| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
Ian & Jean from Sheffield travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: The Barcelo is a lovely hotel in a first class position,only 2 minutes to the beach/shops/bars etc.
We were half board and found plenty of choice on both breakfast and evening meals. fresh meats and fish were being cooked on hot plates and all tasted great.
Lots of choice for grown up's and children and loads of sweets for afters.
On arrive book your safety box for 2 euro's per day it's the biggest box ive ever seen,and very secure.
All the room are set out nice, but seem to be refurbishing the ground floor corriders so try to keep away from these roooms if possible.There are 100's of sun beds so don't bother rushing out with your towels as you can get one any time of day.
Never waited in the dining room always plenty of tables for you,the people on all inclusive all said they were well looked after and had plenty of food and drink plus endless lollies drinks and ice's for the kids.
All inclusive finishes at 11pm sharp they are very strict on this point.
Entertainment daytime very good, but evening just 2 shows worth seeing Beatles and Beijing actrobats after that was just reps mimimg very badly.
Would we go back!yes yes yes great hotel and nice people
Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
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Kim R from Aberdeen travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Direct Holidays
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We had a great time at this hotel and can't wait to go back. I was glad to see that there were guests from most of the major European countries staying at this hotel, not just British people, so it was a bit more cosmopolitan. Most of the staff we had dealings with were very friendly and efficient, from reception to waiting staff to cleaners. The place was immaculate and our room was a good size. Towels and linen could be changed as much as you like and I really liked the idea of 'hiring' beach towels for a 10 Euro deposit as you could just hand them back for an exchange whenever you wanted and it saves you lugging them in your suitcase. The food was fabulous- it's certainly not a burgers/fish finger/ nuggets type of hotel, so if that's what you're used to, choose somewhere else. If you like a variety of food, then you'll be spoiled for choice, and as for the desserts- yummy!
The entertainment was generally quite good. Some shows were better than others, but it's difficult to please all the people all of the time, especially when the guests comprise so many different nationalities. The activities programme was very comprehensive for children and adults alike, and we all enjoyed our regular mini-golf competitions. The animation team were all very enthusiastic and really tried to encourage people to participate, but there was never any pressure to join in if you didn't want to. I'd recommend the hotel to anyone looking for a good standard of accommodation in a great location.
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debbie mckay from preston travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
broadwaytravel,com
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We travelled to fuerteventura on the 4th of september 07,on arrival at the Barcelo the reception staff was very good, trying to get us checked in very quick. The room was cleaned every day, fresh towels and lovely clean sheets. We had a view of the pool area and sea view, which was amazing at night. The food was good and many choices,the cakes was ummmmm, the staff was freindly, the entertainment team was the best they worked so hard to please everyone no faults at all well done you crazy crew, We would defintly go back to the hotel maybe next year.
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R Pettitt from East Sussex travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff |  | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Having read the other reports on this site, I wonder if I stayed at the same hotel! We stayed here 3/4 years ago and it was great, this year it was awful. We did All Inclusive this time and it was a waste of time and a rip off. the Food was Bland, often cold, and poorly replenished. The location isn't great but we knew that, going back as the hotel had been so good before. Staff were rude and unhelpful, poor service. Entertainment was poor.
Our room was clean, but the air con in it ans public areas was terrible. There was rubbish everywhere.
The pool was filthy, gritty, dierty plasters and tissues, missing tile in and around the pool. a bare wire was showing in one area of the surrounding terrace.
Thoroughly disappointed and still waiting for First Choice to come back to me.
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Eric from Fife travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Airtours Direct
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: Beautiful hotel. Very clean and spacious. Food in restaraunt was very varied and we found there was always something for all. Tables were swiftly cleared and made ready for next diners. Most of the waiters/waitresses were pleasant although they appeard confused by our request for a glass of cold milk for our son.
Rooms were very spacious and cleaned daily. Sometimes we felt that the air conditioning could have been better.
We found the entertainment to be 'interesting'. The hotel's own team tried very hard and we would say that they were good to watch. The outside entertainers varied from an excellent Beatles tribute band to a diabolical Elvis impersonator. I thought Harley the sea lion from the harbour sounded better!!!
We would definately recommend this hotel. If we ever go back to Fuerteventura, we would go to the Barcelo.
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Eryl from Worcester travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Thomson
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Got back to blighty on 8th August and had a fantastic fortnight. We upgraded to All Inclusive at the hotel at a cost of 18 Euros per adult and 9 for the child. This was really good value as it allowed our daughter to have all the drinks she wanted throughout the day without us worrying about the cost, normally 2 euros each.
Food was good and varied, plenty of choice even for my picky wife and daughter. We really pigged out in the first week and became more selective in the second week. I think all meals should end with a cake course followed by an ice cram course.
Pool area was busy and the best longers were often taken by 9 in the morning. However there were always enough longers to accommodate lazy people like us who made our first appearance after breakfast at 1030.
The children's play area is a nice touch and the secure nature of the hotel meant that we did not feel the need to watch over our nine year old daughter. She made loads of friends and hardly ever came to talk to us.
Rooms were great, spacious and clean with everything we needed. Seemed to be well soundproofed as well because I was not disturbed even though I'm usually a light sleeper.
Pool towels are provided for a 10 euro each deposit and can be changed every day, or more often if you want.
Staff were all friendly and helpful though could be a little slow at taking a drinks order when you first arrive in the restaurent.
Evening entertainment, rubbish when done by the "Animation" team, good when brought in from outside. We liked the Drifters, Beatles, Beijing acrobats and snake show. Elvis had problems with his mike and seemed to swear at the sound desk in between songs.
We would go back again, and have had a brilliant relaxing and fun holiday for all of the family.
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mr&mrs mullen from sunderland travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
airtours
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: we chose this hotel because of the location and the facilities it had to offer,we had 2 teeage boys with us age 15&16 the hotel was lovely and does live up to the discription.the rooms were large we overlooked one of the pools,there was always plenty of sunbeds and it was a bonus we didnt have to get up early to get one,pool towels were available 10 euros refundable, the grounds were immaculate binns emptied regular around the pool. the staff were very friendly and helpful , the staff in the snack bar by the pool could have been more pleasant and the food in that part was poor we thought so we ate in one of the bars just a short 2 min walk from the hotel which we enjoyed better.the entertainment staff were pleasent but could have gathered people together more with a bit more effort we were atthe pool at yhe far end and they never came around once to get people to join in. the food was good what you would expect for a 4 star hotel there was something for everyone so you cant complain. the entertainment was just ok lovelt set up the seating area and stage, but have had better entertainment at other hotels which does let it down a bit. the disco after the entertainment was poor the hotel needs to invest in a good dj and good music we could see that people wernt staying when they heard what was played which is such a shame. the resort was very residential with villas and apartments, plenty of resturants not a lot of bars, the scottish bar was good but didnt liven up till 10 oclock, pieres music bar was about the live bar with singers on etc, we ate out a couple of times as we could switch our meal to a lunch time which was very good. the meals we had were excellent. we would reccomend this resort for familys with small children and couples seeking a low key holiday, it is not a resort for teenages although it has all the watersports you need. we would come to this hotel again as we had a lovely time but on our own as the boys were bored.
