Hotel Top Aparthotel Paradis Park, Pineda de Mar

...stayed at the Paradis Park Hotel in Pineda De Mar. Whilst looking for a cheap and cheerful last minute deal to get some sun I spotted a package to the Calella Palace Hotel through Teletext holidays online.

After a bit of research the decision was made to book it, however, the dates we wanted weren't available. We were offered an allocation on arrival for the same price, or for an extra £45 each we could have an alternative named hotel ...
...the choice of the Alexis Hotel (I had previously read reviews all of which were bad) and the Paradis Park Hotel.

I accepted the Paradis Park (as recommended by Sun4U Limtied, the tour operator) and after it had all been booked up we discovered that the Paradis Park was a 3 star, whereas the Calella Palace was a 4 star! Not a good start Sun4U Limited. I believe that this is 'mis-selling' under the Trade Description Act??

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It was pure chance that we stayed at the Paradis Park Hotel in Pineda De Mar. Whilst looking for a cheap and cheerful last minute deal to get some sun I spotted a package to the Calella Palace Hotel through Teletext holidays online.

After a bit of research the decision was made to book it, however, the dates we wanted weren't available. We were offered an allocation on arrival for the same price, or for an extra £45 each we could have an alternative named hotel of the same rating. Being unadventurous I opted for the latter and was given the choice of the Alexis Hotel (I had previously read reviews all of which were bad) and the Paradis Park Hotel.

I accepted the Paradis Park (as recommended by Sun4U Limtied, the tour operator) and after it had all been booked up we discovered that the Paradis Park was a 3 star, whereas the Calella Palace was a 4 star! Not a good start Sun4U Limited. I believe that this is 'mis-selling' under the Trade Description Act??

So, this holiday was already £90 over the stated price on the internet. Once baggage, transfers and all other supplements and taxes had been added on our holiday was almost £300 over the stated price on the internet! Personally, I think that this is disgraceful and all tour operators should be forced to state the total cost prior to calling and booking. Suddenly our 'cheap' getaway was not looking so cheap. Once again, another thumbs down for Sun4U Limited.

We had two days prior to our departure, so since we had no idea what the Paradis Park was we thought that we had better do a bit of research. What a mistake………….

Almost every review said it was awful with poor food, a fly problem and rude staff who were arrogant towards the Brits.

We flew out to Girona Airport on Wednesday 17 September 2008. Upon arrival at Girona airport we collected our bags and headed for our transfer. The Sun4U Limited rep pointed out the Resort Hopper bus. Once the bus had loaded the rep got on, said have a good holiday and then got off the bus. Why did they not come with us to the hotel? Where was the tourist information? Another thumbs down for Sun4U Limited!

Upon arrival at the Paradis Park Hotel, approx 45 mins by bus (I'm unsure of the distance in Km) we were ushered off the bus and in to reception. There were no reps for the 'introductory talk' or to give information on how to contact them if we had any issues or problems. I thought this was poor since although I can get by in Spanish I am by no means fluent and the personnel at the Paradis Park had 'selective' English, as we were to find out later on………

The Room
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Our room was (supposedly refurbished) and round the side of the main hotel in an apartment block. As the receptionist gave us directions our hearts sank since all the reviews we read had stated how poor the apartments were.

We found the room and went in. The room was of a decent size (plenty big enough for four) and appeared to be clean. There was a fridge (not really required since we were all inclusive), a small hob (again, not really required but we couldn't use it anyway since the 'on' switch was in a locked cupboard and the key was an additional cost), 2 single beds, a sofa bed, table and chairs, TV, fan (definitely required since there was no air conditioning and temperatures were dropping! - I would not have been able to stick it in the height of summer!!) and large double wardrobe.

On first glance the bathroom appeared clean and tidy with no leaks, smells etc.

All in all it did not appear as bad as the reviews had said, although there was no balcony, which was a bit of a pity.

As the week went on we started to notice more and more issues………..

The beds were no more than camp beds, very poor quality and given that mine had two broken slats it made it even more fragile. Being a light sleeper and a bit of a mover made the situation ten times worse. I thought the bed was going to collapse underneath me!! The mattress was very hard and un-sprung. A camping roll mat would have probably been better!

The water never seemed to get hot. At best it was luke warm and this seemed to be the case whatever the time of day. Maybe this is a hotel Health & Safety feature to avoid the guests scalding themselves if they accidentally turned of the cold tap first in the shower?

