Meliá Atlanterra

The hotel has a very unique location on the beach where there is a surf club and a an excellent restaurant, perfect for sunset diners. We booked the hotel for its Covid safety measures. The restaurant was indeed very well organised. Staff and all guests wearing gloves and masks and tables with distance. The buffet was nice. The pool and activities are for those who like busy club style hotels. The rooms were very clean but a lot of noise until midnight. The hotel would need some refurbishment.

Amazing hotel with amazing people. Loction , people , restaurant and rooms are simply the best that we have seen. Congratulations !! There is nothing to complain because everything was allright. Very clean hotel and very safe instuctions for covid 19 .

I booked 3 nights at the Meliá Atlanterra by telephone because there was a technical problem with the Meliá web site and I wanted to check what was included within "half board" which the web site failed to disclose. The Meliá call centre explained that "half board" includes "water, beer and wine". I subsequently e-mailed the hotel and exchanged correspondence with several questions. When I stated my understanding that some drinks were included within "half board" and asked whether any other types of drink were included, the hotel neglected to reply, thereby failing to challenge my understanding that at least some drinks are included within "half board". When we arrived at the hotel, we discovered that the Meliá call centre and web site had misleadingly omitted to mention that the hotel charges for car parking in this middle-of-nowhere location at €15.50 per night. When I challenged this, the receptionist replied that this parking charge keeps the published room rates lower. So it's like Ryanair - a low headline price subsidised by additional extras that are added later. But unlike Ryanair which is open about such surcharges at the time of booking, Meliá deliberately keeps them a secret until you arrive. Fortunately you can park nearby on the public road for free, but it's a hassle that guests should not have to put up with when paying the hotel's published prices. Things got even worse. During our first dinner, we were charged for drinks that the call centre had contractually agreed would be included within "half board". I refused to pay these charges, because they were in breach of contract (incumplimiento de contrato). The hotel management repeatedly referred to its unpublished policy of drinks not being included in half board, blatantly ignoring a contract that had been concluded by telephone to include specific types of drinks. The hotel management fails to understand that contractual terms, whether oral or written, override any unpublished policy, and that the hotel had failed to challenge my written understanding that drinks would be included. In law, an unchallenged statement can be understood to have been agreed by the other party. I expect that the hotel management will take the same ignorant and arrogant approach in its response to this review by again quoting its policy and ignoring what was contractually agreed at the time of booking. The hotel management wanted me to speak to the Meliá call centre and get the recording of the phone call listened to, instead of doing this themselves. Then they said that the call centre doesn't keep recordings, despite the call centre having told me on the contrary that they keep recordings for three months. Upon checkout, I refused to pay for the drinks consumed with dinner, as the charges were in breach of contract (incumplimiento de contrato). I paid €1 of the 3-night room charge (of over €500) by an American Express UK credit card to ensure that any breach of contract (incumplimiento de contrato) would be covered by the UK's Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. I paid the remainder of the bill using my German Amex card. I gave another Amex UK card as a guarantee for charges, and the hotel later charged this card with the drinks charge, so I disputed the charge with Amex UK. Amex UK charged the disputed amount back to Meliá, which Meliá did not challenge. I have gold status in Meliá Rewards and was expecting better service and for contractual terms to be honoured. The reception management at Meliá Atlanterra is appalling and is not customer-focussed. On reception, only Pepi stood out as being truly customer-focussed when she handled our checkout and left luggage. At a beach hotel, you would not expect to pay a surcharge for sun loungers on the beach arranged for the hotel's guests, but soon after we started using them, some women approached us and asked us to pay to use them. The shore was covered in seaweed and the beach had become very windy, so we went to the pool instead. There are some other nice beaches nearby. For example Playa Arroyo del Canuelo is worth the geographically-short but time-consuming journey. We asked for late checkout in view of my gold status in Meliá Rewards, but this was refused. As we had already vacated our room, reception advised us to have showers in the spa after using the beach and pool. The men's shower was terrible with even lower water pressure than a bad shower in a typical British home. I should also mention the good parts of our stay. The combination lock on my suitcase had been broken by airport security during an evidenced search of checked baggage and I couldn't open it. I phoned the hotel concierge, who optimistically said that his technician would definitely be able to open it. To my great surprise, the technician arrived within 10 minutes and forced open my suitcase with only minor scratches. I was very impressed. The food is excellent. Breakfast is impressive, as usual for a Spanish hotel, but dinner is really outstanding, particularly for a buffet. The choice and quality of the food was really high. Paco, the restaurant manager, evidently does a great job and is present at every meal time, ensuring that his staff deliver a perfect service. Serving so much food and drinks to so many guests simultaneously is clearly a demanding task, which Paco organises very efficiently. The reception management could learn a lot from his desire to make guests happy.

We have visited this hotel for many years and love the location, the common areas, breakfast and staff who are always very willing to help and make your stay extra special. However the rooms are very outdated and ours (for a second year) had a teribble smell coming from the drains, the air conditioning was not working and mini bar was not cooling. The hotel rooms needs to be fully gutted brought up to its former glory with a modern feel to them and given lift access. It is difficult to see how this is a 4 star if you look at the rooms, far off from what I am used to from the Meliá brand.

Hotel is situated a short drive from the town and about a 25 min walk, though there are restaurants within a short walk from the hotel. We had a car. Hotel is straight on to a lovely white sandy beach with beds and parasols to hire. None of the usual tourist paraphernalia around the beach, just a wonderful ribbon of sea and sand. Great beach bar that belongs to the hotel with the kind of menu you would expect on the coast with lots of fresh fish and shellfish. Not cheap, but not stingy on quantity. Food and drink generally is on the pricey side. The hotel itself has the main reception area with communal facilities and rooms with the rest of the rooms in moorish styled areas around the pool. Our room was on the third floor and there were no lifts, so can be challenging with cases. Rooms nice size ours had a small balcony. Mini bar in room and safe. Downside less than effective hairdryer in bathroom. Large pool with swim up bar. People do reserve beds with towels from early in the morning though signs ask you not to. Towels for the pool are provided with production of a voucher you receive on check in. This is a pool area for lovers of activity with fitness and exercise classes in the pool throughout the day and kids club activity. Expect music and water slides. Breakfast is vast and good with everything imaginable, though this is a large hotel so busy. We were on a bed and breakfast basis and didn’t eat in the hotel other than breakfast. Staff were all friendly efficient and helpful. In summary. A larger hotel than we are used to, but good facilities, great breakfast, for families and adults who enjoy entertainment along with their sun bathing. Not magnificent, but perfectly fine.