Riu Costa del Sol

Honestly there’s too much to say in a review so I’ll keep it shortish From our perspective this was a fantastic hotel & our best holiday yet, staff great but a couple of staff a bit dour but that can’t be helped I suppose sometimes. On arrival at 12:30 room was ready so straight forward, never had much of a view from our room but it was in a great position for us so we’d hope for the same room or better view on our next visits because we’ll definitely be returning within the next few years as we’ve got a few other holidays in the pipeline first then hopefully this’ll be an every year holiday. Location is away from the town but a nice walk along the promenade then either up steps or a lift will get you there, taxis from hotel to town is roughly €8 Food is like every hotel, something for everyone, Good selection of drinks, Entertainment is great, from hotel staff to outside entertainment were very entertaining, Rooms cleaned every day but hairdryer isn’t great so bring your own if you’ve long hair, Plenty of sun beds so no need to rush out before breakfast opens although some do but if you like a long lay in there’ll be beds somewhere for whenever you get up, There’s no smoking at sun beds but if you do smoke there’s designated smoking areas especially at the beachside pool & the rear pool that won’t bother you sunbathing if you don’t smoke, Hotel supplies pool towels so no need to bring towels from home unless you’re going to the beach, A couple of things that could make the hotel better is there’s lots of birds flying around & there can sometimes be a lot of bird poo laying around at pools & other areas that staff walk past & could easily mop up in less a minute to save guests walking all over it & the other tiny thing is install a digital clock & temperature gauge at each pool that would help guests keep track of time & temperature? To end this review I’d like to say thanks for a great holiday & we’ll see yous again soon 👍

We arrived May 21st after a short transfer from the airport to a lovely welcome and as it turned out, two weeks of glorious weather! We had checked in online, so we already knew where our room was, so we had lunch and got an email within the hour to say our room was ready. The room was basic, but exactly as described online, so no complaints there really… except if they could add a few other things, I would have loved a dressing table for instance. It was immaculately clean, as was the whole hotel. There are many bars and restaurants and we tried them all, the Italian being our favourite. We went about 4 times. Again, good service and spotless. Eating outside for us was rare, too many sparrows and parrots flying around the tables and they’re brave they won’t shush away! Plus I’m frightened of birds. Once you’ve got your food and have chosen to sit outside, I recommend not leaving your seat as the birds will peck at your meal whilst you’re up getting a drink or whatever. You can sit down and eat and be totally oblivious that they’ve eaten from your plate. The food and service in the buffets were good too! So much choice! Constantly replenished and displayed to tempt you… it did! The coffee is divine! Especially with the hot milk from the urn. Be careful of the flys, especially around the cheese. I don’t know why they don’t cover it up in clear plastic containers like they did the butter. I’m not a dessert person but I love cheese and missed this holiday treat, as I, like several others just walked away from it most of the time. Now the debate about tongs for the food. Personally I think they’re the most unhygienic things ever and I would suggest using them with a napkin. Hundreds of people have picked up the tongs each hour! Think about it, people cough into their hands, smoke, use sun cream on their bodies, go to the loo without washing their hands afterwards (I’ve seen this first hand) and goodness knows what else and then use the tongs. So if you’re going to eat with your hands, say a bread roll or any of the food from Pepe’s as there’s no cutlery at all there… just think about holding the tongs with a napkin. Rant over! There’s loads of sun beds, no need to get up early if you don’t want to. They’re a bit close together but at least that’s means there’s plenty. A bit annoying that some people reserve beds around the pools with their own beach towels as well as the hotel one for use later on in the day. One bed per person should be the fair way. We enjoyed what entertainment we saw, particularly the musicals night. Dirty Dancing was hysterical. The team work so hard and long hours too! It was fun having a go at archery, darts, bingo, water polo, and water volleyball ball, the last two I’d never been brave enough to partake in before, it was great and our team won too! Have a go! Lots of do’s and dont’s aren’t really enforced. (See the book in your room for these) But the one that bothered me was smoking and vaping. (I’m an ex smoker) There’s designated areas, but you always get those that openly smoke on their balcony, around the pools in fact just about everywhere. So inconsiderate. We’d move to a different sunbed but that’s not the point. It’s probably the main reason we won’t go back to this hotel. I’ve been to several Riu’s and as much as I enjoyed this holiday I can’t say it’s anywhere near my favourite, it needs a bit of a refresh in places, some of the sun beds and parasols need replacing for instance. And why do they turn the hand dryers off at 8pm every night? The cocktails are just slushies. A few tweaks and it would be greatly improved. I’d like to give a shout out to a guy who works in the main buffet restaurant. I didn’t get his name unfortunately, but he was tall, slim with grey hair. He was always smiling as he worked and made you feel welcome, even if he was clearing a table where the people had left he’d still be smiling. That’s exceptional! I hope you know who he is and he gets acknowledged if you have some kind of recognition scheme. We met the lovely hotel cat! Who just takes all the fuss off every one in his stride! And the ducks! Ok I’ve talked about hygiene, but the ducks in the pool just made me laugh! We didn’t see Mrs duck the second week… does anyone know if she’s ok? I mean we saw the pain in the neck seagulls kill and eat a bird and a parrot by the pool… would it go for the ducks? In a nutshell.. this is a clean hotel with hard working staff. Good food and lots to do. Just needs a few niggles sorting out.

