Hotel Merce

We arrived at Hotel Merce in early October, after booking through good reviews on loveholidays. We arrived and check in was quick and we were soon in our room, standard economy room with an ensuite and balcony. Cleanliness could have been improved and towels and bedding had stains on them. Food was poor with not a lot of choice. We were breakfast included but you can pay to eat for dinner, and we didn't eat it once as so little to choose from. Ended up having toast from the buffet every morning. Surrounding area is very quiet - lots of locals and not a lot to explore. There is a beach about a 10 minute walk from the hotel but it's right next to the railway and there was no entry in the sea. We booked this expecting a quiet but fun break - we weren't expecting a lot seeing as it is so out of season but this was a lot worse than expected. We couldn't drink in any bars as they had no cider and vodka, only beer and rum, alright if you like it. There was also a very small selection of restaurants around. We ate in the same cafe 4 nights in a row. Calella is nearby which is good in the summer but again was dead due to out of season - expected but we weren't willing to pay to travel there every day to eat/drink. Overall - nice friendly hotel, not a lot of English spoken and not many other British people, but in the wrong place, especially for a young couple.

We arrived early on a Tuesday morning to the hotel, and the staff were so accommodating. They explained our room wasn't ready, but we could leave our luggage, in a safe room, and then go back later. We made use of the rooftop pool which is fab. We came back down a few hours later, and got our keys. Unfortunately the room was old, and wasn't quite what we were expecting. However, I went straight down to ask if we could swap for a newer one, they explained that the hotel was full that night but to come down the following morning and they could switch the room for us. They stayed true to their word, and swapped our room - it was beautiful!!! Overlooking the beautiful traditional Catalonian streets! The room was very clean and tidy...and modern! Breakfast was really good - great choice, and just a buffet style, so you could go up as many times as you wanted. The location was good, just off the main high street. Around a 15 minute walk to the beach. The beach is lovely - very clean!! The staff were absolutely lovely in this hotel, and were so happy to help. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a quiet, relaxing break!

We’ve decided to stay at Hotel Merce for our holiday for 6 consecutive years. The hotel is always clean and the staff are always friendly and willing to help. The price for our stay is good value and the hotel provides a good base for the beach and sightseeing further afield. We enjoy relaxing on the beach and in the beach bars which are a 15 minute stroll from the hotel. Pineda de Mar train station is also within walking distance which has regular trains to Barcelona for 10€ return! There’s so much to see in the city which is the main reason we keep coming back! The hotel has a roof top pool and terrace, however is slightly dated now. I appreciate it is towards the end of the summer season but the majority of the sun beds were broken! We booked half board at Hotel Merce, food in the restaurant is served in a buffet style which is okay however could be more varied. In previous years, staff have come to our table to take our drinks order but this never occurred during our stay this year. On our last night we ended up taking our own bottle of water. Food in the snack bar upstairs was lovely! The bar waiter made sure our meal was well presented and he checked that we were happy with our food and drinks. We had reserved our room in May 2019 ready for our holiday in October 2019. Prior to travel we requested a room with a balcony overlooking the church. We appreciate this is not always available however there was plenty of notice before our stay. The hotel listened to our request and provided us with a room which we thought met our needs... Upon arrival at 22:30, we deposited our luggage in the allocated room only to find that there were only 2 beds for 3 guests! We went back to reception to query this and they said that the extra bed could be moved in the following day after 13:00 but we would need to be moved into a different room for the first night of our holiday due to staffing and security. We were offered a few room options to look at. One smelt very strongly of cigarette smoke and the other had no balcony. After trailing up and down the hotel steps viewing the rooms, we settled on the room with no balcony. The following morning, the staff informed us that it was not possible to fit the third bed into the original room therefore offered us an alternative room, however we could not move directly from room to room as originally stated. We would need to pack up again and store our luggage in the luggage room by reception. Which meant more carrying of the heavy suitcases! When finally getting the key to the room chosen by reception. It was obvious that this was just a double room with an added camp style bed, not the triple room as originally booked. Again, the room had a strong smell of smoke in which we had to hang air fresheners to reduce the smell, purchases at our own cost! The room had a balcony as requested however the view was poor as it was overlooking the building opposite and never had sunlight. The staff were very helpful in trying to solve the dilemma however after the sixth visit I would expect our needs to be met perfectly as sufficient time was given for preparation. In the end we settled on the room, it wasn’t just what we wanted however we didn’t want anymore fuss. The room was just a place to rest our heads as we were out most of the day.