This hotel is okay.

It is in the old town of Salou and is quite a trek from the resort centre if you miss the courtesy bus. The meals were fine but a bit repetitive. The cleaning staff were always around and very pleasant.The bar staff were for the majority pleasant but very slow at serving.

The entertainment is okay but the entertainment reps are not very good, they are very young and childish and could not seem to hold anyone's attention for very long, although they were hardworking and tried very hard.

The bar area is very noisy in an evening and when I was there there was a lot of kids running riot. The bar in the hotel opens at 10.am but no alcohol is available until 12.The pool bar opens at 12.00for snacks (hot dogs,burgers,pizza,chips and fruit everyday) until 6.00 then again from 9.00pm-10.30pm. After 10.30 pm you can not get any food from anywhere. If you are going out for the day you can order a picnic before 7.00pm the day before you need it.

The reception staff are very good and the hotel manager is very friendly and nearly always around.

Arrived at Villamarina on 24th May. On arrival at the hotel we were allocatd one of the appartments just behind the main hotel. I had taken my daughter along with my friend and her 3 boys. My daughter and myself had a bedroom of our own 2 single beds and my friend shared a double room with and extra bed for herself and her boys. We also had a living room, kitchen, bathroom and a very big balcony with washing machine, which was a god send. Admittedly there were quite a few times that it was nice to escape the hustle and bustle of the hotel and come back to a quiter appartment. Some of the guests were rowdy to say the least but u noticed when they had gone home as it was much more pleasant.

In the appartment gardens there was a small pool, big enough for the people who used it and it was quite pleasant. It was all grass around pool and some people on the reviews posted have complained about ants the size of beetles....so what for gods sake...some people complain about anything, is that really enough to stop you enjoying your holiday!

The hotel was always kept clean and any mess that was made by people who obviously live like pigs at home, was rapidly cleaned up. The hotel cleaners were on the go from dusk till dawn. If some people learned some respect and the official use of bins their job would have been much easier.

The food was excellant and we were at the hotel for 2 weeks and never tierd of what was on offer. One woman in the restaurant complained she only liked "bloody chicken nuggets for f***Ks sake" well my dear your fault for being so fussy. My friends eldest son had a nut, dairy and glutten allergy as well as intollernance to many over foods. He couldnt eat tomatoes, chicken and many other things too and the hotel had no knowledge of this and only on one lunch time did he struggle to find anything to eat.

As soon as the hot plate dishes were empty or even as they were becoming empty they were replenished and the carvery at the far end of the restaurant was great...again people posting reviews have complained that the food was uncovered with loads of flies....blah blah. Well it was kept clean and checked regulary by a chef and how can you cover a huge joint of beef when there is a constant queue for it...and as for flys everywhere, well i was shocked at the lack of flies didnt see one.

The pools were opened at 9am with a lifeguard keeping a subtle eye on the kids. Myself and my daughter stuck to this pool as the other pool held water polo for adults and was a bit rowdy at times but nothing worth whinging about on here.

All the staff were fantastic, at times you could feel they were being arrogant but infact it was a misunderstanding on the language side. Most spoke very good english but at the end of the day we are in their country demanding they be fluent in our language so the arrogance i think is on our side. I felt sorry for them at times, i am not saying that some people didnt have genuine problems but at times they were complaining for the sake of it and approached the reception staff in a very aggresive manner. Pablo the manager was always on hand and very pleasant. I only had one complaint and that was with a group of scottish lads on a stag holiday who were the rudest most selfish pigs ever. They had no respect for the fact that they were at a family hotel and at one point kept a lot of residents up till 4am. it only happened once though so i guess the manager did his job and actioned the complaints. Again mentioned is a complaint about a drag act who struggled to do a clean show with it being a family hotel, well the scottish stag idiots did there very best to make it smutty and ruin it, the show wasnt the best but out of all the shows they had at the hotel this was the only one that wasnt up to much.

