We have just returned from a nine day stay at this amazing hotel. What made it amazing was undoubtedly the staff.
The entire staff of the hotel worked as a team and without exception were a credit to the Abba chain. Special thanks to Marina for organising our revised flight home after we were to be stranded due to the industrial action that crippled Spain and Europe on the 29th September. Thanks also to the housekeeping staff who ensured that our room was kept spotless.
Cleanliness is a trademark of life in Spain which we have never encountered anywhere else in our travels to such a high degree. The Spanish people are a delight and so friendly even when we speak so little Spanish.

The Abba Playa is situated opposite the gorgeous San Lorenzo beach with a busy road in between although this hardly mattered. We didn't have any transport as the plan was to have a car free holiday for a change. There were many walks from the hotel and one day we walked to the Botanic Gardens and even popped into the University to look at the wonderful architecture. If you stay at the AP you will enjoy the park which is across the road.

Our room was small but scrupulously clean and with plenty of hanging space. No coffee making facilities but this is usual on the continent. The bathroom was large and the shower excellent. An inroom safe was appreciated.

Negatives? I am hard pushed to find any although sorry that the hotel does not hire bikes. It was a trek to hire one so a closer source of bikes would have been appreciated. Motor cycles were available but not the simple bike!! Also the pool was closed despite being advertised as being open in September.

VERY disappointed at the Bellavista restaurant. We did try to translate the menu but needed help and the waiter made obvious his distain to our poor Spanish. We were irritated at his unhelpfulness and snobbishness so thought they obviously didn't need our custom so left the restaurant. Hopefully we make visitors to England more valued than we were made to feel at the Bellavista!!

Do eat at the Plaza Mayor restaurants as you will get excellent value for money at the restaurants and such historic surroundings.

We have now explored the coastline from San Sebastian to Gijon to the Picos Mountains plus an innumerate amount of towns inbetween and can say that Asturian and Cantabrian areas are well worth a consideration for a memorable holiday.

The wedding reception we attended was at the excellent BELLAVISTA resturaunt about a five min walk away if you want food the Bellavisa is better than the ABBA .Otherwise the hotel was spotless the staff most friendly albeit a wee bit hesitant at English as most of Gijon seemed to be. The front bedroom was great super view over beach not we found very noisy. We looked at the other hotels in town and thought our choice was right thanks to Tripadvisor reviews but would probably consider the Parador next time .

I've stayed here twice for business, both for extended periods of time, and found it a fitting location from which to explore Gijon and the surrounding area. Nearby park is very nice.

Rooms are Euro-small but modern and well-designed. Though rooms on the beach side have a nice view, they are also a bit noisier due to traffic (i am extremely sensitive to noise - it's probalby not much noise in reality) When i was there they were still working on parts fo the hotel (restaurant, etc.) but i managed to find the roof for a great view of the city and the beach. A great location for phone calls back home!

Room service was very good and rapid. Breakfast very nice. My tab was paid for by others so i have no idea if it were free or not. Perhaps it was my lack of Spanish ( i try, really!) but i found the staff a bit officious and lacking warmth.

As is common with this part of Spain, English is not too common, but the front desk staff did everything they could to honor my various requests.

Finally, however, the hotel is far removed from the old city and the center of town, and upon my subsequent visit i stayed in the old city and had a much better time, and, though the hotel in town was not as luxorious it retained the character of the surrounding area rather than the Abba's generic (though lovely) modern style. If you're in Gijon as a tourist, i recommend staying in town for this reason.

Gijon was our second stop on our week long tour of Northern Spain. I booked the hotel directly from their website and chose thier Asturian Weekend package which included half board.

The hotel is situated at the easten edge of the main beach - a good mile from the centre of town and quite a trek if it is a cold and foggy evening in Asturias, as it often is in October. The carpark is underneath the hotel and attracted the standard EUR12/night that every hotel appears to charge in Northern Spain. The room was as one would expect from an "international" 4-star hotel. They charged for internet access, making it more expensive as a package than our 5* hotel in Aviles.

The meal in the restaurant was excellent, despite our trepidation about being almost the only people there. Breaskfast was also generous and varied.

The pool was closed as it was off season. In fact a lot of Gijon was closed as it was off season. We found good bars and good eating in the Old Town but we felt it to be the least successful stop on our tour as we ran out of things to do.

I suspect that the hotel is very different when Gijon is more alive. I would only recommend staying one night in the off season as we found more attractive town/villages down the coast that probably deserved a bit more attention.