SBH Costa Calma Palace

You look at the hotel and it takes your breath away. You look closer and the breath comes back. Outdated to say the least. Plaster falling off walls, cracks in floors, the you go to your room, 1970’s are asking for their room back. Cleanish but the maintenance is terrible. The hotels location is right on the beach but if you leave the hotel to go exploring, good luck. Apart from a few restaurants and 2 spars, that’s pretty much it. Food 2* at most. Evening meals are a unorganised mess. Guests sitting at wrong tables and times are confusing. Pool area ok, a little unkept and dirty. Pool bar limited, staff rude. Beach is lovely. Soft sand and clean. Please be aware you will be charged for hotel loungers. Definitely for the Germans as this was 80% of their guests. Romantic hotel for the aged Evening entertainment boring I would say this hotel is perfect for 60+ couples who just want a quiet holiday with a low noise level. Enjoy

I’m a British female solo traveller. The first thing I will stress is please listen and understand what the check in employee tells you, if you don’t understand, tell him. There are rules and if you don’t follow them then tough. Ok, so basically, they speak Spanish and very broken English. You’ll be ok if you’re German, Dutch Spanish or polish! On my arrival, there wasn’t any English speaking staff so I had to try to make out what he was saying. They chuck a ribbon all inclusive band on your wrist and tighten it, make sure you decide how tight you want it! Gave me a card with my room number and some other numbers and sent me on my way. Let me explain what these numbers on your card mean. You have dinner reserved for you. They decide when you go for dinner. There are 2 sittings, if it says 1 in the top left corner, obvs that’s foray sitting. 6-7.30 Second is 8-9.30. The next number is your table number that you have to find. Now, I was given a table, when I found it, someone was already sitting there. They then gave me another table and the same happened again. The waiter was so rude, he made me feel like it was my fault that the whole experience was unorganised. On the forth time, they gave me a small table right at the top end of the restaurant! Second night, they switched the tables, so where my table was, was not the same number. Once located, I sat and sorted my dinner. I then was approached by another guest who told me it was his table. Basically, because of the rigmarole, I had gone into the second sitting. Ok, now here’s the unbelievable outcome. The waiter made such a drama, I felt so embarrassed as this was a full restaurant, he blamed me for coming in too late and just stood there. Not to cause anymore drama, I stood up and left, half eaten food, no ‘I’ll move you or suggesting to resit the other guest?? This was DAY 2! The worst thing is, I’m still here. I have 5 more days but after this experience, I just want to go home. The staff are so rude apart from the cleaners, who are lovely. Pool bar wouldn’t serve the customers unless they stood in a certain area. Advice, don’t go all inclusive, it’s really not worth it. They wouldn’t even make me an iced coffee, you have to pay for it at another area of the pool. I asked a staff member about the sunbeds on the beach. He told me they were part of the hotel so can be used. After I settled , I was approached by a man who charged me 18 euros for using the bed. This was not explained on arrival or by the staff member. I think this is enough for 2 days. I’m hoping nothing else will or could happen for the rest of my duration here. Would I recommend this… no. Would I come again…HELL NO!

Currently there! Staff are very very rude! If you are English - stay away! Only been here for a day but first impressions assist with making a good impression. Rude on arrival - like I’m expected to find my room by chance! Got here late last night and when checking in had to wait whilst nobody there! Then on check in given a card for dinning on floor 0 no other instructions! I got told my room was located down on the right from reception and floor 1? No assistance with guidance nor help with baggage- walked down and ended on a balcony with chairs and tables and dead end. Returned and he got quite shirty with me! Got to my room dropped of bags but could not find the dinning room therefore had a bag of crisps from my flight bag! The doors on floor 0 were locked where I am staying! Asked another person(German) in the morning on how to get to the dinning room! He was lovely and took me there! Breakfast - showed my card - got told I’m on a certain table for dinning that evening???? I’m a solo traveller so when returning to the table to get fruit the table hand had cleared all my table and disposed my card - did not want to create a scene so got on with it and thought - just a piece of card paper! On return to get my evening meal could not get past cardboard control! I’ve got problems walking but he sent me back to go to reception on floor 4 to get another cardboard pass - by in which time my leg is aching loads and nearing my time allocated slot for dinning! Got back down then he started taking me to a table far away from the buffet - hence loads of empty tables along the way so I said I’m not complaining but need somewhere near the buffet due to my leg! Limping terrible so if carrying a plate it would be like it’s like a knockout to see how much is left on my plate at the end! He got shirty then made a point of splitting up a table and sat me next to the kitchen porter point! At this point felt near to tears! Got my salad because vegetarian and awaited 10minutes for a waiter to ask about a drink!!!! Then I’m the only person in the dinning room so asked to pay for my drink. He returned with a piece of a half written bill and asked me me to signature- room number blah blah in terrible English and when asking where got shirty and said he had no time for it due to the football!!! Lovely location - room ok and spacious right next to the beach but that it’s!!

loved the location and stunning foyer. Food was great and really enjoyed the week until the last day. We were spoken to very rudely in the dining room by a waitress, who questioned our right to be there and in front of other customers. After 2 e mails to the management , I have not even received and acknowledgment or an apology. This to me is common courtesy. I had no intention of putting this onto Trip Advisor, but feel I am being ignored. Such a shame after a lovely week.

There is a lot to like about this place but also, unfortunately, a lot to beware of, some of it in the "health and safety category." When it was first opened I am sure it was all glitz and glamour but now it suffers badly through lack of investment by the owners. PROS - prime position overlooking a white sandy beach and frontline to the ocean - for the money, very good food with lots of variety and cooked in front of you - comfortable beds - large, glamourous pool area with plenty of space for sunloungers - hard working and genrally responsive staff trying to do the best for guests CONS - outside walkway from reception to rooms with absolutely no night lighting. Imagine navigating this 4 floors above ground with no protection. - Poor lift maintenance. A piece of metal pipe approx one metre long fell on my daughter in the lift - we used the stairs after that! - Faulty room air conditioning which broke down twice in four days. - Frayed webbing on some sunloungers making them unusable. - The marble vanity in the Ladies on the main entrance floor held together with three very large vices. In my view, These are not small issues. It is a great pity that under-investment has left such a beautiful building in such a sad state.