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Janet from Wirral travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: All the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and extremely good with the children. The room was a good size and there was ample living space even with the double sofa bed permanently out. The fridge in the room was very useful as was the separate washing area.
The rooms and communal areas were all kept very clean. The poolside area could have been kept slightly cleaner – we saw a discarded swim nappy and there were always lots of empty drinks and ice cream containers around the grounds however they did seem to be trying to keep on top of it. I suspect the wind blowing stuff out of the bins has a lot to do with it.
We never had a problem getting loungers. Yes some people did have towels on them first thing but there were enough so that it didn’t matter.
We went to the mini disco a couple of times and my kids enjoyed it however we only stayed to the show 1 night. It happened to be the night of the acrobats and we found it very entertaining.
We didn’t bother upgrading to all inclusive, either before we left (an extra £110 each) or on arrival (an extra £84 each) as we planned to be out most days and did not think a 2 and a 4 year old would eat and drink an extra 18 euros each a day! The excellent location of the hotel right next to the shops means that you can easily pick up snacks/icecream/water/drinks etc as and when you need them very cheaply. I’m sure for a family with older children who intend to spend the whole week in the hotel the all inclusive does represent good value for money though.
The food was absolutely fine. It does get a bit samey, however there are different options on the grill each night and we all found the choice and quality fine.
Make sure you check out the hot pudding option each night. Its next to the ice cream stations in a brass coloured container. One night there were bananas baked in butter, sugar and some kind of liqueur that were to die for especially with a scoop of ice cream on the top and another night there were pancakes with hot chocolate sauce. Yum.
The pools were freezing! The toddler pool is slightly heated which as long as you stay immersed does make a difference however my 2 year old went in the pool for a few mins the first day then refused to go in again as she was so cold! It is made worse by the wind when you get out. You expect the wind to be really warm but it does chill you for the first few minutes while you are still wet. It also feels cooler in the evenings.
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Happy from Glasgow travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Direct Holidays
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Beautiful hotel (situated on the beach) with palm trees and greenery everywhere. Corridors are open-air with a lovely breeze flowing through. Champagne given out in Restaurant on 1st night - food varied although children's menu poor. Nightly entertainment in a huge theatre - shows were all good.
Great playground/games room/mini golf for kids not to mention the huge swimming pools and daily boys football thru Mini Club. Bingo in the afternoon was a big hit with the kids.
Room overlooked pool/beach and was cleaned to a high standard - bedding could be changed daily by leaving the request card on beds.
Hotel staff all very accommodating and the entertaingment team were great, especially Julien (Shakey Shakey).
Enjoyed the Hotel so much have booked already for next summer.
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Rachel from Leicester travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
booked ourselves
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hi there, we have just returned from our sixth visit to the Barcelo in four years.
There is so much space in the hotel, the rooms are beautiful and cleaned every day to a very high standard. The pool area is also wonderful although the pools can be very cold, especially out of the summer months. There are a few playgrounds, which are excellent. The pool area is cleaned daily.
The food I would say is sligtly hit and miss. It is always good but can get a little repetitive. Depending on what time of year you go it seems that the standards tend to dip. Usually you get a choice of roast meat, grilled meat and fish and something like smoked salmon or king prawns. However, we have been twice when the choice has'nt been so good, very dissapointing, no idea why this is. Takes it from amazing to just average.
The entertainment is generally rubbish! Sorry to the entertainment team but there shows are cringingly bad. 'Grease' is the entertainment team miming to Grease, the 'Blues Brothers' is the entertainment team miming to the 'BLues Brothers'. On the alternate nights they might have proffessional touring companies, Beijing acrobats, a German Beatles tribute (!!), the most hilarious British Elvis tribute ever (in a good way). They have a mini disco everynight and the staff are always brilliantly enthusiastic.
The hotel staff are generally really lovely and helpful. I have always found the bar staff in the main entertainment room can be a little bit rude, certainly not the norm though.
The location of the hotel is excellent, we love the shops and the local bars, its not big and brash like some resorts. The beach is lovely, although is is very rocky trying to get into the sea. I would thoroughly reccomend the ten minute walk up to the new man made beaches near to the Sheraton - they are absolutely beautiful.
All in all, we absolutely love this hotel and the resort, will go back time and time again, consistently great.
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david evans from wolverhampton travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
eclipse direct
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Really pleased we picked this hotel,we will definitely be returning.
Nice and clean,great location.We knew that the spanish did'nt do bacon,sausage or cheese ,otherwise we found the food to be varied,tasty and plentyful,3 or 4 fish dishes most nights,a good variety of meat dishes to choose from,if you favour the vegetarian route,then this is were you should come.If you have a sweet tooth you are well catered for at this hotel.
We found the staff were always friendly and courteous.
We thought the entertainment was good.
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Rosie from Brighton travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel Barcelo Fuerteventura is well deserving of its 4 star rating.
Many people have described the rooms and all the comments are accurate. The rooms are fabulous. The mini fridge had two bottles of water on arrival and two complimentary packets of peanuts. The shower gels and shampoos are replaced as necessary.
There are cards in the room which you are meant to use if you want your linen or towels changed. We never got around to using them because both were changed very frequently. The towels loaned for use around the pool are huge and will cost a deposit of 10 Euros each.
There are some negative comments about the food but we thoroughly enjoyed it.
We didn't go all inclusive as we don’t drink alcohol. Half board for 2 worked out about 15 Euros a day cheaper than even if we had paid the 36 Euros upgrade (for 2 people) the hotel was quiet at this time of the year with only about half a dozen school age children around. This meant plenty of sun beds all day every day. We moved around frequently with the sun. The pools were extremely cold hence all the photos are of empty pools. Their maximum depth throughout is 1.2 metres.
The reception staff were very courteous and even took the time to teach me some Spanish. The entertainment was lame but quite funny if you are open to very amateur performances. The internet connection is very expensive at 1 euro for 8 minutes.
The hotel is situated a mere 10 minutes drive from the airport. There is not only aircraft noise but all the planes can be seen in their full glory with their landing equipment down as they coast over the hotel to land.There are no early flights or late at night flights so they will not bother you during sleeping hours. There is a cat charity which operates around the hotel and all the cats have their own cat cafe in the garden where you can feed them and they can have fresh water to drink. The charity also neuters the cats and you can tell which ones have been done as their ears are clipped.
We would definitely go back to this hotel at this time of the year not so sure about the middle of the high season
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Stacey from Rugeley travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
first choice
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: In this hotel we was very pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed ourselves. When arriving we found it was in a quite location but then found we hardly went out of the resort as it has everything you need.
The entertainment at night didn't last long but we enjoyed relaxing with a drink and some music. Although the night entertainment wasn't too impressive the day time is brilliant for the children with some thing always going on.
