Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: Thomson Holidays
- June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Gallagher ( 63, 61 )
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just returned from 1 week in this hotel which is actually in Cap Salou about 2 mile from the resort of Salou. We prefered this as it was near to, but not right in the centre of the nightlife. The local buses are very frequent and cheap and run from Cambrills thro Salou to La Pineda. They finish at 11.30pm however. We had a room overlooking the sea which was great. Only problem is that the room had an adjoining door which was very thin. People next door complained to the rep about us coming in at 12.30am! We don't make undue noise as we are in our 60s, no TV and straight to bed, so they must have been very light sleepers.
We were half board and I can really say that the food was very good. Although you can't please everyone, it was quite varied and you could eat as much as you wanted. We too had a problem with people reserving loungers and parasols. I took a parasol as there had been nobody near it for an hour. Eventually this guy came up to us complaining that it was his so I just referred him to the big sign at the side of the pool saying you can't reserve poolside fixtures and he gave up .For an excellent Sunday lunch for 9 euros try the Knight Inn and for a night -cap try the little bar just along the road; Ivan the barman is really friendly.
All in all a relaxing holiday but we much prefer southern Spain
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- June 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : 54, 52, 27, 26, 4
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We arrived on Sat dinner time and were received with a warm welcome. We requested a sea view on booking,of which we got. the room was clean with good air conditioning.
The television however is much too big and takes up too much space.
We enjoyed the food most nights, but be warned there are loads of stairs down to the restaurant (no lifts).
The pool area was very nice. We did not once have to 'reserve' beds! The pool area also overlooked a nice beach and the sea. The beach was only a 5-10 min walk, which was lovely and peaceful.
The night entertainment was typical Spanish, very average. We went out each night instead with a walk into Salou most nights. But again beware of the hill! It is very steep, but by the end of the week we got used to it.
The hotel is located 10 mins walk from Cap Salou, where there are few bars, nightly entertainment and restaurants, plus things for the kids.
My wife and I would recommend the resort and hotel etc..., although my 2 daughters (aged 27,26) would have preferred to stay in the centre of Salou, however in the same hotel.
Overall a lovely hotel and a lovely holiday.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Kate Bayne - Portsmouth (59,59,32,39,35,4 and 7
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The hotel itself was really nice. Reception staff were very welcoming. The hotel was located on the outskirts of solou in Cap Salou but it was just a 15 minute walk into main salou from the hotel along the beach. There is loads to do in the main part but was far too hectic for my liking. The hotel is situated on a hill overlooking the beach which is lovley, the beach itself was really nice. The food at the hotel was fine no problems something for everyone.
Evening entertainment was good although they had a mini disco for the kids that was all really for the children, the daytimes they only had a few games on at lunchtime and that seemed to be it really.
I must praise the lifeguard at the hotel as he was excellent and kept a constant eye on the kids jumping in the pool and watched all day unlike some i have seen in hotels so i was totallt relaxed while the kids played
Overall the hotel was really nice, just on the outskirts of main Salou but well within walking distance. I would definatly recommend this hotel and would go back again myself
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
july 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : emma mitchell- glasgow (21, 22)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
On arrival we were welcomed or room had a sea view and great air conditioning.
The food in the hotel was good and im quite a fussy eater. Pool was quite busy with had a life gaurd by it to make sure no kinds were carrying on and had a great view over a cliff top beach.
The beaches close by were nice and quite quiet. although it was outside salou it was within walking distance and easy reach by taxi and buses which were cheap.
hotel reps great barcelona and the fountains were fab ! worth seeing.
all in all a fantasic holiday!
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: June 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : (22, 22)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The hotel itself is good, the rooms are nice and clean if a bit on the darkside. Reception at the hotel is 24hrs and they are pleasant and willing to help at all times. However, the location of the hotel was a bit disappointing. We asked for somewhere that was on the outskirts but we felt that this hotel was a bit too far. It was about a 10 min walk from cap Salou, however there is not too much within this area apart from a few pubs (which do excellent food, would recommend the Irish bar) and a 20 min walk away from the main area of salou. This is ok but after an evening out on the town you normally need to get a taxi and these prices varied each evening depending on the taxi driver you had.
The beach next to the hotel was gorgeous and we spent a lot of our time here as the pool was always crowded and there were not many parasols normally by 8.30 these were all gone!
The restaurant was ok, breakfast was good and there was a wide selection, however, we found the evening meals to be bland and after a week of eating at the restaurant we decided to eat out. This cost more money and we would have booked self catering if we had realised this before.
Overall though the hotel was pleasant, friendly and the rep was helpful. A must for everyone staying in this area is to visit Barcelona and Port Aventura, especially if you have young children!
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: Independent - June 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Miss Galloway - London (42, 40, 14, 7)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
HOTEL:
The Hotel is situated in Cap Salou. It has a very grand and huge reception area. The reception staff are very helpful and courteous. We had no problems when we wanted to travel out to other areas they had all the leaflets, bus schedules etc and were very good
A gorgeous foyer with beautiful views of the outside swimming pools and overlooking the sea, a fantastic site.
Internet access in the foyer. Games room. Piano lounge - for quite relaxing drinks or chats. Main bar - very spectacular, loads of seating and the longest bar I have ever seen. Loads of space to sit inside or outside.
Entertainment - though provided in a variety of languages you could not fault it, a very good entertainment crew they also provide a kids disco, everyone is invited and all are welcome.
Competitions are held in the hotel during the day.
LOCATION:
Area looks a bit remote and it situated at the end of a road turning off a little hill but there is a bus service just at the top of the road which will take you anywhere you want to go (within 10 minutes) and they pass frequently, the bus fares are very cheap. You can also get a taxi cheaply.
ROOMS:
The room we had was very basic and had a view of the side of the hotel, nothing very exciting. It was basic but clean. The only problem I had with the room was the lighting which was served by two lamps, although this was not much of a problem as there was ample sun/daylight coming through. Felt preference to rooms were given to Thompson etc holiday makers, try and request a room with a seaview, you might be lucky.
RESTAURANT:
We stayed half-board, breakfast and evening meal.
The breakfast excellent and well catered, there was something for everyone.
The dinner, wow, what a selection ie, special fried rice, lamb shanks, cod in batter, beef steaks, chicken fillets, chips, vegetables, salads, hams, etc etc. there was so much to choose from and it was all very tasty. The menu changed every evening with only the basics remaining the same ie, salads etc. Your not going to lose weight at this restaurant. Buffet style, self service. No complaints at all.
VISITS:
Porta Ventura is a must for the kids and families. They also hire out double and single buggies which are great for the kids and carrying the bags. Costa Caribe, what a wonderful use of space its fantastic, did not want leave. If your not interested in getting in the water and on the slides then chill amongst the splendour of the park. Great day out.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thompson september 2004
Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : karen kirkwood - Belfast 50,49,24,23,4
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
the hotel was very nice and clean the staff were very friendly plenty of entertainment every night to suit both older ones and young ones
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- Aug 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Fred, Alison & Gemma ( 42, 33, 3 )
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We Stopped at the Negesco princess for a fortnight. After a week I had had enough. Location wise it is about a 20 minute walk into Salou or a 10 minute walk into Cap Salou. There is a frequent bus service from the end of the road which was a Godsend.
The hotel rooms are clean although abit of basic maintainance is needed. There were drawers missing from our dressing table, cracks in the wall, wardrobe door had come off its rail, cracked & chipped tiles etc - nothing really serious on their own but put together it gave a feeling that the hotel has been neglected somewhat recently.
The reception area is big & spacious although a no smoking policy would improve the atmosphere in there. It would also ensure that the lovely big sofa`s stayed in good condition instead of being riddled with cigarette burns like they are. The staff at reception are friendly & helpful & all speak good English. Hire a safety box for E30 for 2 weeks.
The swimming pool - now theres a story. There are rules displayed in several languages stating clearly than sunbeds are NOT to be reserved before 9am. Nobody took a blind bit of notice of this, when we went for breakfast most days at 8:30 there were only the odd bed left dotted around.
Not to be outdone we decided that "if you can`t beat them - join them" & put towels on 3 beds early one morning with the rest of the early birds. When we went to the pool after breakfast our towels were nowhere to be seen & there were loads of spare beds. A lady explained that the manager had decided to finally enforce the rules & had removed all the towels. I went & got the towels back from the pool bar & we chose 3 beds in a better position as there were loads avaliable - fine. However as people started coming to the pool they faced the same problem of finding their towels missing but of course the spare beds soon ran out. Then the latecomers who had their towels removed were looking for their spot.
We had a couple of groups of foreigners trying to "evict" us from our sunbeds speaking in broken english about us stealing their beds. In the absence of being able to hold a proper conversation with them then you can always rely on sign language!!!!!! It wasn`t just us as lots of people faced the same problem with people finding their towels gone & no beds left. It was quite amusing after a while watching people all round the pool area being challenged about moving towels, stealing beds etc. The staff were just laughing at it all & were no help to anyone about this - I`m sure they got some kind of kick out of watching all the holidaymakers squabbling amongst each other. My complaint is that their was no consistency in applying the rules. They seemed to go 4 or 5 days with allowing a free for all at the pool & then on the next day move all the towels & upset everyone again. They should apply the same standards everyday so that everyone knows where they stand.
