Holiday World Polynesia Affiliated By Melia

Recent Reviews: 4263

• User:Shani A

  Trip type: Family

  Wouldn’t recommend

  28 May 2026

  A little late in writing this review as we stayed around 6 weeks ago, but I would definitely steer clear of this hotel.We stayed for 4 nights as 2 adults and 2 children.The food was very average and repetitive. After just 4 days we were already bored of the same options every day, so I can’t imagine staying for 7+ nights.The room itself was dated and unclean. We were on the ground floor and the outside doors didn’t shut properly, meaning we had to jam a chair against them at night. We found a dirty sock on the floor, sweets next to the bed, sticky sweet residue all over the bedroom drawers, and rubbish left on the bathroom floor.The balcony door also didn’t close or seal properly. One night there was thunder and lightning and the noise was unbelievably loud because the door wouldn’t stay sealed shut. If I physically pushed the door closed it went quiet, but the second I let go it would open again.We reported both the cleanliness issues and the broken door to reception. After barely sleeping because of the faulty door, we asked if a late checkout would be possible before our late flight home. We were told the hotel was “at capacity” and a late checkout wasn’t possible, which honestly didn’t seem true as the hotel was very quiet and it was outside of school holidays. The reception staff were rude, dismissive and unhelpful.Overall, the hotel is badly in need of refurbishment and better housekeeping standards. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t return.

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• User:Spotswood93

  Trip type: Family

  A Beautiful Hotel with Good Value, Friendly Vibes & Room for Small Improvements. Don't let the bad reviews scare you!

  24 May 2026

  We have just arrived back today so I thought I'd leave a review after seeing lots of mixed reviews. I'll start with one of the most common topics, the food. The food was themed throughout the week with Chinese, Italian, Mexican and British nights (the British night got some stick but we thought it was one of the best nights) Yes the food isnt anything to rave about but its decent for a buffet style service, plenty of varitiy most nights along with some regular staples such as fries, pasta, burgers and hotdogs. Breakfast was alright with a varity on offer but this was the same through the week.The snack bar was OK for a snack but don't expect it to change through the week either.The cocktails are pre made mixers that are very sweet and syrupy, they are in jugs throughout the day and arnt very pleasant, I ended up having vodka and Fanta most the time as it was much nicer. The beer on tap is cruzcampo.The token system was in place and its not that much of a hassle, it was nice to be somewhere where the half drank drinks aren't all left around the pool attracting ants and leaving the floor sticky.Ita simple, you give them tokens for a cup and return said cup when you're done and get your tokens back.You can get food & drink with your AI at the beach club, this is a good spot for swimming and the food selection isnt half bad. The pools here are freezing and we found the hotel pool much warmer but regardless of what pool you go in it will warm up and its just the intial shock when you first get in.The rooms, the rooms are a decent size with a decent size balcony. Cleanliness is kept on top of and we had no issues at all. The hotel is stunning and looks beautiful granted there are some areas that need a little TLC but its nothing major.We did get a number of ants on the balcony and a few did make it inside but not enough to cause any concern.The staff are very helpful and friendly and there are plenty of staff members around the bars, pool and the hotel. Maybe my Spanish isnt great but they did appear much more friendly when I just spoke in English rather then attempting to butcher the Spanish language 😅 We enjoyed the facilities such as the free hour at the spa (kids also allowed in the AM)The arcade (some machines needed updating) and the bowling alley.The beach club as mentioned above.Drinks at the bar, food hall and pool side.The entertainment, for us it was to late as it doesnt start until 10pm and the kids disco at 9pm. The entertainment wasn't great either although we cant comment much as we didnt bother with most of it. They did have 1 night with some acrobatics and that wasn't bad at all.Location, its a treck from the built up areas but they are accessible by taxi or bus Benalmadena cost under €5 and Fuengirola just under €6, this was for 2 adults and a child. Benalmadena had the Selwo park and sealife and Fuengirola had the Bio park all of which were great. The closest beach to the hotel is the Playa de Carvajal and this is a 5 minute walk from the beach club.There is a shuttle bus that comes around every 10 minutes that takes you to and from the top of the hill, this is free with the hotel. Hope the negative reviews havnt put anyone off and if you are coming here soon I hope you have a great time.