The workers and reps in this hotel were fantastic and very helpful and friendly. I would visit this hotel with out a doubt... hopefully soon as it will be missed.
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phil chris steve celia dave kate from darlington travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
my travel
on a friends holiday.
There were 6 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2007 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This hotel has a open design(can be draughty).
No problem with the cleanliness you have to put a notice(left in the room)if you want towels bed linen changed.
The breakfasts were OK and the champagne was a nice touch
The lunches were far better than the evening meals, which were usually luke warm and bland and we often struggled to find something that we wanted to eat.
The location of the hotel was very central to shops and bars and the beach.
The restaurant staff were polite friendly and efficient although the bar staff seemed reluctant to serve you if you were All Inclusive.
The entertainment was the usual run of the mill entertainment that you tend to get at hotels that cater for different nationalities.
We would not visit this hotel again as we have no plans to visit Fuerteventura again.
Please note that this is a very windy island. While we were there the wind never dropped and it was very cold out of the sun.
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Ms Weston from Portsmouth travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
thompsons
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just got back from a week here with my mother and felt I had to write about this hotel.
Its not often I like to return to a resort or hotel as I like to see other parts of the world but I would definitely come here again and am already in the process of persuading the other half that he needs a holiday now as too is my Mum to Dad!!
The hotel was in a very good location near to the shops and on the beachfront (which is a little stony but. Walk another 10 minutes and there are lovely sandy coves).
We went H/B but I would go AI next time as its well worth it. Food is varied and plentifull and the staff quick and polite.
Rooms were all facing the beach overlooking the pools and well maintained gardens,they were large and the maid service was good as for the shower I wanted to bring it home as it was so nice!
Plenty of activities throughout the day if you wanted it and the staff tried really hard to please (all free)
pools were cold but you get used to it plus you could use the sauna/jacuzi etc in the gym.
Take a local bus to Rosario for the 92 shops for only 230E for 2.
Evening entertainment ok ,did expect more from a 4+ but again the staff worked hard to entertain you,outside companys were better.
Only one negative but not about the hotel,took a shopping trip to Lanzorote and was very disappointed What shops!!! Ok for a beach trip only,you are better going to Rosario!
Atleast I ve been there now and know it adds up to its name!!
I also took a peek at the Elba as this was my other choice and was pleased to say I made the right choice. Will you ????
So holiday overall was great Fuerteventura is a lovely Island and I would recommend a visit.
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mr and mrs H from wigan travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
first choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We were all inclusive and found this to be good value, you can also upgrade to AI on arival for 18 euro per adult.
We thought it was worth going all inclusive for the drinks, which were very good -local wines, red, rose, white and sparkling, by the glass or bottle, local and selected international spirts including Johnny Walkers Whisky and Smirnoff Vodka, local beer which was San Miguel by the pint or bottle, bottles of Heineken and Carlsburg , Sangria, oke, sprite, fanta, bottled water etc. You had to pay for items marked with an asterix but did get these at a reduced price if you were AI, we found no need to do this as we were happy with the choice available.
The service was fast and efficient in the main bar where the entertainment was. There is also a pool bar, service in this bar was slow during the day as it was waiter service and it was not unusual to wait 20 mins for a waiter to come and take your order, this seemed the same whether you were a paying guest or on AI and I didnt feel we were treated any differently than paying guests.
There was also a self service bar in the pool bar with beer, wine, spirits, sangria, soft drinks, bottled water, slush. We usually got our first drink from the waiter then refilled our glasses from the self serve I quite enjoyed pulling a pint.
The service in the pool bar was fast at night as you could go to the bar, which we prefer or have waiter service.
You could also eat in the pool bar on your AI and the food was nice but times were limited to when the main restaraunt was closed and the choice was limited, most things you had to pay for.
You were not allowed to take drinks to your room which was a bit of a problem for us having a young child with us. We would have prefered to go up to our room at 9pm ish so our daughter could have gone to bed and my husbsnd would have nipped down to the bar for drinks to drink on the balcony but we couldnt do this so we had to either go to bed early, or keep our daugter up until 11pm (when the AI finished) letting her sleep in her pushchair.
We got a few disapproving looks when we did this in the pool bar, which we liked as it was quiet at night to sit and chat over a glass of wine, nobody seemed to mind in the main bar were a lot of people seemed to be doing this but it was noisy in there and our daugter had trouble going to sleep.
There was a mini fridge in your room which was filled on request with whatever you liked, however this was NOT included in your AI. This is probably why they dont want you taking drinks to your room. We did sneak a bottle of wine up to our room a few times but this made us feel like naughty teenagers.
The hotel was clean, the toilets were cleaned regularly
and were spotless. The grounds were well maintained and clean. the rooms were cleaned daily to a good standard but nothing special and bedding and towels changed on request. The hotels windows were very dirty though and could have done with a good clean.
The food was buffet style and was excellent with plenty of choice we had steak three times during a week, freshly carved lamb, pork, turkey, round cheeses, mussels, large prawns, freshly cooked fish. The puddings were delicious cream cakes ,custard tarts, and more, fresh fruit and a choice of four different icecreams each day,the rum and raisen was out of this world. Food was hot and was replaced with fresh food regularly.
The hotel was in an excellent location right on the beach and with easy walking distance of everthing in my opinion this hotel had the best location in the resort.
The staff work very hard and the majority are very friendly however some are a little sullen.
Breakfast could be a little chaotic as there were a lot of people and too few staff.
Entertainment was good and the acrobatic show and the supremes were very good, the rest of the shows were your usual greece etc. There was a mini disco for kids at 8.30pm with dancing and games and one day a reptile show which was good.
We would visit this hotel again and had a wonderful holiday, however this was our first time all inclusive and whilst we found the choice of food and drink excellent, we did miss eating and drinking out, we had planned to eat out a few times but it seemed a shame to waste the all inclusive when the food and drinks were so good.
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Bowes from Northampton travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Eclipse
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have just returned from a holiday that wasn't cheap and took alot of saving, hence we were really looking forward to going as previous reviews we read were mostly good and we thought all would be great.
Unfortunately we had no idea about the sickness that seems to be gripping all and sundry throughout Caleta de Fuste not just the Barcelo Hotel. Most of our party came down with violent sickness and diarrhoea some holidaymakers we heard had to have a doctor out. You feel ill for 2 days and cannot eat as the stomach cramps seem to go on and on. The rep knew of the situation, I wish he had informed us before we forked out for three trips but to be fair he changed one trip and refunded the other. He stated sickness been going on for 6 weeks. The doctor stated it appears every summer!!!!. We did have over half our holiday ruined but we tried to make the best of a bad situation.
The hotel location could not be better. The rooms were the best we've had. They change your bedding as often as you want. The kids loved it despite the sickness.
The entertainment was average.
The hotel on the whole was good.
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Ross from Stirling travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Airtours
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel and room very clean.
