Sbh Monica Beach Hotel

“Better than the reviews led me to believe”

Much better than expected! During the week leading up to our holiday, I made the mistake of reading some reviews on Tripadvisor. I was genuinely worried after reading comments about bad attitudes from staff, burglaries, poor food, cleanliness issues, etc. I was under no illusion that this was goi… more

Much better than expected! During the week leading up to our holiday, I made the mistake of reading some reviews on Tripadvisor. I was genuinely worried after reading comments about bad attitudes from staff, burglaries, poor food, cleanliness issues, etc. I was under no illusion that this was going to be a luxury 4-star hotel. Although SBH rates the hotel as 4-star, our holiday provider rated it as 3-star, which I think is probably a fairer expectation to have. My priority was simple: I wanted my kids to have a safe, fun holiday — and on that front, the hotel absolutely delivered. My first impression of the food was that it was quite basic. However, it was certainly above average and, as the week went on, I actually thought it got better. There was plenty of choice, and the lunch and dinner options were surprisingly varied and really well presented. If anything, breakfast was the meal that felt the most repetitive. My kids, aged 10 and 12, were very happy with the choices available, and I found something I really enjoyed at every sitting. The staff were friendly, attentive and polite throughout our stay, which was particularly reassuring after reading some of the reviews beforehand. Our room was basic but absolutely massive. It was clean, comfortable and completely suited our needs. The rooms were serviced every day, with a new piece of towel art left for good measure — a nice little touch! The swimming pools were brilliant and clean, and the slides were a huge hit with the kids. Having the beach directly in front of the hotel was another massive bonus. The animation team were excellent, with lots going on throughout the day and plenty to keep the kids entertained. The evening entertainment, however, was probably the weakest part of the experience and felt a little dated. Yes, the hotel is dated. Yes, there are areas that could probably be a little cleaner. But there must have been well over 1500 people staying at the resort, all with their own habits and standards of cleanliness (you smokers are pretty dirty, aren’t you?! 😂), and it must be incredibly difficult to keep on top of everything. There was an army of cleaners working around the resort throughout the day, so it certainly wasn’t for lack of effort. The resort felt safe and, although busy, it never felt too overcrowded. There was also a good mix of nationalities, which gave the place a nice holiday atmosphere. My verdict Much better than expected — and much better than the reviews led me to believe. We had a great time and, ultimately, I think we got exactly what we paid for — if not a little more. I probably wouldn’t choose this hotel for a romantic couples’ holiday, but as a family resort, I think it’s a really good option. The kids had a fantastic time, which was the most important thing to me. Going back to the hotel rating, I’d give it 3.5 + stars. Would I come back? For a family holiday, yes.

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“You get what you pay for”

Wasnt the worst place but theres improvements to be made. Based on previous reviews, i didnt go there with the highest expectations, so when i got there i wasnt disappointed. For the price we paid last minute we got what we paid first in all fairness. Good points was the pool area generally had l… more

Wasnt the worst place but theres improvements to be made. Based on previous reviews, i didnt go there with the highest expectations, so when i got there i wasnt disappointed. For the price we paid last minute we got what we paid first in all fairness. Good points was the pool area generally had loungers as long as you didnt get there too late. The customer service from reception and some bar staff was good and attentive, especially if you had an issue. The grey areas was upon arrival there was no one to show us to our room, reception staff did give a brief explanation of where to go however, the resort being fairly large it did a while to find the room and walking around for 30minutes with large suitcases is not ideal after travelling the whole day. Although we got an all inclusive package, after a certain time they begin charging for drinks which is abit cheeky. Daily charge for beach towels (luckily we brought our own) Big selection of food but on some days it was hit and miss unfortunately. Based on the pictures we were under the impression a small section of the beach was owned by the resort. This was not the case and we had to pay a day rate of 6 euros per lounger and another 6 euros for the umbrella. Keys only worked for half a day at a time. Had to keep changing keys which got very annoying very quickly. And after speaking to another person on the resort they brought up the fact that someones room was robbed of their valuables. Luckily we carried our most valuable items with us whenever we left the room so we was ok on that end. Cleaners had alot of attitude if they came to your room to clean and you are still in there. Mind you they came every morning at 9am. Same reaction everytime you ask them to come back in 10 minutes. They kiss their teeth and start saying things in Spanish. By the tone in their voice its clear they are saying horrible things. To summarise if you want a cheap holiday it will do the job but, i personally wouldnt classify this as a 4 star based ok the 4 star resorts ive been to previously.

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