5 Star Costa Blanca Holidays

eleni damianou

A hidden gem, within a gated community, a short drive from Cartagena. Spacious and luxurious rooms, great food, an impecably clean spa and the most serene indoor pool I have ever been to. And all these at a very affordable price! Excellent for a single traveller, a romantic getaway, a family or a group of friends.

carl stanton

Good quality beds. Bath would be good if it hadn't been fitted the wrong way round! Either had to sit on the plug or bang your head on the taps sticking out the wall if you sat in the correct way! Wonder if all the rooms are the same? Drain in the shower absolutely stunk of sewerage ( typical of most of Spanish and French plumbing to be fair, but this was quite bad at times) Breakfast was a good standard with a great deal of choice. Indoor pool 'supposed ' to be heated. Fitness room a bit pathetic with very limited facilities, broken machine's etc. Public areas, corridors etc need updating, peeling wallpaper etc. Main issue is the design of the tiled flooring in the rooms. They are absolutely filthy! Large sunken grouting gaps between the tiles are full of black dirt that has been building up over years! Definitely NOT a place to walk about bare foot. 3 star standard hotel at the moment.

Nev Taylor

Just returned from a 4 day break at Ona Mar Menor - our first time staying at the main hotel after 12 years of using the Residences. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the 5 star rating is not really accurate but I have to say that whilst we were staying (17th-20th September) there was no construction or any sort of inconvenience. Sure the place looks old and is in need of a thorough renovation (which I believe is already underway) but the twin room we had was perfectly acceptable. It had functional air conditioning and the beds were firm mattressed with good pillows. Our room was on the 4th floor with a balcony and it was a cracking view across the pool area to the golf course. The Pool itself was pretty deserted and is the hotel's best feature we thought. Clean, not overly chlorinated and with decent depth, it was lovely to swim and lounge around. Food wise in the hotel we only had breakfasts which were in the normal terrace room not the basement conference room. It was basic food - no argument there - but it was fresh prepared and had sufficient variety. The Clover bar is a stereotypical fake Irish bar (there is one at the centre of every golf resort in Murcia!) but it was lively enough with plenty of screens showing sport and plentiful seating outside. We ate there the first evening and it was simple food but cooked fresh and not stupidly expensive. Check in and out was speedy and efficient, no complaints there and housekeeping didn't miss anything that we noticed. In summation I would say this is a three star establishment that is perfectly OK for golfers to base themselves in whilst exploring the golf courses in the area (of which there are lots). We came away both agreeing that we would stay in the Hotel again next year.

Google User

Laughably bad. Aside from the nice building, this place is at best a two star and has all the markings of a property bought by investors intent on extracting every euro they can. Five star resorts do NOT: start their renovation and construction works in June, continue to charge full price and fail to disclose said works, block the entrance to the hotel with construction trucks, and close two of the restaurants on site, all with no notice and full price. They stuck us in one of the worst rooms in the complex. Look online, you’ll see zero photos of small rooms with no outdoor space, and yet they found one for us, on the first floor, just above a noisy bar. No possibility to change the room of course. Just shut up and pay. The pillows are flat, room amenities are non-existent, our window had a big crack in it, and the soft close on the door was broken. In all, it’s just pretty terrible. Update: we were assured there wouldn’t be any renovation work on Saturday or Sunday. Sitting by the pool at 12:30 on Saturday listening to the construction. It’s happening one floor below our room. The room we were also assured was the farthest away from any construction noise . The crappy room with no terrace. You just can’t make this stuff up🙄

David Matthews

Paid for the breakfast buffet at 19 euros per person! Nothing very exciting and seemed a lot of money for a scaled back breakfast served in a smelly conference room. We encountered a problem with the room manager after paying. On taking our breakfast out on to the terrace as we had dogs. He made it very clear he was not happy and spoiled our experience. Maybe we will return when the proper restaurant opens.