There are various nationalities at the hotel. There are french, italian, dutch, spanish, various others & of course the Brits. This created problems as most foreigners have no sense of fairness or queuing - they will just barge to the front of the queue at mealtimes creating more problems. There are 2 head waiters here who escort you to the table they choose for you. The older one is lovely, he makes a fuss of the kids & always has a smile whereas the other one isn't as nice. Woe betide you if you forget to take your meal card with you to dinner. He doesn`t like it despite the fact that he may have seen it 20 odd times over the fortnight. He still has to take if from you & march you to your table where he places it down & says " your table ". If you go into the restaurant without his permission or decide that you don`t like being cramped into a corner & move tables then he will notice & will approach you. There is often a queue for meals as they have to seat you - it would be far better & quicker to let people wander in & find their own table.
Another point to remember is that if you go to dinner towards the back end of the sitting. ( Dinner is 6:30 till (9:15), say after 8:15 then once foods run out at the hot buffet they are not replenished as they don`t want to waste food - understandable enough but the ammount of times I saw people scrambling for the the last chop or piece of fish was amazing. The food is not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination by the way. It is repetitive, often undercooked & boring.
Indeed, we were half board but ate out most of the second week. Just down in Cap Salou was "Smugglers bar". Absolutely brilliant place - great food, drink, acts, atmosphere while just round the corner from there was the "poitin stil". A proper Irish bar during the day when the guy from Dublin runs it but a dive in the evening when the scotch bloke has it. ( They are partners). Otherwise Salou is a 20 miute walk & there are loads of bars.
If you plan to go to Port Aventura theme park then don`t be fooled into buying a 3 or 7 day pass. We did it in a day. TIP>>> We went to Barcelona football stadium & on the ticket that you get to keep is a voucher giving you entry into the theme park fro E11 whereas a ticket bought at the park gate will cost you E35.
On the whole a good holiday but I definately wouldn`t go to the Negresco again.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
s - july 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : nikki-luton (65,66,39,14,11)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
we found both the hotel and surronding resort exellent. The food at the hotel was great with dishes ranging from chicken nuggets - squid!!!!!!! our rooms were very clean and we found them large enough. their was usually a fight for sunbeds so we would just do what everyone else did and reserve them with our towles! at night we usually walked into salou and got the bus back later on. Salou was very livly with lots of clubs, bars and shops.
we took 1 day trip while we were their and we decided to go to Barcelona. We visited the stadium, which was a little boring, and the fountains, which were breathtaking in the dark.
The beach wasd clean and so was the sea and you could hire a little shelter from the sun for E5 a day.
All in all the holiday was brilliant i couldnt really fault it.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thompson - july 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : emma - manchester (20,18)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
when we walked into the hotel it looked stunning. a lovely marble reception area and a spiral stair case. however when we got to our room we were over looking the hotel next door. this would not have been a problem but the noise, espeically at night was pathetic. we requested a move and we ended up in a room above the hotel bar and again it was very noisy at night.
we got 3 day passes for the theme park and water park (which are well worth it!!)and so we were out all day and it would have been nice to go to sleep without the booming of music. the pool was closed for 3 days of our week long stay becuase someone put soap into the pool and they had to clean it. i didnt see anyone working on it for longer than about half an hour per day and so i think that it could have been fixed a lot sooner.
it gave us the impression in the brocure that there was a nice beach not far but there was only a bit of sand and pebbles. however the sea was beautifully clean and quite warm.
the food in the hotel was ok. there was not much british food but there was always something (usually chips, burgers and chicken). it was dissapointing that we had to pay for drink when we were half board during our evening meal...usually they are included. breakfast was really nice but the bacon and sausage are a little different to ours but still enjoyable.
overall i enjoyed the holiday, theres lots to do out and about. like i said before, the theme park tickets are well worth it but theres not much in the theme park and water park for toddles so if you have little ones it may be worth bearing that in mind.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
-June 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Carolyne Skilton-Surrey(64,44,33,15,11)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
What a fantastic hotel!very clean,reception helpful and friendly,the food is excellent,something for everyone.
The sea facing room we were in had a fantastic view of the coast and the pool.The poolman is very funny,as are most of the staff.Watch out for the barmen tying knots in the end of straws in the kids drinks,mine had a few occasions when this happened and found it hilarious.
The kids reps,both Thomson Holidays
and the hotels own were wonderful,my
daughter was kept amused for hours,playing games by the pool.We went on
some trips arranged by Thomson Holidays
,Barcelona,Monserrat,Aquapolis and Port
Aventura,all of which were very well organised.
The only downside to the holiday was the price of drinks,and the lack of parasols and sunbeds.Even though the hotel states no saving of beds this is totally ignored,after three days of not getting a bed,we resorted to getting up at 7.30 every morning to reserve sunbeds,even rising this early we still never managed to get a parasol!
A good tip is to go to the shop at the top of the road and buy water from there for half the price the hotel charges,if you have young children buy a parasol from there for 10 euros as by noon there is very little shade by the pool.
We would definitly stay at this hotel again.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: Booked myself - June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Andrea Blount - Essex
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
My mum and I have just returned from a 4 night stay at the Negressco Princess in Cap Salou. As we only had a short amount of time, I sorted the holiday out myself via Ryan Air and alpha-beds.com (which was brilliant).
We arrived into Reus airport and caught a taxi (30 euros) into Cap Salou. Our hotel room wasn't ready, but we were promised a sea view twin and were happy with that knowledge as we left for a short walk and some brekkie.
We returned at 12pm to find our room ready. We were given all the hotel and resort info and made our way up to our room. The room was rather small in size, but perfectly adequate as what else do we do there apart from sleep. The horse head lamps are hideous, but other than that, very satisfactory room, with a brilliant shower. The view was gorgeous. We were on the 1st floor and had a beautiful view of the pool, the sun terrace and the sea.
We adored the food, both morning and night. We were on a half-board basis, and for breakfast were served up pancakes, bacon, eggs (any way you like them), bread, croissants, the whole works, it was really impressive. There were two resident chefs for every meal who didn't speak English, but were a delight (one asked to marry me - sigh, I'm already married), and for dinner, there were a load of choices, and once again the chefs cooking chips, and sausages, or escalopes or kebabs or something of that nature. There were dishes to suit everyone with loads of fresh fruit at dinner also. The desserts were lush, and we helped ourselves to most of them (just to try of course).
The last night we were there, they did a themed Italian night which was brilliant, the waiters and chefs all dressed up and it was really well done. the only bad thing about the food was that it wasn't labelled all that well, and none of the waitresses spoke much English so it was a case of, if you didn't like the look of it, or weren't sure what it was, then leave it. The bloke that seats you for dinner is really awful as well. My mum and I went in one night, and couldn't see any tables for 2 set up, and the ones that were for 2 were at the back and not set. So we took a larger table that was set. As soon as my mum disappeared to get some food, the little man came up and had a go at me, not listening to what I was saying in the least. He was a horrible little man!
Also, the hotel is mainly full of Spanish people, something we didn't realise. Apparently it's very big with the Spanish tourists. quite refreshing on one scale though.
The pool area is nice, didn't try the water, so can't comment on how cold it was. The usual story with umbrellas and pool chairs though I'm afraid. People putting towels down then leaving for the day. mum and I took an umbrella from an area where there were towels but no people, and sure enough, later on she came and had a go at us. we just denied it of course. what could she do.
We did a day trip into Tarragonna, which was well worth it if you like old ruins and cathedrals. We also went to Port Aventura, which was awesome. Go on Dragon Khan first which is a huge rollercoaster. If you're going mid-summer, I would highly recommend getting the Universal Express Gold pass which is an extra 17.50 euros on top of the 33.00 euros you already pay, but it means you can queue jump, and in that heat, you need to. We queued for an hour at each of the big rides, and it was relatively quiet. but a very well done theme park, the log flume is awesome, but you get absolutely soaked!
We also took a day trip into Barcelona which was really worth it, great scenery, got to see the segrada familia (spelling - oops) which was amazing, and the Gaudi park. really worth going. We took a hop on hop off bus which was a great way to see the city. but very hot.
All in all, a great little get-away, at only £120 each for both the flight and hotel accommodation (alpha-beds.com), we were really impressed.
So, if you're considering Negressco Princess, then definitely go, it was great.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: Find-rooms.com - May 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Cairney family - Lincolnshire (56, 54 )
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hotel lovely, beautiful sea views.
Read reviews before we went and it mentioned dirt track road leading up to the hotel but this is not the case, the road was perfectly normal.
Hotel has beautiful spiral staircase in the centre of the foyer.
Food was good and staff were friendly.
We booked our room through Find-rooms.com who are brilliant (definately the cheapest)
Try and book a room overlooking the pool then you should have a lovely view of the sea which is right behind the pool.
