My husband and I stayed at the end of May/beginning of June. We really liked the hotel! We arrived in the morning but we were immediately settled, the room is small but everything is clean and everything worked, the balcony overlooked the children's pool. The food at the hotel was very pleasing, for 8 days they served king prawns three times, several times squid, mussels, jamon... a large selection of fruits and delicious pastries, everything is fresh and everything is delicious, champagne was served in the morning and once in the evening. Very polite staff! The location of the hotel is excellent, the beach is nearby, but we went to the one that was further away (it is long and wide), the road did not tire at all, it was pleasant to walk through such beauty, I wanted to photograph absolutely all the landscapes. The beaches are clean, the water is cool, but we swam. Delicious beer, wine and food! We went to Barcelona and Tarragona. I would love to come back to this hotel!
1. Cleaned daily
2. Wifi throughout the hotel
3. The staff is generally friendly and speak Russian
Of the shortcomings:
1. Paid refrigerator and safe. The cabinet is out of order, etc.
2. Noisy hotel: until 2 am you will hear the wild cries of children, and from 4 am the cleaning staff. Calling reception is useless.
3. Food is monotonous, but what is offered is edible. Fruit in sufficient quantity.
4. Food is not designed for fans of excursions: early breakfast is rolls and coffee. For our taste, nothing. Takeaway breakfast is not available for tourists.
5. Queues to the restaurant.
6. Animation is weak (although we didn’t care)
7. The closest beach is dirty and inconvenient for "swimming". 1st line hotel and does not smell close.
8. The location is generally remote. Nothing interesting nearby.
9. There are simply no mandatory information books for hotels about the services provided. How to call the reception, for example
1. Llargo: the longest of the three, divided into several bays (3), the most successful of which is the furthest from the hotel: a convenient entrance to the sea, on the other bays there is a large spit, along which you need to walk knee-deep for a long time to the depth. To this beach from the main entrance of the hotel to the right until it stops, then to the left, we go down the stairs - 160 steps or along the path, smoothly winding towards the sea with observation platforms, benches. The beach is surrounded by a pine park, you can smell the pines, the sea, the beach is filled with people much less than the beach in the center of Salou.
2. Capellance: the most picturesque, locals prefer it to relax, from the main entrance of the hotel to the right until it stops, then right to the first fork to the left down to the beach.
3. Llevant: located along the promenade in the center of Salou, the busiest with vacationers. From the hotel 15 minutes on foot.
4. Llenguadets: from the main entrance of the hotel to the right as far as it will go, then right-to-right down and up the steps, the smallest one, often flooded by the sea, there is a beautiful observation platform on the rock nearby.
The hotel does not have a refrigerator connected, the connection fee is 29 euros per week. Drinks in supermarkets from the refrigerator are more expensive than not chilled. The most affordable supermarkets: Spar, Tandy - from the hotel to the left on the fifth exit to the left. Beer Spanish cans of red color estrella damm (good), golden cans - san miguel. In supermarkets, chopped vacuum-packed jamon from 1 euro, delicious Spanish pastries - ensaimada.
If you are leaving Salou and do not have time for dinner, go to the reception in advance at the hotel (Russian speakers work) and transfer dinner to lunch, for example, the next day.
Travel by Plana buses: buy a card at a tabacci kiosk, the cost is 2 euros plus 10 euros on the account. The nearest kiosk from the hotel is located next to the stop in the center of Salou, walk from the main entrance of the hotel to the left, the sixth turn to the left across the road. At the entrance to the bus, lean the card against the machine next to the driver, take a ticket. On the card, travel around Salou, to La Pineda, Reus, Tarragona ~ 1 euro, if paid in cash - 2.6 euros. Next to the tabacci kiosk is the stop of bus number 1 to the Aventura Park (to the final one). Tickets are more profitable with a hotel guide of any tour operator for 1 day 44 euros, for 2 days 49 euros (at the box office 69 euros for 2 days), if Park Aventura is studied in one day, the second day can be sold to comrades or colleagues from the hotel, having agreed in advance. Do not throw away tickets from PortAventura - they provide free admission to the museums of Tarrragona. In PortAventura, go to the evening show, it starts at 22-30, you can go to the hotel to eat dinner and return. Just be sure to put the stamps on your hands at the exit from PortAventura, so that they can then launch them back.
Near the hotel there is a bus stop going to Reus (No. 47) - travel time 30 minutes, arrive at the bus station, Tarragona (1.4, 5) - travel time 30 minutes, arrive at the bus station, Aquapark in La Pineda (1.4 , 5.47), to Barcelona - travel time 1 hour 30 minutes, (buy a ticket from the driver: round-trip 20 euros), to Barcelona airport - travel time 1 hour 30 minutes, (buy a ticket from the driver: there- return 27 euros, one way 15 euros).
You can also get to Barcelona by train, departing from Salou at 8-43, at 10-13, travel 13 euros round trip, get to Pg. De Gracia. The railway station in Salou is located 300 meters perpendicular to the port of Salou inland.
Pacha disco in La Pineda. Entrance 18 euros. The people of darkness, mostly Spaniards. Also in La Pineda, the Aquopolis water park (transport stop - embankment, water park opposite across the road), is open from 11 am to evening, entrance 25 euros for 1 day, 31 euros for two days. One day is enough, you can't sell the second day - they hang bracelets on their hands. There is no point in taking paid cheesecakes in the water park. In the water park, dolphin and fur seal shows are held 2 times a day.
