ADRIAN Hotels Roca Nivaria

We've stayed in a lot of hotels, in a lot of countries. This one is our favorite in the world - and this was our fifth time back. Honestly, "hotel" undersells it. It's a resort, and it's the rare kind where you can tell someone actually thought through every detail. What makes it work is that they prioritize serenity over squeezing out an extra dollar. The rules are strict: no reserving sunbeds with a towel at 6am. A real dress code at dinner. Floats and ball games allowed in some pools, not all of them. On paper that sounds petty, maybe even annoying. In practice it's the whole thing. Even in peak season you have room to breathe - no blasting music, no drunk crowds, no cigarette smoke drifting across your lounger. And for what we pay, it's still the best value for money we've found anywhere.

A great 4-star, but not 5. We’ve just come back from 9 nights at this hotel and would consider ourselves experienced 5-star hotel clients. We are a husband and wife, a 14-year-old son and an 83-year-old pensioner. We booked this break back in December and paid over £8,500, looking forward to a luxurious break. We arrived at approximately 10.00pm as there had been a slight delay at Gatwick and were told that there was no food available and that breakfast would be the next opportunity! Not the best welcome — we’d been travelling for hours and, in the past, 5-star hotels normally offer a little something (pasta, bread, something) for guests arriving late. Not a big deal, but not ideal. The rooms are very large and spacious across the hotel and it is extremely clean throughout. The room was always perfect, which was great. The TV channels are excellent (English, Sky Sports etc.) and you can cast from your phone, although we didn’t do this as I only found this out two days before going home. Breakfast is in the main buffet area and the usual offerings are available. Coffee is served at the table and you go and get your breakfast. Dinner follows the same process: order drinks, they bring them, and you get the food yourself. And so on. This hotel has two other restaurants. The Verona (Italian) — we went here once and it was a horrible experience. You get your own starter and they bring you drinks and the main. Not a good experience at a 5-star hotel. The other one, Burgos, was excellent. You are seated, you place your order and everything is served to you. The food was excellent. The real kicker here is that it is closed more, than it is open each week. We couldn’t book it more than once even though we stayed for 9 nights. Unsurprisingly the Verona was available most nights (a real shame as the Burgos was a real benefit but unattainable for most of the holiday). Drinks around the pool is a crazy, archaic process. Firstly, unlike other 5-star hotels, no one comes around while you are relaxing on your sunbed. So you go to the bar; orders are coming in from customers who are not included within the all-inclusive package. Waiters are printing out orders, placing them on spikes, and the one barman serving is working through the orders as he goes. In the meantime the bar is four or five deep and people are waiting. Get your drinks and repeat. In the evening it’s a similar arrangement: one guy taking orders from a large number of holidaymakers. As previous reviews have noted, it’s best to order double the drinks — which I suspect will be counterintuitive to what management would aspire to. Serve them slowly around the whole complex and over the year you may save money? Just a thought?? If you have any interaction involving ordering anything, you will have to present your door key. Again, a very archaic system. I believe at least 90% of hotels normally have a wristband to identify who is on all-inclusive and who is on half-board. This was very annoying especially around the pool. Entertainment was basic at best. A few good singers, which was nice, but other than that, bland. Entertainment ends at 10.30pm and that’s it. The playing cards come out and you make your own entertainment. The bar closes at 12.30! If you expect your teenagers and adults to be entertained, don’t. You will probably be disappointed! We brought our 14-year-old son and there wasn’t anything for him. A bit of water polo, table tennis, the gym. But again, a very poor selection for teenagers ( and adults). We felt a bit sorry for him as he would get bored and, for the amount we spent, we would have hoped it would have been better.This hotel isn’t good for vaping/smoking either and there are very few smoking areas available, There are lots and lots of rules at this hotel and you will have to navigate your way around them. A good example is the lifeguards at the main swimming pool. I was throwing a small ball in the main pool and the lifeguard’s whistle went off! No balls in this pool. You have to go down to the lower pool if you want to use a ball or inflatables. The issue