Balcón del Mar

Great apartments with spacious interiors and a huge west-facing balcony. Well equipped and kept very clean. The pool area was often busy, but we could always find a lounger. Location is convenient for the Europa Centre (about 10 minutes’ walk) with plenty of restaurants and supermarkets nearby. Be aware that the walk to Puerto Rico centre really is a challenge — it’s mostly downhill and takes around 40 minutes with no real shortcuts. Get a taxi back up the hill is really steep. It's about 7-8 euros. We hired a car. We were mostly able to park for free near the apartments some days we had to park a lot further away. They do have parking spaces but they charge 3.50e a day to use them. They were mostly empty. Be prepared to be woken up at 6am by a rooster and random chickens and cats that live in rough ground behind the building. This did get quite frustrating although my kids did love watching all the kittens. The only real disappointment was our final day. Our pickup wasn’t until 8pm and when we asked for a late checkout, we were told the room was booked out. We requested to keep it as long as possible and were advised we might be able to stay until 11am. However, at 10:15am reception called insisting we vacate immediately as “cleaning staff were waiting.” This forced us to pack in a rush, only to see that our room wasn’t cleaned until after 2pm — making the early push to leave feel very unnecessary, especially as we were travelling with a family. We then spent the rest of the day going in and out of the luggage room. There is a courtesy shower available, but unfortunately it’s very small, enclosed with a metal door, and faces the sun directly, making it feel extremely uncomfortable. Aside from this, we were happy with the accommodation overall. The staff were generally friendly and helpful whenever we dealt with them, and the rooms were always cleaned to a good standard, though the cleaning schedule is a little irregular and could be made clearer. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and I would recommend these apartments — just be prepared for the final-day arrangements.