I stayed here on my own, overnight in mid October. I was over to buy cigars and catch up with some old friends in town. (Got my Ryanair flights for 2p return, all in. Thanks Michael!)
First impressions on entering the reception area, were that the hotel was a bit past its prime. A fairly typical medium sized Costa Brava hotel. i.e tired and in need of an update. The two reception staff were professional and helpful (even if they didn’t seem particularly welcoming!) There was a slight mix-up in that I’d booked a double room for single occupancy but either the agent or the hotel had booked me into a single. The reception staff sorted it straight away.
The room itself was a nice size with a wardrobe, desk, TV (no remote though), radiator, safe, chairs & bedside cabinets. It also had a proper double bed – unusual as mostly you find two singles pushed together and made up as a double. The balcony was a decent size, overlooked the street and had the usual plastic table with two chairs & an ashtray. The room had no air conditioning. I could see this being a problem in the hotter months but it was fine at this time of year. The bathroom was nicer and looked more modern than the rest of the fittings. The shower was powerful enough and hot water plentiful.
There is one thing however that really spoilt my stay here: the quality and range of the buffet food on offer. I stayed half-board as this was the easiest option for me and I didn’t need to bother eating out. Let me first say, I love Spanish food and like to try new things. I’m not the sort of person who will only eat chips or a full English breakfast when abroad... Now I know that this hotel was very close to the end of it’s season – in fact there was less than a week before they closed up for the winter – but the food was simply, “edible,” shall we say.
The dinner on the first evening was adequate, with a few meat choices – chicken, sausages, meatballs; chips, potatoes and salad etc. (The maître did not offer me any wine but I took the view that I would be drinking later anyway, so not a problem.)
Breakfast the next morning was far worse. The hard boiled eggs on offer were overcooked and full of water. No other eggs were provided. The little mini sausages and the streaky bacon were again overcooked and cold. The “continental” selection consisted of salami and edam slices. I don’t really eat cereal so can’t comment but this area seemed to be reasonably stocked and there were a few pastries. The coffee from the machine was dire. To be honest the breakfast left me feeling queasy for most of the day. Not something I’m accustomed to when eating in Spain.
The hotel was also very keen to have you check out of your room by 10am. I am assured by my local friends that the actual check out time should be midday and this is stipulated by the local government / chamber of commerce.
I tend to visit Spain out of season and have had some excellent half board hotel accommodation and paid less for the privilege. (See my other reviews for these) The general atmosphere in the hotel seemed to be one of “can’t be bothered” and with all the upgrades going on to the local roads and infrastructure, the way that Calella seems to be moving more upmarket and returning to the feel of a more modern Spanish resort; the owners of Hotel Terramar really will need to up their game if they want to compete.
All in all, I’ve stayed in far better for far less and I’m afraid I wouldn’t return. Must try harder.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
