After looking at pictures of the Campomar online, I thought it looked really modern and new. On arrival, I could have cried. It is clearly an old hotel done up on a 'hotel inspector' type budget. It was built in 1971, refurbed in 1998, and again relaunched in 2011. The rooms have been retiled, painted and attempts have been made to bring it into modern times. My first impression was that it looked like a 70s american motel, with the wrap-around rooms and pool look. On checking in, the staff member was chatting on the phone throughout the whole process, which really annoyed me.

It is also located in a residential area with not a lot at hand. Well, Valdelegrana beach is about a 700 metre walk, as are local beach bars and cervecerias/ xerez bodegas/ seafood bars.

Too be fair to this hotel, after a wee while, my attitude changed and I began to see positives. The pool area was actually a very welcome peaceful area to relax in, with a nice sized pool. The rooms dont have balconys, so there is no-one overlooking the area. The air con in the room is very old, but it was the best I had experienced in any Spanish hotel. The staff actually turned out to be very friendly, and the bar staff always gave us ice for the room whenever we asked, and the price of beers/ wines was excellent; 1.20 euros for a beer/ 1.60 for vino de la casa.

The breakfast was not great, but it did provide cold cuts of meat and cheese, yoghurt and coffee etc. The restaurant only provided food after 8pm, but there were some locals eating there on most nights.

Another thing here is that the hotel is not in the main town centre of El Puerto, but instead it is on the other side of the estuary. This means that a walk into town is out of the question. However, there is a regular bus (no.3) which regularly runs into El Puerto itself, but be aware that it doesnt run too late, so a taxi will cost around 4/5 euros.

The main problem with this hotel is that they didnt go that extra wee mile. If they did, they would have hit the jackpot. Instead it reeks of budget upgrade. Ultimately, I probably would return, but I would budget for the bus and taxi extras which go with it.

A difficult hotel to review, really, as there equal positives to negatives. I had a good time in El Puerto and this hotel would be better if it was across the estuary. Just be wary before booking. I'm giving it three, cos I cant give it four, but it probably deserves more than that.