HL Rio Playa Blanca

Worst hotel experience we’ve ever had

I’m not someone who normally leaves negative reviews, but after our 7-night stay, I feel people genuinely need to know what to expect before booking this hotel.

The room was filthy on arrival. Our towels were not changed once during the entire 7-night stay, and neither was the bedding. My daughter accidentally marked the bedding with makeup on the first day, and it was still there when we left. The sofa bed had a horrible musty, foisty smell and was genuinely unbearable to sleep on. There was also mould in the corner of the room.

The worst part was the cockroaches. We had them coming through cracks in the room every night. We complained to the hotel twice, but nothing was done. No proper solution, no meaningful response — we were simply left to deal with it.

The all-inclusive drinks were some of the worst we’ve experienced. The drinks machine smelled strongly of cheese, and it was regularly not topped up, meaning you were often left with little more than soda water.

Around the pool, the block paving is worn down to the point that it is extremely uncomfortable and painful to walk on barefoot. Some of the sunbeds were visibly mouldy, and there was also a strong sewage smell coming from the drains around the area.

Unfortunately, we also found some of the staff to be rude and unhelpful when we raised our concerns.

What makes this even more disappointing is that the reviews we read before booking were good, which is very difficult for us to understand after experiencing the hotel ourselves.

This was honestly the worst hotel experience we have ever had, and I would strongly recommend anyone considering booking to read the recent reviews carefully and think twice before doing so. We booked expecting a relaxing family holiday and instead spent our week dealing with poor cleanliness, cockroaches, unpleasant smells and facilities that are clearly in need of serious attention.

Please do your research before booking this hotel

I have considered carefully whether to post this review, but I believe prospective guests should have the opportunity to decide whether this property meets the standard they expect from a 4-star hotel. I have worked in the travel and hospitality sector for over 20 years, including in tour operations and resorts, and this is the first time I have felt compelled to write a review of this nature.

I have included photographs showing some of the issues we experienced during our family’s stay.

Arrival and accommodation

We arrived late and were given maps to locate our rooms. The pathways were poorly lit, and we used the torches on our phones to find our way. We also observed litter on the pathways and in the area around our room.

We had booked both a standard room and a superior room. In our experience, neither room met the standard we would expect from a 4-star property. Both had a musty or damp smell, particularly the standard room, and both appeared tired and inadequately cleaned.

When I pulled out the sofa bed for my daughter, I found food debris left behind from previous guests. We did not use the bed that evening and instead used another sofa, which I cleaned after noticing chocolate marks on it.

The fridge contained food debris frozen to the back. The curtains were stained, some furniture was chipped and, in our shower, the plug grate was dislodged, leaving a large opening in the shower floor. My daughter’s foot could fit into it, which I considered a safety concern.

My son, who was staying in the standard room, later contacted me to report a leak. At around midnight, I found the floor beneath the air-conditioning unit completely wet. We switched the unit off because we were concerned about the risk of slipping and the proximity of water to electrical equipment.

We reported this that night but were told it would have to wait until morning because nobody was available on site to deal with it. The room also had a strong damp smell. There appeared to be water staining or possible mould damage beneath the unit, although I cannot confirm the cause or extent of this.

Moving rooms

We were offered alternative rooms on the second day. These were cleaner and generally appeared less worn, although one had a damaged wardrobe that had been taped up. Beneath the tape was a splintered section of the wardrobe, which I considered a potential injury risk, particularly if a child pulled the tape away.

The replacement room also had problems with insects. We saw cockroaches entering beneath the front door and placed a blanket along the bottom to try to reduce this. The bathroom had a damp smell, so we left the window open. This appeared to allow fruit flies into the room, and we found them gathering on the towels. Reception provided insect spray, which we used ourselves.

Sheets were changed once a week. In a warm climate, and particularly in a room with a damp or musty smell, we did not find this frequency satisfactory.

Main restaurant

The main restaurant did not meet the standard we expected from a 4-star property.

We observed worn and wobbly furniture, dirty windows and holes in the walls. For the first eight days of our stay, the restaurant’s air conditioning was not working, which made meals uncomfortable.

The drinks dispensers frequently ran out of items such as juice and Coke Zero. Popular food, including pizza, sometimes ran out shortly after being put out, and replenishment did not always keep pace with demand.

The presentation of the food improved during our stay. However, overall, we considered the food offering below the standard we would expect from a 4-star hotel.

On one occasion, I saw a hot BBQ left after dinner service without anyone attending it and without obvious warning signage for more than an hour. Families and children were moving around the area, and I considered this a safety concern.

Sunbeds and pool area

By around 6am, most shaded sunbeds had already been occupied, and some guests appeared to have placed towels on beds the previous night. Guests seeking shade therefore needed to reserve a bed very early.

The pool bar usually appeared to be staffed by one person. I want to emphasise that the member of staff we saw there was extremely efficient, friendly and hardworking. However, queues were common, and in my view additional staffing would have improved the service.

Guests were required to pay a €1 deposit for a reusable cup and carry it between the pool bar and show bar. I understand the environmental purpose of the system, but we found carrying the cup around inconvenient.

Bars and entertainment areas

The show bar and main cocktail bar ran out of some drinks on occasions, including cava and vodka, and were sometimes short-staffed. Again, the bar staff worked hard and were polite despite the pressure.

The games room and pool bar area had a noticeable sickly or damp odour. Air fresheners appeared to be used, but these were themselves quite strong.

We also observed exposed plug sockets near some games equipment and what appeared to be potential trip hazards. I believe these areas should be inspected and made safe.

Some music played around the pool included profanity that I considered unsuitable for young children. We raised this during our stay, and the music was subsequently changed, which I appreciated.

On our last day, my son witnessed an altercation between guests beside the pool. The guests were shouting expletives in view of other guests, including families and children. This was an unpleasant incident, although I recognise that individual guest behaviour is not necessarily within the hotel’s control.

The positives

I want to be fair, as the issues described above were not the fault of the staff we encountered.

The staff were generally friendly, polite and helpful. The bar staff worked extremely hard, often under considerable pressure, and the entertainment team were engaging and made a genuine effort to keep guests entertained.

However, in my opinion, the staff’s positive attitude could not compensate for the number of issues we experienced with the condition, cleanliness, maintenance, staffing and general operation of the property.

I also want to make clear that we raised these concerns with TUI, our tour operator, while we were still in resort.

Overall, this was a very disappointing experience for our family. Based on our stay, I would not consider the property to meet the standard I would expect from a 4-star hotel. Guests who are accustomed to consistently high-quality 4-star accommodation may wish to read recent reviews carefully and examine photographs before booking. Based on our experience, I found that several of the more negative reviews reflected concerns similar to those we encountered.