Alina Dunaeva

I would like to express my dissatisfaction with the service I received over the phone. I called to ask whether it is possible to visit the spa without staying overnight. I was told that it is. I then asked about the conditions and the price, and the first thing I was told was, “All the information is on the website.” However, this information is not on the website—I had already checked—and I asked to be given the answer over the phone. I was told that the employee would need to find the information and would call me back. Everything about this situation was handled incorrectly. First of all, it is not appropriate to send a client to the website when they are calling you directly; it comes across as very rude. Secondly, how can an employee not know the price of this service? This is a person responsible for the spa. Fifteen minutes passed and I did not receive a call back, so I called again. I was connected to another woman. It turned out that there are two websites: one belonging to the hotel and another specifically for the spa. Do you think the employee told me about this herself? No. I figured it out on my own and asked whether there might be two different websites. Indeed, all the information was available on their site. Nevertheless, since I was already on the phone, I wanted to receive answers to all my questions right then and there, rather than being redirected to the website. The employee did answer my questions, but it was clearly done without any real willingness to help. She spoke very quickly, so I could not keep up with taking notes, even though I told her that I was writing everything down. Moreover, it was obvious from my accent that I am a foreigner, yet I was making an effort to speak Spanish correctly. I was calling for the first time, and all this information was new to me. It should have been explained more slowly so that I could understand and note it properly, and certainly in a more friendly manner. You know this information by heart, but as a new client I was hearing it for the first time. This was very unpleasant. It immediately creates the impression that the staff do not enjoy their work and are not motivated to provide quality service. An establishment located in such a prestigious place, clearly serving high-income clients, cannot afford such a superficial attitude. I am very surprised. We have not yet visited the spa itself, but we will certainly come, as we are now very curious to see what it is like inside and how the staff behave in person. I sincerely hope that management will notice this review, comment on it, and take appropriate measures.

Peters Carolina

This Hotel exceeds all our expectations with regard to ALL services from rooms to restaurants to events to staff. A wonderful atmosphere, happy & pleasant staff in all areas We stayed for Christmas & New Year All events were extremely well organised and excellently put together from food to music. Comparing this hotel from other 5 star hotels in Spain including Barcelona, this SH Villa Gadea, Altea Alicante would deserve at least 6 stars. Excellent value for the money. We totally recommend you stay.

jaime garcia

I had a great time at this hotel with my daughters. The food was of a very good quality with a great variety. The pool area is very good. The staff were amazing, especially Vicenzo who took very good care of us in the dining area. We will definitely return and highly recommend this place.

Mathew Pepper

I havent been out of the states in years. Checking into this luxurious hotel was more than I could have imagined. From cleanliness, accommodating and beauty I was won over. I was disappointed to hear the bride to be requested a photo shoot in an unoccupied room and was given a quote on what it would cost. Considering 41 people were staying there because of her wedding it seemed ridiculous. However this was a wonderfull hotel choice and My Girlfriend and I will put this hotel choice in our travel list for places to stay.

Isaac Whalley

Amazing Hotel, lovely staff, great room. Pool area including indoor and outdoor are lovely. Gym was great and spa looks nice although we did not use.

Alina Maria Petrovici

Dear Meliá Villaitana Management Team, I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding the experience my family and I had during our recent stay at your hotel. I made my reservation through Booking.com in advance, expecting a smooth and welcoming arrival. Unfortunately, upon reaching the reception, I was informed that the hotel had no record of our booking. What followed was an extremely uncomfortable situation: I remained standing at the reception desk for approximately 40 minutes with my young son, while the receptionist attempted to contact Booking.com. After finally reaching a Booking.com call center agent, I was asked to wait an additional 15–20 minutes for a confirmation email. Although I received the confirmation promptly, the hotel informed me that the email had been sent to a reservations address that the reception staff could not access. The situation remained unresolved until I requested that a manager be involved. The manager did not come personally, but apparently advised reception by phone that the confirmation had been received at the hotel’s reservations email. We were finally given our room approximately 45 minutes later. By this point, the experience had already been very stressful and exhausting. Unfortunately, the difficulties did not end there. The room was prepared with two twin beds, despite our stay including our son. No one asked whether we needed the sofa bed to be prepared for him. Additionally, there were towels only for two guests. I had to call reception to request additional towels, as none were proactively provided. At check-out, another receptionist acknowledged the issue and apologized on behalf of the hotel. While I appreciated the apology, it came after no real attempt had been made during our stay to recover the service or compensate for the inconvenience and distress caused. In the spirit of hospitality — where the guest experience is central — I believe the handling of this situation fell significantly below the standards expected from a hotel of Meliá Villaitana’s reputation. The prolonged waiting time, lack of proactive communication, absence of managerial presence during a service failure, and the lack of basic room preparation for the number of guests demonstrate a clear breakdown in guest care. Traveling with a child should not involve standing at reception for nearly one hour due to internal communication issues between the hotel and a booking platform. Nor should guests need to repeatedly request basic room amenities. I trust that you will take this feedback seriously, review your reservation procedures and guest recovery protocols, and consider appropriate compensation for the inconvenience and discomfort caused. I look forward to your response.

