Abora Catarina By Lopesan Hotels

“A great hotel all around! Hope we get to come back!”

We’re here right now with sad faces…waiting for our flight home. Here’s our review on a great hotel!! Hotel - The hotel is super clean and tidy and the staff are constantly keeping on top of it. It has a lovely modern vibe in most places and the ongoing renovations are just making it even bett... more

We’re here right now with sad faces…waiting for our flight home. Here’s our review on a great hotel!! Hotel - The hotel is super clean and tidy and the staff are constantly keeping on top of it. It has a lovely modern vibe in most places and the ongoing renovations are just making it even better! It’s a great location for the dunes, via a walk to the right of the doors through the Riu (public pathway so free to use). We went down after sunset one evening and our daughter had a ball playing in the sand (didn’t go far from the path incase we got lost!) We also got a taxi just before sunset one evening to the Santa Monica Suites where you can get straight on to the dunes, watched the sunset and then walked over the dunes to the beach for an evening paddle. Food - We thought the food was fantastic for an all inclusive, this hotel is very multi cultural (We saw British, Spanish, German, Dutch, French and Swiss) and the food is varied to cater for everyone. The chefs must work really hard to create such choice!! I also saw one advising a guest which dishes were safe for a food intolerance/allergy. ( I think if you aren’t adventurous you might feel there’s not enough choice but there’s always pizzas, chips, rice, pasta and salads. The only thing I might suggest is they have some plain chicken every day for the simpler tastes.) The pool cafe is a help yourself from 11am and is fantastic if you don’t want to tidy up to eat in the restaurant. Again the food here is great and a good choice! There’s drinks machines all over so you’re never far from one. On the reception floor, theres an inside bar for evenings, by there is also a fridge with pre-made sandwiches for late night snacks (only two choices but great just the same). The waiting staff work so hard to keep the tables clean and if there’s not one available they will quickly clear one for you. Gracias todo! Pools - the main pool is only waist height so be careful jumping in, but still loads of fun to be had! There’s also the slides pool which opens at 10am so great to avoid early mornings to put your towel down (which I think in peak season will be a must) If you want to be right by the main pool it is very packed with sunbeds so no turning them to follow the sun but there are a few different sunbathing areas to seek out where you have more room. Rooms - good size, good AC, comfy beds, again the maids work hard to keep them clean and beds made everyday if you want (we chose every other day for a towels change) Reception - helpful and excellent English the few times we needed them. Entertainment - they work sooo hard and are so friendly and welcoming. We only saw two shows as we went out in the evening but they gave it their all. I would say to the show planners that the shows need more humour… they danced beautifully and the choreography was great but no real giggles which could have been incorporated easily I feel. To sum up, we loved this hotel. spotlessly clean, the only insects we saw were ants (no bother) or beautiful dragon flies (not one mosquito bite between the three of us). We have stayed in the Caribbean 3 times and we think this hotel is the closest in standard that we’ve experienced in Europe. If you’re not happy here… I’m not sure you’re happy anywhere?? We will absolutely come back if we can!! Gracias Abora Catarina! XXX

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“Great family holiday”

Amazing family holiday. Food was really good. We went as a group of 7- 5adults 2 children (ages 2 and 9). None of us had any complaints about the food. Some reviews mention about queuing for food, hustle and bustle etc but I wouldn’t expect anything less from an all inclusive hotel-the restaurant... more

Amazing family holiday. Food was really good. We went as a group of 7- 5adults 2 children (ages 2 and 9). None of us had any complaints about the food. Some reviews mention about queuing for food, hustle and bustle etc but I wouldn’t expect anything less from an all inclusive hotel-the restaurant gets busy but it’s not unbearable, tables were promptly cleaned and always somewhere to sit even as a larger group. Room was always clean, fresh towels, beds made. Plenty of room round the pool- it was a bit cold but warmed up towards the end of the holiday. Some reviews have mentioned about loud children- again a bit of common sense is needed and if you are booking a hotel that advertises a children’s splash park etc I expect it’s aimed at families and there are going to be children around. We would return to this hotel, catered to all our needs as a family.

