Ponient Marinada by PortAventura World

“3.5 stars. Good Family Holiday but definitely room for improvement”

Just back from a 1-week all-inclusive stay. 2 adults and 3 kids aged 12, 14 and 17. First impression at check-in was chaotic. 2 members of staff doing check-in and 1 member of staff doing check-out, taking keys off guests while the queue was out the door. Check-in was great when we got to the fron… more

Just back from a 1-week all-inclusive stay. 2 adults and 3 kids aged 12, 14 and 17. First impression at check-in was chaotic. 2 members of staff doing check-in and 1 member of staff doing check-out, taking keys off guests while the queue was out the door. Check-in was great when we got to the front of the queue, so I guess it was worth the wait. When we arrived, neither of our rooms was ready. We knew they might not be, as we arrived about 11ish. This didn’t stop us from being able to start using the facilities and the all-inclusive services. We chose not to pay for lockers to store our bags, and there was no issue with us sitting with them in the bar while we waited. When we got to our rooms, they were clean and fresh and next door to each other. Glad I saw reviews about power outlets, and we took a 4-bar extension for the 1 power outlet in the room. The pool area we also found to be clean and well-kept. We saw staff often out cleaning and sweeping leaves. Yes, there are pigeons, but we never found them to be a bother; they were just there. There is a small sign that we only noticed 5 days into the holiday saying food should be eaten at the tables and not taken to the sunbeds. We had been eating at the sunbeds, and no one was enforcing this rule. We always cleared up after ourselves and can't say we noticed a big litter issue. There was also always a lifeguard on duty. The first few days, we never struggled to get loungers, but as the week went on and the hotel got a bit busier, we did need to get down before breakfast to secure a bed. There were always activities and stuff going on around the pool for the kids. Our kids never used these as they are a little older, but it was nice to see. There are 2 things that let the hotel down: that's the food and the slow service. We are not a fussy family by any means, but there were a few nights when the hot dinner options just didn't hit the mark. The salad and kids' options were great, but the main food was very mismatched and not very appealing to the eye. We ate out one night, and we never went hungry. The snack options by the pool were fantastic. Chips, pizza, nachos, hotdogs, burgers, spring rolls, toasties, sandwiches, salad, jelly and ice lollies. Always plenty, always fresh. My final issue is the slow service. Please do not mistake this for poor service. All staff we encountered were happy, friendly and great with the kids as well. During the day, there would only be 2 members of staff manning the bar. For a hotel that size, this was clearly not enough staff. The queues at the pool bar could take a while. Overall, clean hotel, friendly staff, great location and we had a really good holiday. I would say 3.5 stars. I've marked up to 4 rather than down to 3.

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“Fairly ok all inclusive”

Firstly the room was quite small and probably not big enough for a family of 4. 2 small double beds in a very confined space, only 1 charging spot in the bedroom and 2 in the bathroom area which isn’t exactly safe for tablet/phone charging. However, rooms are tended to everyday by very good houseke… more

Firstly the room was quite small and probably not big enough for a family of 4. 2 small double beds in a very confined space, only 1 charging spot in the bedroom and 2 in the bathroom area which isn’t exactly safe for tablet/phone charging. However, rooms are tended to everyday by very good housekeeping staff and bathroom is very spacious. The facilities are basic, small pool can feel very cramped at times especially when gangs of UK teenagers are practicing front flips in one end of the pool. This caused an issue as a lifeguard was attempting to implement safety procedures and children were giving cheek back leading to security attending on our final day. Hotel snack bar was good, served fairly fast with a decent level of snacks including burgers, nachos, chips, pizza and a range of desserts. A range of drinks available also. WiFi also decent too. Restaurant was as you would expect from an all inclusive, busy school cafeteria style, we expected this from the start and budgeted for a few meals out. The TUI included ticket to the theme park was pretty seamless for entry. However, only expect 3-4 rides of you don’t purchase fast pass tickets. Salou itself is a very busy place, the hotel is a 1 minute walk from the main strip and 10 minutes from the beach. For eating out, I would recommend the Guinness Tavern. All in all an ok holiday, don’t expect the ritz but could be slightly better with a few amendments.

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