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Negressco Princess - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : paddy ,doreen, tina, frankie 58 56 62 65
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
enjoyed our stay!hotel,food, service location,all spot on, would recomend to anyone plenty to do or just laze about and chill out, hope to return to the Negressco in the future
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: seista june 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : g turner
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
when i read the reveiws on this page i was not looking forward to going as some of them where so bad. it was the 1st time i had been abroad but we had a brilliant time.
the food was very good the staff where very helpful to us.the cleaners never seemed to stop working.the rooms were kept spotless.try uncle sams for 1of the best steaks you will ever taste it was huge. champions the pub over the road is a good place to go,cocktails 241 between7 and 9. they dont skimp on the shorts in them either.the owners are very polite to u .cant do enough for you. food there is execellent.have clown nights just for the kids.
am definaly going back next year couldnot pick 1 fault with the oasis park or salou.geoff 57,ann49,genna 22.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Travelrepublic - June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Dan, Lou, Tom & Jenna - Essex (30, 25, 27 and 27)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The Oasis Park is slap bang on the main high street running through Salou and so is right on top of all the local bars, clubs, restaurants, etc. We requested a room with a pool view and being at the back of the hotel, were relatively unaffected by any noise, except for the Hotel entertainment which finishes at 11.30pm anyway, and a couple of small, quiet back roads.
The beaches are a bit of a walk but are easily reachable for those without small children or any impairments (about 10-15 mins for the larger two).
We expected to get what we paid for, around £300, but were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food (except breakfast) and the cleanliness of the Hotel.
We stayed on an all-inclusive basis and the food was of a good quality (compared to that of other hotels we have tried)and was varied throughout the week. As a result, we did no get sick of the sight of the same tripe, day in day out.
The rooms were cleaned daily, with clean towels, etc. provided and so despite being a bit small, were pleasant enough to stay in.
The rest of the hotel and pool area were also kept clean and no one was allowed outside until 9am. This resulted in a bit of a bun fight for sunbeds. However, it is not the beds that are in short supply, but more the parasols and areas around the pool that get the sun all day.
The only downside to the stay was the surly attitude of the staff. Not all guests are all inclusive and it appeared as if the bar staff resented A/I guests - not surprising considering the way some people spoke to them. However, this did become an annoyance.
A stop for the small train/bus thingy that circumnavigates the resort is directly outside the Hotel, on the opposite side of the road. 3 euros will buy a one hour round trip which is a great way to explore, or return trip to Port Aventura theme park, which is about 10 mins away by bus.
The 'proper' buses also have stops right outside the hotel. These can also be used to travel Port Aventura, Barecelona, etc.
Overall we were pleasantly surprised by the ameneties and cleanliness of the hotel. However, had we paid more for the holiday, I think there may have been more issues to complain about.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Booked independently - September 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : 36 and 17
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just got back after a week here with my daughter. We have been to Salou before but many years ago and was very worried about staying at Oasis Park after reading several reviews on it. We were very pleased once we had arrived at the hotel, although the receptionist could of been a little more cheerful and helpful. The room was very clean, we had booked a twin room and was delighted to find we had a double bed each.The pools were fantastic and there were plenty of sun loungers around. we went half-board and found the food to be lovely.Plenty of salad, pasta, fish etc as well as chips, fish fingers etcfor children. The puddings were our favourite part of dinner!, plenty of fresh fruit, yoghurts, ice-cream and creamy cakes.
We can't comment on the breakfast as we never made it !!!!!
We found the restaurant staff to be friendly but the bar staff hardly broke into a smile.
The only bad thing about this hotel is the entertainment. Nothing was aimed at the English at all but there is so much to do in Salou at night that even if it was good we wouldn't of stayed.
All in all we had a very good stay at this hotel and would recommend it.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Med Hotels - June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : John Kelford - Sunderland (34,31,9)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Nice clean hotel. Went all inclusive but would not recommend it. Food ok, drink fine but the hotel entertainment was awful / non existant. 2 weeks tied to the hotel was far too much. Hardly any british at the hotel. Mainly French and Spanish. Hotel bar staff were friendly but the restaurant staff were miserable and could hardly speak English. If you are put in a room facing the main road, demand to be moved before you unpack. We only had 3 nights sleep in 2 weeks. Night club over the road closes about 5 in the morning and everybody has to walk past the hotel to get into Salou and the noise is unbelievable.
The local transport is excellent, you can travel all over at reasonable prices. Pay for trips at the kiosks around the resorts and not in the hotels. But Port Aventura tickets on the internet before you go. Much cheaper.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC Aug-Sept 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Johnston (65,35)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading some of the comments on this site I was a little concerned,I need not have been.
Hotel was very clean,rooms cleaned daily,food was excellant(I am a very fussy eater)we were on 1/2 board basis.We had a pool view people said they experienced noise as they looked onto main road but pool bar was closed by 12midnight so this was not a problem for us.Reception staff/cleaners very friendly/helpful but bar staff...What can I say (A grunt or movement of the head means what would you like),Entertainment was not up to much from what we seen but there is so much to see/do around resort you do not want to stay in.
Port Adventura is well worth a visit it is not just for the children a must is the display around 11:30pm so 2 day pass is a must(2 or more day passes available from park its self must be used on consectutive days and buses waiting for you when you come out)Cambrils is nice for a stroll (local bus takes for about e1.20 )it has a nice marina.We also went to Barcelona by train(RENFE)you get off at sants-estacio go up and find information,tell them sites you wish to visit they will give you map,tell you best metro ticket and what lines you need to go on.Please be aware of pick pockets etc and note train times back as these do not run that late.
This was one of the best holidays we had in a long time.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: shearings july 05
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : susan ballantyne 38 chelsea ballantyne 13 cumbria
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
This hotel was worth the money we have been to better all inclusive hotels before.we realy enjoyed salou and have been 4 times in 10 years.the only thing that as changed is its become like most resorts taken over by british drinkers.So feel unsafe at night i was still unsure when out with husband and 18year old son,who stayed in a hotel behind mine due to me being unable to fly through ill health could not get in hotel sandiago, is the hotel were they stopped more british in there but rubbish entertainment,the only other problem was you had to be down stairs outside pool doors about 8.45 to get a sunbed but when they open the doors dont forget to RUN as everyone looks like idiots the spanish waiters just fall about laughing,so hope your fit or else wont get one at all for duration of holiday.
the other problem is only being able to get 1 drink per person which becomes a pain if outside pool is closed and daughter is wet after swimming and wants a drink.the food was ok always something to eat my daughter is very picky and almost always found something she liked,rooms were always clean and felt safe leaving things out as my daughter often done maid just picked them up and put on side safe (jewelery,money etc)WILL DEF GO BACK TO SALOU;but maybe look for another hotel.
shearings are a very good company to travel with no messing about at interchange and no worrying about cases which is helpful when unable to carry throgh disabilities.unlike most other coach companys.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Kwik travel - July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : KD - Liverpool, (44,38,4)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just returned and loved Salou and this hotel. We have been to other resorts in the Costa Dorada area but in our opinion Salou is the best yet. Everything was spotlessly clean. Lots to do to keep our 4 year old happy - parks on the fabulous sandy beach are a great idea.
Hotel was excellent, no complaints at all. We have stayed all inclusive a number of times and found that this hotel offered a good selection of drinks and food. The fresh food cooked at the grill counter was an added bonus.
The big pool was only 6 foot at it's deepest and graduated gently so our son felt quite happy to be in there. The pool attendants were very good too, they actually patrolled the pool and put a stop to any unwanted behaviour.
A day out to Aqopolis water park was great. Bus stops right outside hotel for all public transport. It only took 15 mins to get there. The dolphin and sealion show were amazing (but get there early for a seat in the shade).
Overall we had a fab time in Salou and will return.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Fleetway Travel July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Blackwell - 49,43,17,17,15,12
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just returned from 14 days 'all-inclusive' at Oasis Park, and can honestly say it was the worst holiday we have ever had. The children were counting the days down to departure date!
It started off with a mixup on the transfers, where we were sent to Lloret instead of Salou by Hotel Beds. This was sorted out, but arrived at hotel too late for food or drink, so had a meal at Ritas, which was very good.
The rooms were clean and maid service was excellent but thats about the only good thing I can say about hotel. Staff very unfriendly, pool area too small for amount of people and no chance of a sunbed. All inclusive was a joke, all drinks served in plastic or paper cups, and a very limited choice of drinks. Bar shuts at 11.30 prompt. My son requested a coke at 1 minute past 11.30 and turned away. My husband paid for it so of course then served. Food at first seemed quite good, but after a while it was the same thing every day, restaurant packed and hot and food not always cooked well enough. You also never knew what you were eating as no menu cards put up.
Entertainment was a joke. Kids disco 9 o clock then hotel entertainment after, which was laughable.
We spent an absolute fortune, as after a few days of suffering, we spent most of the remainder of the holiday eating and drinking out. Good bars to go to are the Cavern for karioke and Charlie Chaplins is a great laugh.
I had a phone call in my room at midnight on my second night there. It was an english voice threatening to murder me! I assumed it was some drunk holidaymaker just pressing numbers at random in the hotel. At the time it was very frightening and I went to reception who just said there was nothing they could do about it!
I wouldnt say this was a family hotel, although lots of children there as the noise during the night from people coming in between 2 and 6pm banging on doors etc could keep children awake.