The hot tap on the bidet did not work, and I hate washing my feet in cold water! The bidet was also like a low sink - it did not have the upward sprinkler system which I thought was the feature of all bidets? Surely this would render it useless?

The walls and ceilings were thin and you could hear EVERYTHING that other guest were doing.

The general state of the room was very poor. We were told it had recently been refurbished?? The fixtures were poor, the tiles in the bathroom had not been fully grouted, there were holes in the walls, there were (large) dirty marks on the walls and stains on the ceiling.

Whilst this was meant to be a cheap holiday, it actually turned out to be quite expensive. We were not expecting the Ritz but this Hotel ( a 3 star) was £90 more than the Calella Palace (a 4 star) so we thought that we would get something half decent.

The Food
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A continental and cooked breakfast was served everyday. The cooked breakfast was utter crap! The sausages were frankfurters (this did not really bother me since I adore them). The bacon was streaky and consisted mainly of fat. This would not have been so bad if it was crispy but it was like soft and floppy and the eggs were only poached. I can, however, say that the beans on toast were superb!

Lunch was usually adequate consisted of what was not eaten the night before.

Dinner was hit or miss. Some nights it was utter crap and I would not give it to my dog. A prime example of this was a chicken portion that was raw and still bloody. The next day battered chicken pieces were served for lunch (!). On the other hand, there were some really good dinners - the veal was fantastic! The squid was very good as was the battered fish and the meaty pasta.

Whilst we never went hungry sometimes it was utter crap - thank god for chips and 'soggy' pasta with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese (which were served for every meal except for breakfast).

All inclusive guests had the option of snacks during the morning and afternoon. There was no variety here and consisted of the same things being sliced cheese, tinned ham, rolls, chips, frankfurters, hamburgers (and yes these were like luncheon meat patties and absolutely awful!!) and leftovers from lunch or dinner.

Other than tomatoes and other cold foods (olives etc) there was a distinct lack of traditional Spanish food, which was a real shame. We like to have a dining experience when we go abroad and look to eat local produce which we would not usually eat. This was not possible and, after wandering around Pineda and Calella, it appeared that this would not happen outside of the hotel, however, there were plenty of English and Italian restaurants. This was definitely not an eating experience.

The restaurant could only be described as a school canteen, probably due to the buffet style meals. The staff were miserable, po-faced and couldn't care as long as you went in, ate and got out as quickly as possible.

All inclusive guests should have a bottle of wine and a water at lunch and dinner. Not once did we get a bottle of wine, we had a glass poured out. Some meal times we did not even get that.

We never did work out how the restaurant operated. Some guests appeared to get almost get table service with bottles (more than one) of wine and water and the ability to reserve their table, whereas others (like us) did not even get a drink.

The Drinks
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The all inclusive bar was open from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm. We had read reviews about drinks being watered down and drinks poured in to the same glass but we saw no evidence of this.

The drinks, although cheap and local versions, were very headstrong and the spirit measures were very large with there more spirit than mixer. The local beer, Estrelle Damm, was very nice and in plentiful supply. The only gripe is the small glasses of beer which meant more trips to the bar was required which, although a pain, was no hardship and we never got refused a drink or told that we had too much.

The Staff
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The staff were arrogant, rude and unwelcoming. We could not even get the bar staff to crack a smile let alone have a bit of banter with. They also appeared to have selective hearing and were very unhelpful. A situation which sticks out is that of a unique tourist attraction to the area. We asked a barman how far a walk it was to the aqua duct and which way it was and he said he had never heard of it!

Staff did appear to be nicer to other Europeans and there was a definite pecking order which applied to the dining room, the bars, the reception in fact all throughout the hotel, as follows;

1) Spanish guests
2) European guests who are not all inclusive
3) European guests who are all inclusive
4) English guest who are not all inclusive
5) English guest who are all inclusive

Being the latter, we found we were right at the bottom of the heap.

The children entertainment staff appeared very enthusiastic and patient as well as always willing to do something to keep the kids amused. We can't confirm this since we have no first hand experience and only made observations.

The Guests
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Most of the guests appeared to be German and French with a handful of English. The hotel consisted of families and people in the 40 years + bracket. This is definitely not a club 18 - 30, or similar, resort full of young singles out to get lashed and club to the early hours, which suits us fine.

