well were do i start went to this hotel on 26 aug 08 came back 3 sept.could not fault the hotel or the food as far as i know everyone eat well.but trust me if you have children please dont take them there the entertainment is rubbish.nothing is catered around the kids.not even the day time if they go to the mini club the staff just sit with there head in there hands moaning.all day its aqua arobics sunday nite they did a show all about smoking weed monday nite it was about the red light district.so we didnt take our kids we went to our rooms and played cards with the kids.the mini disco does not start till 9pm and its in a room with kids just running around shouting left to do what they want so when you read the reviews please belive them

We stayed in the Arina Sands from 22 August until 2 September 2008. The hotel is very very clean and the rooms were kept spotless. All eating areas were kept tidy and clean at all times. The food was very good considering it was an all inclusive. Our only complaint about the food is that there wasn't enough snacks available between 4 o clock and the evening meal.These are the times our teenager wanted something to eat. They offered sandwiches behind the bar all day but they were just ham and cheese and sometimes they were so cold they seemed to be frozen.

The location of the hotel was within walking distance of a few shops and bars. The only problem was they were empty. Goodness knows where all the holiday makers were. The hotel is only about 20 mins from the airport and is directly under the flight path but the noise of the planes were minimal and nobody had any complaints regarding this.

The entertainment during the day was repetative and sometimes loud and the evening entertainment was diabolical. Luckily the entertainment was in another room away from the bar area which was nice and relaxing. Some of the animation team put alot of effort in what they did and looked as though they enjoyed their job whilst others were half hearted about everything. Surely after doing the club dance for months they should at least all be in step!!

Our 15 year old daughter met a great group of friends and they all got on really well and were very well behaved considering that there wasn't anything for them to do at night. They just walked around the hotel and grounds at night. One night a disco was put on for them which was held outside and I can honestly say that was the best night of our holidays, especially because all the kids (and adults) got up to dance. the hotel manager was there and many of us voiced our concerns to him about this and he promised that another disco would be held before we left but I'm afraid it didn't happen.

The beach was very clean and tidy at all times and there was a lifeguard on duty most of the time.

I would visit this hotel again but only if they put on some decent enetertainment in the evenings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a fantasic two weeks at this hotel, everything about it was more than we expected.

Being only twenty minutes or so from airport was ideal, but be warned, this makes hotel directly under final approach to the airport and you will see & hear planes almost constantly, including during the night. This didnt bother us at all but it could to some, and is not noted in any of the brochures.

Hotel is just wonderful and staff just cannot do enough to help you. On arriving late evening we experienced a problem with the patio doors of room not locking but within 5 minutes someone was there to solve it. Hotel is spotless and constantly being cleaned, all staff are friendly and helpful.

We stayed in one of the bunglows. Somewhat basic but spacious and comfortable and being away from main building,quiet,and only couple of metres from beach.

Pool is larger than we expected and over 3m deep in places but to give an indication of the thought taken in whole hotel, a ledge is provided around perimeter of pool below water level so that everyone stays safe even in deep end. One "bad" point; pool is extremely salty & you must wear goggles of some sort.

With food & drink available constantly during the day from both bars (one poolside, other on beach)and a fantastic buffet restuarant, you will like us come back a lot heavier!! Our kids are extremely difficult eaters but they found no problems. Food was varied and great with most nights having some form of theme.

The entertainment team are just fantastic, very enthusiastic and constantly on the go. If you want to have a quiet holiday be warned, they will be trying to get you to join in all activites (waterpolo, football, volleyball, aerobice, dancing etc etc) from 9am to 5pm. However, they are not pushy and if you say no, its respected. They also give fantastic evening shows; hats off to them, they do a great job.

Beach towels are provided every day if you want and they are really big and soft.
And to stop our eurpean neighbours pinching the sunbeds, they are all collected up each night and chained (at least around the pool) so you dont have to get up in middle of night to "reserve" one, just a respectable 7.30am when they are unlocked - a good system which worked really well.
Beach is sandy & water very clear. Only "bad" point was that there is an almost constant sea breeze which sometimes was very strong & made sea choppy. However it was a real bonus having that breeze as it kept temperature right down to a confortable level.

Would we go again? Most certainly yes

We stayed in the Arina Sand hotel, the rooms are very basic but cleaned daily, and also fresh towels daily,great just what you want after a hard days sunbathing.

The food wasnt that bad but iof you are there for two weeks you will be eating the same as what you had last week,there isnt anything for children unless you ask for it which can cause alot of problems because then you have to wait for it to be cooked.

The hotel staff are all very miserable and dont even smile day or night,the entertainment is very boring it is the animation team every single night,and after listening to them all day every day it can get a bit well very boring.........would we visit this hotel again no..... even though we did enjoy there was some points that we did not like ... the swimming pool is salt water mixed with chemicals it is horrible.

Overall we had a very good and enjoyable 2 weeks stay at the hotel. Accommodation comprises a mixture of apartments and bungalows. The hotel guests are about 60% German and Russian, 20% English and 20% other nationalities.