I,m a very fusy eater but the food here was good and Inever went hungry. Hotel location superb for beach lovers. Staff allways ready to help.
Entertainment ok but didnt see all that much of it.
Enjoyed holiday in December 2005 came back July 2006 and will be returning again this July 2007.
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P from Derby travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Airtours
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hi all. Just got back from two weeks at the Barcelo 19/7 - 2/8. We went same time last year and came back a tad unhappy. So unhappy, we almost decided to go to the Elba Sara this time.
We didn't and are pleased we returned to the Barcelo, because we have had a great fortnight.
Check in was smooth and efficient. Nothing was too much trouble.
Room, spotlessly clean with a nice touch of a bowl of fruit waiting for us. I had e-mailed them a week or so before arrival asking for a high floor and quiet room and we were not disappointed.
Maid service excellent - towels and bedding changed on request. Laundry service very prompt, even bought stuff up to our room when I asked for it quickly.
Food was great, lots of choice. Waiters all very attentive and pleasant.
Pools clean and tidy, though often busy. Plenty of sunbeds, but during the second week you had to be up before 8.00am to reserve one with shade.
Varied nationalities at the hotel. I'd say 30% British, 30% Italian (it's cool to wear shades in the dining room at lunchtime apparently), the remainder Dutch, German and Spanish.
Evening entertainment from the professional shows was good, the in-house's attempts poor. Grease was OK, but Moulin Rouge laughably bad. They need more waiters in the theatre too, though service at the bar seemed better this year.
Lots of activities during the day or simply doze away on your sunbed.
Finally, there have been changes to the all inclusive system. For starters you now have a wristband, instead of having to carry the swipe card around with you. You still had to sign for food and drinks at restaurant and bars, although some staff just waved you away!
Meals in the poolside bar were limited to 10.30am - 1.00pm and 3.30pm - 5.00pm. Outside these times you had to go into the main restaurant. However, there was a separate all inclusive area in the poolside bar where you could help yourself to spirits, water, beer, soft drinks, cobs, cakes, slush, tea and coffee. This was a real improvement.
It's still better and cheaper to upgrade when you check in as it is only 18 euros (9 for kids) White AI ch is cheaper than doing it through your tour operator.
What more can I say? We had a great fortnight and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
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p.taylor from Braintree travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
panorama
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: All Inclusive is the way to go.you can help yourself to drinks all day.food was great plenty of choice.
Location is fine,it is a quiet area.
Staff was no problem very freindly.
Outside entertainment fantastic,inhouse entertainment not as good,they try hard.I would visit this hotel again no question.
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evie from suffolk travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
low cost beds
on a singles holiday.
There were 1 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel is in a brilliant location on the promenade, however the beach is sandy but the sea very stony. At the time I was there it was impossible to get in and out of the water so beware if you have kids.
The hotel food was varied in choice but was rarely hot and of poor quality. The carvery runs out very quickly, so you have to be early.
Whilst in the restaurant getting a waiter to take your drinks order was a very lengthy process often I had finished my dinner before I could get as drink.
The pool area is lovely and sunbeds were always available at any time of the day.
The hotel entertainment was very poor and smokers beware you cannot smoke in the bar or theatre or in fact anywhere inside the hotel.
The thalassotherapy centre was fantastic, particularly on the last day if you have a late flight and early checkout.
Room was excellent but sat tv disappointing as very few channels available.
Definately upgrade on arrival to all inclusive as much much cheaper.
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The Haswell Family from Antrim Northern Ireland travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: When we first arrived at the hotel it was 10pm and the nightly show was in full swing and reception and pool area lit up which was a really brilliant first impression. We were shown to our room by the bus boy, it was very large and clean with a mini bar and air conditioning.
The next morning we had a large breakfast complete with cava.We arrived at the childrens pool area around 11am and got sunbeds with no problem.
When I took my four year old to mini club and found out it was free it really was a bonus as any other hotel we have stayed in charged five euro per session.Lunch in pool bar was fantastic as you could have mostly everything from the menu on all enclusive,also huge lunch avaliable in the main restaurant and as for the evening meal if you could not find something to your liking you would have to be really fussy.
We found the staff more than helpful and even though some of the shows were by the annimacation team and were not the best they really did try and worked very hard to make it the best they could . The professional shows were excellent.
The location of the hotel could not be better and we had a very enjoyable and relaxing holiday and would recommend and rate this hotel very highly.
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Mrs A Hodder from New Malden travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have recently returned from the Barcelo Fuerteventura and have to say that we had a great time.
Having read previous reports on this website, we decided to upgrade to All Inclusive directly with the hotel, which saved us over £300 on the First Choice brochure price!
We found the hotel to be very clean, although there was some building work going on at the front of the hotel.
The pools and grounds of the hotel were lovely. No problem getting a sunbed, although there were still some people who thought they had the right to reserve beds at a ridiculous time in the morning! Even so, we were able to get a good position by the children's pool after breakfast. The hotel provides pool towels so no need to take your own.
We were extremely surprised at the high quality of the food and even though we upgraded to all inclusive we still thought we might have to eat out sometimes. We only ended up eating out once as we were happy to eat in the hotel restaurant.
The bar staff could be a little rude sometimes, however if you were pleasant to them they were not a problem.
The hotel had direct access to the beach. If you have children go and see Chris the Sandman on the beach - for 6 Euros he will teach your kids to make the most amazing sandcastles! Our kids really enjoyed this.
The kids club was okay. The children could come and go as they pleased, which initially worried us (children of 4 and 8), but we managed to find a spot by the children's pool near the club so our kids knew exactly where we were if they wanted to come out. The kids club reps were great, and although it was hotel-run they did a good job. However, the variety of activities lacked a little compared to other holiday company kids clubs we have used. Anyway, our kids really enjoyed themselves and met lots of new friends.
The evening entertainment was run by the same people who ran the kids club and daytime activities and it was not of a professional standard that you would expect in a hotel like the Barcelo. However, they did their best and we made the most of what was on offer.
Some nice trips to do on the island - Oasis Park was a good day out!
All in all, we had a great time and would recommend this hotel.
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Mrs L Ball from Tyne & Wear travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned from a great holiday. We upgraded to all inclusive which was well worth the money and worked out much cheaper than the brochure price. Our two children enjoyed the playground, the 'warm' kids pool and childrens club. The food at the hotel was also of a high standard. The hotel also offers a pool towel service where you pay a doposit of 10 euros per towel and you can change as many times as you like. At the end of the holiday when you return the towels you get the deposit back. Weather was fantastic and would would definately return to this hotel in the future.
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T Hulme from Chorley, Lancashire travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We have just arrived back from a fantastic holiday at the Barcelo. The hotel was great. It was situated in a very central position with everything you could want very close by. We thoroughly enjoyed the food. There was an excellent selection at both breakfast and for the evening meal. The faciilities around the pool area were great with plenty of things going on for both the children and us. Our children loved the play area and games room. There was no problem at all getting sunbeds as there were lots still free even after 11 am.
