PortAventura Hotel Gold River

“A Themed Holiday Beyond Expectations”

Originally planned to go to Disneyland this year, but after feedback from friends that had recently been to both Disneyland and PortAventura, chose to do the latter instead. So glad that we did. Our holiday got off to a bumpy start, after my wife realised she had left her phone on the bus. The ... more

Originally planned to go to Disneyland this year, but after feedback from friends that had recently been to both Disneyland and PortAventura, chose to do the latter instead. So glad that we did. Our holiday got off to a bumpy start, after my wife realised she had left her phone on the bus. The hotel staff quickly jumped into action, stopping the bus at the exit gate so that the phone could be retrieved. Excellent service from the get-go. The “City Hall” part of Hotel Gold River was very impressive, with beautiful theming. We were in one of the rooms behind City Hall, closest to the theme park entrance. Again, these were themed beautifully, in a “Far West” style, with real cacti outside, convincing facades, and themed props. The inside was beautifully decorated, with lights, carpets and even music matching the theme. The room was surprisingly spacious, with great facilities and comfortable beds for all. Of course, the star attraction is the park itself, which was easily accessible from the hotel. The quality of the rides and theming is absolutely next-level compared to UK theme parks (and I am a massive fan of UK there parks). The park was clean, toilets plentiful, and a decent choice of food offerings. We queued no more than an hour for anything, with most rides being nothing more than a 15-20 minute queue. Queue lines also had good shading, which was welcome, even with the intensity of the spring sun. The new ride, Uncharted, is something completely unique (Alton Towers’ Project Horizon, pay attention). Evening meals were buffet-style, but with excellent food. The only downside is a pretty strict 60-minute time-limit, but I guess that’s a compromise to get so many guests through the dining hall. Breakfast was tasty too, but again, the 40-minute time-limit is a touch restrictive. If you wish to venture further afield, it is not immediately obvious how to leave the site on-foot. To do this, follow signs for the La Liga restaurant, and that will take you towards the pedestrian access at the main entrance. From there, you can walk into Salou along a semi-shaded pavement, and enjoy the beach. Included in our stay was a day’s access to Ferrari Land. This was a welcome freebie, not quite up to the standards of the main PortAventura park, but that is a huge compliment to the main park itself, rather than a criticism. Overall, an amazing experience; far surpassing my expectations, and setting the bar for theme parks and themed hotels. Thank you PortAventura.

less

“Great themed hotel”

Some of the reviews were a bit worrying but we found this place fantastic, staff were very friendly and helpful and loved the themeing of the hotel, Meal times are a bit chaotic but you get used to it pretty quickly and just be clever with your meal selection times which are on the app and easy t... more

Some of the reviews were a bit worrying but we found this place fantastic, staff were very friendly and helpful and loved the themeing of the hotel, Meal times are a bit chaotic but you get used to it pretty quickly and just be clever with your meal selection times which are on the app and easy to use. You're in the park within 5 mins from reception and hotel is really clean & tidy, lots of reviews state about the noise from other rooms but maybe we got lucky as didn't have this, A wonderful stay and will be coming back for sure.

less

“Lovely memories made again but meal times need improvement”

This is our 3rd year in a row that we have visited PortAventura and second time in the Golden River - last year we stayed at Colorado creek. We wanted to make this a bit of a tradition however this year some aspects of our stay could have been improved. We had booked twin beds for our sons as o... more

This is our 3rd year in a row that we have visited PortAventura and second time in the Golden River - last year we stayed at Colorado creek. We wanted to make this a bit of a tradition however this year some aspects of our stay could have been improved. We had booked twin beds for our sons as one is an autistic adult however we were given two doubles - not a problem they swiftly changed our room and upgraded us to a family room. We were very grateful for this. The hotel is immaculately clean, always smells nice and the staff are so friendly and kind they will do anything for you. My main concerns are the meal times- this has changed so much since last year. It felt super overcrowded. So many children unaccompanied at the buffet making such a mess, taking too much food. It was really quite stressful. Small children should not be getting their own food and even some of the older children 10,11 their manners were atrocious. Pushing in, taking too much food and making a mess. It’s so wasteful. My youngest son even commented saying that it was awful to see. The labelling is not great and even when the food is labelled the translation is incorrect. This means that you may pick something up and then end up not liking it and wasting it. This place is NOT good for those with allergies. All the tongs end up getting mixed up. We did however have the option to go into the smaller room past the main buffet area which was quieter and a little more pleasant. But this did mean that you had to go further to the main further which was a small trade for a less stressful experience. We were in Colorado creek last year and this Was a lot smaller and felt a lot more civilised however we were too late and this hotel was fully booked. After 3 years of making memories we have decided not to use any of the hotels next year and may not even come back to PortAventura. The staff in the dining hall are always friendly though and always happy to help. Although the song they play every mealtime does grind on you after a while 😊 and must they play happy birthday the 3 minute Spanish version to every child that has a birthday ?? Maybe just one for all of them. My PortAventura the park review is separate to this.

less