Caledonia
29 July 2008
My husband, myself and teenage son have just returned from a weeks stay in The Caledonia Golf Aparthotel.While the apartments and pool area were very well appointed and clean, I felt the hotel did not do enough by way of entertainment to encourage their guests to remain in the hotel at night.The music bar area lacked comfort and the entertainment was non existent. Nothing was done to promote the hotel restaurant. A visible menu and prices might have encouraged people to eat there, which would have been a great advantage because the hotel is really off the beaten track, being located in a residential area set well back from the sea, across a major highway. Fortunately we had a car otherwise we would have been really restricted as the few restaurants located closest to the hotel (a good 20 min walk away) were either Chinese or Italian. I felt the hotel was very good value for money but this would be the only thing that might encourage my return. The poor location is its greatest downside.
Valarie Mc Gale, N. Ireland
Family with teenagers 12+
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good price
10 September 2007
It´s the second time that I stay in this hotel with some friends. I think it´s the first time that I see the pictures of a hotel in the web and it´s the same that in live. We tried 5 diferent rooms and all are very comfortable, with a big bedroom (own air aconditioning unit, comfortable bed, doble o twins, very big and new wardrobe and 2 little tables), a very big and nice bathroom (always with a big bath), a big living room (with a sofa- doble bed, a little sofa and a table, another table with 4 chairs, a TV, air aconditioning unit and one table more with a lamp) and a basic kitchen with all that you need to cook, even microwave. You can take sun in a little terrace wiv a table and 2 chairs.
All the furnitures are very new and modern and the room is very light and clean. In 2 years, we try 5 differtents rooms and all are a little different but with the same facillitys.
Last year we had one free hour a day of spa, but now it´s only free one hour for all stayment, but spa is lovelly and you can use the gym whenever you want.
Buffet is ok, nothing special but not bored.
The pool is very big and clean with some garden areas and we never had problems to get a sun bed (that´s strange in this kind of hotels). The children pool and activitys looks nice but we didn´t use.
All staff are very friendly.
We only miss more activitys to adult people
Sergio G. A., tenerife, spain
Group of Young Friends/Couples
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Mrs
03 August 2007
I was more than pleasantly suprised in the hotel.My husband and I used to live in the area several years ago so knew it well. Finding it was very easy. The staff were very courtious and helpful. the pool was very children friendly but also very well equipped and laid out for people of all ages with or without children. The lounge areas were very nice and comfortable and the rooms themselves looked exactly has they had in the pictures.Everything was very clean and the furniture in the rooms was very nice.In my book I would rate it as a 4
janice pritchard, great britain
Mature Couple (36+)
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Review of 'Caledonia Aparthotel Golf Hotel and Spa'
10 March 2007
The reception when we arrived was friendly & informative.We stayed in an apartment which was very pleasing both in space ,comfort & cleanliness.The view from the balcony lent itself to the pleasure of the stay.We used the Spa, again I was impressed with the facilities,it was clean with towels provided, the staff were vere obliging & helpful,making one feel at ease & special.The whole atmosphere in & around the Hotel was calming & relaxing creating an environment acceptable to a holiday maker of any age group. You do however need a car as the location of the Hotel is some distance from the Coast road,but is within driving distance from many of the tourist places of interest.
thank you,
Barbara Taylor
Barbara Taylor, Brierfield/England
Group of Mature Friends/Couples
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Review of 'Caledonia Aparthotel Golf Hotel and Spa'
26 February 2007
Online booking and check-in were good but subsequent requests made to reception were not actioned. Having lived in Gibraltar and intending to use the hotel on a self catering basis to visit friends and known local attractions, we picked up basic provisions(inc washing up) and strongly recommend that anyone else did the same as the hotel shop was never open and the lobby bar was never manned. Childrens' club (limited opening and not supervised) and restricted use of the spa (under 4s limited to 1-3pm & 6-8pm when pre-booked) were very disappointing. The apartment was one of the best we have stayed in; it was spacious and the housekeeping was superb but it lacked a kettle! A car is a must if you intend to get out and about as the hotel is well off the beaten track but parking was tight midweek and woefully inadequate over the weekend.
Claudia Cubbgae, Havant/ Hampshire
Family with Children 11 and Under
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Review of 'Caledonia Aparthotel Golf Hotel and Spa'
07 October 2006
The hotel was very clean & staff friendly on the whole.The food in the hotel was not very good(not 4* standard).
Thankfully we had a car as you would need this as it is well away from the main areas of the resort.
M. GOODYEAR, Weymouth
Group of Mature Friends/Couples
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Review of 'Caledonia Aparthotel Golf Hotel and Spa'
02 September 2006
The room are confortable, but the views not so nice. The place is very quite and I recommend the SPA. Is´t free but you must to make a reservation before, to avoid a lot of people on it. The menu has a good quality, not a lot of kind of dishes but all are good. In other hand, the drinks not included in Half board, I consider very expensive. a cup of cola 2,5 €!! so don´t drink too much.