The entertainment was ok. Our two children loved the mini disco and watching the show with the other children every night.
We did not upgrade to all inclusive but would definately consider this if we ever go back as it was great value for money.
We had a fantastic holiday and would love to go back to the same hotel again.
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John Matthews from Rochdale travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Eclipse Direct
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Sorry for late review.
I thought I would enter my views since we are planning to go again this year.
Great location,great food, (mostly) great staff, we had a particularly good room with pool and sea view; my wife Maria was impressed that the toiletries and towels were topped up regularly!
Everything was in easy walking distance. The beach which was literally only a stones throw from your sunlounger, was unfortunatly man-made and needed more sand!
The hotel entertainment was below average, though they did try. The professional acts varied from ok to quite good.
We went early in the season so even with one of the pools "heated", you had to be brave to get in there.
Lastly i just want to mention the food again, which Ifound to be of the highest standard with great choice. That includes breakfasts, which sometimes included Cava!
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CHRIS & KIM from ANDOVER travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
THOMPSON
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Booked this hotel last minute after reading various reports, well worth it in our opinion. The rooms are huge and kept spotless, the food is superb and the choice of drinks endless.
Go all inclusive you will not be dissapointed. The entertainment is ok ,they do try hard, but you cant really avoid it in the evenings because the theatre(massive) is next to the bar. Would we go again yes is the answer.
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SANDRA AND PETER from NORTH WALES travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
FIRST CHOICE
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Fantastic hotel in all respects just returned having spent two weeks there.
Have been to this hotel before and are already looking to book up for september 2006.very clean hotel.
Rooms are exellent. Service very good. Staff are very good.
Lots to do for the kids, animacion realy look after them.
This hotel is worth every penny spent.
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david and susan from bradford travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We stayed on all inclusive basis which was excellent, food hot, well presented and lots of choice.
Pool bar had burgers, chips, salad, chicken, omeletes, lasagnes, pizzas, drinks all on the a/inc menu. Breakfast was excellent bacon,eggs,pancakes,cereals,toast any thing you can think of. Lunch can also be taken in main dining room which we tried once or twice but found 3 meals a day too much,so we just had a snack at lunch.
Hotel was spotless so was the room. Clean towels every day and your bedding will be changed every day if you leave the sign out which is on your bedside table.
Location was on the sea front,go out through the gate at the bottom of grounds and your on the sea front 5 minutes from the harbour.
The staff were very friendly and welcoming. Always giving a cheery Hola or buenas dias in a morning.
The entertainment was terrible. They mimed their way through Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson songs. I thought a top hotel like this would have hired talent from the entertainment circuit, be warned.
We will be going back in January, we speak a little Spanish so we got to know the friendly side of hotel staff. So if you find they seem a little unfriendly remmember a smile from you will go along way.
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Jo Hayes from Birmingham travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I (26) went for a week's break with my Mum (58) to this hotel. It was perfect for us. We chose it as it looked comfortable, in the perfect location and of a high standard. We were not disappointed. I have to say on first arrival and sitting in the massive reception area my first impression was - oh no what have I done we are in corporate land, totally impersonal, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
Despite some other reports on this site, we found the hotel to be clean, with the maid coming in every day around lunch time - we tended to buy some bread, cheese or ham and a bottle of wine from a local supermarket and sit on our well furnished balcony - well a table and two chairs but perfect for us. Mum raved lyrical about the extendable washing line - as only Mum's do, but it was a practical thoughtful addition to the room, which was very comfortable, spacious - plenty of wardrobe and drawer space for the two of us, with a seating area inside too. We found the prices for lunch in the hotel a little to high for us and not that fantastic, but I'm sure it just depends on your taste.
We found the staff fantastic - one particular girl in the restaurant, really made an effort, she spoke very good English and you could see her try, engage with the children and adults alike and she always had a smile - just what you want. The breakfast was pretty typical for a big hotel - masses of choice whether you like continental or full English. Dinner was a mixed bag- but again depends on your taste - some days I would have rated it 12/10 when Mum - who prefers her vegetables would have given it a 6. There was plenty of choice - I can particularly recommend some local melon - but you had to get in there quick as once it went out people did tend to get it. The puddings looked spectacular, but were a little too sweet for my taste.
As for comments about not a peaceful time by the pool, we spent our time at the quieter one, and whilst in the background you could sometimes here the entertainment, it really wasn't intrusive. We had no problem getting sunbeds - even being able to change to different ones as the sun moved round.
The location of the hotel couldn't have been more perfect for the resort. A quick walk to the shops and local market - really no more than 5 min. And the beach just out of the back gate (all controlled by room key access so you felt really safe) literally a stone's throw. Also only a few minutes to the "marina" - very tiny!!
I would definately recommend you stay here if you want a comfortable pleasant stay in a great location.
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Lesley from Surrey travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Thomas Cook
on a family holiday.
There were more than 6 adults and 3 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Our group stayed here for a fortnight. Third time of staying at a Barcelo.
We found the choice of food excellent. Very varied breakfast from continental to full english. Lunchtimes you can go into the main restaurant and have a meal from chips/salad to a full main meal. Evenings we found plenty of choice, lovely if you are a fish or pork lover. Our group ages varied from 10years to 40+ years and all were fed well. The pool bar served a good selection all day so if you like a lay in you don't have to worry about having to wait until the dining room opens. Saying that towards the end of the second week I was gasping for some garlic, chilli etc., to get my taste buds going.
Could not fault the cleanliness of the hotel, rooms made up every day, towels changed as often as you like. The pool was probably the cleanest and largest we have stayed in. We had no probs getting sun loungers.
Location of the hotel was brill, literally a short walk and through a gate and you are on the beach. Although you do experience some aeroplane noise we did not find it annoying at all.
Evening entertainment? Very poor. One good night in the whole 2 weeks when Kool & the Gang were on. No dance floor. The hotel definitely need to sort this out. We were very disappointed. Staff who organise the water polo, darts etc., need to adopt some enthusiasm and sense of humour.
Our group included four parents and the rest were our sons & daughters. If the youngsters hadn't got to know a group of kids in the hotel and made their own entertainment they would have been bored boxless.
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Paul H from Derby travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Thomson
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned from a fortnight at the Barcelo and there is a feeling of disappointment, both in the hotel and the resort of Caleta De Fuste.
To set the record straight we have been to Caleta four times in the last 2 years, staying at the Barcelo twice as well as the Elba Sara, so we are lovers of the island and the resort, but something just wasn’t quite there this time.
Briefly our niggles were:
1) The hotel was very busy, probably full. Hence the staff in the bars and restaurants were run off their feet. The poolside bar was particularly busy 1-3pm, and whilst food orders were taken quickly and food arrived in a reasonable time, it often took ages to grab a waiter’s attention for the bill. If you’d ordered take-away you often faced a long wait for the food – I waited 35 minutes for a couple of baguettes one day!
The bar inside the hotel was also very busy in the evenings and often you faced a lengthy wait to get served.