is that, that pool is not heated and is very cold. Ironically the way the kids got around it was to throw plastic cups to one another! It’s not a ball so that’s not breaking the rules! Crazy. Music is very limited around the pool. Some days you get music, some days you dont. The buffet gets same-old same-old and we went out twice to the town and had a couple of great meals, but again, we’ve been to 5-star hotels that have several restaurants and we very rarely leave the hotel. The hotel is in a good location, but the beach is mostly rocky with some sand more inland and is small. There are also nice shops near the hotel. If you have younger children up to 10, it may work better. We didn’t really see much management around supervising staff, especially around the swimming-pool bar. All the staff are obsessed with scanning your card and issuing paper receipts and pens! Maybe more focus on the customer experience rather than issuing paper receipts? Checked out and the man checked us out, didnt ask about our stay or have a safe trip etc, they just took the cards and moved on. Didn't felt valued, rather we have your money, next! All in all, it was an OK holiday, but would we stay here again? Definitely not. A real shame but put the customer experiencethe priority, not scanning and issuing paper receipts. I think many of the comments have been mentioned many, many, many times and the hotel will no doubt reply with a common reply, but the changes aren't big ones and could really make this a proper, true 5 star experience.

We’ve just returned from a fantastic stay at the Roca Nivaria Gran Hotel and honestly, we had an amazing time. From the beautiful grounds and superb pools to the excellent food, fantastic rooms and, most importantly, the wonderful staff, there was very little we could fault. It’s one of those hotels where you quickly settle in, relax and start wondering how you’re going to manage going home! Pools, sunbeds and towels: The outdoor pool areas are excellent. There are two main pools, with the upper pool heated and designated for swimming, while the lower pool is much more relaxed and allows inflatables and sensible jumping, which our children loved. There are lifeguards on duty throughout the day, which was very reassuring, particularly around the lower pool. There was also excellent availability of sunbeds. Even after having a fairly late breakfast, we had no problem finding beds, which makes such a difference on holiday. The hotel actively discourages reserving sunbeds and states that towels will be removed if beds are reserved before the pool opens. This genuinely seemed to work and meant that sunbeds weren't left occupied for hours by people who weren't actually using them. Pool towels are provided using towel cards, with a sunbed towel and a drying towel provided per card, and you can exchange them as often as you need. Another small but very useful touch. The lower pool bar is open during the afternoon, while the upper pool bar is open throughout the day and also serves a late lunch. Food outside the specified all-inclusive times isn't included, but this really wasn't an issue for us. A useful tip for anyone staying all-inclusive: download and check the hotel app. It has the menus for all the bars and restaurants and clearly shows which drinks are included in the all-inclusive package. The all-inclusive system uses your room key rather than wristbands. You have to present your room key whenever ordering something, which takes a little getting used to initially, but it really isn't a problem. Alcoholic drinks are served in reasonably sized plastic cups, while soft drinks come in smaller cardboard cups, all with straws. Our room – fantastic: We stayed in a Superior Suite with a sea view, and the room was fantastic. We had a large terrace with amazing views over the sea, which was a lovely place to sit and relax. The bathroom was also excellent, with a large separate shower and bath, plus double sinks, so there was plenty of space and no fighting over the bathroom! Housekeeping was superb throughout our stay. The room was kept immaculate and the mini bar was restocked daily free of charge, which was a really nice bonus. The elevated position of the hotel means there are fantastic sea views from many areas, and waking up to that view every morning was a real highlight. Food – excellent quality and plenty of choice We were genuinely impressed with the food. There was a really good selection throughout the week, with fresh meat and fish cooked to order at separate cooking stations, alongside a large choice of other dishes. We particularly loved the prepared starters, which were beautifully presented and looked almost too good to eat! There was plenty of outdoor seating and lots of large round tables, which was particularly useful for our group of nine. We never had a problem finding somewhere for all of us to sit together. There are