Jaime Lobat, Spain
Family with Children 11 and Under
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Review of 'Caledonia Aparthotel Golf Hotel and Spa'
22 August 2006
Cosy and quiet apartment, great pool and excelent children conditions.
Nuno Batista, Portugal
Family with Children 11 and Under
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Excellent hotel, immaculate and beautifully presented
02 July 2006
We had an excellent stay at the Caledonia going self catering (end June). The rooms were immaculate and very tastefully decorated with two air-conditioning units. Our room had a lovely little balcony overlooking the pool, and you could also see the sea in the distance. The kitchen is basic, but adequate, with a large fridge, two ring hob and microwave. If there is any vital equipment missing from the kitchen just ask (we needed a kitchen knife) and the staff are happy to assist. This is a very Spanish hotel, so don't expect the staff to understand English perfectly, however they were very accommodating with us. The pool is lovely and grounds beautifully kept (do not expect large expanses of gardens as there aren’t any). You DO NEED A CAR, otherwise you will be cut off – I got the impression a lot of visitors were stranded following coach transfers. The supermarket is just down the hill by the N340 road, and a virtually deserted beach the other side of the N340, with a few sun beds, shower and the vital icecream shack. If you arrive after 2pm on Sat, go to the local garage for supplies, otherwise you cannot but any food until Monday. Our flight was very delayed, so we had to make do with the in house buffet restaurant which is €22 a head for a 3 course meal (the food was good, although neither of us really appreciated it after travelling for about 20 hours – I did say we were delayed). We made the mistake of getting maps from another website for this hotel which were totally wrong. To get there travel along the N340 and get off at junction 166, then follow the signs for the hotel - easy when you know. The hotel is located in one of the few bits of ‘countryside’ left on the Costa del Sol, on the very outskirts of Estepona, but there are developments happening around it, and in say 5 years, the whole place looks like it will be developed. Excellent location to explore Ronda, Purto Banús and some of the white villages, whilst having the beach to hand. Really recommended.
Stuart Evans, Somerset
Young Couple (18-35)
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Review of 'CALEDONIA APARTHOTEL GOLF & SPA'
08 June 2006
Date returned from holiday 08/06/2006.
We stayed at the Caledonian Golf for 1 week self catering. The rooms are very spacious and cleaned daily. Lounge diner kitchenette. Limited kitchen equipment, fridge microwave and 2 ring hob, no oven,kettle or toaster.Cooking utensils also limited,no tin opener no sharp knife. Only one small saucepan and 1 small frying pan. No facilities for snacks whilst we were there, restaurant we found to be very expensive and not good value for the money, the pool bar also did not serve snacks.
The service in the bar was non existant, only 1 member a staff, they quickly run out of glasses, as there was no one to collect the dirty ones that cluttered the tables on the terrace. We found that most of the staff had limited English, and came across as quite rude at times, as though we were putting them to to much trouble. The entertainment never happened and we we to the bar most evenings.The local shop/ supermarket was a good 20 min walk, so it is a bit of a trek with shopping bags. We only found one local bar opersite the supermarket, the bar staff there were very friendly and it was also very cheap. The local beach was definitely more that 15 mins away,I would say a good 30 mins. Taxi's to beach, and shopping areas were 15€ each way, so a car is required. Whilst there we spoke to a number of other holiday makers, some all inclusive and some half board and with children. Most said that the hotel lacked staff and enterainment. The food was less than adequate for a 4 star hotel, the only thing that we all agreed on was the pool was big and nice for the children.
YvonneWebb, Hounslow /England
Mature Couple (36+)
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Review of 'CALEDONIA APARTHOTEL GOLF & SPA'
12 January 2006
all we can say is impressed especially with the standard of room very clean .
kathryn fianceeeeeeee/david fiancaaaaay, manchester
Young Couple (18-35)
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Review of 'CALEDONIA APARTHOTEL GOLF & SPA'
21 October 2005
After reading some of the previous reviews we were a bit apprehensive re the hotel. However we were pleasantly surprised - perhaps because we visited out of season? The rooms were spotless and spacious and cleaned well every day. The kitchen had a microwave and hob but no oven, kettle or grill - just a note if self catering.
The pool was spacious and supervised (but very cold). There were enough beds when we visited but this could be a problem in high season. They were not reserved with towels during our stay!
The indoor pool area was excellent and had a sauna, steam room and spa pool too at no charge. We changed our pool towels here each day at no cost or trouble too.
The staff spoke limited English but were pleasant and helpful and we did not experience any problems. The kids club was quiet and informal - my 6 year old loved it and rarely goes on on other holidays!
As self catering we found that the snack facilities were very limited and this does need some attention as does the service at the pool bar - again nice people but limited resources.
