Hotel is very clean and maids excellent - attention to detail second to none - Food first class - best food we have ever had in an all inclusive.

Location was okay - but no bars or shops in walking distance - in saying that the bus stop is right outside the hotel. Hotel staff very helpful. The only downfall was the entertainment but everything else about the hotel outweighs this.

Stayed at the Riu Chiclana in June for 10 nights on an all inclusive basis and was surprised to find a hotel that is totally AI, even down to the bottled water. Can't fault the cleanliness, maid service is excellent. Three large restaurants, two you have to book a place in the hotel lobby and are free. Hotel takes some finding if you are travelling by your own transport as not many maps or sign posts for area but once you find it you are amazed at the splendour. Never had a problem with the staff, all were polite and could not do enough for you. Entertainment is aimed at German and Spanish guests of which they form the majority, although some English. Enjoyed our stay and are going again this summer.

we arrived on the monday and was greated with portars to take our bags the reception was very friendly and spoke very good english. as we had been traverling all day and did not arrive to late we was offered a salad buffet tea, as we where 1 hour delayed the hotel kindly rang our rep to find out where we where.

meals where great and they offered loads of different food to suite different tastes. each of the three restuarants all offered different types of food.

the hotel its self was really clean and tidy they take much care and time into making sure that they have suited your every needs. there is also a head maid who comes round and checks the rooms after the maids have cleaned them just to make sure that the are 4*+

the entertainment was not to bad but when you think about it they are working all day entertaining you with different activities that they really havnt stopped all day.

personaly i think that this holiday was a success and i would go again they offer alot and are always on hand to help you what ever your problem.

When you walk into the reception area of the Riu Chiclana it boasts its four stars rating to a five.

The staff are very friendly and our bags were taken to our room for us.

The hotel is spotless they are forever cleaning in and around the hotel and they even tidy your room.

The food was very nice there was plenty to choose from though sometimes a bit repetative.

The only problem for us was that it was a bit out of the way and we was craving some shops as there was seven of us women and seven men plus six kids and two babies us girls would have had a little shop why the men took advantage of the all inclusive alcohol. We did go into the local shopping centre about 10 mins in a taxi but not to much there but a couple of good restaurants if you fancy a change like we did.

Entertainment was okay but that is as far as it goes we were in a big crowd so we had enough of a laugh on our own though there was a few really good shows especially Grease we knew more words than the reps.

We all really enjoyed our holiday here some of us did a couple of trips there was one called 'A Touch of Class' don

This hotel is, as the Thomson brochure suggests, a beach lover's holiday. If you don't like lazing on the beach and swimming in the sea then don't bother.

As me and my boyfriend are beach lovers we found this to be a fantastic resort.

Good:

-Beaches. They are clean and virtually empty. Hiring a sunbed is cheap and there are plenty available.
-Food. Lots to choose from and good quality. You don't have to queue for the resteraunts if you eat before 9.00pm.


Bad:
- Lots of German/Spanish at the hotel. This resort has not really taken off in England yet.
- The pool is ICY COLD.
- You'll be lucky to get a sunbed round the pool unless you're up at the crack of dawn. Although, why would you want to sit round the pool with such a fantastic beach?
- The entertainment is not great. Mostly for kids and is in German/Spanish.
-Lots and Lots and Lots of kids. Everywhere.
-Nothing to do at night apart from drinking at the hotel bars.

This hotel is worth a stay soley for the beaches if you're into that kind of thing.

Riu Chiclana, Nova Sancti Petri. When we arrived on the Monday we were allocated a room on arrival. The air conditioning wasn't working and it was Saturday before they could move us.
The hotel was full of children who were up until the early hours, even in the discoteque that started at 23.00 hours until 2a.m.
Every bar we went in was full of children, you couldn't get away from them.

In the brochure Thomson listed it as quiet and secluded and not for people wanting lively!! It was never quiet. When you went down to the pool in the morning there were no sunbeds available because they were all tied together with towels even though the occupants did'nt use them until late afternoon.

The food was quite good but it was very german/spanish orientated, not geared up for English visitors, lots of pork dishes and very bland.

We hired a car and went looking for a chinese restaurant for a change.

The staff were very polite and the public areas were clean.
The entertainment by Animation was rubbish and was in German and Spanish most of the time.

The location of the hotel was very isolated but the beach(that we spent alot of time on) was fantastic and quiet!