No criticism of the staff here, they did their best, but there wasn’t enough of them at busy periods.
2) Want a sun bed? No chance unless you are prepared to get up early. As we like some shade for our 8 year old, I had to resort to getting up at 5.30 – 6.00am to ensure we could reserve sun beds that had an umbrella. We did, however, stay on our sun beds most of the day, apart from when we went to lunch unlike a lot of others who seemed to reserve sun beds but only spend about 2 hours out of the whole day on them.
3) Noise. There was a lack of consideration from other guests late at night, particularly those with kids. Also, the staff made sure you were up and awake early as they loved to bounce up and down the corridors at 8.00am with their trolley’s!
4) The entertainment was fair, but the shows run by the in-house staff were below average, with an obsession with impressions of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.
The guests were mostly Italian and British, with just a sprinkling of Germans.
Positives:
1) We upgraded to all inclusive on arrival and it was certainly worth it. Don’t book this with your tour company! Included with it you get your room safe which saves 28 euros for a fortnight. You can also hire pool towels for a refundable 10 euro deposit and change them as often as you like
2) Rooms were kept nice and clean with towel and bedding changed on request. A handful of freebies in the bathroom were nice too.
3) Daytime activities were varied and enjoyable. Skittles, Darts, Archery, aqua-aerobics, and plenty to keep the kids occupied.
As for the resort – it was like a ghost town at times, and this was the main 2 weeks of the season. I suspect that the all-inclusive hotels are depriving lots of bars and restaurants of customers. I worry how some can stay in business. Also, some work needs to be paid to tidying things up a bit around the resort. There is offensive graffiti on the sea front promenade that was there in April. Slabs are missing off the walls too, and generally the resort has a feeling of untidiness.
I don’t wish to be critical of Caleta and the Barcelo, but a few minor niggles added up to a holiday that was only 80% of what we expected and had 2 years ago.
The resort and the hotel need to address these minor niggles otherwise the falling numbers of holidaymakers will continue.
Note – we have booked for summer 2006, and will be returning to Caleta, but this time are going back to the Elba Sara.
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Ackroyd from Halifax travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Having previously been on All-inclusive holidays and found them good value for money, we decided to upgrade to all inclusive thinking that we were doing the right thing.
I can only describe it as a complete rip off.
If you wanted certain spirits ie Bacardi, Baileys or a cocktail, you had to pay the bar price minus 20 percent. The same went for the food in the pool bar at lunch times, if you fancied something a bit more tasty than a burger or salad you also had to pay for this at a discounted rate.
The hotel and room were generally clean although under the bed was very dusty.
We normally stay in 3 star hotels and thought this time we would go up a level only to find that it was probably the worst hotel we have ever stayed in. The food in the restaurant was repetetive and luke warm and not always replenished quickly when something ran out. When you went in to the dining room it was a running battle to get a table and then get someone to lay it for you. Lots of tables were left unset and with dirty crockery after the previous people had gone.
The next challenge is trying to attract the wine waiters attention. Once you had done this you were presented with a very slightly chilled bottle of house wine(any other sort of wine you have to pay towards it).
There was certainly a major staff shortage when we were there and the majority that were there we found to be surly, rude and unhelpful.
On our second week the hotel filled up with Italians and Spanish people and it was quite clear that the staff preferred to deal with them and not the English people in the hotel.
One lunchtime in the pool bar we waited over an hour for pizza, chips and a burger (hardly gourmet cooking), another British family walked out after waiting about 20 miniutes and not even getting a drink. It got so bad that we ended up eating out at night and staying out for a drink in the local bars.
The resort has a nice beach but thats about it. We have never been anywhere as quiet before.There are very few places to have a drink after 11.30pm as everyone seems to go to bed early.
On a final note the dining room has a policy that all males must wear long trousers in the restaurant at night, but if you go last week in July and first week in August this is relaxed when the other nationalities arrive.
This is the first time that we have really looked forward to going back home and will not be visiting the hotel or the island again.
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Andrew from Oxfordshire travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just returned from a very enjoyable holiday with my wife and 16 year old daughter.
Thought the hotel was very good value for money, rooms were large and well equipped and cleaned every day with fresh towels if required.
Food was varied and plentiful, 6 different flavours of ice cream every night hasn't helped the waistline. Good choice of meats and salads should please most people.
Pool area was nice but the water was a little cold for us.
If your thinking of going IA it is cheaper to upgrade in resort (18e) we didn't bother as we preferred to go out of the hotel after dinner, however, the hotel bar prices are very similar to those in the local bars.
Only saw one evening’s entertainment which was a typical hotel staff effort.
A good hotel for a family holiday.
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Claire Wilcox from Coventry travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We found it to be very clean and friendly.
The food was excellent at all times but quite busy between 8 and 9 pm.
The staff were rushed but were always willing to lay a table for you straight away.
The location was good situated on the beach front with easy walking to bars and restaurants.
An excellent family hotel and resort.
We saw a little of the entertainment but it was quite difficult to get a seat but what was on looked o.k.
I would visit again if the weather was not as windy!
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Scott Morris Robinson families from Northumberland travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Thomas Cook
on a family holiday.
There were 6 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Stayed 2wks all inclusive.
Our room was fairly clean i.e bed changed everyday if required,clean towels etc but the floors and TV were dusty.
The hotels cleanliness was ok,although the public toilets werent cleaned as often as they should have been.
We were very dissapointed with the food,having stayed in a 3* and food has been just as nice/better. It was chaotic in the dining room,the food was never hot always luke warm,with a poor variety for kids.
The hotels location was excellent.The staff at pool bar were rude and not very friendly,other areas,reception and bar staff ok.(tip well and you'll be alright)!
Evening entertainment was terrible only two acts on the 2wks were there.the rest of the time it was the public entertaining the public mostly Italians! All inclusive ends at 11pm(no good if you want a late night!)
Hotel has three lovely pools,not enough sunbeds. Overall enjoyed holiday but would say hotels 3*plus not 4*.
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Ellie from Staffordshire travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I loved this hotel. It was huge, without feeling impersonal. Everywhere was spotlessly clean, all the staff were really really friendly without being "in your face". The rooms were cleaned every day and if you wanted to, you could request clean bed linen and towels every day too. Our room had a lovely mini fridge, and an electronic safe (fee payable for the safe). The way the bathroom area was set out was great - the vanity units and mirrors are separate from the bath/shower/toilet, so you don't have to queue for the bathroom. The balconies are all really nice too, with a separate airer on the side of the balcony so you don't have to drape your beach towels over the front of the balcony.
The only thing I can't comment on is the entertainment as we didn't go and see any of it. This was mainly due to a really nice selection of bars just around the corner.
The food selection was fab, especially the puddings. The restaurant was constantly being cleared of old plates, the table cloths were changed after every single use and the staff were again very friendly. A bottle of house white cost us 6 Euros which I thought was very good value.
