Barceló Costa Ballena Golf & Spa — Hotel in Rota

If the very helpful Concha had not been at this hotel then the stay would have had a minus figure for a review. Concha’s hard work and conscientiousness was limited by the people around her.||||Our problems began with a distinct unwelcome sense when my husband returned to the reception desk shortly after check-in about a concern. ||||The reception desk clerk, Nadia, continued with the same vibe on 2 further occasions during our stay:||1. On enquiry about the semi-inclusive option she told me it was available only to group bookings. ||Fact: €28pppn/min 7 nights. A later enquiry directed at another clerk explained the daily rate and minimum requirement of a 7 night subscription.||2. We had repeated issues with vegetarian meals - Nadia was short and unhelpful.||||Nadia most definitely had personal issues either with foreign stayers or our brown face.||||Daily issues with vegetarian option:||This hotel is not geared for stayers with a vegetarian diet.||1. Some days I had just a salad.||2. I was presented with a plate of uncooked bland tofu.||3. Other days it was a plant-based burger and other plant-based items with a few veg.||4. I eventually realised that I needed to give specific instructions at reception - the day I requested lasagne was a good result.||5. The day I requested Mexican/enchiladas was a poor effort from the kitchen - a plate of wraps with roasted vegetables and bland tofu but no seasoning whatsoever.||6. On the last day, reception told me that it was not possible to do a vegetarian option, we could only choose something from the bar menu, I suggested a vegetarian paella but I was told this could not be made ! However, the kitchen did actually do a rice dish and seemed very much wanting to cater for our needs stating that a dialogue should be with them directly, yet previously this had not worked.||||It was very much a a luck of the draw on who was at reception and who was in the kitchen.||||||Hotel Room||The AC did not work||The fridge did not work||||Although the fridge was replaced and eventually an engineer sorted the AC; the AC was very ineffective. The room was positively warm; there was no option to adjust the AC controls.||||Suitability for families?||Kids club is seasonal.||Not suitable for kids at off peak times - nothing for young children to do.||If you have a car you could find activities; without a car you could easily spend Euro100 per day on taxi alone.||Restaurant opens at 7.30pm - too late for young children. Our grandson had usually snacked on things much before this to not eat a proper meal in...

Our family of 3 has been visiting Barceló Costa Ballena every summer for the past 8 years. We absolutely love it here! The hotel is clean, modern and perfect for our needs. The food is varied and delicious and there is always something for everyone. The amenities are great with 2 pools, a relaxing spa and a small gym. The location is perfect. It is located in a small, quiet town and a short walk or bike ride from a beautiful beach. The nightly entertainment and pool parties are lots of fun. Many families come again and again and my son has a nice group of "hotel buddies". But, the most special part of the hotel is absolutely the staff. They go out of their way to make us feel welcome and honestly, after all these years treat, us like family. Aníbal is an absolute treasure. He and his entertainment team are so much fun and they make each and every visit joyful and unforgettable. It's always so hard to leave, but we are already looking forward...

Lovely Hotel. However, not much to see and do. You definitely need a car to get around. Only 1 Restaurant on site which didn't open for Lunch some days. Lobby Bar which sold meals, not snacks. Would have been great if they did a selection of Tapas. Staff here were great. 2 swimming pools on site, but 1 pool would close some days depending on occupancy. ||No information at Reception about the hotel, you have to download Barcelo App to see what's open or closed in the Hotel, couldn't get any sense from Reception.||However, even though the hotel is on the small side it was lovely and relaxing and all Lobby Bar and Restaurant staff were super. Just wish we'd been told upfront by Jet2 that you definitely need a car as there are no bars or restaurants within walking distance. The beach is a good 20 minute walk away, but no beach beds or parasols and nowhere to eat or drink. There was toilets though. Overall a relaxing holiday, and...