Where to start? Pros and cons? Two sides to every story? The hotel itself is fine, copious amounts of food or drink available 24/7. All manner of breakfasts are catered for and I defy anyone not to get something they like. The same applies to lunch and dinner in the evening. There are four pools, the main one is near the main road and looks out toward the beach and sea beyond. (There is a gated entrance which you can use to access the road and beach). Inland and behind this pool, is a bar, stage and restaurants. Next there is a small walk to the reception/check-in building and main entrance. Beyond that, is pool #2, and a bar. Behind this is the 3rd pool, and tiny baby pool #4. This is also where you will find Pepe’s food, and a towel station (you can only change your towels between 4-6pm). Leading from this area is to another bar at the end of the resort and the gym/spa is off to the left. Despite what you might get told, there is no quiet pool. Each pool is very busy (and noisy). Sun-seekers regularly get up between 7-8am to bag the best loungers. We didn’t normally get down until about 9am, but usually found a lounger available. However, the pools are open until 7pm, and after about 5pm, people tend to leave, and it is less busy. Our room was in the block near the 2nd and 3rd pools, facing outside and to the east. It was adequate. Two wide single beds pushed together, made our bed. The mattress was firm, but that was alright by me. A TV hung on the wall, but we hardly used it. Coffee making facilities, but again, we hardly used them. Cupboard/drawers/wardrobe space (hangers) was all limited, and not quite enough for two people, for two weeks. However, we survived. Horses would regularly trot up the narrow road early in the morning outside our room, which accompany the screeching of the Monk Parakeets nesting in trees opposite our room. The bathroom, had a wide sink and walk-in shower, plus toilet and bidet. There was hand soap and shower gel, plus a hairdryer. The staff and entertainment team are brilliant and amazing….working from morning until late at night. But there are two sides, as I said, to each story. And this is where all the ‘buts’ start..because there are a lot of things that need repairing or issues….A LOT. Our Room ‘buts’: * Door handle to balcony is loose. * Cupboard door that hides the the fridge needs adjusting. * New bracket on vertical shower rail (shower head keeps slipping down). * Shower gel was never topped up, and we ran out before our two weeks were up. * We left our wet towels hanging up to dry, which were folded up, so never dried properly, and smelled mouldy by the time we returned to our room. Restaurant ‘buts’: * Sitting outside either at the Sardina or main buffet restaurant you run a gauntlet against birds who mug you for your food, if you so much as turn your back. * Be wary of flies on food or around the self-service drinks (wine). * The breakfast muesli is anything BUT. It’s a mixture of oats, fruit, cornflakes and other children’s cereals. * There are two types of bacon, but both are either chewy and crispy, or just chewy. * The food labelling is hit and miss, sometimes it’s like a child has run wild and mixed them all up on purpose. * The food serving implements are often mixed up, so food is often transferred from one food to another. If you have any food intolerances, take care. * In the main buffet restaurant, the chairs scrape noisily on the floor, and rubber feet would be a good idea, because the noise is INCESSANT, and this makes it nigh on impossible to chat if you have hearing loss. In and around the Pools ‘buts’: * There are a lot of broken parasols. A LOT. * At the far end of the resort, between the baby pool and bar/gym, there are some very outdated and tired loungers. They need replacing. * The sign say no diving…people ignored this. * The sign says no ball games…people ignored this. * The sign says no inflatables….guess what…this too was ignored. General ‘buts’: * This is supposedly a non-smoking resort. The reality is that people smoke and vape wherever they please. On balconies, on loungers, anywhere they want. * Not all staff are happy-smiley…etc. Some are glum, abrupt, rude…and you feel like you are always in their way. * Some loungers are VERY close together in places, which makes it difficult to rotate your lounger to follow the sun. We’ve been to five different RIU resorts now, this for me, unfortunately, would rank at the bottom. If you like, fun, lively, kids everywhere, smoke, birds eating your food, seagulls attacking other smaller birds, or you (for your food), noise…constant noise…did I say noise?…then you will likely be okay here. But, for me, too much is in need of repair and the owners are too focused on turnover of customers, to improve the quality of the resort.

Fourth time at this hotel and still as good as ever. I genuinely can't think of one thing to complain about. The hotel is only 10 minutes from the airport and looks directly on to the beach and is in a really nice location. Check in is smooth and efficient with helpful and knowledgeable staff. The hotel is large and is split over several blocks but no matter which one we've stayed in they're all great, the building nearest the main large pool can be a bit noisy at night with the entertainment but it all quietens down around 11pm. The swimming pools are lovely and clean with great sun loungers and a clean pool towel every day if you want one. There are plenty of activities and fun to be had around the pool and we were always lucky and found loungers no matter what time of day. The restaurants are lovely and completely spotless and have a fab selection of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can choose to dine in or eat outside on the terrace.The staff in the restaurant are also brilliant and helpful. There's are several bars with the top bar showing some form of entertainment every night and a kids disco which our little one loved but can be quite noisy as expected but the other 2 are peaceful and quiet if it's a chilled night and a chat your looking for. We found the beds to be comfortable along with the air con and a ceiling fan. We had a lovely stay and will definitely be back. Check-out was also super quick and straightforward. Overall I'd ignore any bad reviews and just go book it

This is an excellent hotel in a great position, across the road from a clean, sandy beach. It is a short 10-15 minute transfer from the airport. The check in process was very quick and our room, on the 8th floor had a lovely view across to the sea. The room was spotlessly clean with a comfortable bed, lovely hot shower and plenty of storage plus tea and coffee making facilities. Having read several bad reviews concerning the food, we were unsure what to expect. We found the food to be perfectly acceptable, especially in the Spanish restaurant for breakfast and lunch as it was less busy. We ate four times in the Italian restaurant for dinner and really enjoyed the food there. As an all inclusive hotel catering for guests of all ages and tastes, we found the food to be of a very high standard. The hotel has different activities going on during the day and the evening entertainment seemed to be well received, although we preferred a quiet drink inside the reception area where there is plenty of seating. We have stayed at many Riu hotels and this would definitely be one that we will return to.