Palia La Roca

June 2008. Stayed at Palia La Roca for a short four night all inclusive break. The hotel was cheap & cheerful but is in need of further modernisation. Food rooms and pool were all acceptable for a 3 star hotel. The bar service really let the hotel down as most of the time there was only one stressed out bar person trying to keep up with serving too many people. This was made worse by the drinks being served in 200ml plastic beakers so customers were having to return to the bar frequently, also the bar staff would only serve 2 beakers per person, as there were several people in our party this required several of us to visit the bar together. Then to cap it all the all inclusive service ended at 10:30pm. We used the bar across the road from the hotel to avoid the unpleasant atmosphere in the hotel bar. Our gripes could easily be fixed by more bar staff being employed at busy times and serving drinks in reasonable sized glasses.

Sheila Holden, England
Mature Couple (36+)

We went 23rd march for 5 nights. We asked for seaview and got it, lovely view. rooms were cleaned everyday, the hotel is an ideal location for everything beach just across the road, bonanza square just up the hill from your hotel and the marina only 5 euros in a taxi or ten mins walk. The only gripe we had was the food did seem to be the same each night so we ended up eating out for three nights and just had lunch in the hotel. Overall I would go back there again for it's location and the pool area was a nice suntrap blocking out the wind at this time of year. Oh forgot to add there's entertainers who will try and get you involved in most things and they seem to make a lot of noise playing daft games whilst we just wanted to sunbathe in peace.

chris kloumann, glasgow
Young Couple (18-35)

WE have stayed at La Roca many times over the last 5/6 years and have enjoyed all of our stays . The staff are all very helpfull and polite yes it is basic but i cant fault it at all

Dean Bradley, Maidenhead Berkshire
Mature Couple (36+)

Our stay was for four days at the end of September and the price was one of the cheapest of all the other hotels in the  Benalmadena area.  It is an excellent location for the beach and has lovely pools, one which was covered.  Plenty of sunbeds and comfy pads set out on a grassy area. However the place was in desperate need of modernisation! or simply a lick of paint in the rooms!  The table on the outside terrace was tile topped, cracked all over rusty beyond belief round the edges and just looked like it should be on a skip! the same went for most of the fixtures and fittings in the room. It certainly wasn't the cleanest we've stayed in either, not sure when the mirror last got polished or what it was that was all over it.  The beds were extremely uncomfortable and were probably as old as everything else.  We were told by locals that this hotel has changed hands several times in the last 10 years and no real changes or improvements have been made except to the reception area.
The food was poor especially the breakfasts.  There was bacon every day with either scrambled eggs and beans or poached eggs and because the hotel is french owned and 90 odd percent of guests seemed to be french, the food in the hot trays was never changed which by the time we got it, the bacon was rock hard the beans dried up and when it was scrambled egg it was like slop.  We hardly saw any other english guests at the end of September and maybe this is popular holday time for the french, whom we fournd extremely bad mannered and rude both in the restaurant and entertainment areas, so we didn't feel that we could stay and enjoy the evenings caberet sat amongst them all!

We would have preferred more of a mix of nationalities when staying somewhere so we wouldn't have felt so out of place! and may have had more variance on the food. We did find the spanish hotel staff were the nicest we have come across in a long time.  They were very helpful and seemed to do everything with a smile.

Paul Stead, Bingley, England
Mature Couple (36+)

The Hotel is really nice very close to the beach and to the little town centre. There are a lot agencies, restaurants, grocery stores, shops and pubs around the hotel.
The only thing that we didn't like it was the fact they put two single beds together and they called that room as Double Room and also into the swimming area that they have signed in every single language saying that you are not aloud to reserve the sun beds, but people still do that as putting their towells in the top of the sun bed and going to the beach or to the rooms and just coming back later in the afternoon.

Caroline Cruz, Stewartby/England
Young Couple (18-35)

Basically clean no frills old fashioned Spanish Hotel which desperately needs a facelift.  Despite this the staff were efficient but a little dour and the food was very dissapointing.  Nice sea view room was allocated which was clean but resembled something from a Carry on Abroad film.  I would not return unless I couldn't get in anywhere else.

Kevin Stanton, Midlands, England
Solo Traveller

stayed at la roca for 11 nights for xmas 2004 i wish i had stayed at home the hotel was dimly lit saving on electric the staff couldnt care.The food if you got any was cold One morning i had to knock the kitchen door to get the chef to put some food out as the trays of eggs @ bacon were empty,and guess what he brought out 6 rashers of bacon and 2 eggs.
    The view from the hotel room window was onto a building site ok a lot of work is done in the winter months but surely someone could have let us know.Was glad to get back never again.

.G Randell, barnsley south yorkshire
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