In Reus (Gaudi's birthplace), pick up a map of the city at the bus station upon arrival, then go to the center of Gaudi, bypassing the center of Gaudi shopping street on the left: Swiss watches, Italian glasses, Spanish clothing brands: mango, pool and bea, massimo dutti, adolfo dominguez, shoes.
Tax-free: in the center of Gaudí in Reus you can get a refund for tax-free, but only from Eurorefund - shoe stores work with it, a purchase in one check is at least 95 euros, you must have a passport with you. At Barcelona Airport, the bank (La Caixa), which issues cash, is open until 20-30. If the departure is in the evening, you can arrive at the airport in advance (a day or more) with a passport and tax-free receipts filled with passport data and address. First of all, put the stamps in the police, then get the cash in the bank of La Caixa. In terminal T2, the police and the bank are near the horse. In the T1 terminal, the police are on the 2nd floor, the bank is on the 1st. There is a free green bus between the airport terminals, the journey takes 15 minutes.
In Tarragona, take a map of the city at the bus station upon arrival at the kiosk i, along the Rambla, passing by the sculpture of the folk pyramid to the sea - a Mediterranean balcony, then to the left - museums, excavations, the old city (2000 years old).
Andorra: the mountains of the Pyrenees, the beautiful capital of Andorra la Vella. Shopping: cheaper than in duty free and in Spanish stores: alcohol, cosmetics and perfumery (cognac cognac 1 l, vsop, 18 euros, women's blue kenzo eau de toilette 50 ml - 29 euros).
Must visit places: Mount Montserrat (excursion from Salou 35-45 euros depending on the program), the city of Figueres, the Dali Museum, in Barcelona: the Sagrada de Familia temple with going inside and climbing up, Park Gü ell, take the metro, Gaudi's houses: Casa Battle, La Pedrera - on the Rambla, Night Fountain Show on Mount Montjuic, which is interesting to visit by funicular. Take the funicular near the beach of Barcelona (near the port), the cost is 10 euros. Mount Tibidaboo. Adventure park. You can go to Andorra (excursion from Salou 44 euros), Valencia (excursion from Salou 76 euros). Bullfighting in Barcelona (excursion from Salou 63 euros) - banned since 2012.
Second moment. We bought a ticket quite cheaply, and that's why - the travel agency did not tell us, but at the same time as we were, there were disabled people and children in the hotel. Apparently, a social program. Mercy and all that is wonderful. But when you eat three times a day with Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and rehabilitation patients after a stroke, who occupy half the dining room, coupled with noisy 10-12-year-old children, it discourages appetite. And when the elevator opens, and you see a crap one's pants in it, you just want to cry.
So I recommend that those who have already bought a ticket keep money on the card and take a hair dryer with you. And also all things to buy on the last day.
I didn't really like the rooms, rather small with a paid safe, but with a bath, not a shower. I don't think it's worth expecting more from a treshka.
1) Good location of the hotel. There are 3 beaches to choose from, but we liked Llarga more - the closest. Fine golden sand, you go up to the neck and the bottom is still visible + there is no crowd like on the central beach.
2) I was pleased with the cuisine - quite varied, on Fridays a festive menu (shrimps, salmon, turkey, octopus skewers, etc. ), on Sundays a themed dinner (we found Chinese and Mexican) + for lovers of chic for breakfast champagne. In all hotels at lunch and dinner, drinks are paid, but in Playa Park, which is good, there were always watermelons, melons, pineapples, so we could easily do without drinks.
3) Very friendly and helpful staff. There is a Russian-speaking administrator at the reception, she advised us on all issues, which cannot be said about the hotel guide from Natalie Tours, who did not show up for a cocktail at all - normal, right?
4) Animation is really entertaining. Hawaiian show, bingo lottery, kids club, karaoke, especially liked the guest singer - just super!
In general, we really enjoyed our holiday. We are in Salou for the second time, so we can suggest a couple of points that will allow us to save a lot.
To get started, take a look at the supermarket - the same alcohol as in the hotel restaurant, you can try much cheaper, you should buy dried sausage - a spicy little thing. Another such moment. On the beach, you can rent an umbrella for 5 € per day, and for the same 5 € you can buy this umbrella in a supermarket, they also sell air mattresses (about 4 €).
As for excursions, we recommend taking them not from hotel guides, but best of all through the ticket offices of the municipal transport Bus Plana. They are on every corner, and for comparison, the numbers: Barcelona and the "Magic Fountain" at "Natalie Tours" 56 € / person, and through Bus Plana 26!
Moreover, the same route with a Russian guide, even at Bus Plana we entered the Sagrada Familia for free, and with Natalie we only drove past. In addition, as it turned out, some representatives of Bus Plana work in PortAventura and can sell entrance tickets not for 39 €, but for 20.
And the last moment. The talk that everything is cheaper in Duty Free seems far-fetched to us. We compared perfume, alcohol and chocolate - more expensive. In Duty Free, we bought only alcohol, and then only because you can take quite a lot in hand luggage. Only from here! If you buy in the city, then a liter and a half and in luggage, and then you yourself understand ...
I hope our tips will help many of you to save money and enjoy Spain to the fullest. We wish you all a successful trip and unforgettable impressions!