Sol Principe

We have just returned from a 7-night stay at Sol Príncipe. Overall, we had a lovely family holiday, enjoying the beautiful sunshine, the fantastic pool, and spending quality time with our children. However, despite these positives, we felt the hotel fell well short of the standard expected from a 4-star hotel.

From the moment we checked in, the experience felt more like staying at a youth hostel or summer camp than a hotel. We were given tokens for reusable cups to use at the outdoor bar, where all the daytime and evening entertainment takes place. If you don’t have your token or your used cup with you, you’re charged €1 for another cup on top of the cost of your drink. What made this even more frustrating was the lecture from staff about why you should always have your cup or token with you. While we completely understand and support environmentally friendly initiatives, it shouldn’t be the guest’s responsibility to carry a plastic cup around all day. The hotel should have a better system in place.

We were also required to wear wristbands for the entire week to identify our board basis (full board, all-inclusive, etc.). Every time we ordered a drink, the wristband would be checked, again making us feel more like children at a holiday camp than guests who had paid a significant amount of money for a relaxing hotel stay as the bar man would be giving out if you didn’t have it on .

Another inconvenience was the pool towel system. We were given towel tokens on arrival and expected to use the same towels for the duration of our stay unless we paid €1 each time we wanted them changed. Seven days with the same pool towel is unreasonable, especially as they became dirty after only a couple of days. Although €1 isn’t a large amount, it was just another unnecessary charge and inconvenience that left the hotel feeling less welcoming.

The pool itself is beautiful, but unfortunately the surrounding area was not well maintained. Every morning, while guests were already queuing from around 8:00 a.m. to secure a sunbed, cleaners would throw buckets of water across the pool deck. This left the floors soaking wet and extremely slippery. Because the sunbeds were placed out before the ground had properly dried, towels placed on the floor quickly became filthy from the dirty water. If your towel became too dirty, you then had to pay to replace it.

The sunbed situation was by far the biggest disappointment. Having to wake up early every morning just to have somewhere to sit for the day is not what anyone expects on a relaxing holiday. Even after securing a sunbed, you couldn’t fully relax because there was always the worry that your towels would be removed by the “sunbed police” if you left for a swim or lunch. If this happened, you had to go and retrieve your belongings and then try to find another sunbed, which was virtually impossible later in the day.

Throughout our stay, we did not feel particularly welcome and there was a general lack of warmth in the guest experience, The food was also very repetitive, with the same options served each evening. We were full board but chose to eat out some nights.

The bedroom, while more spacious than expected which was a positive, was very plain and lacked any colour, warmth or comfort.

We really found the week quite stressful rather than relaxing, there was one particular manager in the poolside restaurant, an older man with glasses, who we frequently saw speaking quite rudely to guests, which added to the uncomfortable atmosphere.

On a positive note the cleaners kept our room clean and were always very friendly and the same could be said for the staff in the kids club which looked really well run and friendly although my kids didn’t go to this.

In summary, while we genuinely enjoyed our holiday thanks to the weather, the excellent pool, and the time spent together as a family, the hotel’s policies and overall guest experience left a lot to be desired. There are simply too many rules, tokens, wristbands, and unnecessary inconveniences for what is advertised as a 4-star hotel. With a more guest-focused approach, this could be an excellent place to stay, but unfortunately, it did not meet our expectations.

My husband and I came to this hotel to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We booked this holiday over a year ago as an all-inclusive break because the hotel looked beautiful in the advertisements. Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing.

Staff

On our first day, we were repeatedly ignored by waiters and waitresses during both lunch and dinner. Although they clearly noticed us and we raised our hands several times to order drinks, we weren’t served until we had almost finished our meals.

Throughout our stay, we felt that, as all-inclusive guests, we were treated as a lower priority than guests who were paying for drinks and extras.

Room

Our room was much smaller than expected, especially considering the size of the hotel. The rooms shown in the promotional photos appear to be in a completely different building and did not reflect what we received.

The bed sheets were never changed during our stay, and the towels were only replaced occasionally. The mattress was also very firm and uncomfortable. The only positive aspect of the room was the balcony, which had a lovely view.

Food

The food was average at best, with very little variety as the same dishes were served almost every day. The pork and beef were of poor quality, and on one occasion I was shocked to see pink chicken being served.

The cutlery was also not always clean, so I would recommend checking it before using it.

One of the biggest disappointments was discovering that the poolside food truck and ice cream were not included in the all-inclusive package, unlike many other all-inclusive hotels. We were only informed after the staff had already served us the ice cream, leaving us in an awkward position.

The only snacks available as part of the all-inclusive package at the pool bar were crisps and nuts, which was extremely disappointing.

The hotel also operates a token system for drinks. Without a token, you cannot order a drink, and if you lose your token, you are charged €1 for a replacement.

Entertainment

The entertainment during the first three evenings was excellent. However, the shows for the remainder of our stay were entirely in Spanish, making it difficult for international guests to follow or enjoy.

On a positive note, the hotel offers a fantastic range of entertainment and activities for children, catering for ages from babies through to teenagers.

Pool

The pools themselves are lovely, although they become extremely busy during peak times.

One unusual rule is that inflatable rings must meet specific size requirements. The lifeguards measure them, and if your float is too large, you are not allowed to use it.

Beach

One of the hotel’s best features is its location. The beach is literally just a few steps away, which was a real highlight of our stay.

Sunbeds

We found a peaceful area with sunbeds at the back of the hotel. We left our towels and belongings for just a few minutes while we went to the toilet and grabbed a drink, only to return and find a notice stating that our belongings would be removed if we were not back by a specified time.

Meanwhile, there were plenty of other sunbeds that had clearly been left unattended for hours without receiving the same warning. It certainly gave the impression that different guests were treated differently.

Overall

This hotel is not what it appears to be in its advertising. While it is certainly large and has a great location, our overall experience was disappointing. Between the poor service, misleading room expectations, average food, and lack of value in the all-inclusive package, this was not the relaxing anniversary holiday we had hoped for.

Sadly, we will not be returning.

A very disappointed guest.

Good beach front hotel freindly staff. Food good choice but repetitive. Rooms cleaned daily. Location 10/10 shirt 5min walk into torremolinos