Barcelo Punta Umbria Beach Resort

I have not long returned back from an 11 nights stay here and I have a very mixed opinion on this hotel. I will start with the negatives, this hotel is not catered for English customers what so ever to the point where as a family we began to feel very unwelcome here by hotel staff but also guest. The day we arrived we had been travelling since 2am the reception was very busy and had to wait ages to finally be seen when we did get to the desk the lady didn’t speak English so had to wait for her to find someone who did. We had 2 rooms and were told that only one was read and to come back at 3pm for the second (this was around 1pm). Me and my mom went and sat in the bar and got a drink while we waited. When going back at 3 we were told again it wasn’t ready. We sat waiting till around 4 when again said it wasn’t ready. After complaining a 3rd time they realised the key had be sat on the side the entire time so as you can imagine this was not a great start. As the holiday progressed it became very clear to us that the hotel was mainly for Spanish customers, every part of the entertainment was done only in Spanish luckily we weren’t travelling with young children if you are I really do not reccomend coming here as they will be very bored. The hotel does put on lots of entertainment but as it’s only done in Spanish we are not able to get involved. One of the days we tried to get involved with the bingo we were told to listen for the numbers in English but they just forgot to say them in English so we gave up. Some of the staff in the bars also made us feel very unwelcome it was difficult to even order a basic drink it felt like they just didn’t want to talk to us. One member of the bar staff told me he didn’t speak English but later that day I heard him speaking fluent English to two girls who I believe weren’t English. In saying this there was a man working on the pool bar who spoke very good English and was very friendly and helpful. While this isn’t something the hotel can manage but something worth pointing out the guest at this hotel are point blank very rude. They make it very clear they do not want the English there. From pushing in front of us in the restaurants to giving us dirty looks and staring , it got to a point where we felt very uncomfortable. We did take our concerns to the hotels guest manager a young lady and a man ( I can’t remember there names) who are the two nicest people in the hotel, they took note to our issues and really showed an understanding and to apologise they did send us some cakes / treats to our room which was a very nice gesture. I’d like to give a big thank you to them for listening to us and understanding our issues. They did say they are going to do there best to be more inclusive for English customers in the upcoming season. Now for the positives as it’s not all bad. The hotel itself is beautiful the grounds and pools are stunning with lots of sunbeds to pick from , always kept clean and tidy as well. There are 4 restaurants and you are put on a rotation of these each one offering something different which was nice as it never felt repetitive, you can also change your resturant any nights if you wish to. The food was very very good some of the best food I’ve had at an all inclusive. The rooms were also loverly and comfortable. I udnerand that being in Spain it’s not the staffs fault for not talking in English but at the end of the day this hotel is offered to English people therefore it would be nice if we were included and made to feel welcome. Oversell I won’t be returning to this hotel and if im honest due to the rudeness and hostile reception from staff and guests it’s put me off coming back to Spain. I really do hope things change here but I do think it should just be taken off English travel sites all together.

The hotel has some very positive aspects, but unfortunately one issue significantly impacted our stay. Let's start with the good things: the pool area is great, the evening shows are genuinely high quality and very enjoyable, and the food in the themed restaurants was excellent. These were definitely the highlights of our stay. However, the biggest problem was the reception staff's level of English communication. If you don't speak Spanish, be very careful and double-check everything you are told. During our stay, I parked my car directly in front of the hotel. Since I didn't have coins, I paid for parking through an app. To make sure I had selected the correct parking zone, I went to reception, explained where the car was parked, and showed the app to the receptionist. She looked at it and confirmed that everything was correct. Three days later, I received two parking fines because I had paid for the wrong zone. Apparently, the parking area was a different color zone, and I should have selected another tariff. What was particularly frustrating is that I specifically asked reception for help to avoid exactly this situation. I understand that parking regulations are ultimately the driver's responsibility. However, if a staff member cannot clearly explain something in English or is not sure about the answer they should ask a colleague for assistance rather than simply telling guests that everything is fine. Had someone explained that I needed to check the color of the lines painted on the ground, this would have been avoided entirely. So my advice to future guests: don't just double-check information provided by reception in English - triple-check it. A real shame, because apart from this experience, the hotel itself is quite pleasant, with good facilities, good food, and excellent entertainment. Had it not been for this issue, my rating would have been higher.

We have been spending our vacations there for 17 years. We come back loaded with memories. As my children say, our beach house.