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“Easter holiday”

Visited with family over Easter holidays. Overall hotel better than expected from previous reviews. As previously stated showers are iffy going from hot to cold and then really hot . Slippy round by pools as also reviewed by other travellers. Resort itself wasn't for us so wouldn't return .

“A good choice for families”

We stayed here for a week in a party of seven (kids 6,5 and 3). This resort is a solid choice for families but as the surrounding area isn’t so appealing, I wouldn’t recommend it for couples. Unless you’re into swinging! We are a really pleasant late night check in with Scarlett who was really fr... more

We stayed here for a week in a party of seven (kids 6,5 and 3). This resort is a solid choice for families but as the surrounding area isn’t so appealing, I wouldn’t recommend it for couples. Unless you’re into swinging! We are a really pleasant late night check in with Scarlett who was really friendly. We were in room 231 which was great size for the four of us. We had no view but it was quiet and also close enough to the main areas so we were happy. The room was bright, fresh and clean a wee bit of water damage in the bathroom door but that’s it. The shower was a bit temperamental as others have said but we kept the overall temp quite low and found this helped. Not a cold shower by any means but on the cooler side. You can forgo a daily room clean and get a premium drinks voucher (spirit only, not mixer! Really?) which was a nice incentive a couple of times however when we did have a clean, the sheets didn’t get changed all week. After reading reviews on here, I was really worried about the food but I shouldn’t have been. There was a lot of selection and it was hot. Breakfast was the best by far and true, lunch and dinner got a bit samey although there were Mexican nights and Chinese nights during our stay. One of our party of 7 got a stomach upset however I doubt it was the food (everyone in the catering team wearing gloves, food wrapped properly etc) and more down to the hygiene of other guests using the serving spoons so make use of the napkins when serving yourself and hand sanitizer before eating. I saw four females not washing their hands after the toilet while waiting for my daughter in the loo. People are gross. The snack bar is as you would imagine but handy after a day of swimming and the food was fine for the kids. Standard all inclusive stuff. The drinks are ok, beer and wine on tap, soft drinks and filtered water taps. Spirits/cocktails are severed at the bar. You can ask for more rum for the mojitos (necessary!) and the staff were happy to add some more. The coffee is from machines but they have large filter urns at breakfast and we found this to be a bit nicer, there is a range of milk at breakfast too. The facilities were good but just a few wee things that could be improved. There needs to be more sun umbrellas generally and concentrated in the kids splash park, we couldn’t get shade there as everyone has been out early reserving. The facilities at the kids splash park are great and the kids had a ball but the tiles around this area are deadly so bring pool shoes for your little ones. A couple of the water toys are broken but it didn’t hinder our enjoyment but they should be looked at. Cleanliness around here needs a wee improvement. The main pool was a great depth for the kids and we had a lot of fun. The area around the pool has the same slippy tiles! The animation team work really hard, so friendly to us all, the kids club was good and our 5 and 6 year olds liked it. The shows at night were entertaining and the kids loved the disco. Staff on the whole are really friendly. It was a great holiday! I just feel the hotel needs to have a fresh pair of eyes focusing on repairs and cleaning to bring this up. It’s a solid choice for families and these maintenance measures don’t hinder your experience.

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“Lovely holiday, Good Hotel but need some improvements”

This was our first stay at the Abora Catarina, and we wouldn't be back. The hotel needs to make some improvements cause this is not 4-star hotel definitely, and is overpriced. -The size of the room, the comfort of the beds, and the view from the balcony are brilliant! -Check-in was quick and... more