J. DV

We have been spending our Easter holidays at Meliá Villana Barcelona the Level for several years in a row, and we always come back with great pleasure. The service is consistently very good, and the staff always make us feel welcome. One of the main reasons we keep returning is the heated swimming pool. It is truly warm, even in April, which makes a big difference and allows us to fully enjoy our stay. We only take breakfast (not the buffet for other meals), and it is quite good overall. Nothing exceptional, but definitely enjoyable. This time, we initially stayed in a Grand Suite, and we do feel that these rooms are starting to show their age. The air conditioning was not working properly, and the bathroom, especially the bathtub, felt outdated and not in great condition. However, after mentioning this to the reception, they handled it very well. We only stayed one night in that room, and for the rest of our stay we were given a beautiful room, number 514. This room was much more modern, nicely decorated, and very close to the pool. It was a huge improvement and made our stay much more enjoyable. We truly appreciate how the situation was resolved, and we will definitely be back again. Hopefully next time in a room like 514 again! You can count on seeing us every year … see you next year!

Gary Dougan

Beautiful hotel over expansive grounds. There in February on a work conference so not really for pleasure, however the food quality was excellent, attentive and friendly staff and views over Benidorm to the sea were lovely. Great room size with a lounge and verandah. Would like to come back when its warmer.

Edin Salaka

This hotel is advertised as a 5-star hotel, but in reality it feels more like a 3-star property. The only thing that truly feels 5 stars is the price. Honestly, based on value for money, I would give it 1 star — but I am giving 2 stars as an average, and also because the girls at the reception were very kind and helpful. Maybe this hotel was a luxury 5-star hotel many years ago, but now it feels old and in need of renovation. The food in the restaurant is average. The selection is fine, but the taste could definitely be better. The service, however, was very poor and not helpful. On our first night, we arrived with our baby and were seated next to a large seminar group that was very loud. When our baby started crying, we asked to move to another area of the restaurant that was completely empty. After a short discussion, they allowed us to move — but I had to carry all the food and things from the table myself while the staff just watched. Is this 5-star service? Dinner starts at 7:30 PM, which is very inconvenient when traveling with a small child. All other restaurants in the complex were closed because it was off-season. The spa is open, but it costs 25 euros per hour per person. Considering the high price of the hotel, this extra charge feels unnecessary. At least in the off-season it should be included. Parking is free, but it is very unorganized and dusty. Garage parking costs extra. We were given a room in the corner of the hotel, and it was quite cold, especially in the hallways. Walking to other hotel facilities took time, and with a baby stroller it was not very practical. The manager called us on the first day to check if everything was okay. She probably expected me to say yes, but when I started to explain the problems, she simply redirected me to reception. Fortunately, the reception staff were very kind and helped with some of our requests. Also, during the weekend hotel was quite full and restaurants for dinner and breakfast suddenly changed and this was not communicated to us. We were walking around and searching for it, and then we ended up eating in non Level guests restaurant cause we didnt know there is restaurant for Level guests. Overall, this is a very expensive hotel that I would recommend avoiding, especially in the off-season. In the surrounding area, you can find much better service for half the price. This was the most expensive option when I booked. Before arriving here, we spent three days at Innside by Melia in Alicante (a 4-star hotel), and it felt much more luxurious than this one. It is a pity that our first flight trip with our baby ended this way. I had high hopes that the hotel would be great and that we would truly enjoy our stay.

Henk Zeelenberg

Another great visit to the Level Villaitana. Great experience and staff - thanks Sergio, Cecilia, Mitchell and team - we will be back later this month! :)