atento.

+ Fuimos con los niños y genial, ellos y nosotros.

+ El trato del personal Poca variedad de comida

+ Las piscinas y vistas

+ El hotel está súper bien los trabajadores super amables.Estuvimos alojados en una suite y es excelente.YKuki la muchacha encargada de las camas de la piscina infinita es mavillosa Muy atenta

+ Ibamos sin niños -Lo que nos gustó, fué el personal del hotel que eran super amable y el trato muy especial. -La piscina panorámica y la piscina con toboganes es espectacular. -La comida está muy buena, sobre todo los postres. -Lo que No nos gustó, el aparcamiento si es en esta fecha(1/4/2023) y tuvimos que aparcar bastante lejos,como seria en verano. -En la comida,esperaba un poco mas de variedad. -En el restaurante pedí agua(que pagamos), me dieron una botella de agua, te quitan el tapon y cuando terminas de comer, te dicen que no puedes llevarte la botella, o la dejas alli o si te quieres llevar el agua tiene que ser en vasos de plastico. Tanto por el mediodia,como en la cena,lógicamente, me sobró agua y tenía 4 vasos de agua en la habitacion.

+ Las piscinas muy chulas y el oersonal de animacion genial,las instalaciones en general muy bien

+ Buscaba tranquilidad y buena piscina y lo encontré.

+ Schöne Lage, sehr nettes Personal, Essen verbesserungswürdig. Leider wird nur am Wochenende, wenn auch viele spanische Gäste da sind, sich offensichtlich richtig Mühe gegeben beim Essen (Qualität und Präsentation)

Disappointed

+ Was massively disappointed by the service. We felt cheated by the prices at the hotel for very mediocre food and drink. Seems you are ok if you are all inclusive but we were not and made to feel priced out of using the hotel facilities.