In conclusion, I dont like to complain often, but I have learnt my lesson with this holiday and in future will book my holidays through a proper tour company with reps etc and would not recommend this hotel to anyone.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: atm july 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : ann 33 30 10
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
just came back from salou had a nice time hotel was ok.food was warm and plenty of it,didn't have the same menu for 2 weeks.wouldn't go allinclusive as i felt it ties you to the hotel and not much to do in the hotel during the day and night time entertainment felt it was more for the spanish.Found the hotel staff pleasant but they are their to do a job,not mingly with the guests.yes their is a bad sewage smell but is all over salou not just outside hotel. hated the people that give out flyers same stuff every night. would recomend the hotel, have a very fussy daughter and she eat well every night so was happy not much to complain about .
the theme park was nice, not impressed with the waterpark at la pineda thought it was a rip-off stay clear of it.Beaches were nice and clean.didnt find anything wrong with the hotel or the food but would get a room facing the pool at the back as it is very noisy outside at night with the clubs outside.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Siesta - July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : L. Duncan 42, 23, 5
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Having recently returned from a 10 day holiday in the Oasis Park I found hotel to be very disappointing, food was terrible, to much shading around the pool area with trees, constant sound of very very loud spanish children on school holidays. There was also a constant horrible sewer like smell around the hotel, entertainment was of a very poor standard also.
Would have gladly came home to the poor Scottish weather early to get away from it all, still I enjoy Salou as a resort but would recommend that you do not use the Oasis Park. That was my 4th visit to Salou and by far I can say this has been the worst experience. Very disappointing as this was my daughter and grandaughters first holiday abroad
Go to Salou but I would not recommend the Oasis park Hotel!!
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: independent July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : williamson - scotland ( 44,43,16,11 )
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just back from family holiday in Salou. If you are booking this hotel please ask for a pool view. If you get a room facing the main road take earplugs. The main street comes alive between 11pm and 4am.The hotel lost my passport so I would ask for a receipt. I found out after they lost it that it is not there policy to do this.
This hotel was kept spotless by hard working cleaners who will try and try to clean the room until you leave it. There are no Do Not Disturb Signs.The bar and reception staff were very friendly and as long as you treat them well you will get good service.The food we found was excellent. There was always something that we could eat. Go to Roberto in the corner and you will get pancakes and omelettes in the morning and stir-fry, tuna steaks, veal steaks etc at night. The staff in the restaurant were very efficient and again if you respect them you will get good service.
The entertainment was the only major drawback at this hotel. It was bad although the young kids seemed to like it. The entertainment was mainly geared to Spanish. There were no groups, singers, magicians etc.
The pool area was large enough for everyone. If you were not early enough for sunbeds there were plenty of tables and chairs to sit at. Every area of the pool area got the sun at some point during the day. The palm trees gave you shade but be careful cones fall off and have a habit of hitting you in the head.Overall this hotel was excellent value and would go again.
Salou was too busy for us. Some pavements are narrow and a word of advice always keep an eye where you are walking as the area around the trees have a drop and you can easily fall into them. Port Aventura was ok but you must buy tickets before you travel as it cost us 89 euros for 1 night between 7 and 12. The beach was very clean although it was very very busy.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Independant booking july 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Peter Coates (40,38,8,5.)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just returned after a fortnight of pleasure.Hotel was immacculate, staff and guests very friendly, maid service second to none. food perfect for every taste although did see someone asking for hot water for pot noodle? Nice to see active lifeguards on duty every day. rooms a little small for 4 people, but you cant have it all. Port Aventura was fantastic got a 3 day pass. 2 for theme park 1 for water park which was brill.
We all had a great time and will def go back
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Fleetway- June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Graham Mason (45,40 19,18)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
The Oasis Park is excellent quite central it is very clean and has maid service every day with clean towels. The staff are really friendly and helpful. We went all inclusive and couldn't fault the food or bar service.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC - June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Lang Family - Lanarkshire (40,38,19,18,9,8,5)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We cant believe some of the reviews on this hotel. when we arrived at around midnight we found the reception staff most helpfull.our rooms were allocated very quickly and it was explained that a cold buffet and bottled water was laid on in the restaurant any time after we had settled in even up to 2 or 3am. The rooms were exactly as requested on the first floor and adjacent also there was a brand new travel cot as requested.Slight problem with air conditioning but duty manager saw that it was repaired 1st thing next morning.
Rooms were comfortable and maid service was excellent , towels & sheets were changed daily with no problems at all (happily gave the maid a tip).
Swimming pools were excellent. entertainment wasn't that good , kids enjoyed the mini-disco from 9pm to 10pm then it was the adult entertainment which wasnt much but there was plenty to do in the resort.Hotel food was as you would expect on holiday in spain, the main buffet was well cooked and there was plenty to choose from and we did not find it repetative at all , the chef at the top of the restaurant did tend to undercook food but we found that if you explained to him that you wanted it cooked more and were willing to wait for it then there was no problem.If you felt that the food was a bit cold (but we never) there was a microwave avaliable.The only thing to beware of was the bar prices if not all inclusive as they were a bit steep.
The resort itself was excellent with plenty to do for kids and adults. if you shopped around for anything you could generally get a fair price. If you are eating out give Gabbers a try , the staff were really friendly and helpful and the food was plentifull and tasted superb.
If you fancy a sing-song our two oldest kids tell us The Cavern Bar is the place to be for karaoke and a laugh.
We can honestly say that this is the first time that we could have happily stayed for another week.
If you are going to the Oasis Park you will have a great time
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Independant - June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Mark Robertson 41 & 41
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
My wife and I have just returned from a break at the Oasis Park in Salou. We travelled independantly and booked an All-inclusive 9 night holiday. Here are my comments that hopefully will give you some helpful advice.
Swimmming Pool
The hours are clearly stated on the door -but never adhered to, so when you go to the pool - its already full!!!. Start queing at 8.45 and not 10.00am as stated on the door.
All- Inclusive
The majority of us British follow clear concise rules, on arrival at the hotel we were presented with the all-inclusive cards and instruction of what this covered, basically some drinks between 10 am and 23.30pm. Snacks between 10am and 23.30 pm and breakfast, lunch and dinner. Which sounds really good value for money. However the inconsistency being, you cannot have snacks at meal times so they turn you away between 1.00 and 2.30pm and dinner time of 7.00 pm and 9.00pm. Which is not what All-inclusive is all about, sometimes its nice to have a snack, when one cannot face a full meal, or if you are rushing out somewhere. There is also no instructions or clarification of where or how to get drinks. You go to the bar for a snack or drink and then you're sent to the outside bar and vice a versa and the worse factor being you felt as if you are begging for the food!!
Bar Staff
Can be very miserable and its almost as if they have forgotton how to smile!!
Food
Its hit and miss, I agree with the other comments it can be very lukewarm, and very busy in the restaurant, if you cannot find a seat then you are sent to the overflow seating area, and although they have a small servery you still have to walk through to the main dining hall for the majority of the best foods.
Rooms
Our room was very clean however, we had the mis-fortune of being on the road-side, the noise was HORRENDOUS we did not get more than 1-2 hours sleep per night.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook JUNE 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : bryson-co durham (38,34,30,25,15,14,13,11,11)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just arrived back from Oasis Park,food is terrible unless you like eating only chips,each week repeats itself with not much choice.The chef in the dining room never cooks the meat long enough resulting in blood running out of it when you cut into it, also runny omeletes in the morning.Spanish school children are arriving all the time very noisy and are always barging into people with little respect.
The bar shuts at 24.00 promp with the bar men chasing you out of the lounge area, the TV in the lounge has also got a time switch set at 23.50.The rooms are clean and tidy the maids do a very good job towels are changed every day and bedding was changed 4 times in a fortnight.The staff are very unpleasant and do not want to know,safes are 40 euros with 10 euros deposit on return of key.A terrible smell of drains at entrance of hotel,the theme park is a great day out,tickets are cheaper back at home.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: april 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : susan- anglesey(39,45,35,16,14,29,20,39)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
just come home from salou had a great time. resort brill, weather unbeatable, the hotel was very good. when we first arrived couldnt understand the bad reviews but after a couple of days we realised why.the boss didnt like the staff to mingle too much ,it was hard work but we won them around in the end.very abrupt staff . i get the feeling they dont like the british too much.
all in all we had a fantastic time at the resort and in the hotel. you have to try ritas for breakfast its superb but if you do go there let the guy by the door lead you in as he'll benefit and tell him the wales lot told you to go there.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Omega Travel - December 2004 - January 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : 54, 49, 16, 14
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
I've just had the misfortune of spending Christmas and New Year at the Oasis Park Hotel. Where do I start?
The acommodation was very basic. Beds and furniture were rickety to say the least. Plugs and sockets hanging off the wall in both the rooms our family occupied. All reported to reception, but nothing done about them in the 12 days we were staying there.
The food was abysmal. There was no variety in what was on offer and nothing was ever cooked properly. For example, fried eggs delivered in a tray supposedly fresh from the kitchen where served chilled on several occasions, as if they had been cooked and kept in the fridge. New Year's Eve dinner was allegedly a 'Gala meal', which consisted of some unidentifiable, tasteless soup, a plate of what appeared to be a selection of raw fish and seafood and a stale piece of cake. The seafood dish proved to be the undoing of all those who sampled it, as for the next two days people were dropping like flies with food poisoning. 3 people that I know of had to be taken for a stay at the local hospital. We left them there yesterday morning as we started our journey home, as they had to be flown home once they had recovered.
Hotel security was non-existent. Handbags were taken from the dining room while people were chosing which food to risk eating. 7 bedrooms on the floor I stayed on were broken into while people where braving the Christmas lunch.
The whole hotel most times of the day had an over all smell of raw sewage lingering in the air. The lifts never quite stopped level with the floor they stopped at, which, until you got used to them could cause a nasty fall or at the least a sprained ankle.