also plenty of shaded seating areas around the restaurants. Once the main restaurant closes after lunch at around 3pm, the pool bar continues serving food. The selection is fairly similar each day, but the quality is good and there is more than enough to keep you going until dinner. We also visited the Italian and Spanish à la carte restaurants and really enjoyed both. It was lovely to have a change from the buffet and enjoy table service, with superb service from the staff. There was also plenty of choice of drinks. Children's facilities and activities: There is a separate children's pool area with slides, where the organised children's activities take place. The slides aren't huge, but our children, aged 13 and 15, still really enjoyed them! There was also a lifeguard on duty. The area has a lovely park and some shaded spots, although it can obviously get quite hot during the day. There are also plenty of other activities available. There are three pool tables in total – two in the upstairs lobby at €2 per game and another outdoor table which is just €1 per game. The outdoor one is particularly good for children as it has a more relaxed atmosphere. There is also a free putting green and table tennis, plus a football pitch and separate tennis court. The hotel, grounds and location: The hotel itself is beautiful and extremely well maintained. The grounds are particularly lovely, with a stream running through them and plenty of greenery. The location is excellent, right next to the sea and elevated above the coastline, giving you those fantastic views. There is a wide promenade immediately outside the hotel grounds, which is perfect for an evening stroll. We particularly enjoyed walking along it at sunset – a lovely way to finish the day. The hotel also feels very safe and secure. There are security guards around the grounds at night, which gives you extra peace of mind. If you fancy a change from the hotel, there is a small strip of shops, bars and restaurants just outside the main entrance, giving you another option without having to travel anywhere. There is also beach access via a lift. The beach itself isn't the best we’ve ever seen and is quite rocky, but it gives you the opportunity to get into the sea. We'd definitely recommend sea shoes. There are showers next to the lift so you can rinse off before heading back up to the hotel, which is a really useful touch. Accessibility also seems to have been well considered, with ramped access throughout and lifts available, particularly useful as the hotel is spread across three main floors. Entertainment: There was entertainment every evening. It isn't an enormous production every night, but there were some very good singers, flamenco dancing and an aerial act, so there was always something to watch. We also really liked the table service at the main bar – a small detail, but it makes such a difference when you can sit back and have drinks brought to you rather than constantly having to queue. Staff – the real highlight: The staff deserve a very special mention, because they genuinely helped make our holiday so enjoyable. We would particularly like to thank Casanova and Nilson, who were fantastic in the restaurants, along with Xia, Martin and Samuel, who also provided excellent service. Nothing was ever too much trouble and they were always friendly, welcoming and attentive. Manilo at the main bar also deserves a special mention. His friendly, professional service and great attitude made our time at the bar even more enjoyable. At reception, Kelly, and Juan, the porter were brilliant – helpful, friendly and always happy to assist with anything we needed. Their colleagues also organised taxis for us incredibly quickly, including trips to Siam Park and Los Palos golf course. And a special thank you to Georgia from the activities team, who was fantastic and helped make the table tennis enjoyable. There were, of course, lots of other members of staff whose names we didn't catch, and they all contributed to making our stay so enjoyable. Overall: We absolutely loved our stay at the Roca Nivaria Gran Hotel. It has a lovely combination of excellent facilities, beautiful surroundings, great food, fantastic rooms, amazing views and, above all, genuinely friendly staff. There are always little things that could be improved in any hotel, but for us the positives massively outweighed any minor points. We came as a family and had a fantastic time. The hotel worked brilliantly for us and provided enough to keep everyone entertained without ever feeling too busy or chaotic. We would happily return to Roca Nivaria and would have no hesitation recommending it to other families. In fact, our biggest complaint is that we had to leave! Thank you to everyone at Roca Nivaria for making our holiday so memorable. We hope to see you again! 🌴☀️

