THB Tropical Island

We didn’t have massive expectations given the star rating but we were pleasantly surprised. The room was clean and spacious with a large balcony. We paid extra to overlook a pool and that was worth it to be able to drink wine on the balcony while watching our two older kids swimming. We have stayed at two five star hotels in the area and this room was much better as you had a small kitchen with fridge and hob plus a separate bedroom from the sofa bed. When we stayed in H10 Rubicón you could barely swing a cat in it and could only squeeze two on the balcony. So whilst H10 looked super fancy, it wasn’t very practical. Yes, THB is dated but it’s clean and they are in the process of upgrading. The lobby could do with looking a bit more inviting on first arrival.

It is well-placed for town with only a 15min stroll. We did self-catering and there are tons of restaurants in Playa Blanca and the marina catering to every taste. The best bits for us were the bike hire shop on site and the football academy. My husband was out cycling every morning and my boys (who have always refused to go to a kids club) absolutely loved the football and were there every day which meant I could use the heated adults pool with lanes for swimming. Room for improvement would be having a lifeguard stationed at the slides to ensure kids don’t go down immediately after others and generally having more lifeguards on duty actually at the pools. I would also like the smaller pools to be open until at least 7 and to have them heated from mid-October as they were bracing compared to the adult pool. The air con seemed to work okay but I’d imagine it wouldn’t quite cope if temps crept above 26. The balcony could do with a couple of sun loungers. We did love that they offered late checkout if available. You ask the day before you leave and pay €40. This was worth it to keep the room until 6pm as we could then fully enjoy our last day. There were also plenty of sun beds at all pools so no need to reserve. We would book again as the hotel definitely suited our needs. We didn’t use any of the hotel restaurants, the pool entertainment or evening entertainment so can’t comment on those. Do get a back gate key and pay a deposit for beach towels. It’s a big complex so you didn’t feel crowded at all. Staff were all very helpful. We had a great holiday. The football academy had been one of the main reasons we booked and my boys loved it freeing up time for me and my husband.

Overall we enjoyed our stay but I am glad we went out of school holiday season and were able to use the adult pool, as my daughter is over 18. Obviously my opinion is based on not having young children so take that into account. We had a couple of issues where we needed to call for help from maintenance but someone always arrived quickly and sorted out the problems. We were self catering and purchased lunch once but couldn't eat it - it was very poor quality. There are so many lovely restaurants in Playa Blanca, I would definitely recommend going self catering. The room was spacious and clean. There were only 2 sets of mugs, bowls etc despite the room being booked for 3 but we made do with what we had. We appreciated the bottle of water in the room when we arrived. There were no drawers anywhere for storage but plenty of room and hangers in the wardrobe. Large balcony although we did not get the sun on our balcony which was a shame. The maid arrived early every morning - too early for us. A Do Not Disturb sign would be useful! There were no keys available for the back gate due to building work being carried out. This was fine as we were given a time when the gate would be locked. However this was not kept to and the gate was shut a lot earlier than advertised. This resulted in very long walks around the hotel to the main entrance late at night. If you are going to advertise a time - stick to it! I raised this with management at the hotel but heard nothing more - not even an apology. For our last 2 days we were living in a building site. As guests left in our block, the rooms were ripped apart. We were awoken early for the last 2 days by workmen stripping out the rooms and the high level of noise and disruption continued all day. Not very relaxing. We used the sports bar a few times and the staff were lovely and friendly. My husband used the gym. The hotel offered good facilities and plenty of pools and we really liked the peaceful surroundings of the adult pool. However we wouldn't look to return.

You get what you pay for...came here for a cheaper getaway for some winter sun. Booked this place for the toddler splash park. First day wasn't on, 2nd day we went to reception to ask and they said the newer one gets used...not really suitable for a 1 year old with concrete flooring and older kids running around (not a problem with the older kids as it's their age group it's for). Anyway we went in the 'old splash park' so he could kick a ball and saw a sign saying use on request, ask lifeguard, so we did and an older care taker came and put it on. Perfect, loads more toddlers came in that day and enjoyed themselves. 3rd day asked the lifeguard to the reply it comes on every hour. Went over it was bone dry and we had been round it before we nipped to the room for half hour. So no it hadn't been on, asked another caretaker he just pointed to the newer one. For me don't advertise a toddler splash park if the newer one for older kids is the one you are going to use. All pools seem to be dirty too. I'd say the minority of staff are helpful. I've stayed at numerous hotels from 2* to 5* this is not a 3* plus at all. Just to paint the picture I'm not stuck up as some reviews we take with a pinch of salt.