KAKTUS Hotel Kaktus Playa♡

Not What we expected

6.0

We went to the Kaktus Playa on a coach tour Holiday for Christmas and New Year 2025. From the outset All the staff made us very welcome.They were all very friendly and nothing was too much trouble for them. The house keeping staff did an outstanding job.Rooms were cleaned every day along with bedding and towels changed. The Spa was an additional 10 euros each for 1 hour. There was a pool, Jacuzzi,steam room and sauna. No more than 8 people at one session.I thought it was worth it but a lot were reluctant to pay the extra. I have 3 complaints/observations to pass on; Firstly, You must consider that this hotel caters for a multitude of nationalities and the self service buffet provided shows this. Typically though it seemed that the Germans got the best rooms and seating in the restaurant. Foolishly I thought we would be the only coach there for the Christmas holiday but no there were at least 6 other coaches plus independent travelers and come dining time we were all crushed in (except for the Germans). The seating was ridiculous, it was if they wanted to cram as many in as possible before the hotel closed on 3 January. You could not enjoy a meal in comfort, I did complain and as a result we were allocated a separate table but everyone else on our coach moaned about it but said nothing. Secondly: You would always find something to eat, meat and fish cooked in front of you. Hearty breakfast or Continental style and cakes and deserts coming out of your ears. However,the Christmas day dinner was a disaster. The extra trimmings that the British expect to have on their plate was nowhere to be seen. No roast potatoes, no sprouts or fresh vegetables just frozen peas and carrots.No pigs in blankets, stuffing and no Christmas pudding!! All in all other than Turkey it was a very poor attempt, however that evening they put on a gala buffet and it provided everything. I suppose nobody does a Christmas dinner like the Brits. Thirdly: The in house entertainment left a lot to be desired. There were 2 young ladies both students, doing their best on what must have been a shoe string budget to entertain folk from about 4/5 different countries. The Bingo, karaoke and the DJ on New Year's Eve was probably the best. Father Christmas (complete with grey ponytail) was a fun gesture but otherwise such activities to win a Free cocktail consisted of;- Guess how many pasta pieces in a glass jug, also guess how many dots on a piece of paper and then the highlight of the Best person that could flip a plastic cup in the air??? I think my grandkids could have come up with better ideas. In conclusion going to Callela for Christmas was a stupid idea hardly anywhere was open in fact most of the shops and bars in the region were closing on January 3. The weather was cold and very wet but this was an exceptional winter. The location of the hotel is not the prettiest and I don't believe it is 5 star, 3 at the most. We won't be returning here but neither would we travel by coach to Spain again but that's another story.

Great value hotel, worth considering

8.0

Clean, modern hotel priced at mid-range.Close to beach and also to town. Decent sized rooms in interesting style. All staff were really helpful and friendly [ special mention for our waitress Dado] Buffet breakfasts and dinners were varied and plentiful, really delicious. Drinks surprisingly reasonably priced. Nice pool area. Because of location the views from balcony weren't great but that shouldn't really matter much [ how much time do you spend on your balcony anyway?] and I would certainly stay there again if I return to Calella. My only real criticism would be the fairly mediocre evening entertainment .

Coach trip Oct 25

8.0

Overall an enjoyable experience , hotel close to sea but a bit far from town centre. Rooms and public areas fine , food choice good friendly atmosphere with live entertainment at night .No complaints overall..

Needs improvement

6.0

Staff were extremely friendly but slow. Food was fantastic. In the suite rooms. King size bed is false advertising. It is 2 single mattresses on a single frame. I sat in the middle of the bed and was immediately rocked to the left side as the mattresses were uneven. Multiple light switches in the room had led issues and lights in the hallway were flickering constantly. Elevator was jerky and extremely slow. In my opinion does not meet 5 star standards

Nice location, food service

6.0

Still at the hotel so can give a very fair justified review. Rooms - great little layout, although a little cramped. Great sea view with balcony. Breakfast - nothing is labelled, so some items you don’t know what is in them. However, the worst of it is, there is not enough spatulas/tongs per food plate. So tongs get used on numerous items, from meat to vegetables. Incredible how this hasn’t been raised an issue before with cross contamination, especially for any vegetarians/vegans. Coffee - is coffee machine based. Using pods, which in my mind is so wasteful in terms of packaging. Location - 5 minute walk to beach, pool downstairs is nice, loses sun around 16:00. Beach is great, very deep water straight away so if you are a weak swimmer, be careful.

Good hotel and good value

8.0

I stayed at Kaktus Hotel Kaktus Playa and really liked the hotel. It did all that I wanted it for and would not hesitate to stay there again if I ever go back to Calella. The staff were good and the hotel was clean. It is not a criticism but my only surprise was that the indoor bar area was never busy? Maybe it is earlier in the season? However it didn't bother me as there are many other bars to visit nearby.