PortAventura Hotel Caribe

“A great mix of relaxation and theme park excitement!”

Tips for pool use: to wear glasses in the pool you must wear a suitable glasses strap / chord. These can be purchased at the shop, or take your own. Appropriate sun hats and swim t-shirts were also allowed. (We’d read previous reviews saying they were not allowed.) I would recommend half board as … more

Tips for pool use: to wear glasses in the pool you must wear a suitable glasses strap / chord. These can be purchased at the shop, or take your own. Appropriate sun hats and swim t-shirts were also allowed. (We’d read previous reviews saying they were not allowed.) I would recommend half board as the nearest local restaurants are in Salou. The selection and quality of food at the breakfast and evening buffets were excellent. You also have the option to have your meals at the theme parks. The rooms were a good size, though not a great deal of storage space, and the beds were very comfortable. It was a great family holiday with a lovely mix of relaxation and fun at the theme parks! We would return.

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“We wouldn’t go back. Not relaxing”

We arrived at the hotel at 12pm and the room wasn’t ready and we were told they would message us. It costs to use the luggage storage lockers so we had to take our cases to the pool area and wait for a message that never came. Second issue is having to book time slots for breakfast and dinner eve… more

We arrived at the hotel at 12pm and the room wasn’t ready and we were told they would message us. It costs to use the luggage storage lockers so we had to take our cases to the pool area and wait for a message that never came. Second issue is having to book time slots for breakfast and dinner every day. We had a joining rooms as a family of 4 so we had 2 room numbers and were unable to book the same times for breakfast so had to go separately for 7 days which is ridiculous on a family holiday. Breakfast was nice but there was regularly no spoons for cereal, no bowls and things weren’t kept topped up. The pool areas were clean and nice but sunbeds were incredibly uncomfortable, we seen people using inflatables or bringing pillows from the room because it was so bad. Also the rules round the pool areas ridiculous, no sunglasses in the pool unless you have them tied round your head . The rooms were nice and beds comfortable but the sound proofing is horrendous. You can hear suitcases being unzipped like it’s in your room. Take ear plugs. We would not go back to this hotel sadly

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“Acceptable but not 4 stars (except pools)”

Unfortunately, the experience did not meet our expectations. **Room and Comfort** The room was very small for four people (2 adults and 2 teenagers). Beds were narrow and uncomfortable for two people. Thou bed and pillows were soft enough. There was no kettle in the room, which was inconvenient.… more

Unfortunately, the experience did not meet our expectations. **Room and Comfort** The room was very small for four people (2 adults and 2 teenagers). Beds were narrow and uncomfortable for two people. Thou bed and pillows were soft enough. There was no kettle in the room, which was inconvenient. The bathroom had a strong smell, visible mould, and signs of rust and dirt. **Service** We asked for two extra blankets (sheets were used instead of blankets and those were taken away every day after cleaning) since only two were provided, not big enough to cover 4 persons, but had to repeat the request every day for five days in a row. One night, after returning past midnight, we had to walk 15 minutes to from reception (and 15 minutes back to the room) because no one answered the phone but we needed 2 extra blankets. After a long day at the park, this was exhausting. Staff communication in English was also poor. The rooms were cleaned every day and were clean. However, bathroom still was smelly. **Facilities and Design** There were two nice pools, but also a neglected water trench or pond (or whaterver you can call it) connecting parts of the resort. The water was dirty in this trench. This water is not ment for swimming however it didn’t add anything to the atmosphere. A grassy area or mini golf would have been a better use of space. There was no entertainment at the hotel — not even something simple like table tennis. **Dining** We didn’t book full board, planning to eat outside. However, one day we stayed in and were surprised to find no restaurant open for dinner. We had to go to the city center instead. The same was experienced in the evenings. The only place that served food was the bar, but there are just some baguettes and similar staff. **Location and Access** Although the hotel is advertised as being close to the park, it took us 30 minutes to walk there (not including queuing). Our room was in the farthest building, and the resort isn’t designed for easy transfers. Next day we ended up driving through the hotel’s parking area to get closer, which reduced the walk to about 15 minutes. **Positives** The pools were excellent — both the sandy and non-sandy ones. Parking was available near the hotel. Breakfast was decent, nothing special but acceptable. We had unlimited access to the park and also received a discount for the Aquatic Park. Overall, the hotel has potential, but the poor service, lack of comfort, and inconvenient layout made our stay disappointing. I would not rate it as 4 star hotel. Park Experience The main PortAventura park is very nice and has many attractions. You’ll need about two days to see everything you want. There’s a dedicated area for small children, although we didn’t use it (we had 2 teenagers). However, the queues are extremely long. For example, we waited 1 hour and 30 minutes for the Uncharted ride — which was great, but the wait was exhausting. There’s nowhere to sit while queuing, except on the ground. They could improve the queuing experience and provide something while you are queueing. And on top of that, you feel stupid when VIP guests with more expensive tickets walk past you. The Aquatic Park was also enjoyable, but again, the queues were overwhelming. We were completely exhausted by the end of the day with no time to rest — just constant waiting. The third and smallest park, Ferrari Land, was included with our hotel stay. Honestly, I don’t see much reason to visit it. The only highlight was the free-fall ride, which also had a long wait. If you're interested in cars, you can easily find better content online with videos and photos. It was also frustrating that some attractions required extra payment, including photos taken while sitting in the cars — around €12 per photo for a family of four per each. Really? Overall The parks themselves are fun but overcrowded and exhausted. The hotel needs serious improvements in service, comfort, and facilities to have 4 stars. If you're planning a visit, be prepared for long queues and limited relaxation even in Aquatic park.

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