This is a fantastic family orientated hotel. All pool areas are clean and there are plenty of sunbeds. The towel service is excellent however could do with staying open later till about 7 for exchange. The pool bar staff are not overly friendly and the wait time is long as one member of staff means each bar. The kids pool bar doesn’t open until 12 which is also disappointing seeing as most families are there from 10!! For all inclusive clients there is no ice cream available for children here. The children’s pool is the best I’ve ever seen. The kids love it. So much entertainment here to with water games, family quiz, football, table tennis, archery, the team are just amazing!!! The salt water pool is a large open space with an infinity end with great views. The all inclusive snack bar is set up here which has great choices daily. The fresh water pool is cold but really enjoyable for swimming. The kids entertainment centre is excellent though my children didn’t attend. The kids disco is a little disappointing and would be better suited at the bar instead of pool side. There is a games room and soft play next to the main restaurant too. The main buffet restaurant is excellent. So much variety. We ate here for breakfast and dinner every day. There are two onsite restaurants but we didn’t try them because of the options at the buffet. Fresh fish and meat stations, different themes each night. Only issue is drinks service. Not enough people taking orders (we had two for the whole restaurant) tip is to order at least two drinks at a time. The bar is huge with a lovely mix of musical entertainment and family shows, same issue applies to the bar with drinks service. One person taking orders for a whole bar and terrace. It’s specifically disappointing for all inclusive clients as you don’t get enough for your money. Rooms are clean and spacious, maid service is hit and miss. Some days the clean was excellent and 5 star service other days I may as well have done it myself. Hair dryer available but take your toiletries and nothing on offer. The spa I would say is not up to standard. The lady on reception was very pushful and forceful but with no knowledge on treatments: just wanted the sale. I didn’t get to experience the facilities. Another huge shout out to the animation team they are just incredible. All in all a great family holiday. I have already booked for my clients

We’ve just returned from a fantastic stay at the Roca Nivaria Gran Hotel and honestly couldn’t have asked for a better family holiday. ☀️ Our room was probably the biggest hotel room we’ve ever stayed in. We had a Superior Suite and the balcony was absolutely huge, which made such a difference. The mini bar was also a lovely bonus and was restocked every day. As someone with coeliac disease and a peanut allergy, I was particularly impressed with how reassuring the hotel was when it came to food. Everything was clearly labelled, and the maître d’ introduced himself to me on our first night and told me that if I ever wanted gluten-free pasta, pizza or anything else, I just needed to ask. That made me feel incredibly comfortable and took away a lot of the worry that can come with eating abroad. The food itself had a really good variety and was tasty, with plenty of choice. The pools were fantastic, and the warm pool at the top quickly became our favourite — we went there every day! We were also pleasantly surprised by the availability of sunbeds. Even around 9:30–10am we could still find beds in some of the best spots, and there were plenty dotted around throughout the day. The boys absolutely loved the water slides and the park, and the animation team were brilliant at keeping everyone entertained. There was so much organised for the children, including water polo, foam parties, football, table tennis, golf and archery. They loved getting involved, and it made the holiday even more enjoyable for us as a family. We even got involved ourselves and tried the adult rifle shooting, which was brilliant and such good fun! The animation team deserve a special mention because they really did make the holiday. There was always something going on, but it never felt too much, and the boys had a fantastic time. Overall, we’ve had such a lovely family holiday and would happily return to the Roca Nivaria. A fantastic hotel with great facilities, lovely food and, most importantly, something for everyone. ❤️🌴 The only improvements I would suggest would be around the key card system. You needed your room key card to order drinks, and I found that half the time I would forget to take it with me. I think a wristband system would be much more convenient, particularly around the pool areas. Drink service could also be quite slow on an evening, so this is something that could perhaps be improved. Maybe open the pool side bar food earlier, 3pm is just too late in the day. These are only small points though, and they certainly didn’t spoil what was otherwise a fantastic family holiday.