The entertainment team and caberets were great and my daughter (8yrs) loved every bit and despite being shy at first soon joined in and was brought out of herself by the team. A couple of the caberet shows involved fire breathers and other slightly risky parts and the enetertainers requested all children return to sit with their parents and for parents to ensure this happened. 8 Times they had to repeat this request, no fault of theirs just of the (far too many) parents who couldnt give 2 hoots what their kids were doing and even where they were, they were to occupied in getting themselves as paraletic as possible. On the whole though we had a great crowd of guests staying at the same time as we were and we had a great laugh. My daughter also loved joining in the bingo most nights.

The location of the hotel i thought was lovely. It was about a 15 min walk from the beach, but what a great walk. It was situated in the spanish suburb side of Salou and most of the locals were fantastic. Getting to beach was easy turn left at the hotel and then straight down a street lined with Palm trees and with some great shops. We walked everytime we went to the beach...needed to walk off all the great food somehow. I also got all of my hotel soveniers and gifts from along this same street.

Porta Ventura definately worth a vist. We had a 3 day pass and explored half the park on 1st day and half on the second then on the third we went back to our favourite parts and then watched a fantastic laser and firwork display at midnight. Aquopolis waterpark was also great and we took a boat trip to cambrills where my daughter had her hair braided whilst sat on the beach.

All i can say is that if you want to find fault, wherever you stay you will find it. Your holiday is what you make it and why ruin it by complaining about the most tiny of things. I was lucky to have an appartment but i would have been happy with a shoebox as long as it was clean, afterall who goes on holiday to stay in there room all the time, its just a base to work from. Some of the other guests at the hotel were unpleasant ( for want of a better word) to say the least but thats not the hotels fault thats just the luck of the draw. They did there very best to deal with unruly guests.

Please don't be put off by what u may read about the hotel try it for yourself it might not be to everyones taste but hey join in and make the best of it that you can.

To the whingers....get a life, your not paying for 5* so except 3* thats as good as your willing to make it.

Am going back next year.

The food was very good well prepared & presented.

The Hotel itself was terrible, dirty, & in need of full refurbishment. How anyone can enjoy a holiday at this hotel is beyond me. I stayed overnight & moved the following day to a proper hotel.

The location is OK, not too far from the sea front, a nice stroll & there are surrounding shops.

The photo's I took will bear out my observations. As I said 1 night was enough for me & my wife.

I thought the Villamarina was excellent and would definitely visit again. After reading reviews on the net before my holiday I was very worried about what awaited me on my arrival but I needn't have worried about a thing.

From the outside it doesn

Cannot understand the negative reports on this hotel, yes the rooms are small, but you don't go away to spend all week in your room.

Food we thought was great loads of choice, and the kids who are normally fussy, loved it.

Entertainment, yes it was a bit like Butlins, but after a few drinks who cares, and at the end of the day if the kids are enjoying it, you can relax.

I would thoroughly recommend this hotel, for a family holiday, adult singles maybe not.

My family had a great holiday hotel clean, rooms a bit small but clean. Food was very good, well cooked, was never hungry and with fussy teens not complaining must be good.

Hotel staff very helpful when we had to take my son to hospital for stitches, hospital only 5 min walk.

Beach 15 min walk a nice walk with shops on the way.

Entertainment was good and staff very friendly, bar staff were alway rushed off there feet but always smiling and never rude.

Would take time to talk to you, I will be going back to this hotel again and would and have recommended it to others.

I would like to say it is very family friendly not for people that don't want to be around children of all ages.

Thanks to all staff for wonderful holiday.

