Alegria Colonial Mar Aquafun

Location A stones throw from a beautiful beach! A 10 minute walk from the mall and a mere 2 minute walk from a local souvenir shop. Atmosphere During aqua gym - fantastic! Otherwise, underwhelming entertainment and minimal interaction with the animation team. Focus was definitely on the local children rather than those of other nationalities. Rooms We stayed in an apartment - room 608. It was huge, fantastic facilities and a wonderful private outdoor space. Very impressed and worth the small upgrade cost via Jet2. Value I think it was good value for money considering it was the height of summer. The hotel had its downsides, predominantly food and drink based but I do think we got what we paid for. Cleanliness No concerns in this area, I didn’t notice any issues with cleanliness although the pool bar area was often understaffed and so some areas were cleaned as promptly as required for new diners to sit comfortably. Noise Level Entertainment was load on some evenings but didn’t affect us personally. During the day time, I’d have actually preferred more noise by way of music and/or poolside entertainment. Food/Drink Food was limited in its variety, and catered more towards the Spanish guests. I ate a lot of salad but my partner and child struggled to find something most days. The food at the pool bar truck wasn’t great but my partner found the burgers to be fresh and enjoyable. Drinks were ok, cocktails included in AI were limited and not the best, I paid for a few pina coladas separately which were nice and well made. Bottled water was plentiful and given as required. There were two bars, main one and the pool bar. Queues were standard and often very long. There were great options for ice creams and lollies for AI but I couldn’t say the same for the desserts in the buffet restaurant. Genuinely some of the worst desserts I have ever experienced in a hotel. Often mousse based and very regularly repeated. Staff Those I encountered were friendly and approachable, a particularly welcoming woman on reception was perfectly fluent in English and extremely helpful! Overall, a nice, clean and welcoming hotel but too few bars and sun beds and really disappointing food. We wouldn’t return but appreciate the price point is fantastic for a summer holiday abroad. Tips - first holiday we’ve been on that genuinely required early morning sun bed reservations which is really disappointing (7.30/8.00am was early enough to ensure a spot under a shaded umbrella) Most beds lay empty for the majority of the day despite towels securing them! There’s a street seller selling football kits from 9.30pm to the left of the hotel along the beach. The water sports company to the right of the hotel along the beach only accept cash.

First time at this hotel and we had a great time. The kids and both of us enjoyed the pool and slides. the room was spacious enough for the 4 of us but the boys had to share a bed which didnt go down too well. Could do with 2 singles along with the double or bunk beds for the kids. Lots of room to store clothes etc. mini fridge was good for us to stock water and juice for drinks. Air con wasnt working at first but after mentioning to reception they fixed it straight away. Its a god send during that heat. Great balcony with a pool view so we could hang clothes out to dry and chill on a night time playing cards or travel scrabble. The food was very nice and varied enough to keep you coming back for more. i have 2 boys who are picky eaters but they didnt complain, they ate well. pool bar and food truck was a nice edition. no big queues and could get what you wanted. The poolside toilets are very very slippy, they could do with a different surface as my son fell a couple of times on the floor. Lifeguards very good and attentive to kids climbing up slides etc. Special mention to a member of the Happy team (sorry never got his name) who did the aqua gym in the water. very passionate and flamboyant, brilliant entertainer. Top marks to him. We did have 1 slight hiccup with our stay as we were booked in for 10 nights but the hotel only had us down for 7 so we got locked out of our room at one point. Contacted Jet2 who apologised for sending wrong info to hotel. Between them and the hotel they got this fixed within a couple of hours and we were back to enjoying the rest of our holiday. So special mention to the hotel receptionists for sorting this for us. The beach is not a beach. no sand, its more like little stones. the promenade is long both ways and we had some lovely walks along that on an evening with the boys. bought them both a football kit from the lovely guys on the promenade. Cheap and cheerful. Lots of climbing frames, slildes etc along the beach for the kids. Overall we had a great time and would probably return at some point in the future. A++

We had another lovely stay here after deciding to return after a positive experience last year. (And we’ve never been to the same place twice!). Hard working staff, who are still providing good customer service. A particular improvement from last year was the room locks are operated with the all inclusive wrist bands, meaning no searching for the key card and all family members could access the room when they needed to. We had a huge apartment, this time with a large terrace and sun loungers - a big win given we spent a lot of our time in the apartment as our teen daughter has autism. On that note, things did feel a bit busy and loud at times. Meal times were noisy so we often avoided the 1.30pm lunch in the main restaurant. Breakfast and evening meal were slightly calmer if we arrived as it opened. The poolside food was a godsend for when we skipped lunch, although at times queues were big and families would be putting their orders in for 10-20 people! Our picky child never went hungry which is a positive. The biggest let down for us, was that we had to check out of our room in the morning. Last year we were able to pay for a late check out but apparently this is no longer an option for apartments. This would have been ok, had we have had the option of a curtesy room or somewhere to shower. But the hotel was full. We had to sit with our luggage by the pool all day, and got very sweaty. It would have been nice to have somewhere to freshen up and charge devices before our journey home. If we were to come again, we would do May half term over July or August. It was just too busy for us in the height of the Spanish holidays. Again, a good overall stay. We enjoy the position of the hotel and proximity to the beach and shopping mall. We would reccomend it as a family holiday.