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• User:Dave G

  Trip type: Family

  Major safety concern

  18 May 2026

  Our stay was very disappointing, especially for a hotel that advertises itself as child friendly.At check-in, we were initially given a room on the fifth floor despite travelling with toddlers. When we asked if it was possible to move to a lower floor, the receptionist was very rude and short with us. Although she eventually changed our room, her attitude remained dismissive throughout. We felt so uncomfortable that we asked to speak with the manager. The manager insisted that the receptionist is "always smiley" and said she had not been rude, at which point the receptionist laughed, which only made the situation even more frustrating.When we arrived at our room, we were concerned by several safety issues. The cutlery drawer contained a sharp knife that was easily accessible to our toddlers, there were exposed wires inside one of the base units which is a major safety concern, and the outside door was easy for our children to open by themselves. These are not the standards we would expect from a hotel marketed towards families.The dining area was also not well set up for young children. There were no plastic plates, cups, or child-sized forks and spoons available, which made mealtimes more difficult than they needed to be.On a positive note, the cleaners did an excellent job and were very friendly. The chefs and waiting staff were also welcoming and helpful throughout our stay.Unfortunately, the poor attitude from the front-of-house staff and the lack of attention to child safety and family-friendly facilities let the hotel down significantly. Polynesia Hotel, Director General at Holiday World Polynesia, Affiliated by Melia, responded to this review Dear Guest,Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent stay with us.We are truly sorry to read about your experience and especially concerned by the safety issues you mentioned regarding your room. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience and discomfort caused to you and your family. The wellbeing and safety of our guests, particularly families travelling with young children, is something we take extremely seriously.We deeply regret that your arrival experience did not reflect the level of hospitality and professionalism we aim to provide. We are especially sorry to learn about the interaction you describe at reception and the way the situation made you feel. Your comments have been shared with the relevant management team for review and follow-up.We also appreciate your comments regarding the dining experience for young children, as feedback like yours helps us identify opportunities to improve the facilities and services offered to families.At the same time, we are grateful for your kind words towards our housekeeping team, chefs, and restaurant staff. It is wonderful to know that their friendliness and dedication made a positive impression during your stay, and we will be pleased to share your comments with them.We sincerely regret that we did not fully meet your expectations on this occasion and thank you once again for your valuable feedback, which helps us continue improving our guest experience.Kind regards.

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• User:Thomas C

  Trip type: Family

  Lovely hotel - pro’s and cons.

