Poseidón La Manga Hotel & Spa

“Relaxing and chilled (plus vegan advice)”

Tip: A quick note on transfers from Alicante. We opted out of the private transfer as it was so expensive. Instead, we took the coach from the airport to Murcia, and another from Murcia bus station to the hotel. It cost us under €30 each way for two of us - so worth exploring as an alternative to t… more

Tip: A quick note on transfers from Alicante. We opted out of the private transfer as it was so expensive. Instead, we took the coach from the airport to Murcia, and another from Murcia bus station to the hotel. It cost us under €30 each way for two of us - so worth exploring as an alternative to the nearly £300 if booking the private transfer. The Hotel: The staff were absolutely lovely - all of them. From the cleaners, reception, bar and spa staff, to the kitchen and serving team. They all worked their socks off, and were just so lovely and very helpful. Shout out to Melanie, who led the entertainments and classes - we had a good laugh! Don't ask her about pronouncing the word 'water' in a British accent (or do, it's very funny). The hotel was clean and comfortable. The beds are firm and the pillows quite soft. The pools and spa area, very clean also. I was a bit disappointed that the Buddha lights and bar at the chill out area weren't on during the evening - but that's a minor detail. The evening entertainment won't be to everyone's taste - catering more to the 'older' visitors, with lots of couples having a little shuffle on the dance floor. (But plenty of opportunities for anyone to have a good dance). But if you get into the spirit of things, it's really quite sweet. Plus, plenty to drink, so... Tip: Learn some basic Spanish phrases - a handful of the staff speak English, (very well by the way) but many don't (and the majority of the people staying at the hotel were Spanish too), so it's nice to have some of the 'usuals' in your arsenal. The staff are very patient, and will be happy for you to use Google translate if your request is more complicated. They might even do the same. The spa was like a giant hot tub on steroids - amazing. Different style water showers, bubbles, jets, sauna, steam room, hammam, pebble walk, foot washes and a range of herbal teas. You can book the spa every day for an hour with the all-inclusive (otherwise, you have to pay), but take a swimming cap if you have one, otherwise you will have to buy one at the spa for around €3. There is also a range of treatments available, from mani-pedi to facials, massages and mud - ranging in times and price. La Manga: Just beautiful. Quiet, and not a huge amount to do - but the views!!! It's all about the sunshine and the views. The buses are easy to hop on, so you can go the whole length of the La Manga if you want to. If you get a chance, walk from Dos Mares Beach through the Mal Menor to Isla Del Ciervo. The water is warm, and only thigh-high. But have something on your feet (water socks or crocs, ideally). Don't mind the 'fried egg' jellyfish too much. They are apparently harmless and won't give so much as an itch - according to Google. In any case, the water is still and clear enough for you to dodge the odd few that are bobbing about. Food - I've seen a few reviews saying the food was bad. I don't really understand this, unless people are expecting the highest of fine dining (why would you?) The food was absolutely lovely. The range of options for omnivores was spot on if you ask me - soups and stews, freshly prepared meat and fish dishes, a range of cheeses, breads, olives, salads, veg, paella (sometimes), pizza on occasion, chips, kebabs, pastas, fruit and sweet treats. One evening they even had a chocolate fountain with a range of goodies to cover in runny chocolate. I don't really see any need for people to complain - but people always find a way. And if you're all-inclusive, there is also a range of sweet pastries at the bar, baguettes, toasties and olives throughout the day. Crisps and nuts on an evening. It was slightly different for us, being vegan. So here's how we found our way round the food. Advice for vegans: In short, you'll eat quite well, but there will be a lack of protein, and your meals will be very repetitive. There is always a range of milks to choose from (labelled in Spanish), including dairy, almond, oat and soy. So at breakfast, cereal is always an option. Otherwise, it's bread, spread and baked beans (jams too) - sometimes some mushrooms but not always. Veggies will have pancakes, churros, egg and cheese options too, and grilled tomatoes, which also have cheese. Plus, there's always fruit. Lunch: again - more options for anyone eating dairy and fish (and of course, meat) but fewer options for vegans. On occasion, there was a veggie paella (vegan) which was lovely, and on some days, the vegetable options were beautiful (roasted aubergine, artichoke, whole peppers, courgette - they were almost caramelised). Other days were more basic: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower. Bread, olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pickles and salad were always available, as were chips - however, the chips were sometimes served on the same tray (and using the same tongs) as a meat option. BUT - the staff were absolutely lovely - and would bring us separate chips from the kitchen when we asked. They also made sure our wine was vegan (and our beer when we did the beer tasting competition with Melanie). For something sweet, for vegans - it's pretty much just fruit. But I have no complaints about that! Dinner: very similar to lunch in terms of options available to vegans. So, expect repetition. We opted to eat out a couple of evenings. If you do a little bit of online searching, there are vegan yummies to be found. But I highly recommend Da Sebas Urban Food. Not a huge vegan menu, but the chips were to die for, and the pizza was also lovely (one evening we went for the vegan chicken, and the other, the vegan 'mince/meat' pizza with vegan cheese, rocket and cherry tomatoes). Protein is where you're going to struggle. So we did top up at the local spa, bought some Alpro chocolate protein drink, quinoa pots and chickpeas - just in case we needed a top up. Overall - don't be scared to go all inclusive if you're vegan - it's still worth it if you're avoiding the hassle of self-catering options or finding places to eat out every meal.

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