Hotel Barcelo Isla Canela

We had the best time with our family. They have activities and entertainment all day for children & adults. Also, an astonishing buffet is served at the restaurant, the food illustrates the amazing Andalucian gastronomy! We’ll definitely make Barcelo Isla Canela to our yearly holiday destination.

I stayed at this hotel just before it was due to close for the Winter. The weather was mostly t-shirts and shorts but getting a bit cooler in the evenings. Clean and spacious, the rooms were plain but comfortable with good wifi connection. The pool and sun-lounge areas were large but not crowded. Some homegrown entertainment in the bar area in the evenings. A massive dining area with a wide variety of buffet style dishes. This is an out-of-the-way location with a bus service to nearby towns, but be warned - come Sundays, services are limited. Although this was a Tui holiday, apart from an introductory briefing, reps were rarely seen. This was a relaxing holiday but probably not suited to those wanting the fast lane.

We stayed on a half board basis for a week in October and found the hotel to be of a high standard, much like other Barcelo hotels we have stayed in. The facilities were first class, including a fabulous, large outdoor pool, plenty of sunbeds, clean and well maintained grounds as well as an indoor pool for when the weather is not too good. The meals were excellent with plenty of choice and variety each day, although the restaurant got very busy at times. The rooms were cleaned every day and the bed was just enormous and very comfy. The staff were all friendly and helpful. I would have given the hotel five stars were it not for a few little gripes, more to do with Barcelo than this hotel itself. If you want tea/coffee in your room you need to hire a kettle at reception then pay 5 euros for a small bag of tea/coffee/milk. There were not enough hangers in the room. The aircon was hit and miss and seemed to circulate warm air in the early hours and, as there was no remote or instructions, we mentioned it to reception who just stated that it worked in response to the outside temperature. Although the meals were of a high standard, the evening meal did not include any drinks and even water was charged for, which we thought was a little miserly. I presume Barcelo is trying to compete with other chains on overall price but this penny pinching is the reason why I have given 4 stars instead of 5 and why I would consider other hotels in the future. The location of the hotel was ideal, being so close to the beautiful beach and on a bus route. Ayamonte is well worth a visit for shopping and tapas (try the courtyard at the back of La Casona or Meraki Tapas for a modern spin). Our favourite bar in Isla Canela was La Orilla where the spirit measures were insane!