  16 May 2026

  So let me start off by saying the reviews for this hotel are quite harsh in my opinion. My family and I (including two young children) stayed in this hotel for a week in early May. I will set this review out in positives and negatives so it can be read a bit easier. PositivesThis is an amazing hotel to look at once you enter it. You feel like you’re in a jungle of some sort, with fishes, birds and even terrapins swimming below. The hotel was very clean and the staff were so so friendly. My son was ill the first two nights (unrelated to the hotel we believe) and the maids constantly changed both our sheets and pillow cases. We brought a black out blind with us for my son, so he could sleep on the sofa bed. The maids must have realised this, told a handyman, and the same evening a member of staff came round and fitted up two thick curtains so we wouldn’t need the blind anymore! The fact we didn’t have to ask was so nice. We also had an issue with our bath plug not working, which was fixed pretty much immediately. There was plenty of options for food, with a large variety of both hot (ish) and cold foods, so if you’re a fussy eater, I’m sure you’ll still find something to eat (Hot dogs and burgers are there daily). The beer they have is Cruzcampo and Cruzcampo 0%, which was great for me as it’s my favourite beer! Plenty of things to do with kids in the hotel. There’s a bowling alley which is £3 for each adult, and an arcade next door. There’s a shuttle which takes you down the hill to the Holiday World Swim park. This is definitely worth a visit if you have children. At this junction you can grab a bus either to Torremalinos or Fuengirola. We ended up getting taxis in the end to both the Marina (£15 on a Sunday including tip) and to Fuengirola (same price). There is a market in Fuengirola on Tuesdays which is absolutely huge. There were lots of fake branded bits (LV, Dolce Gabbana etc) down there so if you like a bit of that you’ll love this market. The marina is a must visit, it’s beautiful down there. The shop in the hotel was very good, with all the essentials you would need for your stay and I don’t think it was that overpriced either. The entertainers both for the kids and around the pool worked very hard, were always smiling and good to be around. Negatives The pool is absolutely freezing cold. Even once you’re in it for a bit you’re still freezing! There is a small pool one floor up and also a hot tub which are a lot warmer. There’s also a play area for children next to it, plus mini golf. The food was lukewarm by the time you got back to your table, but luckily there are two microwaves situated at the back of the buffet restaurant. The other two restaurants you have to pay for, which wasn’t mentioned prior to booking staying this hotel. I feel this should be advertised better.There’s a children’s disco that is actually quite good but it should be on earlier, as it starts at 9pm in the auditorium. I feel this quite late.I do think if you were to stay here in the school holidays it would be absolutely rammed. There are a few lifts dotted around but even we had to wait a lot and it was quite quiet when we went.The arcade needs an update. It’s big, but the majority of of the games are old and do not work. Polynesia Hotel, Director General at Holiday World Polynesia, Affiliated by Melia, responded to this review Dear Thomas, Thank you very much for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your recent stay with us.We are truly delighted to read that you and your family enjoyed many aspects of the hotel, especially the unique atmosphere of the Polynesian-themed lobby, the cleanliness of the facilities, the friendliness of our staff, and the attention received during your son’s illness. It is especially rewarding to know that the small gestures from our housekeeping and maintenance teams helped make your stay more comfortable, as providing caring and attentive service is exactly what we strive for.We are also pleased that you enjoyed the food variety, entertainment program, hotel facilities, and the convenient location for visiting nearby attractions such as Fuengirola and Puerto Marina.At the same time, we sincerely appreciate your constructive feedback regarding the temperature of the main pool, buffet food temperature, children’s disco schedule, lift waiting times, and the arcade facilities. Your comments are extremely valuable to us and will certainly be shared with the relevant departments as part of our continuous improvement process.We also appreciate your observation regarding the themed restaurants and the importance of communicating any additional charges more clearly prior to arrival.Thank you once again for your balanced and thoughtful review. We truly hope to have the opportunity to welcome you and your family back again in the future for another enjoyable stay with us.Kind regards.

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• User:James F

  Trip type: Family

  Holiday World Review

  14 May 2026

  The resort is nice, but the outdoor swimming pools are absolutely freezing and often too cold for small children. The amenities are good, there is a good kids club, playgrounds and activities, but the restaurants open too late for small children, not opening until 7pm.The kid's disco doesn't start until 9pm: way too late.Having said that, the food is great, the staff are friendly and welcoming. Overall this is a good resort, but I've seen better Polynesia Hotel, Director General at Holiday World Polynesia, Affiliated by Melia, responded to this review Dear Guest,Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent stay at Holiday World.We are pleased to know that you enjoyed our facilities, kids club, activities, food, and especially the friendliness and welcoming attitude of our team. Your kind words are truly appreciated and will be shared with our staff.At the same time, we sincerely appreciate your constructive comments regarding the outdoor pool temperature, restaurant opening times, and the schedule of the kids’ disco. We understand how important these aspects are for families travelling with small children, and we regret any inconvenience caused during your stay.Please rest assured that your observations have been noted and will be taken into consideration as part of our continuous improvement process, as guest feedback is extremely valuable in helping us enhance the overall family experience we aim to provide.We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back again in the future and offer you an even better stay.Kind regards.

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