In previous holidays I have found Germans to be greedy, rude, arrogant and loud (and intimidating regardless of age) when in big groups. Unfortunately this was the case on this holiday, and I would really like to be proved wrong at some point in the near future. In the canteen (sorry…… restaurant) we were forever 'bullied' out of the way by older German guests, same applied at the bar, walking around the hotel, by the pool - in fact everywhere!

There was a definite divide and it was evident that the Brits only spoke to the Brits, the Germans only spoke to the Germans and the French only spoke to the French.

On our second from last night three bus loads of German school/college kids arrived for a school excursion. The majority of these were placed in the apartment block, and all of a sudden the resort turned in to the dreaded club 18, sorry 16 - 18 and very noisy. I was glad that we only had to endure it for 2 nights and genuinely feel sorry for those guests who had to endure it for the duration of their holiday.

I must also state that German kids appear to be as rude as the older generation and appear out of control and un-ruly. The teachers do not appear to give a shit and actually join in with them getting drunk especially in the lobby area of the apartment block we were in.

The Pool Side
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The pool side area was fantastic at night but fly ridden during the day, exactly as other reviews had confirmed. Whilst walking around Pineda and Calella flies appear to be a problem throughout and not just in the hotel. I found a good game was to see how many flies you could kill in a day and then try to beat that the following day.

The pool was cold, but who wants a heated pool in 26 degrees plus?

Entertainment
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The entertainment was actually quite good. During the day there was a programme of activities from pool side games, football, tennis, archery, cross bow shooting, boules, gun shooting etc. During the evening there was a disco every night, a Spanish night, karoke, music quiz etc.

The children entertainers appeared to keep the kids amused all day, everyday.

The surrounding area
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Pineda De Mar town is quaint town with a few shops and not much else. There are a few tourist 'tat' shops for those must have souvenirs. Market day is Friday, and after a brief trip I must say that this was crap. Unless you want cheap 'big' knickers or socks of inferior quality, or leather belts or fake bags then don't bother going. There is no haggling (I find this makes markets a bit more interesting) or negotiations.
The Montengro National Park backs on to the town of Pineda De Mar. This appears to be popular with hardcore mountain bikers and after a walk up the hill (seemed like a mountain to me!) to Mont Palou it is easy to see why. We did enquire about a bike tour to the Park but they were fully booked - although the guide did suggest that we do an easy route due to the technical nature of the trails. A walk to the castle is recommended as it gives superb views over the whole of Pineda De Mar.

There is an aquaduct about 20 minute walk from the hotel. We went expecting some impressive structure and was quite disappointed when we found it. It is worth a look though and the scenery to the aquaduct is fantastic.

The beach is 10 minute walk from the hotel through a popular dog walking area and down a 'rough' street. Whilst it is not as bad as some of the reviews state you do need to beware of, and keep an eye for the dog crap.

The beach itself is really nice with golden sands and plenty of things to do - although most of these were closed when we were there.

A walk along the promenade leads to the town of Calella which is about a half an hour walk. Calella is a bit more lively than Pineda De Mar and there are even more 'tat' shops (as well as designer shops - United Colours of Benetton, La Coste etc) which are worth a look for holiday purchases. We did not sample Calella by night so cannot comment on how lively it is. Market day is Saturday and consists of exactly the same stalls as in Pineda De Mar.

Conclusion
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Whilst this was meant to be a cheap and cheerful jolly it turned out quite expensive. We had never gone all inclusive before and was expecting a little bit more for the money than we actually got. Overall the hotel is adequate, the food was adequate, the staff were crap and the surrounding area was lovely.

It was a good place to kick back and relax (I am now a suduko master and my partner got through loads of books!) and see a bit of the countryside.

I would not go back to the Paradis Park Hotel nor would I recommend it since I believe that there are other 3 star hotels in the same area that are better.

I doubt I would go back to Spain since the hotel staff have an inherent dislike for Brits and everything seemed to be a chore for them. This was seconded by another couple who we got talking to at Gerona Airport on the way home. It appears that Turkey or Eqypt is the place to go and the Espana bubble has now burst.

I would never book a holiday through Sun4U Limited. Whilst the travel, transfers etc went smoothly we had no direct access to a rep, nor did we get any information on the area or Hotel rules from a rep on arrival. We were given a number for emergency use only (I called this since the hotel reception took my passport on the first night and did not state when I could have it back). I have yet to receive my mobile bill so am unsure how much my 5 minute conversation actually cost me. 

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