Hotel Caribe

This is the third time returning to hotel Caribe. My little girl who is allergic to dairy and Nuts/peanuts, so I always do a lot of research before we go on holiday. Especially if I’m not doing the cooking. We always dine at the main buffet restaurant and the staff are wondering. They will have a list prepared each night and ask what my daughter would like to eat. Everything is freshly cooked, and the rest of the family would eat from the buffet. Also I like the fact that it’s a walking distance to the Portaventura Park.

I'm always very picky when it comes to hotels, and Caribe enchanted me with it's views, pools and general vibe. Also, 4 stars! That's always a good sign, right? When you enter the resort, it does look like a tropical paradise. Reception was very helpful and sweet, and the grounds looked beautiful. However, the room was nowhere near 4 stars. It was almost empty. Not enough towels, no toiletries (except for hand wash and shampoo/shower gel attached to the walls). No slippers, empty, lukewarm minibar, no paper, no pens, no room service whatsoever. Some of the sockets didn't work, balcony door very wonky. The view was wonderful though - the pools really do look heavenly. The walls are made out of cardboard. You can literally hear everyone around you. Breakfast is standard, not bad - but I've stayed at a three star hotel and got the exact same breakfast. Also, as I was travelling at peak time (Halloween), of course I expected the price to be quite high. But the ratio of price to service was ludicrous, even counting all the benefits (like Port Aventura entry). But the worst part was at the very end. We had a very early flight and had to go to the airport in the middle of the night. We asked reception about the night buses, and were assured that there's a bus at 3:35 AM. We asked if it needs to be booked in advance, and were absolutely assured that it will come. At 3:20 we come down and ask again. One more time, we are showered with reassurance. 3:35. Nothing. 3:45. Nothing. 4:00. We talk to reception again. They call the bus company. Nobody booked the bus, so it didn't come. The reception gentleman tries to negotiate with the bus company, and a bus comes at 4:30. It was a miracle that we didn't miss our plane - it could've happened very easily with such a level of incompetence. Perhaps during off-season, when the price is low (and so are your expectations), it can be a nice choice. But I doubt we'll be coming back.