Checkin Concordia Playa

Bizarre rule about not being allowed to fill one's water bottle at the purified water dispenser in the dining hall. Very plain hotel, at best a 3 star vibe. Food was simple and mostly acceptable, with some menu weirdness like fresh bananas every day but not at breakfast (?). Some staff are wonderful, majority helpful, but not all (especially if you dare fill a water bottle at the purified water dispenser, lol). Drinking glasses really didn't look clean, and the rooms were clean enough but certainly not spotless. Overall, if you get a room for cheap, fine, but don't pay 4 star prices. Beach is nearby and beautiful but so rocky that you wll get bloody shins from wading in, which sounds dramatc, but was my experence and also that of an intrepid man who was also attemptng to wade into the sea, near me. All rocks, and they are thrown around by every wave. His wife wisely didn't try, and stayed back on the dramatc black sand beach. The black sand was wonderful for December as it helped catch some heat in the cmparatvely cool days. Perhaps not as great in summer?

Overall nice staff but if you have difficulty walking like my mother, best to avoid. Impossible gradient on the ramp to enter the dining hall. I pushed my mom up it in a rented chair, and lucky I'm a weight-lifter. Not allowed to fill a water bottle from their filtered water dispenser even if you use a glass and tip it into a water bottle. Got yelled at and insulted by a staff member and management didn't seem to care that much that I was verbally abused lol. I'm a big boy and don't back down from people who try to intimidate me. I just laugh. I will add that the food was pretty decent and simple. Being a health nut, I always found good choices, so am grateful for that. Some very very nice staff but some ignorance as well which like I say management didn't seem too concerned about. Most drinking glasses didn't seem clean, perhaps there's an issue with their dishwasher.

Staying here is nothing short of a nightmare. This hotel seems to have been built in the 1970s, and is in desperate need of restoration and cleaning.

The room we were initially given was a true chamber of horrors. I witnessed a blood stain on the shower curtain, various sick stains running up the walls and cupboards, heavily stained sofa and heavy mould covering both the curtains and the walls themselves. The beds were pretty comfortable but the sheets were makeup stained and reeked of smoke, suggesting they had not been changed prior to our arrival.

Every night was a challenge, feeling like a survival task on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. The sound of scuttling around our room at night kept us awake, and I didn't dare look to see what our unwelcome room mates were.

After complaining, we were eventually moved to a cleaner room with a nice sea view, which was appreciated, but even this second room felt nowhere near the 4-star standard they claim. Furthermore, if a 4-star rating is based on meeting facilities requirements, I'd again disagree—for example there wasn't even basic tea and coffee-making facilities in the room which I believe is a requirement.

I am utterly confused by any review praising the food. Perhaps the chef on holiday during our visit? I've never known a breakfast buffet to be so inedible. Even the croissants were so stale you needed a knife to saw through them. The hotel's promotional photo featured a stand of fresh fruit, which in reality translated to a few lemon quarters—a metaphor for the entire hotel experience, perhaps.

I only attempted dinner once, I ate very little and it made me feel sick. Beyond the very limited selection and quality issues, everything was served stone cold. Never again - I took the financial loss there and payed for all meals outside of this hotel after the first day.

On the plus side, the staff were polite and friendly, I suspect they are fully aware of the hotel's issues. The hotel pool area did look more recently refurbished. However, we didn't use it, as the entire hotel experience was so utterly stressful that we spent the minimum amount of time possible on the premises. I think its the first holiday I've had where I was glad I wasn't staying longer.

Ultimately, the best thing about the hotel is its location, close to the beach and a great public lagoon style pool (which I'd really recommend), and restaurants and bars are close by, which at least gives you somewhere nice to go to escape your accommodation.

Do yourself a massive favour and stay anywhere else in Puerto de la Cruz so you can enjoy this beautiful city in all its glory and without the stress we had.