Barceló Isla Canela

Lovely hotel, all inclusive treated like 2nd class, no waiter service unless you were paying, only one cocktail which was not very njce. Entertainment awful. Lots of improvement needed. It was a shame as we had to make our own entertainment, rooms lovely, food good , but like a canteen, but shame

this hotel and the staff are exceptional, the food is beautiful and the staff are very friendly. The rooms are clean and the beds are so comfortable we needed to set an alarm to get up for breakfast. There are lots of activities and entertainment in the day and evening. There is a train and bus to take to to other areas, the beach is beautiful and there are a few tavernas to get a tapas or drink. it is a very quiet area so ideal for a relaxing time.

Location & Hotel not suitable for Young Families. 75% of guest were Senior Citizens & did not want any noise from younger generations.That is enjoying themselves in the pool. The night time entertainment was very poor. Outside of hotel was very quiet only a couple of bars open everything else was shut.

I have just returned from Barcelo Isla Canela after staying for 7 nights with my boyfriend (we are 19 and 20) and we were half board. Travel- We had a large coach take us to the hotel which was around an hour and a half long journey and the hotel was the first destination. On the way back, we had a transit van take us, with us two in and two other couples from the hotel. Check in- Very simple and easy. Only problem from our point of view was that we did not really get told anything. The woman did not tell us where our room was or the quickest way to get there (as the hotel is very large and consists of 3 sections). We took lift B (the one closest to the reception) when we were actually in section C and we had to walk around half the hotel to find it. They do not tell you the floor number but it is the first number of your room number. Additionally, we did not get informed about a TUI rep. Therefore, we never knew of any activities or information about the hotel. They did not give us any information about any additional costs (e.g. safe), but we decided to just lock our valuables in a suitcase to save money. Wifi is also free and you put down a deposit for a beach towel (€10 each), which you obviously get back. We also never got told how we found out our departure time for the transfer to go back to the airport. Luckily when we went down for dinner on the last night, someone else found a book with all the timings in and we just looked in there. We just felt like we were completely left alone during our stay and weren't told anything! Room- The room was excellent! We booked through TUI, where you can request certain features for the room and all of them were fulfilled. We booked to have a pool view, but because we requested a room on a high floor, we also ended up getting a sea view with no additional cost! (pictures included). Beds were so comfortable and absolutely huge- we had two twin beds pushed together. Lots of pillows too. Only downsides to the room were that the aircon was rather weak and the drain in the sink make a lot of gargling noises for around 30 seconds-1 minute after water went down it, which was a bit annoying. Maids did an excellent job of cleaning the rooms every day. Seen complaints about the noise due to the entertainment (that we never viewed), but we did not hear a thing- maybe because our room was too far away. Adding on to that, there were absolutely no English TV channels but we were fine with that. Other guests- Apart from a few young families and a few young couples, the hotel was predominantly of the older generation- which is a reason as to why we probably would not return. When it was the evening buffet, we were often the only young ones in the room. Obviously travelling off peak may mean that there were more older couples so it may not be the case when the schools break up in July. Lots of reviews say that most people are Spanish, however we found most of the guests were German, quite a few English and then a few Spanish. Food- Breakfast was great. Sometimes we had lunch at the snack bar- the pizza is amazing there! Highly recommend. The food for the evening buffet became very repetitive by the end of the week. It usually included some fish, some meat, some side dishes, salad and pasta- however they were mostly all repeated. The tables are placed very close to each other, which sort of felt like the people sat next to you could hear everything you were talking about. Surrounding area- Very quiet area, which is probably why the hotel is so popular with the older generation. Although we wanted a relaxing holiday, the location could have done with a few more things to do. For lunch, I recommend the beach bar that is right in front of the hotel (Chiringuito La Cabra). Our favourite night was when we went to Chiringuito Playa Alta. We went on the first day and weren't impressed by the food. However, we returned on a Thursday evening and I had some amazing cocktails. We then returned on Saturday and it was buzzing with music blaring out- we loved it! We also saw some flamingos flying over the beach. The beach has lovely sand and costs €10 for two beds and an umbrella. Only thing we did not like was that the water is fairly murky and looks rather dirty. Definitely recommend going to the beach in the evening as the tide completely goes out. Was lovely to be sat in the room/by the pool and hearing all the birds chirping away because of the nature reserve. Pool- The pool was lovely, but VERY COLD. Nice and refreshing when it is hot but it is a shock at first. Obviously when you get used to it, it is really nice- you just have to fight the cold! Lots of sunbeds throughout the day, however we did notice less sunbeds being available throughout the day towards the end of our holiday, but there were still some left. People did not really reserve beds- only some people did who obviously liked certain beds- but the usual time when the beds started to get filled up was about 9.30-ish. I have read a few complaints about the music being too loud- however this is not the case unless you have VERY sensitive ears! On Monday-Thursday, there is no music apart from quiet and relaxing music. On Friday-Sunday, the animation team get involved and play their own music which is more upbeat and louder- but by no means 'too loud'. The only criticism we had was they played the same songs over and over again. Be prepared to listen to 'Hey Mama' by Nicki Minaj 10 times a day! Weather- Gets rather chilly in the mornings and the evenings so if you are going in June- pack a jumper or a jacket. Apart from that, the weather was a dream and was around 26 degrees every day which was perfect. No sight of rain. Overall- Pros: Amazing rooms with the most comfortable beds, great service from staff and maids, lovely large pool with plenty of sunbeds, long sandy beach just over the road Cons: Very secluded area, food becomes very repetitive, tables too close in the buffet

Hi just had a lovely week here. We had deluxe room on the 4th floor - this had a lovely private balcony with lots of sun - and seemed to be away from any noise from others . Lovely large bed, and excellent shower. Good tip that you can get the original sound track on some TV stations . Outside the pools were great - chilly to get into but very refreshing. Gardens are lovely - enjoyed sitting by the sound of water. Restaurants are busy at times - but lovely choice of food - and enjoyed relaxed lunches. House red "interesting". Bar staff helpful - but sometimes had to wait a while as they were busy. Pool bar opening times seemed a bit flexible. Outside Self service drinks mainly soft drinks and beer. Entertainment - enjoyed the two piece - "the two of us" or similar. Beaches are lovely - what else can you say - easier to paddle than swim when the tide is in... We had some good trips to Ayemonte, and Tavira . Also walked along to the harbour - long but worth it.