This was our first stay at the Abora Catarina, and we wouldn't be back. The hotel needs to make some improvements cause this is not 4-star hotel definitely, and is overpriced. -The size of the room, the comfort of the beds, and the view from the balcony are brilliant! -Check-in was quick and the lady in the reception was so nice, there was no introduction to the hotel, just she pointed the way, where we needed to go. But this is ok, was very busy at the time of check-in. -Restaurant- The food was lovely, but more often cold or barely warm. There is not much choice of meat, pork only! If you like seafood or fish, this is the place for you. My daughter and my husband love the seafood. The restaurant is very busy all the time and noisy. You had to keep asking to have food refilled, and the staff was not that friendly. The coffee from the machines looked like the discharge from a washing machine and didn't taste anything like coffee. -Bar: We were premium all-inclusive. We asked if they could make a cocktail not from the machine ( very sweet and tastes like juice, not alcohol), and we were told no, they never offered anything instead even though they could mix something less complicated. - Pool food court- No clean glasses constantly. There was a time when there was no beer or wine available from time to time, and the staff was not interested in replacing it. Food was the same all the time, and not great quality. -The entertainment was great, the kids' disco was amazing and the shows were nice and well prepared. The noise level is high. The animation team is very good and fair play to them for their hard work. Sunbeds -There is a policy that there is it says not to reserve beds but people do it and the staff is not reacting at all. Some of the towels were left for half a day and nobody using the sunbed. There are not enough umbrellas beside both pools, and there are no gaps between the sunbeds so you have to squeeze with other people. - Swimming pools. Kids water park was a big disappointment- The water was freezing and my kids did not even want to use it. The small slide for babies looks damaged and needs to be repainted at least. The big slides- nobody was used them cause of the temperature of the water, I think. The main pool was warmer and my kids much preferred this pool. The pool looks dirty, and sometimes you can find napkins or paper plates in it- blown by the wind from the pool food court. No inflatables allowed. No balls are allowed in the main pool (only in the very small one which is freezing cold). Lifeguards spent more time on their phones than checking the pool. The hotel appears to have invested in rooms with swim-up pools but left other communal areas in desperate need of attention or full refurbishment. There were quite a few areas where floor tiles or sections of the floor were missing or worn. There is a very slippery floor around the swimming pools, I have seen a few people slip and fall on the ground. Looks dangerous. - Rooms - nice and spacious. Does need a little bit of maintenance- the Air-con unit smelled like an old sock we turned once, mold sign under the aircon. The beds were comfortable but danced around the room. I like the kid's bedsheets, they were really nice. This hotel is advertised as family and kids-friendly, but there is no secure lock for kids on the door. My 2,5 year old opened easy the lock in the door, and run away from the room. This is so dangerous that kids can easily open the room door from the inside. After this incident we need to block the door with the suitcase all the time. The showers go from cold to boiling hot to cold and boiling hot again with no consistency. - Cleaning - our room was cleaned but not dusted at all, They did not clean properly, cause we had the same juice mark on the floor for all week. The curtain was not washed I think for the last 5 years. There was a mark like someone had thrown out on it and nobody cleaned this. Reception staff - helpful at the beginning of the stay, rude at the end. On my check-in I was told that there would be no problem with the late checkout, I just need to remind them at the end. On the day of check out, I was told that there is no possibility of a late checkout and this is their policy. I can understand that hotel is fully booked, but this should be told in the nicer way. The man was so rude and ignorant. He said that we can use the pool and eat lunch, but this was not true. At the check-out, another man ( even ruder) told me that I could use the hospitality room and take a shower there. He cut my band and with ignorance, tone said to me: you can use the pool only, no food or drinks for you, your all-inclusive is over. - Hospitality room- The worst experience ever. When we walked in I noticed that I was not the only one, that late check-out was declined. There was no space at all. The shower door are not closing, there were no towels available and there was water everywhere! No hanger in the shower room, terrible standard. - Additional costs: Payment 2e per day for use of the safe in the room. 20 Euro deposit for four towels, which I have no issue with. But a 1 Euro charge to refresh your towel is beyond a joke. Ice creams in the pool bar are not for free. Good things: - Location - is nice for the shops, dunes, and free bus to the beach, we enjoyed it so much the location! The restaurant food was nice but repeatable. - Entertainment team! Well done, -The view from the room is very nice - Lovely gardens, We had a lovely holiday overall, my kids love it but the hotel needs to improve a lot! We appreciate the hotel is good at entertaining kids.

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