The whole stay at this hotel was a nightmare from start to finish and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Med Hotels - 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : A Carter 50 C Carter 49
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
My wife and I spent a week all/inc at the Oasis Park and would not go back there again,
the food was disgusting, always cold and never cooked fully, the staff in the resturant where very rood and NOT friendly, the bar staff where ok with the exeption of the bar manager who would always snatch your all/inc card off you and made it quite clear that he did NOT like the English, there is over 500 rooms and only 3 very small lifts so at meal times it was chaos,
the entertainment was pathetic and when we had 3 days of solid rain nothing was put on at all day or night, Salou is ok and the hotel is in a good position and we could not fault the cleanliness and the rooms where good, this could be a very good hotel if it was ran properly and catered more for the English, we where out numbered by the Spanish and they where very rood and arrogant, they would not wait behind the English in the Rest/Bar/Lifts etc,
we go away 4 times a year and this was one of the worst hotels we have ever been to.........
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: alpharooms - 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : debra trow bolton 45 39 12 9
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
read some of the reports and was a little worried about the hotel. We really enjoyed it food was good and plenty of choice, rooms small but lovely and clean pool view best but then that is usually the case with most hotels. The staff struggled with english was surprising with the number of english in the hotel. The worst has got to be the mad dash for a sun lounger in the morning I bet there has been some fighting in the past!
Salou was lovely and clean nice bars and shops. A bar called Calvern is a must bingo1 euro at game good prize money and 2 for 1 drinks up to 10pm great. Another good one Rovers Return oh and Shankley's for any liverpool fans
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - October 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Tracey - County Durham (34,30,5,1)):
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just returned from the Oasis park and I am afraid that we are adding to the negative reviews.
The hotel itself was nice and clean and we found all of the staff to be pleasant. The downside was the awful food and entertainment. The food was not served hot enough and most was not cooked properly. It was chips, chips and more chips served with veal, veal and more veal along with some discusting looking fish dishes. Even the pasta dishes and salad choices were awful (cooked grated carrot!!!) The hot breakfast menu was eggs, spanish bacon, hotdogs and beans again not cooked properly and lukewarm. Even the chef on the corner grill did not cook the food properly and the potaoes to go with the food he cooked were rock hard and cold.
There was no entertainment or official kids clubs during the day and the nightime entertainment consisted of a spanish man screaming into the mike announcing boring acts.
We were half board in this hotel and we usually travel all inclusive all I can say is thank god that we were not all inclusive.
Salou itself is a nice resort with plenty to do and there is a childrens bar near the hotel called Jugglers which is fantastic with lovely staff.
Salou is quite an expensive resort so save your pennies. The waterpark in nearby Pineda is fantastic but I was not that impressed by Port Aventura probably because my children were too young to really appreciate it and all of the live shows were in spanish(all signs etc were in english just not the shows).
If you are going to the Oasis park it might not be too bad next year if they take notice of all the complaints that have been put in recently. Make sure you request a pool view room though because even in late season the poor souls on the front of the hotel had no sleep whatoever.
Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Siesta - july 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Val Steel - Newcastle (41, 16, 15)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
After i had read some of these reviews I was not looking forward to my holiday at all. I was expecting poor food, surley staff noisy sleepless nights etc....and the truth is i had none of these!!
We arrived at the hotel and the reception staff spoke very good english and gave us the keys to our room. On entering the room the first thing i realised was the air conditioning....absolute heaven...i had never stayed in a spanish hotel with this before and boy what a difference it made.
The room was large enough for the 3 of us...and as my 'children' are 15 and 16 it was like 3 adults in the room. We were on the second floor facing the street and i had read that you would be kept awake by all the noise...well i am a light sleeper and had no problems what so ever...I think people just prefer to be facing the pool. The bathroom was large and sparkling clean...and as someone else mentioned....make sure you put your towels either on the floor or in the bath if you want them changing....there is a sign in the bathroom that clearly states this.
I also did this with my sheets when i wanted them changing as on holiday i like them changing every 4 to 5 days. So that was the room sorted....now i was dreading the food!!
Well all I can say to anyone is...remember....YOU ARE IN SPAIN!!!! You are not going to get Roast beef and yorkshire pudding unless you go to one of the english bars. Have you stayed in a hotel in london and had Paella etc for dinner.,..because i havnt. The food was very very good with beautiful fresh salads and pork and chicken and steak ...pasta dishes, paella, seafood.....lovely. there was also a kids dining room off to the left as you walked in...and this always had things like pizza, fish fingers, fish portions, beans, burgers, sausages etc. Funnily enough you could always tell which children were not english just by looking at there plates....they were piled high with salads and pasta and everything else that was on offer...so maybe it is us english that need to teach our children to eat healthy. There was a grill down in the right hand corner of the resteraunt where you could get either fish or meat cooked to order....ranging from salmon and dogfish to Veal steaks and chicken stir fry. And even though the guy there never smiles...he is a great cook. And his ommlettes and pancakes are to die for at breakfast.
We were all inclusive and it could be a bit of a pain at times as they changed the rules to suit how busy they were at the time. if they were busy in the indoor bar you were asked to go to the pool bar if you had a card...and sometimes you could only have 2 drinks with 1 card which is quite understandable as there were some people who were getting drinks for people who were on half board....but you could take other cards from people in your party and they accepted these too. If I had to pay for my drinks i would have been a little annoyed at the amount of ice that was put into the glasses/cups as they filled them to the top...so if you were getting a pepsi in a paper cup you got hardly any drink for the ice...so that was solved by asking for just 1 piece of ice and they understood this no problem. The bar can get very busy and the staff worked very quickly and were always pleasant despite the very long hours they work.
My kids loved being all inclusive and had their moneys worth as it was so hot they must have drank at least double the amount extra we had paid...and if they slept late they just had a burger or toastie or hotdog from the snack bar when they got up.
The pools (there are 3 of them) were really nice and very clean...and yes you had to get there early for a bed...and it was quite amusing to watch people actually running to get there towels on to a bed...as long as you were there before 10am you could manage to get beds somewhere around the pool.
I must admit that the entertainment could be a little bit repetative but the 3 main people that looked after the kids disco and everything else worked tirelessly what seemed like all day, 7 days a week. But there are plenty places outside the hotel you can go to.
We did not go to the beach too often as the main beach was very very full of people but there was a lovely cove if you turn right then first right again as you come out of the hotel and just walk to the top of the bank....this was a lot quieter.
You will get maps from your rep which tell you where pubs etc are....there was a very funny hypnotist at the rovers return and the scottish guy there was fantastic entertaining the younger kids....it was a great family bar. If you turn left then left again as you come out of the hotel..then walk half way up the bank there is a pub there which shows films on an afternoon if it is too hot for you to sit in the sun....also the shamrock pub which is second left. we saw I robot which was not even in the cinemas here yet..and spiderman 2 etc etc....sad i know but it was just too hot for us to sit outside at 2pm.
We made our own way to Barcelona one day by train...9.90 euros return which was very reasonable...but be there early for the train so you can get a seat or you will end up standing for an hour and a half. We went to the zoo while we were there...12.90 euros entry...and had a great time....there was a dolphin show which was very good.
Port Aventura is a must ....we had a 7 day ticket which included a day at Costa Cariba water park....which i would not go to if it was not included in the ticket as Aquapolis is supposed to be a lot better....but the theme park is fantastic. What we found strange was we did not have to wait long for the rides....when we went in june 3 years ago we had to wait at least 30 mins for each ride. My kids loved the Dragon khan and the Templo de Feugo is not to be missed. If you go you must stay to see the fantastic light and firework display that is on at midnight....i am not going to tell you anything about it as that would spoil it for you....but i did lots of oooooing and ahhhing.
All in all Salou is a great place for a holiday and I would certainly go back to the Oasis hotel again.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Independant booking - July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : 33,31,8,7
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Found the hotel to be in good clean order and very efficiently run. No problems with any of the staff although some of the reception staff were a bit officious at times, but not unhelpful.
The room was acceptable and cleaned every day, new towels daily. (A tip for any reader complaining about lack of new towels, make sure you leave them on the floor prior to room cleaning.) Having said that the floor seemed to get very gritty very quickly leading to gritty bed linen and gritty feet.
The food was of good quality but like a lot of British we didn't find it quite to our palate, more Spanish orientated, hardly a complaint though considering it's in Spain.
Stayed half board and paid for drinks, lolllies etc. The prices for these are quite reasonable and the staff behind the bar were very good in response and communication.
The hotel is in an excellent spot for travelling by bus. The bus stop accross the road will take you to Port Aventura, and in our case to Cambrils which is a quieter village with a good quiet beach for the kids (and a McDonalds if you want).
The entertainment we felt was quite good. The staff entertainers speak reasonably fluent French and English and were very good with the kids. On that note we stayed for a week and found that the same people were doing the entertaininng day after day. I was amazed that they found the energy and patience to go every night without a break.
All in all we thought the hotel to be excellent value. We paid a relatively small amount for a week half board in July, and we were well treated by all.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC-july 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : derek mitchell- Edinburgh (39,34,11)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just returned from 2 weeks in Salou ,this hotel is ok for sleeping in but thats about it. At 9am every morning it is a cavalry charge to get a sunbed with queues starting at about 8.45am waiting on the doors to the pool area opening. The rooms are clean and maid service was excellent.
