Playacálida Soul Collection By Senator

“A little piece of heaven 😊”

This is the first time we have gone on holiday and actually felt refreshed coming home. This is a beautiful part of Spain unspoilt by tourism. The hotel looks exactly like it does in the photos. The infinity pool has to be seen to be appreciated. The photos I tried to take did not do it any justice… more

This is the first time we have gone on holiday and actually felt refreshed coming home. This is a beautiful part of Spain unspoilt by tourism. The hotel looks exactly like it does in the photos. The infinity pool has to be seen to be appreciated. The photos I tried to take did not do it any justice. There was never any issue getting a sunbed around the pool. There were no towels put down early to hold beds, and even if there was, there were still plenty of beds to go around. There is a shack bar by the pool that serves a variety of drinks. A beer was only €2.50. We went half board and with a beer at this price and a glass of wine the same cost you couldn't go wrong. There is a lovely coffee shop facing reception, and it is under €2 for a coffee. The guests are mainly Spanish, as are the staff, which added to our experience as it felt more authentic. The staff are so lovely, and there was no issue with the language barrier. We chose this hotel because we wanted a relaxing break due to ill health and we couldn't have picked anywhere better. We used the spa facilities, and we were blew away by what was on offer and even happier at the cost. €25 for use of all spa facilities for 90 minutes. Food on offer for breakfast and dinner offered a lot of variety and allowed us to taste things we wouldn't normally order. We especially enjoyed having breakfast outside with some processco and fresh orange juice, which was included with the food. We were offered a superior room with a Seaview for €20 a night, and it was worth every penny. The bathroom was spacious, and the beds were big and very comfy. We loved the big fan above the bed it kept the room nice and cool. We had robes and slippers, which were great for sitting out on the balcony at night with a glass of wine looking out at the sea. The room was cleaned every day to a very high standard, as was the rest of the hotel. I seriously cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. I had actually considered not leaving a review because I wanted to keep it for myself. Well done, Playacladia. we will definitely be back next year.

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“Not bad but….”

The rooms: Functional, clean, great views. There’s a fridge to use, huge shower and separate bath. (There is no smoking in the rooms or on the balconies) There is no coffee or tea facility which for a 4star hotel is disappointing, especially as there is no other way to get one until the breakfas… more

The rooms: Functional, clean, great views. There’s a fridge to use, huge shower and separate bath. (There is no smoking in the rooms or on the balconies) There is no coffee or tea facility which for a 4star hotel is disappointing, especially as there is no other way to get one until the breakfast serving begins.. so if you’re an early riser you’re out of luck. The pools: As good as they look in the pictures, The slides are in a separate pool. There is a pool side bar, a hot tub and plenty of sunbeds. Mini golf: Passes the time… clubs and balls available from reception. WiFi: Free and decent signal Parking: there is an underground car park but isn’t free… Free parking is available on the street but there’s competition for spaces… however we did manage to find a spot each day we stayed Restaurants: only the simbad was open when we stayed (October half term) this is a buffet restaurant and if you are bed and breakfast is €25 euro per adult (not including drinks or water) which to be honest I think is a little excessive if you’re a normal person who eats within reason. The food itself was what you’d expect, it was nothing spectacular but decent enough. Having said that, our intention was to eat out and try different places which we did most days. Breakfast: Served in the simbad and is typical of most hotels I have stayed in Spain. There is a fresh omelette station which was nice enough (however for any vegetarian I would say the concept of cross contamination doesn’t seem to be a thing so meat goes in all the pans) Bar food: The bar does a proper cafe con lecce and the bar food was reasonable The staff: Honestly, did not have a problem with any of the staff, they were all polite, helpful and all spoke English, I don’t know who other reviewers met but all my interactions were 10 out of 10. Overall I would say the hotel and staff are nice enough, it’s a little out of the way so I would recommend a hire car unless you’re a fan of walking as the nearest shop is around 20 mins walk (and it’s very undulated)

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“It has potential, but falls short.”

In short - the hotel has great facilities, but isn't easy to get to. The hotel makes no effort to assist visitors who arrive via the airport, other than offering to call a taxi (which may or may not be available). This means most of the visitors are Spanish (which suited us, as we wanted to avoid t… more

In short - the hotel has great facilities, but isn't easy to get to. The hotel makes no effort to assist visitors who arrive via the airport, other than offering to call a taxi (which may or may not be available). This means most of the visitors are Spanish (which suited us, as we wanted to avoid the ex-pat parts of Spain, although as we found out, anti-social behaviour isn't an English monopoly). Will we be back? Probably not. The Good: Although there was only one hotel restaurant open (being at the end of season), the buffet range was excellent for every meal (the selection gets even better at the weekend when the hotel is at its busiest). There is always chefs cooking fresh omlettes / steaks/ fish/ crepes, depending on which meal time. American food like burgers and pizza are available at the bar, not the restaurant, and are a disappointment. The restaurant does occasionally make modest attempt at British staples like mashed potato and baked beans, but always had the consistency of soup and looked inedible. We went as a large family group. The kids all had a great time, the kids club has its own playground and the staff are amazing. The scenery of the mountains and coast is stunning, particularly from the rear of the hotel where the infinity pool is. Even the standard rooms have good views. The Bad: Not easy to get to, poor public transport links. The hotel doesn't even recommend a company for hotel transfers. Taxis are around £100 each way to Malaga. The nearest shop is 20 min walk away and is open sporadically. The immediate environs is very steep paths and roads and not suitable for people with mobility issues. Information is sparse. There was no welcome pack or information at the front desk or in the rooms. We had no idea of the facilities, the layout, what was or wasn't available due to the time of year. The bulletin board posts activities but doesn't explain where anything is. We found out about most things too late. This involved visiting the front desk far more than should have been necessary. The staff were amazing, and most are multilingual and very patient. When it comes to maintenance, as soon as issues were highlighted (which happened three times while we were there) the maintenance turned up immediately to help. However, there seems to be an organisational dysfunction in other ways. Our room (a double / family room) only had ONE blanket between the four of us. Being October, the weather wasn't always perfect, and having to huddle together under one blanket didn't give the best night's sleep. We visited the reception REPEATEDLY pointing at pictures of blankets but were never given any extra. Being the end of the season, the pools had clean water but had slime at the bottom. Despite the excellent food, dinner service is not relaxing. I understand the intensity the chefs have to work at, but the same urgency should not be visible front-of-house by the waiting staff. My first visit to dinner was when I found out that, if having paid for dinner by half-board, this doesn't include table water. The waiter shouted impatiently at me, demanding how I was going to pay. It was another four dinner services before another waiter spoke to us and I only found out there was a drinks menu after specifically requesting one. Staff dash about front-of-house, and I witnessed a few near misses with small children and hot pans. Drinks get slammed on the table and plates get removed while we're still eating off them. The focus seems to be on getting your place ready for the next customer rather than you enjoying your meal. And then there's the drunk people. Most of the people who stay at the hotel are pleasant and friendly but it's always the minority that spoils it for everyone else. At one dinner service, there was a man so drunk, he was arguing with himself and staring aggressively at other diners. Waiting staff still brought him two whole bottles of wine, which they eventually took away after he tried to stand up and smashed his face and knees falling on the floor. I thought it was irresponsible of them, and was a shock considering venues in the UK can lose their alcohol license for that. Halloween was busy, but I twice saw drunken parents beating their children for the slightest issue. One must have been only two years old, and tripped near a broken plant pot. The other was about 6 years old and was so severe we almost had to step in. I don't know if this is part of Spanish culture but it's an ugly side of an otherwise beautiful country.

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