The pool area was immaculately clean and tidy. We didn't struggle to get a free sunbed at any point, even when we didn't get out to the pool until 11am or even noon.
I really, really enjoyed my stay here and am definitely going back as soon as possible.
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Tracy F from Ashford Middx travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Fantastic hotel great location. Rooms good size. Pool area excellent, kids club excellent. Upgraded to AI in resort 18euros adult 9euros child.
Pool side bar great food, plenty of choice in buffet restaurant. Hairdryer in room good,dont take your own. Plenty of sunbeds, even during half term week.
No need to take beach/pool towels you can hire them from reception 10euro deposit which is returned and you can change towels daily if neccessary.The pool nearest to the pool bar is climatised..!!!!
Daytime activitys very good, staff very friendly. Would definately return, hopefully next year. Don't worry you will have a great time. Go and enjoy.
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Claire from Manchester travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel room, large. Big kingsize bed and double sofa bed.
We were half board, although the option for all inclusive is available.
Just check it out first though as not all drinks were included and for things like sangria you would have to pay half the price. Prices for eg, bacardi breezer 4 euro 20.
Brilliant hotel for children. Good kids club and entertainment at night. Play area and own swimming pool.
Hotel also suitable for people with limited mobility or wheelchair users. Ramps and mainly flat. My husband has limited mobility and uses crutches so talking from experience.
The hotel also told me they do have 5 rooms adapted for disabled people so it may be worth contacting them direct to discuss specific needs.
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Pritchard from Kent travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Independently
on a 18-30s holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Excellent in every way! Just returned from the most wonderful holiday.
The hotel is in a fantastic location, set right at the beach and 2 minutes walk in to the small town area and shops.
The rooms are huge, we managed 1 queen size bed (enormous!) 1 double sofa bed and 1 cot. The bathrooms are great. The sink and vanity area is separate to the bath and toilet so if one of you are in the shower, the other can get ready still. We had a mini fridge in the room which was great for keeping water cool and chocolate for our girls.
The food in the hotel was absolutely excellent, so many choices, everything was labelled in English as well, so you could see which to pick. You could return as many times as you liked! Needless to say the cream cakes were gorgeous. A bottle of house wine was 6 Euros which we thought was good value, seen as you paid 3 euros for a large beer. The food catered for all tastes, i.e. carvery, pasta, Chinese sometimes, fish, meats, and hundred of salads. We liked it because the children did not eat the typical chips, nuggets and beans. The hotel did similar things but much healthier and lots of pasta and vegetables for them the breakfast was equally fantastic.
The kid’s pool was great, really big and the two children’s play grounds were both built in the sand, so the children could make sandcastles if they did not want to climb. They were great. Two large adult pools, very luxurious, one with a Jacuzzi. One is heated and the other not, you will notice the difference! Inside the gym there is a large Jacuzzi too, you must try it.
Entertainment was excellent. The hotel team have been sent over from mainland Spain this year and worked so hard. Mini disco was great from 8 - 9. The Four Tops show was great but we found that people came in from other hotels to watch the professional shows, so get there early. The other nights could be a bit cheesey Mr and Mrs etc, but still fun. Loads of activities in the day but they are not in your face if you do not want to join in. Also we liked it because the hotel does not blast music all day when you are trying to sunbathe, like previous places we have been.
You get to the beach at the back gate of the hotel using your room key to get in and out. If you go to the front of the hotel and turn right, literally straight across the road, El Capatain Bar, 4 large beers for 4 euros between 8.30 and 10.30 or buy one get one free. Bargain.
A truly wonderful hotel in a wonderful location, we will definitely return
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Keith from wirral travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The resort is 5-10 minutes from the airport, it’s probably worth getting a taxi rather than paying £15 p/p transfers with travel agents.
On arrival check in was swift and the reception staff all spoke very good English.
The hotel is great and could not be faulted. The room was spacious and well laid out and cleaned everyday, bed sheets were changed on request.
The selection of food is very good and unlike many Spanish hotels caterers well for vegetarians, all food is labelled in English.
The staff are pleasant.
There are 2 pools one was heated with Jacuzzi but the other was a bit cold and there's a snack bar. The mini golf was open but was in the middle of some needed renovation.
In the day there is an entertainment team who do a variety of sports, yoga kids stuff etc. but they don't make you get up if you don't want to though. Next to the hotel is the Health spa where you can get a massage etc. and you get discount for staying at the Barcelo.
The beach is lovely and is right in front of the hotel. It's worth walking down the beach front where there are about 3 brand new hotels near to completion and more man made beaches being made further up the coast. After passing these hotels on the new promenade there is the Atlantico shopping centre which has ten pin bowling, cinema, and some nice shops and Burger king for the kids it’s worth a visit.
Around the hotel are a number of bars and restaurants enough to keep you occupied at night. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
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John & Lin from Horley Surrey travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The room was very clean with clean towels and linen. The only problem we had was a cockroach, but we only found the one. Asked for a spray, but never got one.
Great pool area with lots of beds and a good pool bar for drinks and snacks. Good job because the restaurant was very bad. Not enough staff and not friendly, cold food and not very fresh looking. Thank goodness for the Italian restaurant close by!
The daytime entertainment staff are very good and friendly, but we didn't take park in any activities, so can't comment. The evening entertainment was very poor, most of the time it was "The public entertaining the public"
We have stayed in loads of all inclusive and never had the drinks finish as 11.00pm, you can drink till 12.00, but you have to pay!! Also on your day of departure your all inclusive card expires at midday, not good if you have a late flight.
We would rate this as a 3* plus hotel, not 4*
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Vivienne Hayes from Preston travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Booked Hotel direct, flight Let's Go Canaries
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2005 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said:Hotel – Luxurious hotel, lovely reception/bar/theatre, large bedrooms with air-conditioning, attractive pools area.
Location – Couldn’t be better – next to the beach and central to bars, restaurants and shopping centres.
Food – OK on the whole but did have disappointments i.e. soup and veg sometimes luke-warm, beef I couldn’t chew through, casseroled lamb chops which were dry with no taste, salmon cooked fresh on the grill but cooked too long so dry etc. However, with being a buffet it wasn’t too much of a problem as you could always go back for something else. Couldn’t fault the sweets and there was a large selection and the ice-cream was delicious. Breakfast good as there was a great deal of choice.
All-Inclusive – Unless you would not be bothering having anything to eat at lunchtime and hardly anything to drink all day, then you must definitely book All-Inclusive, but not through your Travel Agent because in Thomson’s brochure it was listed as £17.50 extra but if you booked it with the hotel on arrival it was 18 Euros which was about £5 cheaper (This was if you were already booked half board). You also got a key to the safe free which would normally cost 2 Euros. Lunch in the restaurant would have cost 18 Euros, and with a bottle of wine at lunch (house wine 6 Euros) and one with your evening meal you were in pocket before you had anything else to drink. If you didn’t want lunch in the restaurant you could dine in the Pool Bar, but it was a bit mind-boggling that if you wanted say, chicken and chips you would have to pay half of the 6 Euros cost but you could have a five course meal in the restaurant at no charge. There were however things you could have at no extra charge like pizzas and cheeseburger and chips. Pizza and a large glass of beer would cost 9 Euros if not AI. You could drink national drinks at no cost but got 30% discount off other wines in the restaurant and 50% off drinks in the bars. If you like Baileys then you could ask for crème de whiskey and probably wouldn’t notice the difference! To give you an idea of bar prices – Small beer 2.10 Euros, large beer 3, mixers, i.e. gin and tonic, rum and coke 4.50, local liquors 2.60, others 3, soft drinks 2, coffee about 2, hot chocolate 2.