as a family of 8 (4 adults & 4 children) we had 3 rooms on level 4 not facing pool, rooms are ok, not really any complaints although air con in one room not as good as other 2 rooms. as per a lot of previous comments the pool areas are ideal for all ages of children, our 4 really enjoyed them, The big disadvantage to the holiday was that if you were Spainish you were treated much much differently which was very noticable to several english families we spoke to. Food was very average and not even warm a lot of the time. Sunbeds , yes you do have to get down early to get where you want a bed , we went down a couple of mornings at 7.45am and the ideal places by the slides etc to keep your eye on your children were taken again mainly by the spainish. The 10 euro charge for the wristbands is extreme ? never had that before and we holiday several times a year, This Alegria hotel seem money orientated to get you to pay extra for things normally included, noticable that not many have the hotel pool towels but considering that not only do they charge a deposit which most hotels do, they then expect you to pay 1 euro each time you want to change the pool towel for a clean one ?? regarding the childrens entertainment which is all in spainish with the occasional word of english i did mention to one of the team and was told 'they do their best but it isnt a requirment to speak english' Would i reccomend this hotel , in a word no.

I’m sitting pool-side writing this on the final day of our week-long stay. Before arriving at the ALEGRIA Colonial Mar, I was a bit skeptical after reading a few iffy reviews and realising the sheer size of the place. However, do not listen to the bad reviews—they were clearly written by professional fault-finders. If you have a young family, this hotel is a dream! Between the pool facilities, the food and drink options, the lovely staff, and the great mix of guests, it hits all the right notes. We stayed with a 6-month-old, a 5-year-old, and an 11-year-old, and every single one of them had a blast (which is practically a miracle). Cleanliness The entire hotel is exceptionally clean. The staff work tirelessly to keep the place spotless—from early-morning jet washes and late-night rubbish runs to emptying the bins constantly throughout the day. Rooms are cleaned every other day, and you get fresh towels daily if you leave the old ones on the floor by the front door. The Pool By far the best part of the hotel is the pool setup. Our 11-year-old and 5-year-old vanished almost immediately, testing out all the slides and making new friends. There’s a smaller splash area for little ones, plus a bigger slide and pool section for older kids. If you can snag a sunbed between the two, you’ve hit the vantage-point jackpot—you can relax while keeping a watchful eye on the chaos. The main pool depth was brilliant for our 5-year-old, who is just learning to swim, as she could stand up in most of it. As for the dreaded sunbed rush: there isn’t one. My wife and I set a 7:30 AM alarm, sent a designated runner down to claim a good spot, and then took turns slipping back to bed for a sneaky extra bit of sleep. But there was never a fight for a subbed, we always got one where we wanted. Food & Drink (No Sad Buffets Here!) For an all-inclusive, the food and drink were a fantastic surprise. Breakfast catered to everyone, offering full English options alongside a continental spread. The kids were obsessed with the fresh melon, live pancake station, and copious amounts of Nutella. For lunch, we mostly frequented the food truck near the pool bar for burgers, toasted sandwiches, chips, and—my personal recommendation—the chocolate donuts all made fresh to order. You can also eat in the main restaurant, which has a massive selection. Dinner offered typical Spanish/Mediterranean buffet fare, but it was well-cooked, rotated daily, and guaranteed to feed even fussy eaters. A HUGE plus is the ice cream, all branded and a great selection. The drinks package was equally impressive: brand-name Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Fanta, with cold Mahou on tap for beer drinkers. Wine was served properly cooled straight from the bottle, and they offered great mocktails, cocktails (Blue Lagoon, Tequila Sunrise, and the house ALEGRIA Punch), plus milkshakes and soft drinks for the kids. A big plus and not something I’ve experienced before is bottled water being part of the all inclusive offer, even larger bottles. Local Rhythms & Evening Fun Top tip: the pool area empties out around 2:00 PM when the Spanish guests head in for lunch and a siesta. Do as the locals do! Head inside for a cool break, come back out around 5:00 PM when the heat dips, and stay until the pool closes at 8:00 PM. Evening entertainment kicks off after dinner with a mini-disco at 9:30 PM, followed by main acts (magicians, singers, etc.) around 10:30 PM. While most of the daytime and evening hosting is in Spanish, it didn't stop our kids from joining in at all. Another massive win: there’s a mini football pitch right behind the pool bar. Our 11-year-old played in his own high-stakes "World Cup Final" every single night while we watched from the bar seating with a drink in hand. Finally, do not skip the beach just behind the hotel. The water is crystal-clear with plenty of water sports, and it comes alive in the evening with local families enjoying the promenade. There are also two lovely beach bars just a 5 to 10-minute stroll away. Summary This was an amazing family holiday, made effortless by the brilliant staff and facilities. With short flight times and quick transfers, it's a hassle-free win for anyone traveling with kids. We’ll definitely be back!