Benalma Costa del Sol

Paula was great! Such a brilliant person

We stayed at this hotel for one week on an all-inclusive basis with two adults and our 2-year-old child. Overall, we had a pleasant stay and our holiday went well, but there are several areas that we believe could be improved.

Arrival: Upon arrival, we had to wait until 3:00 PM before our room was ready. After a long journey, we found this to be quite late.

Room: We had a room with a sea view, which was definitely a plus. However, the room was far too small for a family with a toddler. Once the baby cot was set up, there was barely any space left to move around. We could not even fully open the balcony door. The bathroom was also very small.

Restaurants and food:

• The restaurant opening hours are not very family-friendly. Breakfast starts at 8:00 AM, lunch at 1:00 PM, and dinner only at 7:30 PM. These times are not ideal for families with young children.
• We were disappointed with the food. There was very little variety, the selection of fish was limited, and the salmon was of very (!!!!!) poor quality. Overall, we did not find the buffet particularly tasty.
• The snack bar included in the all-inclusive package was also disappointing. The choice was very limited, the offer was almost the same every day, and the food quality was not good. We expected more variety and better quality.

À la Carte Restaurants: The hotel offers two à la carte restaurants, but unfortunately both were disappointing.

1. Bonita

• The menu available for all-inclusive guests is extremely limited. Of course, it is possible to order other dishes from the regular menu at an additional cost, but when you choose an all-inclusive holiday, you do not expect to have to pay extra every time you want a decent choice of food.

2. Thai Restaurant

• The situation is exactly the same here. The selection included for all-inclusive guests is very limited.

Service

• The service in both restaurants was very disappointing. The staff spoke very limited English and often did not know which dishes were included in the all-inclusive package. They regularly had to leave and check this information.
• The service itself was also not well organised. For example, all dishes were served at the same time instead of being served course by course, which made the dining experience feel rushed and chaotic.
• We understand that not everyone speaks perfect English, but in a major tourist destination such as Spain, we would expect hospitality staff to have a sufficient level of English to assist international guests properly.

All-Inclusive Package:

• In an all-inclusive hotel, we expect pool and beach towels to be exchanged free of charge. At this hotel, guests have to pay for every towel change. We have never experienced this in another all-inclusive resort.

Family Pool:

• The family pool only opens at 10:00 AM, which is quite late for families with young children who are usually awake early.
• Finding a sunbed is also a daily struggle. They are occupied very quickly, and even when you only leave for a short time, other guests immediately ask whether the sunbed is available, even when it is clearly still being used.
• We also noticed several elderly guests who could not find a sunbed and had to bring a chair themselves in order to sit or rest.

Pool Bar and Staff:

• Drinks are available at the pool bar, but the bar closes at 6:00 PM.
• What disappointed us most was the attitude of one female staff member. At around 6:03 PM, we politely asked whether we could have a bottle of water. She responded in a very rude (!!!!) manner, simply saying that the bar was closed.
• We completely understand that opening hours must be respected, but a friendly and respectful attitude towards guests should always be expected.

Fitness Room:

• The fitness room opening hours indicate that it should open at 8:00 AM, but in reality it was never open at that time.
• The general condition of the fitness room was disappointing. It was often very dirty, there were no towels available, no exercise mats, and overall the room was not properly maintained or cleaned.

Departure:

• On the day of our departure, our transfer left at 6:30 AM. There was no possibility to even have a cup of coffee before the restaurant opened at 8:00 AM. We found this quite surprising for a hotel of this standard.
• Fortunately, a member of the security staff kindly helped us and arranged for us to get a cup of coffee. We really appreciated his willingness to help.

Overall Impression: Despite the points mentioned above, our holiday went well and we still enjoyed our stay. The staff in general were friendly and helpful, and we appreciated their efforts. However, we believe that improving the points mentioned above would significantly increase the quality of the guest experience and bring the hotel more in line with the expectations of an all-inclusive resort.