Food in the resturaunt was awfull with nothing for an 11 year old to Eat we were half board and ended up eating out.Sinatras bar which is about 5 mins walk away is well worth a visit as food is excellent and resonably priced, the 19th hole is another serving excellent found.Bar and reception staff are very bad mannered and only interested in taking your money.
On leaving hotel we were asked to leave room at 10am ,and were being picked up at 8pm no courtesy room was available and we were told to take a shower at the showers at the poolside which are not enclosed.Very unsatisfactory.
Overall i would recomend salou for a holiday this is the 3rd time we have been but would certainly not be back to this hotel an expression viewed by 90% of the people we spoke to in the hotel.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Helen - Cornwall (38,12,7)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Have just got back from a week at Oasis Park, where we stayed All Inclusive. I believe this is the first year this hotel has provided this service - a word of warning - it takes a couple of days to realise what is and is not included. You can only have house wine in the restaurant, (figured this out when they tried to charge me for the wine, after it was opened. The waiters/waitresses did not speak much english and weren't able to explain this) and some spirits are not included. Crisps and Slush Puppies have a supplement added to them - AI guests get them at a reduce rate. Only the cheapest ice lollies are included in the package and these are only available until 6:00 p.m. So, after 6:00 p.m. you can have burger and chips and whiskey for example until you drink the bar dry, but have to pay for crisps and a slush puppy!!
The rooms were clean and fresh towels were supplied every day. The pool was nice and had plenty of loungers, although if you wanted a nice one, these were all reserved by towels being put on them by 10:00 a.m.
The restaurant had a wide variety of food, with salad, meats, pasta and chips every day. There was also meat cooked to order by a chef at the griddle in the cornwe of the room. The restaurant was very busy and the staff were always keen to clear your plates away very quickly, never felt if you could relax and take your time over a meal. Breakfast finished early at 10:15 a.m. and by that I mean the food was taken away - so don't think you can go into breakfast at 10:10 a.m.!! One night when the waiter was busy I helped myself to a bottle of water and got told off by the Restaurant Mangeress as I took a plastic 1.5l bottle and I should have had a 1 litre glass bottle! You can only have the larger plastic bottle if there are more than four in your party!
The resort was full of shops, pubs and cafes and had a bus service that ran from just outside the hotel. Be careful about which bus you catch on your return though, as some stop outside the hotel and others take the beach road, which although if you got off at the right stop isn't that far a walk, but with 9 miles of coastline everywhere looks the same!
The entertainment was the same each night with a kids disco and games, apart from an hour where there was something different i.e. dancers/parrot show/singers.
I wouldn't have gone AI had I known what was around the resort, as because you have paid for everything you tend to stay there for most meals and evenings. There were several bars around which included entertainment for children.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC june 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : kerry james- Bristol ( 54,29, 29,8,5,3 )
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Only just returned from a fortnight in Salou and missing it already!
The hotel was fine. Good food, good service and room was cleaned everyday. Only complaint was where the hotel was situated. Their were bars and resturants directly opposite which were very noisey all through the night(quietened down about 8am just as you were getting up!)So if possible make sure you get a room over looking the pool.
Salou itself was great. Clean and plenty to do. You can get a bus to most places very easily including Port Aventura, Aquapolis, markets etc.
We had 3 young children to keep entertained which was very easy in the day with the waterparks and pool etc but on the evening they were not happy to just sit in a pub so we looked for entertainment for the children and found an excellent bar called JUGGLERS. Its directly opposite the hotel down the side road. At 9pm every night a clown is here and he will entertain the children for free until 12pm! At around 7.30pm you will see the clown opposite the hotel sqeaking his horn. The drinks are very resonably priced and you get ample. It really is the place to go if you have young children we went 4 times in a fortnight!
All in all the holiday was wonderful with plenty to keep you busy at all times.
Have a great time if your on your way to oasis park.
Kerry & Co
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC JUNE 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : DENISE HAYES 38,42, NEARLY 3 + 61+59
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Arrived in Salou and found the Hotel to be better looking than it was in the brochure, rooms were clean and nicely furnished. Pool area was good and safe and a life guard was in operation for most of the time people were in the pool. Childrens play area was safe and in a good area.
The food in the evening was actualy quite good I had read some previous comments and was concerned. Only grumble was a lack of choice for a small child. Easily solved this one by going to supermarkeat and buying tins of beans+sauasage and warming them up in the microwave provided. The waiting staff were pleasant but obvioulsy disgusted by greedy people getting plate after plate of food and then leaving it, this is what puts the cost of holidays up do people not realise this?
Bar service was very good and efficient we were half board and did not go for the AI offer available as it does tie you to one place loads of good bars and cafe's outside for food and drink.
Fault with Hotel was maid service started of good and got worse, some days we were left without towels and toilet paper and had to ask for them at reception. Rooms were not cleaned very well and bathrooms had an awful smell even when cleaned.
Client base in hotel was a good mix Brits, Dutch, French Belgiums and Poles. Only problems were Spanish School kids and their noise levels and disrespect for fellow guests!!!!
Good bars were Jimmy's karaoke (great for Euro 04 games big screen and great atmosphere)Champions practically across the road, good music and quizes Jugglers is great for children the clown is very entertaining. Jack's is good for snacks in the day time only criticism they give you too much kids meals are the size of an adults in the UK.(HEY WHAT CRITICISM?)
Resort is great for kids loads of play areas on the beach and a fair ground at night those Euros drip thru the fingers beware parents.
Beach is clean and safe with good tolet facilities, and loads of snack bars along the way. The mini train is good for getting around and the buses very cheap at 1.10 Euro to neighbouring resorts.
Port Aventura good for adults not much for small children, Aquapolis good for little ones plenty of play areas well supervised.
JMC were a good company flights on time and very good.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Jet Line Travel - May 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Jackie Bannon - Bangor NI (36, 4, 50, 65)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just back from a week half board in this Hotel - and won't be rushing back!
The Resort was great, with all you'd expect to find - family pubs, clubs, shopping, beach and kids stuff - but the Hotel was average.
The restaraunt was good but limited for kids - with the exception of chips and ketchup! The grill in the corner is great.
The behind the scenes staff are super, cleaners - rooms cleaned every day with clean towels and your belongings as you left them, chefs - good food etc, but the customer service staff ie. Bar staff, Reception staff and Waiters left a lot to be desired! No or very little English and no manners!
Balcony lights were switched off automatically at midnight and the bar closed at midnight too - so if you want to party on at your balcony when the kids are in bed - you've gotta do it in the dark!
Don't buy in the Supermarket across the street - go to The Spar, first left on the left. The drink as well as snacks and food are much cheaper.
We missed the Rep to book a trip to Barcelona for the day so we took the train ourselves, did the bus tour and had dinner in The Hard Rock Cafe for the same price! Barcelona is worth the trip if you've never been - it's huge - 16 McDonald's in one City!
Enjoyed the holiday in general - but wouldn't stay in this Hotel again.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: Orchid Lates - May 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Steven Horton - Liverpool (30, 32, 01)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Salou is an excellent resort with something for everyone. Nightlife is as quiet or as lively as you want it,with the high number of British bars being complimented by plenty of German, Dutch and even Spanish ones too.
Salou is predominantly flat which is great for anyone with wheelchairs or pushchairs. It is very clean with lots of fountains and wide spaces for walking.
Cambrils is well worth a visit at just 1.10 Euros on the bus and Barcelona is 10 Euros return by train. However the service was quite crowded and uncomfortable for the 90 minute journey.
The hotel itself, admittedly, wasnt the best but we got good value considering what we paid and when we booked(£180 for a weeks half board in May, booked 10 days beforehand). It is reasonably clean and the staff are polite and helpful, but the rooms at the front can be very noisy. There is a bus stop situated right outside from which night buses sometimes depart at weekends, leading to a rude awakening at 4am.
The main complaint we had was concerning the food, which was bland and with very little on offer for children. They also restricted you to one knife and fork, with waitresses cleaning up as soon as you put them down, meaning you had to be quick if you wanted second helpings. High chairs were not to the best standard either.
However the pool area was excellent with one main pool and two smaller ones for children. The bar was nice with 2 for 1 happy hour drinks from 7pm till 9pm, although entertainment was limited.
All in all a very good holiday but if you are booking well in advance and want to stay somewhere a bit quieter with good food, go somewhere else other than Oasis Park.
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: globespan - april 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : derek and ann mc cutcheon
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
oasis park now all inculsive, half board and full board,all inculsive used to be a step up in accom, now it a step down with food and drinks,food in the resturant was very basic no markings on servary what type of food was in trays, meat was mostely pork, had chicken once a week,never go half board were there is all inculsive as your being served the same cheap spanish drinks, and u pay for them,when i booked holiday it was all half board,this year changed to part all inculsive as well,
hotel very clean well looked after food and drinks let it down,would not go back to this hotel again,salou resort getting a bit shabby now need some paint and footpath repairs other wise still go back to salou for a holiday,
globespan should not be trading in packaged holidays when we arrived in spain told accom in oasis park was full redirected to costa brava 2 and half hours drive to new accom there for 4 days phone globspan office in edinburgh to find out what happened told we should not be there our accom waiting for us in oasis park in salou problem was getting there,manager in hotel we were in of his own back drove us to salou,
we got our room ok in oasis park and finshed our holiday there,when we went to get on our pick up bus driver spanish lady said we were not on her list for pick up,said we would not move till we got on bus she phoned somebody on her mobile i spoke to english guy on phone and we eventualy got on bus to airport,problem with globespan they have no reps to help u with problems it was a nightmare with them now, fighting for compenstaion,it is a cheaper holiday but not worth the risk,
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Sharon Page - Livingston (26,6,3,31,6,4,45,16,16)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I'm just back from 1 weeks all inclusive at the above hotel and it was cr*p.
