COLONIAL MAR

as a family of 8 (4 adults & 4 children) we had 3 rooms on level 4 not facing pool, rooms are ok, not really any complaints although air con in one room not as good as other 2 rooms. as per a lot of previous comments the pool areas are ideal for all ages of children, our 4 really enjoyed them, The big disadvantage to the holiday was that if you were Spainish you were treated much much differently which was very noticable to several english families we spoke to. Food was very average and not even warm a lot of the time. Sunbeds , yes you do have to get down early to get where you want a bed , we went down a couple of mornings at 7.45am and the ideal places by the slides etc to keep your eye on your children were taken again mainly by the spainish. The 10 euro charge for the wristbands is extreme ? never had that before and we holiday several times a year, This Alegria hotel seem money orientated to get you to pay extra for things normally included, noticable that not many have the hotel pool towels but considering that not only do they charge a deposit which most hotels do, they then expect you to pay 1 euro each time you want to change the pool towel for a clean one ?? regarding the childrens entertainment which is all in spainish with the occasional word of english i did mention to one of the team and was told 'they do their best but it isnt a requirment to speak english' Would i reccomend this hotel , in a word no.

I’m sitting pool-side writing this on the final day of our week-long stay. Before arriving at the ALEGRIA Colonial Mar, I was a bit skeptical after reading a few iffy reviews and realising the sheer size of the place. However, do not listen to the bad reviews—they were clearly written by professional fault-finders. If you have a young family, this hotel is a dream! Between the pool facilities, the food and drink options, the lovely staff, and the great mix of guests, it hits all the right notes. We stayed with a 6-month-old, a 5-year-old, and an 11-year-old, and every single one of them had a blast (which is practically a miracle). Cleanliness The entire hotel is exceptionally clean. The staff work tirelessly to keep the place spotless—from early-morning jet washes and late-night rubbish runs to emptying the bins constantly throughout the day. Rooms are cleaned every other day, and you get fresh towels daily if you leave the old ones on the floor by the front door. The Pool By far the best part of the hotel is the pool setup. Our 11-year-old and 5-year-old vanished almost immediately, testing out all the slides and making new friends. There’s a smaller splash area for little ones, plus a bigger slide and pool section for older kids. If you can snag a sunbed between the two, you’ve hit the vantage-point jackpot—you can relax while keeping a watchful eye on the chaos. The main pool depth was brilliant for our 5-year-old, who is just learning to swim, as she could stand up in most of it. As for the dreaded sunbed rush: there isn’t one. My wife and I set a 7:30 AM alarm, sent a designated runner down to claim a good spot, and then took turns slipping back to bed for a sneaky extra bit of sleep. But there was never a fight for a subbed, we always got one where we wanted. Food & Drink (No Sad Buffets Here!) For an all-inclusive, the food and drink were a fantastic surprise. Breakfast catered to everyone, offering full English options alongside a continental spread. The kids were obsessed with the fresh melon, live pancake station, and copious amounts of Nutella. For lunch, we mostly frequented the food truck near the pool bar for burgers, toasted sandwiches, chips, and—my personal recommendation—the chocolate donuts all made fresh to order. You can also eat in the main restaurant, which has a massive selection. Dinner offered typical Spanish/Mediterranean buffet fare, but it was well-cooked, rotated daily, and guaranteed to feed even fussy eaters. A HUGE plus is the ice cream, all branded and a great selection. The drinks package was equally impressive: brand-name Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta, with cold Mahou on tap for beer drinkers. Wine was served properly cooled straight from the bottle, and they offered great mocktails, cocktails (Blue Lagoon, Tequila Sunrise, and the house ALEGRIA Punch), plus milkshakes and soft drinks for the kids. A big plus and not something I’ve experienced before is bottled water being part of the all inclusive offer, even larger bottles. Local Rhythms & Evening Fun Top tip: the pool area empties out around 2:00 PM when the Spanish guests head in for lunch and a siesta. Do as the locals do! Head inside for a cool break, come back out around 5:00 PM when the heat dips, and stay until the pool closes at 8:00 PM. Evening entertainment kicks off after dinner with a mini-disco at 9:30 PM, followed by main acts (magicians, singers, etc.) around 10:30 PM. While most of the daytime and evening hosting is in Spanish, it didn't stop our kids from joining in at all. Another massive win: there’s a mini football pitch right behind the pool bar. Our 11-year-old played in his own high-stakes "World Cup Final" every single night while we watched from the bar seating with a drink in hand. Finally, do not skip the beach just behind the hotel. The water is crystal-clear with plenty of water sports, and it comes alive in the evening with local families enjoying the promenade. There are also two lovely beach bars just a 5 to 10-minute stroll away. Summary This was an amazing family holiday, made effortless by the brilliant staff and facilities. With short flight times and quick transfers, it's a hassle-free win for anyone traveling with kids. We’ll definitely be back!

Friendly and attentive staff. Facilities are very small for the number of people staying. The nightly shows are very poor and on top of that in an enclosed area without air conditioning, with a capacity for a third of the hotel's total capacity. The buffet is very limited and with very basic things, such as frozen products and low-quality fish and a lot of food recycling, little variation and all this in a dining room where all the tables are practically shoehorned in and with non-existent climate control. Eating while dripping sweat is too overwhelming and seeing how the service staff in long work clothes are completely soaked in sweat... The pools are very small for the number of people staying. The best part is the direct access to the beach. As a personal experience, on the third day of my stay, I went down to the front desk because I couldn't take the situation anymore; I told them very politely that my mattress made a lot of noise when I moved and that it was very uncomfortable to rest with that noise. The response was, "how strange, the mattresses are new"...without even sending maintenance staff to check it. Well, I was stuck with the noise for my entire stay. Of course we will not return.