I was working in Almeria and I was booked into this centrally located Hotel, and as I was away I had my portable computer to possibly link in to an internet connecttion. The Hotel "offered" a free conetion in the room via phone link and details on how to connect onto the internet. In april 2006, there was no indication that this would be charged or the rates, so one assumed that this was a free service, like in other hotels in Spain.

I even went down to reception to borrow a telephone cable and they did not tell me that I would be charged for this service.

So I connected in and I must say that the velocity was at 28,5 kps, great wopping speed, but enough to work and play an online game. Obviously a very slow load down.

So when I checked out I received a telephone bill for 132,05 euros, Here in spain broadband costs about 45 euros per month. I was very upset with this. I proceeded in filing an official complaint and when the inspectors came round, typical, there was a notification on what costs etc and my claim came to nothing.

A word of advice, if you feel cheated and you wish to put in an official complaint, get the police to back your version, then you have a legal chance of winning.

As far as the Hotel is concerned, didnt like it much, poor service and with the above issue, more interested in fleecing that giving a good service.

Don't recommend this hotel

We stayed here for four nights during a 5 week tour of Spain. We found Almeria had little going for it and the Costasol was in keeping with this impression of the town.
The good points first-its on the main street and the price was more than reasonable for a 3 star hotel.
The bad points- Well, my wife and I were at a loss as to where the three stars actually came from!
The hotel felt stuck in a 70s time warp, and although clean, the general feel of the place was neither relaxed nor welcoming. Our room was tired and dark-the decoration and furnishings failing to compare to the 2 star we stayed in at Vejer. Sleep was just about possible with ear-plugs, as the main air conditioning motor seemed attatched to the outer wall adjoining our room.
Ther are quite a few new 3 and 4 star hotels in the city. We got the feeling that Costasol suffered because of that, and that it was an establishment on the way down.
It was a place to get out of as quick as possible, rather than a hotel where you happily lounge over a relaxed breakfast whilst planning the day.
Almeria the city delivered a lot less than the guidebooks suggested. Likewise Costasol. I would urge you to find alternatives-avoid both.