Barcelo Margaritas Royal Level - Adults Only

“Good but not as good as last year”

So hoping to repeat last year's great experience and to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary, we booked again this year along with four friends. If we hadn't been the year before, perhaps we wouldn't have felt quite as disappointed. This year the noticeable difference was in the number of staff… more

So hoping to repeat last year's great experience and to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary, we booked again this year along with four friends. If we hadn't been the year before, perhaps we wouldn't have felt quite as disappointed. This year the noticeable difference was in the number of staff on service and in Housekeeping, which impacted on the level of service that they were able to provide and which was commented upon by other guests. The staff were nonetheless fantastic, and Oana who runs the restaurant is absolutely fantastic. No detail escapes her notice and nothing is too much trouble when it comes to her looking after guests - she really is incredible. That said, she and her team were really stretched to provide the high level of service that should be an essential part of this type of holiday. The removal of the complimentary drinks and snacks at Reception struck another sour note. We were told that the new Hotel Manager had decided that if any Royal Level guest wanted to avail themselves of this, they would have to walk over to the other hotel to do so! One night when we did this just to get some water, nothing was available. It all felt a bit disrespectful and not commensurate with this type of holiday. The empty bar area in Royal Level Reception has a rather depressing appearance. This year the wooden walkways in the Restaurant area were in a poor state of repair, cracked and broken in multiple places. This was a Health and Safety issue for guests, but more so for the staff, who were usually rushed off their feet. A guest who complained was told rather dismissively that the replacement wood had been ordered and that was that. On the Terrace, there were even less parasols than last year and the broken ones (most were broken last year) were shoved behind the toilets. These parasols were obviously expensive and needed in that area - why not get them fixed? The Reception Team were all lovely, but Marta is simply superb. She spared no effort to ensure that we, and all the other guests had the best experience. We would stay here again, but sadly with lower expectations. Considering that it costs twice as much money as staying in the main hotel (which I wouldn't recommend!), I'm not sure that what's on offer meets that level of cost. However, the rooms are good, as is the food, the pool is lovely and the staff are amazing - these are the things that will make us want to return.

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“A Lovely Week at Royal Level, Let Down Slightly by Service”

My wife and I stayed at the Royal Level Adults Only section of Barceló Margaritas for one week from the end of July into the beginning of August, and overall we had a really enjoyable holiday. We would definitely consider returning in the future if the price was right. The holiday got off to a grea… more

My wife and I stayed at the Royal Level Adults Only section of Barceló Margaritas for one week from the end of July into the beginning of August, and overall we had a really enjoyable holiday. We would definitely consider returning in the future if the price was right. The holiday got off to a great start when we arrived at around 9:15pm after a late flight. The check-in staff were extremely welcoming and, knowing that dinner service was about to end, they encouraged us to go and grab some food before completing the check-in process. It was a thoughtful touch and very much appreciated after a long day of travelling. Our suite was excellent. It was spacious, spotless and cleaned daily. The rotating TV was a nice feature, the bathroom was large, the fridge was useful, and the balcony was huge with plenty of space to relax. Housekeeping did a great job throughout our stay and the hotel itself was exceptionally clean and well maintained. Every morning you could see staff and gardeners taking pride in keeping the grounds looking immaculate. The Royal Level pool area was one of the highlights of the holiday. It was peaceful, relaxing and never felt overcrowded. We never had any issues finding sunbeds, even when heading down around 9:30am, and it was nice having access to the rest of the resort too. The Bali beds were another nice touch and it's great that guests can use them if available. Breakfast was excellent. One tip for future guests: ask for the breakfast menu. Alongside the buffet, they will prepare fresh dishes such as omelettes and Eggs Benedict. The salmon Eggs Benedict became one of our favourites and was a fantastic way to start the day. The coffee and drinks selection throughout the hotel were also very good, with a wide range of premium brands included in the all-inclusive package. The food overall was good rather than exceptional. There was always something to enjoy and some themed evenings, particularly the Chinese night and Canarian-themed evenings, were very good. However, some dinners felt a little repetitive and towards the end of the week we found ourselves occasionally using the main hotel restaurant for a bit more variety. Our biggest criticism would be the service around the Royal Level pool and, to some extent, the service in El Fuego restaurant. The app-based pool service is a great idea, but on several occasions we waited over an hour for drinks. At quieter times it worked perfectly, but during busier periods it clearly seemed under-resourced. The staff worked hard, but there simply didn't appear to be enough of them. Similar issues occurred at El Fuego, where food was enjoyable but service was quite slow and items we requested were sometimes forgotten. We also felt communication at check-in could be improved. A little more information about Royal Level benefits, Bali beds, room service and what was included would help guests get the most from their stay. Despite those criticisms, we genuinely had a lovely holiday. The resort is beautiful, clean, well maintained and offers excellent facilities. With some improvements to staffing and service levels, particularly around the pool, this could easily become a 5-star experience. For us, it's a strong 4/5, and we'd happily return in the future.

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“Great little week away”

Great location away from the main hustle and bustle. I thought the staff were really good and attentive. Rooms were nice although a little run down in some areas (bathrooms mainly given the damp and humid conditions no doubt). Pool area was lovely (a little floor maintenance required) never need… more

Great location away from the main hustle and bustle. I thought the staff were really good and attentive. Rooms were nice although a little run down in some areas (bathrooms mainly given the damp and humid conditions no doubt). Pool area was lovely (a little floor maintenance required) never needing to reserve or go without a bed. The only strange thing for me was the charge for the Bali beds directly next to the pool - there was a €6 charge for these per day to reserve yet it not reserved people were just using anyway. There were plenty of other Bali beds behind the main pool area though without a need to reserve. Food:breakfast was really lovely loads of choice. Lunch was fine for a snack and dinner was ok (you can always find something to eat). Restaurant staff lovely and attentive Drinks: were great premium branded and always available. Pumps available to serve yourself during the day (and night over at the main hotel block bars). I’d stay here again!

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“A very nice Hotel”

Nice hotel (Adults Only Area), great staff. Room was comfortable but would have liked the bar to be refreshed as part of the all inclusive package and not charged as extra. Buffet was quite good quality with various options but as with any hotel buffet over the period it does become repetitive. Poo… more

Nice hotel (Adults Only Area), great staff. Room was comfortable but would have liked the bar to be refreshed as part of the all inclusive package and not charged as extra. Buffet was quite good quality with various options but as with any hotel buffet over the period it does become repetitive. Pool service could be slow at times but the staff were great, just lacked the numbers to cater for everyone at times. All said and done we would return again.

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