Barceló Punta Umbría Mar — Hotel in Punta Umbría

This was our fourth consecutive stay at Barceló Punta Umbría Mar – we’ve come back each year because of the hotel’s unbeatable location and consistently high standards in the past. Unfortunately, this time we left very disappointed.||||Let’s start with the positives: the rooms remain clean and well-maintained, and the beachside location is still one of the best we’ve experienced – clean, sandy, and beautifully situated right by the sea. In that regard, no other place we’ve been to compares.||||However, the quality of food and service has dropped significantly. In the past, we enjoyed varied and well-prepared meals with themed dinner nights (Mexican, Asian, Italian, etc.), which added a nice touch to the experience. This year, none of that was offered. The food was basic, repetitive, and lacked inspiration – a real letdown over the course of a week.||||Service in the restaurant was also surprisingly poor. On multiple occasions, we had to ask several times for drinks, often feeling completely ignored while staff walked past or focused on cleaning nearby tables. It felt like a real shift from the attentive and friendly service we’ve known from previous visits.||||Evening entertainment wasn’t a big draw for us, but the live music nights – usually a nice bonus – were now held in the small indoor bar. It honestly felt more like waiting at an airport lounge than enjoying a holiday atmosphere. A strange and underwhelming setup.||||Another issue we ran into was at reception, where communication was difficult. One evening, we found a large cockroach in the room and asked for help. The receptionist struggled to understand us, and it took two visits and a lot of explaining before someone finally came with spray. Not the kind of response you expect from a hotel that markets itself internationally.||||My parents, who had also visited in the past, shared similar impressions. It's a real shame – last year felt like a big improvement, and it seemed like management had taken previous feedback on board. This year, unfortunately, felt like a step backwards, and we left unsure whether we would return.||||If you’re coming purely for the beach and location, it’s still a great spot. But if food and service matter to you, be prepared for a 3-star experience at...

Upon arrival we were greeted by the reception and were surprised that they still have COVID protocols in action. So you can not go the restaurant when you want and you need to book an appointment for the Gym. The room we had was a bit outdated, but we knew that from the pictures. We had a deluxe room with sea view. It had a very big balcony nice area to sit at and a very big TV. The floor however was dirty. My partner walked with white socks over the floor and they were black after that. There was sand on the floor as well. The sun protection above the balcony needs urgent replacement as it had holes in there it also made a lot of noise. The Gym is great, the pool beautiful and the pool bar Batavia is also great. English in general is not well spoken here by the staff. The experience with the buffet restaurant was very unpleasant. The staff was rude to us, the buffet was more empty then full and lots of low quality food was used. We only stayed one night as a test for a future longer vacation. I am happy we have done it as we will definitely not return. There is too much wrong...

Second year in a row, and once again we had an amazing 5 days stay at this hotel. We always like to go towards the end of the season, when the weather is still good however the facility is not as busy. This hotel has all I am looking for when in need of a break, first and foremost a breathtaking beach which can be conveniently accessed directly from the hotel. The rooms are big and bright, even though they are starting to show their age a bit, however they are still kept very well and, together with the rest of the facilities offered, still deserves my 5 star vote. The view towards the "Enebrales" trail and the seaside at the same time was amazing and I enjoyed watching the sun setting from my balcony on more than one occasion. We had breakfast included in our plan and it really offered anything one can think of, something for everyone for sure. The staff are all super friendly, and I would like to thank Doña Mercedes,as she was the one that welcomed us and the one we interacted with the most. Looking forward to arranging our next visit...