Internet – Three Internet machines in the hotel – 1 Euro for 10 minutes. The Internet café opposite the Music Café in the Castillo Shopping Centre next door charged 75 cents for 15 minutes.
Animacion Team – They worked very hard arranging the usual sort of activities like boules, skittles, darts etc., but it could be frustrating if you went to the venue of the day before for an activity and waited and then found them doing it somewhere else, or turned up at the time on the board and found it nearly finishing!
Evening Entertainment – There were three evenings with outside acts, i.e. African Dancers/Jugglers, The Four Tops (although only 3 as one supposed to be ill) and Spanish Dancers, all excellent. One evening there was a show by the Animacion Team which was very good and the other three evenings just silly games like Miss Barcelo or Mr Barcelo and Man v. Woman. There were only about a quarter of the number in the theatre watching these so artists on the other evenings would have been preferable. Early evening they had entertainment for children and then presented certificates to winners of the activities during the day, so if you didn’t want to have to go up on stage, then make sure you lost!!
Walks – One direction along the promenade will take you to Nuevo Horizonte (now I think called Costa Antigua). We stayed there a few years ago and it is as awful as I remember it. The other direction takes you to the Atlantic Shopping Centre and the golf course. It will very pleasant when the new hotels are completed and the man-made beach is finished.
Weather – Oh dear – very mixed, sun, cloud, rain for two weeks as we moved on to Correlajo from Caleta.
I have put a few photos on a webpage and a map of Caleta. They aren’t relevant to the website but there isn’t a link from it. If you live in the North of England or thinking of visiting then finish the address at the co.uk and get hundreds of ideas for places to visit. Photo's Here
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A & R from Scotland travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Independent
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2004 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Quite disppointed really with the Barcelo.
Check in took ages as the lady dealing with us didn't understand English very well (she said that herself!).
We were there for New Year and had great expectations of the gala dinner. Nothing special - same as any other night -and we had paid extra for this meal.
Dining room staff - majority of them very nice and helpful.
Pool bar/restaurant - OK although it did take ages to get served, for the meal to arrive and then to get your bill and pay it.
Pool area - very nice - lots of beds - still even reserved with towels in December/January - couldn't beleive it.
Day time entertainment I think was operated by Italians and it was therefore only Italian people that seemed to either get asked to join in or who volunteered. Shame other nationalities didn't participate as the Italians all looked to be having a good time.
Evening entertainment was OK depending on what was on - you could pass an evening away in there and enjoy yourself.
The cleanliness of this hotel was appalling. Floors were filthy, dust on the furniture and TV in the room were never cleaned. Under the bed was obviously a no go area.
The balcony and table and chairs were never touched during the entire holiday. I cleaned the floor myself as we had our young son with us and you couldn't walk around barefoot or your feet would be filthy.
Windows in the corridors had cobwebs and cigarrette ends were never lifted. The floor and stairs in the public areas really do need a good scrub.
In general the hotel is huge but doesn't seem to have the staff numbers to match - as a result everything that you would expect of a hotel of this rating (and price!!!) falls a good bit short of the mark.
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E & A from Highbury travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
First Choice
on a friends holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2004 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I liked this hotel as it was modern and fairly clean.
The pools and sunbathing areas are pleasant and spacious. There were always plenty of beds available, but the hotel wasn't very busy mid-December.
Rooms were comfortable, with a quilt on the bed which was cozy. Floors were not cleaned properly and so shoes were needed to avoid filthy feet. Lovely bathroom area, but again not cleaned thoroughly, as I found someone’s hair (cut from someone’s head I imagine!) scattered around the basin areas. Also the previous occupants boarding cards left behind the magazine rack-hello to the 'Bennets' who flew in on the 7th December from Gatwick with Thomson-perhaps it was your hair in room 3311....?
Staff were not too friendly although previous comments regarding it being something about the British - my friend is Spanish and heard some Spanish women moaning about the bad service from the staff - so I don't think they are picky about nationalities. They're just rude to everyone. Saying that the dining room staff were always lovely; it was just everywhere else. Pool bar was particularly bad service.
Food was excellent and I'm glad to say was a good mixture of different tastes. Food that was supposed to be hot was hot! If you went to the chefs at the back who cook on a hot plate in front of you there are hot plates at the side! Keeps your food warmer longer!
We didn't go to any of the entertainment so I can't comment.
I wouldn't go back to this hotel because of two main reasons. The staff are generally unfriendly and the resort was boring for me. I don't like pubs/clubbing or anything, just not much to see or do.
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Martin,Sue,Charlie,Archie from Sheffield travelled to Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo with
Thomson Flight
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2004 |
rated the Fuerteventura Hotel Barcelo as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We used Holiday-truth.com as a guide prior to booking this hotel direct and booked flights via internet. We found the reviews very useful.
The hotel as an impressive entrance /reception by far the most impressive at the resort. Electronic keys open
doors and run air-con. Use phone card to keep air-con on whilst out of room keeps it cool for your return
This spacious hotel was generally clean to very clean and always tidy.
We booked half board but upgraded to all-inclusive (cheap)
A large variety of food available, never encountered problems with quality or quantity and enjoyed watching our 7 mth old trying the variety of fresh fruits each day. Good selection for all, with good clean high chairs and friendly staff.
It is situated at a (flat) central beach location the beach which is ok if manmade (was plenty of space)sandcastle builder (English) well worth a visit.
Hotel has large pools which we found better for the our baby.
The resort was fairly quiet and family friendly with a variety of shops, bars etc. most have live football etc.
The beach was generally tidy and clean and very easy to access from the hotel grounds. Just outside the grounds on the beachfront is a nice flat causeway, which was useful for "please go to sleep walks"
If you have a young family and prefer quiet location
look for rooms away from the play area or restaurant area block 2 or 3 I think was best. But if you request it direct they will book you into a quiet location.
We were impressed with the staff, from cleaners to reception management nice and helpful
The entertainment was pretty reasonable.The room was tidy and clean. The hotel provide both child & adult entertainment programmes. Although we didn’t take up the challenge it appeared to be enjoyed by guests who took part and included beach volley ball, water polo for adults, lots of stuff for kids. Each night the kids disco was fun, the adult entertainment full of effort and endeavour and some talent, these guys really worked hard to entertain and I think most people appreciated the effort.
Tennis |
Sunny Says there
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