A car is a definate requirement and anyone going here on a package deal with no transport could be very isolated. You really need to drive to take in the surrounding area - especially the fab Puerto Banus Marina. However at 12 euros a taxi it doesn't break the bank.
All in - a great holiday at a fabulous cost. We will definately use Alpha Rooms again and have recommended it to many!
Alison Weir, motherwell/scotland
Family with Children 11 and Under
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Review of 'CALEDONIA APARTHOTEL GOLF & SPA'
07 August 2005
The rooms are excellent, spotlessly clean and spacious. Rooms have a kitchen area, lounge with sofa bed, double bedroom, large bathroom and balcony. There are 2 bed –rooms and studios available. The room has TV (Sky news + Eurosport). There is plenty of wardrobe space and strong air conditioning, though the controls are difficult to understand.
The hotel is about a mile from the main road so a car is essential (though there are occasional coaches from the hotel). The hotel shop is limited. Very basic food and only one English newspaper stocked (the Guardian)!
The restaurant is only full at breakfast time. The quality and choice is reasonable. The buffet (lunch + dinner) always has salads and soups (usually gazpacho!), a good choice of hot main course dishes (+ kids food section) and a good choice of desserts and plentiful fresh fruit. Interestingly only about a quarter of the hotel guests are all-inclusive, resulting in the main restaurant being half empty at lunch and dinner times. For those used to all inclusive hotels, there is the usual choice of local drinks from the hotel and pool bars, though extras like crisps and ice-creams have to be paid for. Slightly annoyingly the all-inclusive service stops early at 11 pm. For guests not on all-inclusive there is a snack bar for lunches and the main restaurant for lunch and dinner.
The outdoor pool is oxygen cleansed, so no smelly chlorine. There is a lifeguard in attendance. New sunbeds and umbrellas appeared during our stay so there are now sufficient sunbeds though there is little shade in the pool area (More umbrellas arrived during our stay but they could do with more). There is an indoor pool and gym and sauna/spa.
The children’s club (ages 4-12) is spacious, cool and runs plenty of activities. They also run the occasional pool activity. The animation team consists of just two people who run occasional exercise classes around the pool and water polo plus the occasional darts or rifle shooting. The evening entertainment consists of a mini disco for the children and then a show. These shows are the weakest I’ve ever seen and attract an audience of about 30 people. If the music wasn’t so loud you could watch them as comedies, unfortunately the noise is deafening and the desire to escape overwhelming. The hotel is very quiet in the evening, but with a car, the areas of Marbella, Puerto Banus and Estepona nearby are all worth visiting.Overall a good holiday!
Tania Falk, London England
Family with Children 11 and Under
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Review of 'CALEDONIA APARTHOTEL GOLF & SPA'
27 May 2005
We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel. It is in a very new / developing area with building works in progress, but once inside the hotel, there is no sight or sound of this. The foyer and dining areas are beautiful and the room/suite one of the nicest I have ever stayed in, with a large lounge (kitchenette at one end), large double bedroom, large bathroom and balconey over looking the pool. This seems to be the standard layout of all rooms. The outdoor pool was also great.
Everything was very clean and new as the hotel only opened last October. I would recommend the half board option which we found great value. The food especially the dinners was delicious and very very plentiful (buffet) as my son proved, helping himself to ten courses! You do really need a car unless you intend to spend your holiday by the pool as it is a tricky walk to the beach and not served by public transport, but there are loads of interesting places within a short drive.....puerto banus, estepona, marbella, even gibraltar and ronda.
There are lots of good deals online for this hotel at the moment - I suggest you go this year, as when it gets more established and the surrounding work is finished it will certainly go up in price.
P, Essex
Other
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Review of 'CALEDONIA APARTHOTEL GOLF & SPA'
12 May 2005
We stayed at the Caledonia Aparthotel for 3 nights in May - the hotel was very quiet. We thought the hotel was fairly isolated when we arrived but next day we walked to the beach, took about 25 minutes It does mean crossing the main road but foot bridges make it safe. Buses also run from this road to Marbella and Estepona even though we didn't use them. Lots of building work going on in the area but we didn't hear any of it from the hotel. Food was a bit boring and not very warm. Our room was large and airy. In our opinion this hotel is suitable for people who like quiet relaxing holidays and best for short breaks. We would book this hotel again if we were visiting the area.
Sue, St. Albans/England
Other
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Review of 'CALEDONIA APARTHOTEL GOLF & SPA'
11 April 2005
We stayed here in April for 3 days, on an all-inclusive basis.
The hotel is quite isolated and a car is essential. The rooms and general facilities are very good and staff are friendly and efficient. This hotel is geared towards families and meal times can be extremely noisy, food variety is limited and would become boring if staying longer than 3 days. All-inclusive worked well and was easy to access, just show room card.
A good hotel for a short break, close to Gibralter and Marbella. Well priced
margarettaylor@tiscali.co.uk, Bangor, Northern Ireland
Other
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