Just back from a week at this all inclusive hotel having traveled with Fleetway travel via a Jet2 flight. Guests in our party were aged from 5 to 64 years old - nine in total. In writing a report, serious consideration must be made to the low cost element of this holiday (in comparison to Airtours etc) as it was cheap holiday during peak season.

The flight with Jet 2 was excellent, despite being a ticketless airline; seats were allocated at check in (unlike Easyjet). Transfer also was straight forward with only our party on the coach and took about 1hr 10 mins, although the coach did not have air conditioning. On the return journey we had a 12 seater minibus and this was a struggle to fit nine passengers and all our luggage plus buggy - but we did it! The only comment I will make is that we were not pre-warned that the hotel is inaccessible to vehicles taller than a car so we had to be dropped off over the road and left to struggle with our cases under the underpass (beneath the train track) and down a tarmac road to the hotel. This is a struggle - especially if you have children in buggies and lots of baggage.

The hotel. Check in was straight forward and we were all 'tagged' with purple bands for our all-inclusive privileges. Our room was modern, clean and spacious with a good sized balcony over the train track. Be warned - no sets of drawers! This made clothes storage a problem - especially if you had a wardrobe with no hangers. However, another party members' room was on the corner and had no balcony and was cramped but staff were able to juggle and move them down the corridor to another room. However, whilst we were there, other guests tried to move and found it problematic due to being full.

Our room was services everyday but linen was not changed. Mosquitoes are a real problem, both in the rooms and sat out on an evening, so go prepared or look like a plague victim. Another problem with the room is on your key tag is a key soldered on for the electricity. This needs inserting when you are in the room, however when you leave and lock your door - your electric goes off along with air con and mosquito repellent plug. Unless you find a way to unsolder the key you get a warm room full of mossies. Another electricity associated problem is power cuts. We lost electricity around 25 times during our 7 days (12 times in one night). This is claimed, by staff, to guests plugging in hairdryers or turning TV on.

Food. Very small selection for the three meals and I was getting a bit bored after three/four days. Though the food was warm and edible, just repetitive and due to poor selection a tad boring. The chef must have a cook book entitled '150 ways to batter or breadcrumb food' as what ever meat or veg we had at one meal would turn up battered at the next! However puddings were excellent with a wide range of fruit and blamonge. Also the ever open freezer of tubbed ice cream.

Snacks. Available from pool bar 10am till 12.30pm and then 2.30pm till 6.30pm and was enforced strictly. Hot dogs, pizza (not the nicest I have eaten) and chips were offered plus ice creams. Coffee available 10am till 11.30pm and water from a self serve cooler (no bottles to be filled!!).

Drinks. All inclusive drinks strictly 10am till 11.30pm. In the dinning room a self service system worked. Elsewhere friendly waiters served you a range of alcoholic beverages and even cocktails - ask for the list as waiters tend to be a bit possessive of it. All drinks (that is everywhere at all times except the fruit juice at breakfast) is served in small plastic cups. I believe due to previous problems of glasses being smashed and children getting cuts. This did tend to annoy those without kids. Also adults can only get 2 drinks at a time, children 1. Ice is bought in - so no upset tums.

The dining room is too small for the 110 rooms and at busy times you may have to queue up outside for a table.

Staff are very friendly and understand some English but smile at those who attempt Spanish.

Noise is a problem on a night but with doors closed isn't too much of a problem.

Gardens. Not enough sun beds for guests and no umbrellas for shade. You can not move chairs to sunbathing area - waiters reinforce this. The pool is very small and cramped at busy times - especially if kids go in with lilos. It graduates down a slope quite quickly and after about 7 strides is too deep to stand up so non swimming kids need adult supervision/armbands. Forget trying to swim as unless it is empty, it is just too small. A number of children got ear infections whilst at the hotel so watch out.

There is also a Jacuzzi at the other end of the sunbathing area.

Entertainment. Well I would rate this as the main problem with the hotel. There is an outside courtyard with tables and chairs with three 'pallet like' wooden boards that constitute a stage. A mini disco started around 8.30 for 30mins lead by the 'entertainer' a very friendly English girl of around 25 years of age and maybe one or two other hotel employees. After this music was left playing till later in the evening. The 'entertainer' then returned to invite guests to the stage to play games. Sometimes the games lasted 10 minutes (the adult balloon popping or the one house bingo that started at 11.10pm ran over last orders). The only outside entertainment was the parrot show where guests were charged 10 Euros to have a picture with a parrot - rip off. This was the worst entertainment I have ever seen in twenty five years of foreign package holidays. During the day the 'entertainer' provided crayons for children to colour or played ball games on the beach. During one my son found a used condom - so not ideal. It got so bad we took our children to the Monte Playa over the road and my children were given certificates and entertained by professionals there.

Beach. Sharp sand, cooling breezes clear blue sea. However, two sunbeds and an umbrella cost 12 Euros for the day. The current was strong and the beach sloped into the sea very quickly. Beware of jelly fish, plenty about and very painful.

Resort. Malgrat is clean and has a range of shops and local areas can be accessed by the efficient train network (station is 5 mins walk along front). There are lots of places to visit and activities galore. There are shops which sell goods very reasonable and if you are a smoker, cigarettes are very cheap. The markets sell clothes at very cheap prices - haggling obligatory! The underpass is a pain - especially on arrival.

Summary. Despite the negativity above, we had a good holiday in a very clean hotel. The food was edible though a bit boring. Met some lovely people - guests were 95% British with the odd few Spanish. Would I return to resort? Probably not due to beach/sea not being child friendly. Would I return to the same hotel? If the price was as cheap then yes as it is good value for the price paid, I would just be prepared for the dismal entertainment - though on the last night it was a lot better so could it be improving???

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hotel Amaraigua - Malgrat de Mar

Operator and Date: Fleetway Travel - July 2005