The sunbeds cost 4 euros a day each and there were 2 bars that were reasonably priced and friendly

.I have wrote to Thomson and told them that in my opinion the hotel should be advertised as a Super Family Hotel as it is not very relaxing for couples.

Hotel Chiclana, fantastic hotel, excellent staff,you notice how clean it is the minute you walk through the door to a very impressive reception area where you will be met by very friendly staff.

Rooms are spotless clean with plenty of drawers and hanging space. Food is excellent with a very good choice at all meal times.

Pool areas can get a bit crowded at times, but there is one of the best beaches in spain right on the doorstep so this is not a big problem.

Stayed at a Riu before and the entertainment seems to be the same at all the hotels not brilliant but not bad, keeps the kids happy!!

Without a doubt my family and I would definatley stay at this hotel again and we would highly recommend it.

The hotel was really clean. The views form the rooms are in the most not good we complained and in the end got one of the only seaview rooms only because the hotel wasnot full teh day we arrived most of hte rooms over look other rooms.

The miniclub was excellent for children they did loads and it was well run and fun. The evening entertainment was typical inhouse and some people there loved it, they had 2 professional acts one was better the flamenco. The mini club put on a show and all hte children reheresed for a couple of days before which they loved and got a certificate for doing it.

The beach was amazing and clean lots of sand.

The food for an all inclusive was probably ok it is our first time on one. However the choice was poor often having the same items for 2 or 3 nights running. the drinks also were what I would expect form an all inclusive but I didn't have high hopes anyway so was suprised that the beer wasn't water but drinkable. brand name soft drinks ie coke and fanta. The pool bar didn't open till 10.30 so if you wanted more to drink you had to go back to the breakfast areas which for some rooms ours inc was a long way. But once they are open then there is not a time to go without getting drinks either from the bars or self service there is also very little time you can't get food.

The swimming pools themselves were nice however far too crowded too many sunbeds close together But plenty of umbrellas and tables.

The shop was open all day small but not bad pices for a hotel shop.

The sauna and Jacuzzi were very good but they are accross the road however we went evey day and only had to share on one occasion. There dress policy was a bit odd as Saunas are usually nude but they insited on bathing suits for some session which led to some confusion on the busy day.

I would say go if you don't mind not having a seaview and you don't mind lots of people around you however if you go to the beach we had so much space it is really worth it.

The staff and animation team were very helpful and friendly.

We had seen Riu Hotels on other holidays, and after a disastrous stay in Fuerteventura we decided to try somewhere else on the basis of the brochure and some research.

This hotel is wonderful for families; a short walk along a paved path and down some steps, and you're on one of the best beaches in Europe. The pools are crowded, and despite notes left by the hotel staff asking people not to reserve loungers, the guests just ignored them.

Excellent hotel staff: we were plagued by sewer smells in our first room, so we moved and were satisfied, with a bottle of sparkling wine as compensation. The food is much as you expect in All Inclusive, with last nights leftovers reappearing in another form, but there was always something we could eat, and that's the main thing. Friendly waiting staff who made a fuss of our two-year old son. Rooms are cleaned spotlessly: count how many different ways there are to fold a towel in a decorative manner and leave it on your bed!

The entertainment is pitched towards the 80% or so of German guests, including the kids clubs, so if you're English, be warned! Evening entertainment was not as good as we've come to expect. Fluency in German would be an asset if you want to talk to most of the guests, although many of the rest are Spanish, if you visit at the start of the Spanish school summer holidays.

Although the hotel is some way from the resort centre, we walked to it along the track just past the beach car park, and we enjoyed looking out for the huge lizard that lives down there!

This is the first hotel we've stayed at that I would definitely return to.

Excellent resort for both families -lots to do for the kids- and couples. The beach is amazing, probably the best in the whole South of Spain along with Zahara de los Atunes. The hotel has very nice facilities, it is a huge complex. When I was there it had just opened but you could already tell the beauty of the landscaping. Nice entertainment area and little disco with good music. The quality of food and drinks is very good specially the andalusian themed restaurant -not particularly andalusian-. Lots of sunbathing room by the pools and also at the beach. If you go in the summer, don't miss the La Loma beach bar-restaurant, to the left of the hotel's beach. You can enjoy all the food and services of the hotel until as late as you want on your checkout date, which is nice.