Spain - Costa Dorada Discussion Forums

Discussions regarding holidays in the Costa Dorada.
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Had a quick look can't find it for any tour operators, but have read a few reviews and they are all good including these 2 from holiday truth members, perhaps you could pm them to answer any more questions. Karen http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/spain/costa-dorada/la-pineda/la-hacienda-gran-hotel/
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Just found out Panorama, part of My travel/Airtours does it, don't know when you are thinking of going or for how long, but it is very expensive, seem to fly out only on Sundays. Here's the link anyway: http://www.mytravel.co.uk/AniteNextPage.asp?p=ACCOMDETAIL&xml=GENSEASONCODE%20S05&xml=TOUROPERATORCODE%2010415&s=28788366
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Many thanks for the quick replies. I am hoping to book this hotel direct as it is so much cheaper than the brochure. Hope it is as good as it sounds.
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Hi

I,ve actually stayed at this hotel and it is very nice.You,ll find its in both AIRTOURS and DIRECT HOLIDAYS this year,online and in the brochures.
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Hi, I have booked to stay in this hotel next wednesday for 5 nights. I found the cheapest site to book was find-rooms.com For 2 people half board it was £150 and our flights from stansted were £26 each return.
I dont know when you are thinking of going, but I will let you know what I think when I get back.
I did stay in la pineda last june resort was fairly quiet but not dead and beach was lovely. We stayed at best hotel Sol D'or which was ok but wouldn't go back. Hope this helps.
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I have booked the flights from Liverpool with Ryanair and we go on our holiday 19/8/05. You were right, Find rooms do give a cheaper price than bedbookers etc. Look forward to hearing what you thought of the hotel when you return.
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We fancied a cheap sun holiday and with three teenagers who get bored with everything!!! thought we'd head for Spain as it's near, guaranteed to be sunny and should be something lively for the kids to do.
I spent weeks searching for a hotel that didn't have a negative comment to go with it. Am very worried about what I read about the rudeness of the Spanish staff - hopefully a big smile might help and the odd tip? La Gran Hotel Hacienda looks great - could accommodate three in one room and I checked all prices for this hotel on every imaginable hotel booking site. Settled for Broadway Travel who have matched the cheapest rate but have given a personal service that you cannot get with online booking (car parking space booked, non smoking rooms, next to each otheretc.)Really looking forward to it and will give my report on Spain and this hotel when we get back at the beginning of June! Does anybody know about tickets to Aquapolis please?
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Tickets are easy to come by. You may be able to get them from your hotel or there will be leaflets to let you know and probably with discount. Also lots of ticket places in Salou which sell them. A must is Port aventura Theme Park for the teenagers. Suggestion if they want to go lots, you buy a 14 day ticket which only costs the price of a 3 day one. Available to buy online from http://www.keithprowsetickets.com or look at top of this forum for more information. With this ticket you also get one day free at new water park Costa Caribe which is beside theme park. Hope this helps. Karen
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Hi Karen
Yes that helps - thanks v much. But now I'm a bit confused. My big kids want water parks more than rides - is the Costa Caribe completely separate from Port Aventura? Is there "water" in Port Aventura. Only reason I ask is 'cos we are only there for 7 days and although we want to do Port Aventura, really want the water parks more! So there are two?? Aquapolis and Costa Caribe...
What is it best for me to do then? Buy a 3 day pass which give me 14days (and only use a couple of them), or buy Costa Caribe and Aquapolis as well.....durr sorry. Costa Caribe and Aquapolis can only be bought there can they (apart from free day inc. in 14day pass, of course....
Sorry for being so dumb - you won't belive that we've "done" Disneyland, Universal Florida three times but this seems much more complicated!!!!!!
:oops:
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Yes there are now 2 water parks. Haven't been to Costa Caribe as it was only opened 2003. Here is a link for you to see the Theme Park and Water Park to give you an idea of which suits best. http://www.siestaholidays.co.uk/holidays/portav2005.html Karen
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has anyone stayed here as am travelling with 3 children to salou in june and cannot find any reviews also how much does a taxi from the airport cost or are there any buses also is the jaime as bad as it sounds plesae help :roll:
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Thanks v much for the link!!! Looks reasonable in price for a good day of splashing about...will definately try it - wish we were going for 2 weeks now - but you never know, might be back again in the summer..