The location of the hotel is excellent because of its beach front location and because everything is self contained on site the kids can come and go pretty much as they please in safety. My only reason for giving the hotel location a 4* and not a 5* is that the resort itself is a little grotty, principally because as the hotels in the area have changed to all inclusive this has decimated the local shops / bars and restaurants. There are still a few shops and bars just outside the hotel but if you are prepared to walk that bit further (or catch a bus / taxi) there are a lot more shops, bars and restaurants but reports from other holidays makers that did go outside the hotel indicated that most of them were very quiet.

Hotel staff on the whole were excellent, worked incredibly hard and were very helpful especially in the Taverna. My one complaint regarding the staff was that there was not enough of them especially around meal times in the main restaurant when you had to wait for a table to be cleaned / reset from the previous diners.

There is a local shop on site which sells most everyday things (daily papers, bottled water etc) that you will need. You do pay a premium but a small price to pay for convenience I suppose.

The food was pretty good overall well presented and varied apart from the Italian night which was dire. Lots of fresh salad items daily and a carvery, (Chef would cuts up joints of meat and you simply help yourself to as much or as little as you like.)

The pool is a saltwater / seawater pool so ensure that you take goggles for the kids or alternatively get a mask which also covers the nose.

The animation team worked hard and provided all sorts of sporting activities during the day, football, darts, rugby, table tennis, archery, volley ball and water polo.

Each guest is issued with a small laminated card which allows them to get a beach towel which can be changed daily. Don't loose them or you will be charged 20 Euro's per towel.

Now the bad points:-

Some of the hotel amenities are 4* but the rooms are not, however they are clean.

No junior club and because some of the sporting activities had an age limitation (Archery yes I 100% agree with but volleyball cannot understand)meant that my 10 and 11 year old got a bit bored at time. Understand that from the 15th July there is a junior club.

Bottled water is not included in the all inclusive package which I found petty, especially at 40 pence for a 1.5 litre bottle.

The situation regarding sunbeds is ridiculous and the hotel management seriously need to look at this situation. Despite notices asking hotel guests not to reserve sunbeds before 7.00am the German and Russian guests principally were reserving the sunbeds from 5.00am to 5.30am so pretty much everything has was gone by 7.00am. Even more annoying, some guests were reserving sunbeds on the beach and around the pool simultaneously. Finally there were a number of guests around the pool who would sit next to a parasol with it down whilst other families / people were sat in the sun burning. The hotel did try to rectify this by placing more sunbeds on an Astroturf area near the beach with a sign specifying that these must not be reserved at any time. To our amazement German and Russian guests then simply reserved a spot by dropping beach towels on the Astroturf or simply sitting on it until the sunbeds were unlocked. Most English guests I spoke too were getting really really annoyed by this behaviour.

Meal times can be frustrating, assume that people will cut in front of you and push you out of the way (including your kids). This is not a reflection on the hotel more on some of the hotel guests.

Evening entertainment not our scene really so did not go but reports from other English guest who did varied from dire to OK however the Grease night seemed very popular.

There is some aircraft noise as the hotel is on the flightpath / final approach for the local airport. Not an issue for us and we very quickly forgot about it but may be a problem for others.

In my view hotel caters very much for Russian and German guests. For example we could see the Germany v Brazil football match but not the British Lions v All Blacks Rugby Match. Suspect that this will change over time as more and more British families go.

Overall we had an extremely good holiday despite the sunbed situation and we came back totally relaxed. The hotel and food is better than most and I would have no difficulties in recommending this hotel for families with kids or for those seeking a relaxing / quiet holiday.

We booked through First Choice on line which we found to be significantly cheaper than Panorama or Sky Travel.

By biggest complaint is however reserved for First Choice or more accurately the flight crew on flight number FCA 2588. On the flight were a number of stag parties and hen parties. We were sat behind a group of Liverpool lads which to be fair whilst a bit rowdy were not a problem and quite funny until they pretty much drank the bar dry at which point they proceeded to sing football songs toward the end of the flight. Again we could deal with this until one of their party who supported Everton basically then proceeded to swear continuously for 20 minutes.

Cabin crew did nothing so thank you First Choice for subjecting my 6, 10 and 11 year olds to that. You caused that situation by serving the alcohol in the first place. Maybe you should rename your company to "First Choice For Stag Trips - Last Choice For Families." names a bit long I agree but is does reflect more accurately your company on my experience.

My family met up with another family. It was one of the best holidays I have had.

There was no need to go out of the hotel because they had every thing in there. There was a small shop. Which was full of relevant items.

The hotel was so clean. You always saw a maid doing her job. I was so impressed with it.

The entertainment in the day time was great there were loads of pool games to play which involved all age groups. The entertainers were so friendly to every one. You would always get a smile from them.

The staff were very helpful when needed.

I will in near future be hopefully going back to that hotel.

Thank you to all the staff for helping to make my holiday.

Well, I don

This is a lovely hotel right on the beach . Staff wre friendly and helpful.Rooms were very clean and towels changed daily and sheets 3 times per week .The entertainment was good and the staff tried to involve everyone . I would recommend this hotel to anyone and it was also very child friendly .