Melia Salinas

My mum and I stayed for five nights and had a lovely break. We upgraded to The Reserve and felt we got excellent value for money. Overall, we’d happily return, although there are a few areas where I think the hotel could improve.

The Reserve

We booked directly with the hotel and seemed to get a much better upgrade rate than other guests we spoke to, although prices appear to vary considerably.

Breakfast at The Reserve was a real highlight. The à la carte menu, peaceful setting and excellent service made for a much more relaxed experience than a buffet. We also loved the à la carte lunch options, particularly the Reserve pool bar, The Shack and the tapas restaurant.

Food and restaurants

The food was generally very good quality, fresh and plentiful, with a great selection of drinks. We tried the Italian and Middle Eastern à la carte restaurants, and both were lovely. The lobster roll at The Shack, despite the €10 supplement, was also well worth trying!

Restaurant reservations were frustrating, however. You can only book 48 hours in advance, and arriving on a Thursday meant we couldn’t get a reservation until Sunday at the earliest. For a five-night stay, this made booking the à la carte restaurants quite difficult. I think the hotel needs to review this system.

The evening buffet was adequate but not particularly impressive compared with other hotels we’ve stayed in. The salad bar was always fresh, and the seafood and Asian-themed evenings were good, but the hot food selection was less appealing. Food labelling was also poor, with dishes often not clearly identified. The dessert selection was limited, too.

Rooms and facilities

Our room was modern, clean and comfortable, although a little on the small side. It was spotless on arrival, but daily housekeeping wasn’t quite up to the standard we’ve experienced elsewhere.

The minibar was usually restocked, although it would be nice to see a couple of small bottles of wine included alongside the beer and soft drinks.

The beach towel system also needs improvement. Fresh towels are left in your room, but ours weren’t replaced on three days during our stay. There’s also nowhere to exchange a wet towel at the pool, which makes the system rather impractical.

Staff and service

The staff were genuinely outstanding. I don’t think I’ve stayed in a hotel with so many consistently friendly and welcoming employees. We had read reviews mentioning slow table service in the evenings, but this wasn’t our experience. There was one disappointing interaction with a member of staff at The Reserve pool bar, but everyone else was wonderful.

On arrival, the welcome and hotel tour were good, although a glass of cava rather than water would have been a nice touch. Drinks service around the pools would also be a welcome addition.

Check-out was less impressive. We couldn’t keep our room for a late checkout, but the courtesy room provided worked well. However, after being unable to complete checkout at The Reserve reception, I had to queue at the busy main reception alongside guests checking in. The process was slow and didn’t feel particularly five-star. A dedicated checkout desk during busy periods might help.

Evening entertainment

The live bands were excellent, particularly the swing band and the rock band. However, entertainment finished by 10.30 pm, just as people seemed to be getting up to dance!

I appreciate this is a quieter hotel catering for different age groups, but some music in the bar after the bands finish would create a better atmosphere. The bands were also very loud, so a slightly lower volume and a later finish might work well.

Overall verdict

I’d probably rate the hotel four-and-a-half stars rather than a full five, although The Reserve experience brings it closer. There are details that could be improved, particularly restaurant bookings, the buffet, evening entertainment and checkout.

However, we felt we got very good value for money. The food was generally excellent, the staff were fantastic, and we had a lovely, relaxing break.

We would definitely return and would happily recommend the hotel, particularly if you can get a good deal on The Reserve.

Home a day and missing everyone at Paradisus Salinas already. An amazing hotel with so much to do if you want to, or the opportunity to just relax and let the excellent staff just spoil you. We are already planning our return. Thank you to all the staff who go out of their way to ensure you have the best holiday.