Your first point of contact with a hotel is usually the receptionists. Ouch! Not the friendliest woman on the planet. The Catalonians have this way of looking at you that is not welcoming.
Then off to the room. I think we had a good one which had sun all day, small, basic, clean enough. But you get what you pay for! The beds were made every day, bathroom cleaned well every day. Room not cleaned at all well though, there was a clump of dust and hair behind the door which I left and checked every day if it was still there - as far as I know it is still there! Balcony is just large enough to hang a couple of towels out which is a shame because I like to sit on the balcony and finish the evening off with a quiet drink...oh well.
And then off to the bar for a well earned drink. The lads behind the bar must be the hardest workers in Salou, they try to entertain also but have only basic English. Definately friendlier than the receptionist though. The staple of most bars is probably beer and vodka, and while the beer (lager) was pretty good, the vodka was the cheap gutrot stuff, and we couldn't even get a better brand by paying extra as they didn't have any others. Soft drinks flowed like water so no problems there. Tip those guys, they deserve it, as even on the busiest night they kept the queue moving quickly.
Entertainment: I've never been to Butlins so can't commment, but I imagine that this is the sort of entertainment that they have there. It is hit-and-miss you either like whats on, or you dont. It's as simple as that. Early in the evening the place is packed, but once the evening Bingo is played most of the senior lady guests leave and free up seats. And a special mention to parents who sit and get tanked up while their kids run around screwing up every one elses night! When the girls ask that children be kept under control while the fireeater does his show, why did she have to keep asking your kids to stay away from the stage? Some people...
Food: Fairly spread out meal times so you could really go and eat when you liked. Breakfast, basic fayre. Same every day, tries to simulate what you have at home but really doesn't come close. Ended up having boiled eggs and toast for last few days. Lunch, actually, some days the selection for lunch was better than what they had on at night. Many different dishes, you could usually get something you liked. Dinner/evening meal, same comments as with lunch, but sometimes large jooints of meat were carved down at the far end of the restaurant which you would only notice once your plate was filled already. A large board with that days dishes posted at the entrance to the restaurant would be a great help. Snack bar, help yourself to burgers, hotdogs, pizza or chips. Not the best of grub, but edible.
Location: There is a free bus to run you to the beach and back, but be aware that it is a fifteen minute walk. But then again, you arent paying for beachfront are you? The walk is a pleasant one with bars and small shops all the way to the Marina, especially in the evening. Once you get down to the Marina, facing the sea, turning right gets quieter and quieter if you like a walk. Turning left takes you along the main drag BK McDonalds...shops bars etc
I wouldn't return to Villa Marina because I doubt I would return to any hotel...the world is too small... but if you paid me a weeks holiday there, then yes I would go back.

Best hotel we have been to:food exellent good choice our room was cleaned & towels changed every day.

The tv has itv & bbc1 so you wont miss your favourite soaps manager & staff friendly entertainment was average 15min walk to beach no hills to walk when we were leaving they started refurbishing the rooms we had a great holiday and could not fault this hotel.

When we first got there they put us all in an apartment which is 5 mins down the road.Dont get me wrong they were really nice big apartments but not suitable for sharing with your in laws.

There was 6 of us and only 4 beds for a start so we complained and got 2 choose from 2 rooms in the morning and they were the best I thought in the hotel.

The hotel was clean needed some attention to the rooms but are in the progress of renewing them. we saw one room nearly finished when we were there and it was really nice. Very modern and bright. We had a ground floor room that had a huge terrace which was great cause we had 2 kids.My in laws had a room next door and was great for when the kids had a sleep we would have a drink outside.

The food was really good.Could not complain at all.There was something for everyone even the kids had a good choice.It was always hot and there was enough for everyone.

It was a good 15min walk to the shops but when the weathers like that you dont mind.Theres a supermarket just 5mins down the road.

Hotel staff very friendly and helpful.The entertainment team were good something for everyone.Yes i would definitly go back to this hotel and would strongly recommend it to anyone and dont read too much into what these people say that didn't like it because I dont think they were at the same hotel or they are so hard to please and pick fault at everything.I know you cant please everyone and everyones experience will be different.

We did have a group of people who just got drunk from the moment they woke up till they went to bed. 2 of them got removed from the hotel but they didnt cause too much of a disturbence to us but to others they did.

Great Holiday apartments clean plenty of room food greatplenty of choice apartment pool great never overcrowded sunbeds would be an advantage entertainment ok alittle late for young kids ie parrot show on at 11 pm.A little way from the beach but worth the walk.
Would go again when kids older