Atlantic Gardens

We have just Spent 2 weeks at the Atlantic Gardens upon arrival first impressions good, set in stunning gardens which appear very well kept and looked after upon arriving at the accommodation which is set in bungalows spacious rooms appeared tidy basic but ideal for what we needed, we did find the water pressure was not brilliant in the shower and more often than not water appeared to be luke warm, floor didn't look like it had been swept or for a few days suspect the bungalow had stood empty for a short time prior to our arrival otherwise accommodation was generally tidy. Cleaners come in everyday and appeared to clean the room to a decent standard. Throughout our stay we encountered one or 2 issues one being an electrical issue which potentially quite dangerous as their were wires exposed it however took some sorting out as had to visit reception numerous occasions to the get the issue corrected which was a bit dissapointed about having read other reviews things appeared to sorted very quickly but not on this occasion. Pool - Very Cold not sure if it is at all heated certainly didn't feel like it once you were in though it was not to bad, Sunbeds around the Pool were Plentiful however as the week went on the hotel started to get busier as did people leaving towels on the sunbeds of a morning as did we however one morning had popped out briefly after being there returned a short time later to find towels had been removed by the lifeguard who when challenged had told us he put them in reception as we were not allowed to reserve sun beds i went to reception to retrieve them to be told that by a rather abrupt female receptionist that sun beds are not allowed to be reserved as they are their for other customers also however this rule clearly is not enforced as every day sun beds were being reserved even some days we were by the pool towels were left on empty beds all day and were not removed i think if this hotel is going to have rules regarding this they need to enforce it all the time not just when it suits which appears to be happening as from what i could see we along with a couple others were only ones to have had towels removed in the whole 2 weeks we were there which again for us is disappointing having read such good reviews on this Hotel. One other thing we did notice was a complete lack of atmosphere around the Pool we know it is meant to be a place for relaxation but a little bit of music wouldn't go a miss round the pool couldn't understand why there wasn't any just makes it that little better we did ask and was told they had received one or 2 complaints but talking to many people there appears that music is what people want by the pool and they are just going on the minority of people that had complained. Food - Good selection of food was able to find something everyday particularly enjoyed the Gnocchi in cheese sauce one of the nicest dishes we had while there food appeared well presented was a little repetetive not the best selections if you are a vegetarian would have been nice to see a bit more of a selection for vegetarians. The restaurant staff were brilliant big praise to them they clearly work very hard to keep tables free for guests constantly on the go cleaning tables and re setting them for other guests to use. Entertainment - very limited selection of entertainment Some of the singers were ok some were awful bingo and quiz night were good however feel the hotel could perhaps have a variety of entertaiment instead of a singer 6 nights a week how about animal show/Magican/Dancers for example have stayed in many all inclusive hotels before and they have always had a decent selection of entertainment of an evening. Animation team very limited wasn't very encouraging when trying to get people to partake in the activities that were on offer not much enthusiasm from him. we enjoy pool activities and saw them advertised but none during the 2 weeks we were there seemed to take place at all. Bar - Bar Staff work particularly hard of an evening good selection of drinks on offer nice to have a different cocktail of the day everyday. In all we enjoyed our stay would stay again if certain changes that we have highlighted are looked into properly and not just on the basis of when it suits.

This could be a really good hotel if it was upgraded. The facilities and layout are good, apart from security which is virtually non-existent. Manager and staff work very hard for customers. Bar/restaurant stays open until 1 am and some people stay long after this so can be very noisy, so best to avoid bungalows near the bar/restaurant if you are a light sleeper!

I'll get my grumbles out of the way first. We arrived at 11.30am to be told that our room would not be ready until 1pm. The receptionist was rude and unfriendly which we thought did not bode well. She just snapped at us to go and get something to eat only we couldn't until the restaurant opened at 1pm! Most places we have stayed at they have check out by around 10am but here its 12pm so something to be aware of if you are on an early flight like we were. Our bungalow was nicely situated overlooking the pool but it wasn't the cleanest of rooms it must be said. There was food on the floor left by previous occupants, and when I used my hand to try and locate an earring back I had dropped on the bedroom floor my hand came back absolutely black. There were smudge marks on the wardrobe mirrors left from previous occupants that did not get wiped off all week. The lounge area looked like it had been updated but the bedroom and shower room did need some attention. We rarely saw a chambermaid and throughout our stay all that they seem to do in our bungalow was empty the bins and re-arrange the towels to their liking. The hotel advertise free Wi-Fi in all areas only that was not the case for us. We advised the receptionist and our holiday rep a couple of days later that we could not get Wi-Fi in our room and it was midway through our holiday before it was sorted out. YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR OWN POOL TOWELS. This wasn't a problem only the hotel do not advise this on their website and I had to email them to ask before we departed. Others were caught out by this as we noticed some using their bathroom towels around the pool. On to the good points! This is a lovely relaxed peaceful place, some distance from all the main centre of Playa Blanca. We walked for over 30 minutes to reach any kind of shopping centre. This isn't a complaint because we like quiet! I know there have been some security issues here and I can understand why those on the edge of the site might feel vulnerable as anyone can just walk in, but we did not feel that in our bungalow as we were in the centre of the site. The bungalows have safety deposit boxes but you'll be charged for using them - around 30 euros but you get some of that back. There was a nice selection of toiletries in the bathroom on arrival and large bottle of water. We loved the food. I'm a very fussy eater but I always found something I liked. We were given a piece of paper when we arrived that said you could sandwiches at noon but on the one day we asked for them the staff didn't seem to know what we were on about. Cooked snacks were available from 4pm but with lunch at 1pm and dinner at 6.45pm we never felt the need for them. The pools didn't get used over much as the water in them is freezing! The usual sun bed hogging went on with towels going out well before 6.30 in the morning but I'm not sure why as there never seemed to be any shortage of sunbeds. I guess people like to be in the same place every day. The public areas and the gardens were kept in a spotless condition. I must say that for an all inclusive resort this place is superb value for money. It just needs to get its act together with cleanliness and a nice warm welcome and then I think their 3 star rating might go up to a 4.