:fly
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Well I've bitten the bullet and booked this hotel for our summer holiday. Booked through find-rooms.com and it was quite a bit cheaper than other companies. Can't wait to go and I'll tell you all about it on my return in September.
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Hi,
have just returned and here is what I thought. before you get put off read to the end.

Impressive hotel with very nice rooms, 2 double beds in each room.

Very clean. food was good but not as good as I expected, there was plenty of choice but nothing fancy. The meats were always in somesort of sauce and it was pretty much the same to choose from every night. May just be though, because out of season and not many people there, at the weekend the hotel was fully booked and there seemed to be more of an effort made. I didn't find the restaurant staff very friendly but there wasnt many of them. It can work out expensive drinking in the hotel, beer and wine drinkers will be ok as these are cheap but for spirits they dont seem to stock local brands so, for example a malibu and coke or vodka and coke worked out at €6.50.

The hotel is as far out of Pineda you can go, not far to walk to the,lovely, beach but quite a walk from anywhere else.

Having said all that it sounds I hated the place, but I didnt I think it was a mistake to stay there out of season as all the surrounding shops were closed and there was not many people about to create an atmosphere. Plus we didnt have good weather so couldnt make use of the pool or beach. I would like to stay here again in the height of season to see the difference. as the weather and atmosphere would make a great difference.

I hope this hasnt put any body off just think I went a bit too early !!!!!
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Hi
your review on this hotel is really useful. The negative points are not so bad for us - we don't mind the hotel being out of the way - La Pineda looks lovely, we'll have a car as well so maybe it is more than suitable for us.
The important thing for us was quality of the rooms and food. You've said the rooms were nice so that is one thing less to worry about. Food? well we were going to book full board but I think we were right just to go for half...
one question please..was the food suitable for fussy teenagers who like the usual rubbish - chips, burgers etc? If not, then no worries, I'm sure they won't starve.

Don't suppose you can post any pics can you? Did you book this hotel independently or through a Travel Agent? Any good cheap places to eat for lunch nearby?? is it worth going into Salou???
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Hi, glad that was of some use. the teenagers wont starve I had my 17 and 14 year old fussy eaters with me every night there was chips and pasta so they lived on that but neither would try the meat or fish dishes on offer. There are lots of desserts to choose from every night, infact my 14 year old one night just had about 3 bowls of rice pudding which he said was the best he had had. In salou itself you will find macdonalds and burger king and if you like seafood a trip into cambrills is well woth it. I cant comment on eating places nearby as they were closed. Another place to visit is tarragona which is not far, It is like a mini Barcelona get a map from the tourist points you will come accross and head for the cathedral the houses around there are really pretty and there is a lovely square to sit and eat and drink. Hope you have a good time, any thing else I can help with just ask.
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Hi again
thanks for your info. Tarragona looks an interesting place, I'll certainly put that on the itinerary.
One last question if you don't mind... do you get drinks with your meals at the Hotel, or do you need to go to the Bar first? How does it work?

Thanks again!!
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Hi Lesley,

When you are shown to your table the waiter will take a drinks order from you. The first night we ordered individual drinks and didnt know the prices so were a bit shocked when we got to pay at the end. a soft drink was €1.95 and a vodka and coke was about €6.50 ( I think beer and wine were a bit cheaper) so from then on with the meal we just had bottled water, a bottle for €1.50 will do 2 people. with breakfast there is fruit juice and tea, coffee and hot chocolate and milk all free. Hope this is of some help but you may not be as tight as me !!
I dont know what time your flight is but we arrived at the hotel about 9.20pm so as restaurant finishes at 9.30 we left our bags at reception and managed to have dinner before booking in. Hope you have a good time I would be interested to see what you think of the hotel during open season.
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