Hotel Riviera - Adults Recomended

“Another excellent stay at the Riviera”

We have just returned from a fantastic 10 day holiday to the Riviera.  This was our 5th visit to the hotel and we were looking forward to seeing the changes after the refurbishment, and we were not disappointed. We arrived around 12.30pm, so before usual check-in time but our room was available wh… more

We have just returned from a fantastic 10 day holiday to the Riviera.  This was our 5th visit to the hotel and we were looking forward to seeing the changes after the refurbishment, and we were not disappointed. We arrived around 12.30pm, so before usual check-in time but our room was available which was a pleasant suprised.  We had a deluxe double with pool and limited sea view and was allocated room 303 (we've has 504 & 603 the last 2 years). The room was lovely, a great view of the pool, the beach, sea and over the the Marina.  The  rooms have been refurbished well, new flooring, new kettles & nespresso machines.  The gowns and slippers are a lovely extra touch. The beds were very comfortable, bath towels soft & white & changed daily.  The handwash in the bathroom was lovely.  There were 2 small bottles of complimenary water, tea & coffee were replenished daily.  The housekeeping was excellent. The new chairs & tables on the balcony are much better.  I think the only enhancement that could be made to the room is to replace the balcoy to clear glass (like the Triton etc. so can enjoy more of that great view) The public areas have been refurbished nicely and the hotel is fully accessible for me as I have mobility issues after a stroke.  There are bus stops to the left and right of the hotel towards Malaga making getting around very easy.  There's also a lift to the promenade, it's a lovely walk to the Marina, The pool area has been refurbished very well, lovely new umbrellas and all newly tiled.  We tended to use the relaxation terrace on the 2nd floor and always plenty of loungers available.  Around the pool, it did get very busy, but were always beds available still at 10am. Nice to have pool towels available at reception, they just take your room number and then give them back when you check out. Most afternoons for an hour there would be live music around the pool (violin, DJ, pianist, Saxophone) which gave a nice atmosphere.   The hotel staff were excellent, lots of new faces but  from the Reception to the bar, restaurant and cleaners, nothing was too much trouble, all friendly and welcoming.  We found the food in the restaurant excellent, there was an excellent breakfast buffet, with a full english available (and even British style sausages), fried eggs, poached eggs, pancakes and omelettes cooked to order by the very cheery chef Pena.  There was also a great continental selection too, lots of pastries, cold meats & cheeses, fruits and yogurt.  The coffee in the restuarant machines (illy branded) was very good, even better than pre-refurb, the fruit juices are also better quality. The evening meal was very varied with a good selection every night, even the pickiest eater could eat well.  The soups were lovely, and there was even some Brit favourites like roast beef & yorkshire pudding on the Sunday.  One thing I did miss was the bread & butter pudding they used to have (there doesn't appear to be a hot desert section anymore).  The restaurant team were lovely, very friendly & efficient, nice to see Roberto still at the door.  A couple of bits of restaurant feeback, firstly it now opens at 7.30pm which is a little late for us Brits, 7.00pm would be preferred (a lot of guests were saying the same) there was always a queue for door opening each evening, and after going down at various times it appeared busiest between 7.30-8.15ish. And secondly, the hotel always used to offer continental breakfast from 6am, this is now not available and it doesn't open until 8am. A lot of guests leave on their last day before or around 8am, be nice to have a continental option available a little earlier (even just coffee, toast , pastries), there is a tea/coffee trolley wheeled out in reception, but not the same. There was entertaiment each evening in the bar (singers, music), generally very good, although much quieter in the bar than previous years.  The hotel bar prices are reasonable too. Overall it was another excellent stay, it's my favourite hotel, the location is perfect and I'm missing my time there already.  The hotel has been refurbished very well, this year I could see a more varied mix of clientele which does make for a nice atmosphere.  I'm already planning my next visit.

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