Yes the hotel itself is lovely and clean but with the all inclusive it was nightmare.
There were 9 people in our party 3 families of 3 each with our own room, so we each got a paper card on arrival with our name and the number of people in our room which is 3 so when i went to the bar to get a round of drinks for the table i couldn't we each had to go up with the different tickets and sign every receipt we couldn't even send the kids for an ice cream as we had to sign for everything. At night all the waiters waited on everyone else apart from the people who were all inclusive we had to go to the bar and wait in long queues which proved to be a pain in the ar*e.
The restaurant in the hotel was rubbish aswell not much of a variety if you like fish and pork you'd be ok they didn't cater for kids at all no burgers or nuggets were ever put out for them.
The entertainment in the hotel left alot to be desired all spanish orientated aswell as spoken in spanish. The did kids disco from 9-9.30 but after awhile you get feed up with the same songs getting played i'm sure the put the cd on repeat and left it. They had a kids club a few days when we where there which you had to pay for (5 euro per child) this was very disorganised so we didn't send the kids. The entertainment was also disorganised.
If we wanted a snack during the day you had to leave the pool side and go and order in the bar again we all had to go seperatly so there wasn't any one time when we all sat down to a snack together.
So we ended up not ordering anything.
I think that this was maybe the first time the hotel had done all inclusive as they didn't have a clue what they were doing. We originally booked Veneica Park Hotel but first choice let us know 6 weeks before we departed that they no longer had a contract with them and were moving us to the oasis.
We did however visit the theme park which is a must. I'd recommend anyone to purchase there tickets at home as they are a rip off at the park, the park also put on a wonderful fireworks display on thur,fri,sat nights at 11pm which is a must. The waterpark is good also for the younger kids as the outside flumes were closed when we where there so wasn't very good for the teenagers in our party, but as its enclosed its a must if the weather is bad as it is all heated.
All in all i did believe it or not have a good holiday but wouldn't go back to this hotel would try a different one that was better organised.
ENJOY YOUR STAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The Oasis Park - Salou
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2004 / 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Rod Matheson - Oxford - 57, 54
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Despite the reviews, decided to give this hotel a go.
Cleanliness, and the staff, were excellent, cant fault that. The criticisms re the food are well founded though, at best, it was lukewarm, but majority of the times it was cold, and no amount of moaning to staff changed things. They have Hot Plates to sit the food on, but it was never switched on, therefore the food was cold 5 minutes after it was put out on the trays, definately not very healthy when it comes to rice, chicken, pork and suchlike, which are notorious for causing illness if not cooked/stored properly.
The All Inclusive option took a bit of getting used to, drink yourself into a stupor if you wanted, for free, packet of crisps?...no way, you have to pay....ice lolly then?....nope, you have to pay.
We found it best to eat out eventually, Uncle Sams American Restaurant about 200 yds down the road was brilliant, if you want/need to eat out, this is the place to go to....
I doubt i'd go back there again, purely because of the food issue, the entertainment was so/so, but plenty to do in the resort to save hanging around the hotel for something to do, so not a great problem.
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Hotel Occidental Blau Mar - Salou
Operator and Date: Alpharooms
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Debbie Kelly - 48,37,13,12,2
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
The Blau Mar Hotel is the only hotel situated on the main road in Salou. It is almost on the beach and is near to the harbour. It is a perfect location because it is quiet,on the beach and yet is within a few minutes walk of all the touristy stuff.Our rooms were large with a separate bedroom,living area, small kitchen and balcony. The kitchen was very handy if you have small children - there was a fridge, 2 cooking rings and utensils, dishes etc.We had daily maid service and our room was spotless. Do not let the hotel put you into their nearby annexe "Las Acasias". The rooms there are much smaller.
The hotel has a good sized pool with a smaller one for children. It is not allowed to reserve sunbeds but there were always plenty for everyone. The hotel has activities all day for adults and children - pistol shooting, table tennis, volleyball, water polo etc.
There is a Mini Club for children upto 4 yrs old and a Maxi Club for older ones. You can leave your child in the Mini Club at certain times of the day. I took my 2 yr old but never left him. He enjoyed painting and making a fan!The childrens' area is shaded in a separate area by the pool with no sunbeds allowed in that area.It seemed well organised.
There was evening entertainment by the pool - 9pm mini disco for children and musicals or "Mr Blau Mar" at 10.30pm.
There was a games room and Playstation room (free) for children.
We stayed half board and found the food to be fine.The evening meal was buffet style but with plenty of choice and a separate children's section. One night the hotel organised a"fish night" and an "Italian night".
Breakfast was not as good - the food was only ever lukewarm.
The staff were all friendly and helpful - most spoke English.
The other guests were mostly Spanish and German, with few English families.
We had an excellent time at the Blau Mar and will definatly return!!
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: First Choice July 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : K.Bowles-Hampshire (43, 22, 20, 19, 17, 14, 1)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We found the Ontario Apartments to be very good we had a 4 bed Apartment 2 bathrooms, fair sized kitchen and large living room with dining table and sofa with large balcony (aparently the pent house suite which was an added bonus).
All the staff were friendly and efficient, Towels changed almost daily bed linen only changed once a week though.
Entertainment was pretty good throughout the day and evening if thats what you want, the entertainment stopped every night at 12 and i never found it to be to noisy, some of the other hotels did entertainment a little later but that did'nt cause any problems just back ground music really.The only problem was the fact that the lifts were always breaking down which is no laughing matter when you are on the 4th floor and have heavy cases and pushchairs.The bar was good and food ok.The pool cleaned daily and nice with a toddler pool.
Not situated in the center of salou but thats what we wanted because we did'nt want to be next door to clubs etc because of the baby.
Bus stops just at the bottom of the road and you can get to La Pineda, Salou center in about 10 mins and Barcelona if you wanted about 1-2 hours,there is also a train that the kids love.The beaches are lovely some a short walk and others a bus ride away,There are tons of places to eat we mainly went to La Pineda or Salou to eat.There is also a nice water park with dolphins at La Pineda a nice day out.There seemed to be a lot of nightlife in Salou center although we did'nt go for that and we would definatley go again and would stay at the same place, Cap Salou is the place to stay if you don't want loud music etc all night long.
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: First Choice - July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Rebecca Leong-Kee - Berkshire ( 35, 30, 7, 3 )
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just come back from a 2 week holiday in Cap Salou - Ontario Apartments. First impressions were good, apart from one of the lifts were broken so we had to lug some of our baggage up 4 flights of stairs !! The apartment was relatively spacious, clean and had most facilities that you would like. We had a two bedroomed apartment which could sleep up to 6 people. There was only 'one' double wardrobe for the whole apartment. Which for two adults and two young children sharing was a squeeze to say the least, any more people we would have been living out of our suitcases.
We had specifically asked for a room far away from the bar as we read a review that the bar can get quite loud. THAT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. It was incredibly loud, every night till 12. We could hear it from our balcony, and we were the opposite side of the complex, obviously if we closed our windows we couldn't hear it but it was loud and on the weekends sometimes they kept the music on till around 1:00ish.
You had the facility of hiring irons, dvd player etc but we managed without.
We never really 'ventured' in to the bars etc of Cap Salou, but we did go to Salou. As a family we thoroughly enjoyed it from the beach during the day (we did get early so that we had a front view) and we left around 2ish as that was when it started to get really busy. If you do it that way then you still have the afternoon to do what ever either a siesta or swimming in the pool. Then we went to Salou in the evening and found some fantastic restaurants next to the beach. One was called La Blanca. The staff were great and the Tapas and fish were out of this world.
La Pineda was also another lovely town, well worth visiting.
We did go to Puertoventura which we all thoroughly enjoyed. We wouldn't do anymore than a day there, that was enough.
We also went to Tarragona, which was lovely, more on the education side of things, but the city is beautiful.
We wouldn't personally go back to Ontario apartments as we have young children and the people there were just too loud and basically came across that all they wanted to do was get drunk and stay in the resort the whole holiday with a burger in one hand and a pint of scrumpy jack in the other.
I must say that the reception staff were top notch. They were very professional and tried to help any way that they could.
We only had our bed sheets changed once which was poor. Our towels were changed on a daily basis except Thursdays and Sundays as those were their days off.
There was a 'Supermercat' downstairs which you could pretty much get most of your food and supplies. It wasn't too bad price wise but if you didn't go down in the morning there was little choice of meat and veg.
All in all it was an average holiday with the complex but a beautiful location and well worth visiting again, just don't visit Ontario.
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: Falcon Holidays - Sept 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Tara Gaffney - Dublin (58,41,32)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just returned from a weeks holiday in Cap Salou.We brought my Dad on his first ever package holiday and with us been named accomdation on arrival I was needless to say worried about where we would end up.I neednt have worried as the apartments where the nicest I have ever stayed in.
The supermarket was very cheap and Happy hour in the Bar was great.The only bad comment i could make was that the walk back uphill from the main bars and restaurants in Cap Salou is very steep and my dad found it very difficult to climb so we never went back down there again.We spent our time between the hotel bar and Salou itself.
The entertainment in the complex was quiet good a table quiz to start,then a game of bingo,childrens entertainment followed by adults.Bar staff where very friendly.Danny Boys irish bar was great.We went on the Barcelona highlights tour which was very good and i would defintly recommend.
Salou itself was just like any other resort full of shops all selling the same things.Wouldnt go back to Salou again but would say without a shaddow of a doubt that The Ontario Apartments are the place to Stay.
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice Sept 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Louise 48, 33
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We booked this holiday at the last minute and although we weren't expecting too much from it- we came away thinking 'aaargh, never again'. It's a`shame because these apartments when new were probably very smart but are being basically trashed by thoughtless family-loads of mindless visitors intent on destruction. From day one I kept wanting to go around the place with me' marigolds and give the place a`much-needed scrub. The windows are getting very grubby; I can't blame the cleaners it must be the gangs of folk mentioned previously.
We went on holiday to escape the rat-race for a few days but unfortunately returned home more stressed out than when we left. I'm afraid the drunken domestics every night got very tiresome and the sight of the same people who had been scrapping the previous night sitting around the pool at 9.30 with pints of lager a bit too much to take.
Avoid Cap Salou at all costs unless you are really desperate as the 'bars' down there attract the same types. The noise is ubearable-and that's just the screaming kids.I read several reviews before I went telling me that the Paddock was the best place for food but my first impression was dismal. My food arrived tepid and the staff were far from gracious when I sent it back.
The only saving grace during our stay there was discovering la Pineda on our last 2 days. A totally different world there; you could actually find room on the uncrowded beach, the bars were stylish and somehow, the holidaymakers there seemed quite civilised in comparison.
I won't be returning to Salou again; it's a pity because an otherwise potentially decent hotel is being dragged down by the morons thronging to it.At this time I don't think it warrants the 3* it is given.
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Kevin Finney - Preston 49, 30
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Well, (sigh), where do I begin?
On arrival in torrential rain, the apartments seemed quite nice, spacious, light and airy, if a little sparsely furnished. Day 1 we spent in the hotel "Entertainment" room, as you would have drowned if you had left the building due to the severity of the weather. However, if you like lots of little people (No not dwarves, children!) shouting obscenities, and their half wit parents thinking it is funny, then you will have a great time in this room!
After 2 days the rains stopped, the sun came out, and all was well with the world! Well almost! I aint sure if it is customary for people to be drunk at 9am every morning in this hotel, but it seemed most people were. Do not expect to sleep after 8am, infact don,t expect to sleep at all, as, I think the people in this hotel save up all of their domestics for their time here.
One of the endearing features of these apartments was the fact the pool is open 24 hours a day, for a bit of early morning swimming/bombing/diving, and vommiting, great stuff! and thats just the pensioners! Ah, you may think, that sounds nice! eh? But things progress in a downward fashion when you visit the wonderful resort centre of Cap Salou itself. You like Karaoke? So do I, but erm, well I,ll let you find that one out for yourself. If you like lots of flying insects, and cockroaches, visit the local cap house, and no I aint missed a letter.. You wont be disappointed. Eating out in Cap Salou is nice, if you like uncooked food, and a distinctive flavour of lager!
Now, you may think I,m a little upset at the place, but it does have good points, the main one is you can easily get a bus out of the place, and just 15-20mins walk, (Nope didnt see many people walking, they all staggered), is La Pineda. La Pineda is probably 2 miles from Cap Salou, but it may as well be a million, as the place is a different world. Beautiful clean beaches, uncrowded, excellent places to eat/drink, if a little more expensive. It has some excellent shops, not selling the usual holiday tat, as in Cap Salou, and is very relaxing. Wish we had stayed there instead, and found it 4 days earlier!
To sum up, Cap Salou, I would never set foot in the place again, wander slightly North along the coast and you will find La Pineda a friendly relaxing resort with plenty of shops and bars to keep you happy. Hope this helps. PS: The entertainment staff at the Ontario apartments try really hard, are a good bunch of people, but is spoilt by the mindless majority of holidaymakers in this hotel to make much difference.
The Ontario apartments are quite new, but because of the people it attracts seems like 20 years old, and will only get worse unless they change the clientelle they are attracting at the moment.
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Manchester (41, 40, 14, 11)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hotel type appartments, spacious, clean and well equiped kitchen. Good friendly staff. No Restaurant, only low quality snacks available. Pool area too small for the number of guests and music often played too loud. Entertainment very average and load although finishes at midnight.
Cap Salou is small and generally quiet, not enough restaurants. Smugglers did good food, but often had to wait over an hour for a table. Salou was just like Blackpool, very busy and full of tacky shops.
Bought a 14 day pass to Port Aventura and got our moneys worth. A blessing in disguise!
All in all had a nice holiday with family. Weather was unpredictable with lots of thunder storms. Wouldn't go again!
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - July 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Susan Bland, Buckinghamshire (30, 29, 6, 2)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just arrived back from staying in Cap Salou in the Ontario Apartments.
All in all we had a great holiday. The apartments were very clean and spacious and we were lucky enough to have a pool view. The staff were also very helpful and there is a supermarket downstairs which proved essential. We were pleased that we were staying in Cap Salou, which had a small selection of restaurants and an amusement area for the children. The resort of Salou is very much catered for the English selling all the usual tacky rubbish - we didn't think that much to Salou. We also visited La Pineda which was very pretty and about a 10 minute bus journey from the hotel.
We brought passes for Port Aventura, the theme park on the internet before we left although I don't think it was that much cheaper. The park was great and stayed open until 12 midnight which meant you could visit in the evening when it was less busy and then enjoy the firework show that was on every evening at 11.30pm. It is definitely worth a visit or two! We read lots of reviews on the internet that referred to the hotel entertainment as being rubbish - but we found it to be good. The evening entertainment was funny and holiday makers all got involved. During the day the children were fully entertained by the children's representatives and in the evening they had party dances - our children loved it.
All in all a good holiday - we would not return to Salou but still had a great holiday.
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Ontario Apartments - Salou
Operator and Date: Eclipse Direct - Jun/Jul 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Lucy - Staffs (22, 20)
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Me and my boyfriend booked a last minute break to Salou for the end of June/July. I was a bit apprehensive booking over the Internet but it all ran smoothly and soon we were on our way!
We were not disappointed by the Ontario Appartments...there were only the two of us and our apartment was HUGE and very clean. We used one room just for our clothes! The bathroom was lovely with plenty of space and a bath which you don't always get in hotels abroad. The kitchen was okish equipped..as there were only two of us there was enough plates/forks etc but if we were a family of four we would have run out of stuff quickly. That was only a small prob though. We had a big fridge that was useful for our water and ice lollies and things and our balcony was big. Only minor moan was closeness to other hotels you could practically read the newspaper of the person across from you in the opposite hotel.
The reception area and bar was clean and welcoming after our late flight, and the staff were really helpful. There was a board up showing all of the different activities for the week. In our welcome meeeting the rep was lovely and explained all of the different trips without pressure to buy. We chose the Barcelona and PortAventura trips and were not disappointed. Both ran smoothly and the bus that picked us up was clean and cool.
The shop is right next door and good for bread and things, and papers. Bought cereal and things for breakfast mainly and there was lots of choice and the food was fresh.
The pool is spacious but beware of some people actually taking your towells off your beds when you nip for some lunch/shade...we found our towels crumpled in a heap by the pool one day and were'nt impressed as there were lots of other beds available but two families had decided they wanted to sit together! Never had any food from the bar so can't say what the snacks are like.
Entertainment was v cheesey - Mr Salou and bingo which is ok if you like that sort of thing. Also ag a doo and the birdie song seemed to be the only records the DJ had and these were blaring constantly. Luckily this stopped by the time we got in most nights but we were subjected to some people in the neighboring hotels murdering kareoke songs night after night. My and my boyfriend tend not to stay in a hotel night after night so we went out but some people obviously enjoyed it as it was very busy. Groups of young teens could be a pain throwing wet toilet paper up at the ceiling of the toilet (so much fun...)But the rep did have words with them.
Hopefully they have sorted out the fire alarm which went off two nights in a row and woke everyone up in the middle of the night (ok for me but people with babies and kids would not be impressed). This only happened on the first two nights but didn't happen again so was ok.
Now onto the resort...what can I say? If you like Blackpool you'll love Salou. Full of egg and chip restaurants with paper tablecloths and wipe clean placemats...me and my boyf were looking forward to some spanish cuisine but sadly were very limited. Go to the beach front for some good seafood and tapas places which are a bit more authentic. However there were only a few of these type. If you go to PortAventura stay there for your dinner - we had a mexican there which was lovely and not too pricey. We were glad that the apartments were in cap salou and not the main town as this was a BIG advantage. All of the little pubs and restaurants here are lovely and do nice food which is primarily english. Smugglers cove had humungous portions for low price. We tried La Pineda but found this no different to Salou and were v. disappointed.
The beach and fountain are lovely and there is a MacD