Meliá Zahara Resort & Villas

Absolutely fantastic resort. We’ve already booked to come again. We stayed in a 2 bedroom grand villa that had a large private garden, outdoor furniture and outdoor shower. There was no internal living space but with a sofa and chairs, a lounge bed, and a dining table and chairs outside that was a minor inconvenience. We spent many evenings listening to the birdsong. Breakfast was superb and service was friendly, great selection of fresh juices and everything you could possibly need. We had young children with us so went relatively early, it did appear to get busy by 9am but we were finishing then. We didn’t eat in the restaurant because there are many options nearby we wanted to try, but when we come again we likely will because it looked really good. The pools are wonderful. For the kids there’s a splash pad and a fun, shaded playground. The beach is so close and one of the best I’ve ever been to. We enjoyed the Level lounge and appreciated the size of the terrace outside, which gave space to let toddlers run without bothering too many visitors. We didn’t have breakfast in the lounge but that was simply because with small children the larger restaurant offering works better. Each evening around 7pm we had a knock on the door to the garden (it was very private!) and were offered water and chocolates. A number of treats await you in villas and it was a fantastic experience, highly recommended. This isn’t an area frequented by masses of English speakers, which was what we wanted. There was no issue in the hotel, but don’t expect English translation on menus and everyone knowing fluent English in the surrounding towns. Knowing some Spanish is beneficial for getting about. We can’t wait to see you again!

We have been coming to the Melia Atlantean for 6 years. The location is the main attraction, direct beach access and a 3km walk into Zahara. Our children have out grown the kids club, of which the staff and attention was always excellent. We have a family room which either two separate rooms and a joint bathroom has always suited us perfectly and the cleaning staff are great. Being platinum members we also have Level access. In the past we have enjoyed this immensely as we appreciate the quiet area to relax during the day, breakfast service and evening drinks. However this year it was disappointing to learn upon arrival that the Level lounge now closes at 8pm ( we were asked (told) quite firmly to leave at 7.50pm ) as it is now used as a restaurant after this time. We love to enjoy playing games with our family before dinner so now have to go elsewhere to do this. Also the website mentions having a cocktail whilst the sun goes down - the cocktail hour has been limited to 5-7pm and the sun goes down at 9pm … again not ideal! There used to be live music and a cocktail of the day but this has also mowed gone. The tapas in the level also much poorer quality and offer than previous years with no food information at all provided about the ingredients. The reception staff in the level were not very friendly this year either absolutely no special mention of it being our 6th year as loyal guests … the level room welcome was 2 bottles of water & sweets which are free at dinner - why bother ! A bottle of thank you cava might have been more appreciated. Check your in/ out was poor. Check in no drink offered ( not even water ) after a long drive and we had to get our own trolley for luggage- question - why is there only one staff member managing check in / out when there are at least 3 others wondering around … many guests complained to each other about this. At Check out it took 35 minutes to have our luggage brought from our room - response from staff was that they are at full capacity as it was our fault. Customer service manager very dismissive and no apology - question what is his role ? So sadly not a good idea experience with the level this year and I don’t know if we will make it to 7 years.

Fantastic summer vacation!! We booked 7 nights Level villa and we loved the Level services, particularly the breakfast, lounge, afternoon cocktails and also the Level pool. Absolutely worth the extra cost for the Level. The lounge was perfect for us to play cards, have a drink and get out of the sun. The Level staff are also super helpful. One of the ladies (can’t remember her name) helped with booking our lunch at the beach restaurant and at Vambu (next door) which we would highly recommend. She also asked our feedback after our lunches.. which was very thoughtful. The Level villa was also perfect for us. I was with my 2x teenage kids and the villa was just the right size (with sofa bed). I also appreciated the garden sofa bed and lounge to relax in the afternoons. Even though our villa (818) was directly in front of the main pool, it was not noisy and we enjoyed being “in amongst it” while maintaining our own space and privacy. The beach is really nice, the water is clear and lots of fish to see. It’s also worth heading into Zahara village to try some of the restaurants and wander the shops. There is a hotel shuttle in/out of the village otherwise taxis are easy enough to call and book if you’re not rushing. We also enjoyed the evening entertainment program - especially the Saturday night party. Nice to see families and guests all ages enjoying themselves. I read some other reviewers had complaints about paying for water (as a Level guest) - in my view, this is not as an issue at all. The housekeeping staff provide water bottles in the evenings, there is also water at the Level pool as well as the lounge all throughout the day. At dinner, my kids just asked for tap water which the staff were more than happy to provide. My kids mentioned that the only improvement area is for more variety at the dinner buffet. For me, I enjoyed the variety from the grill section. Overall, a fantastic summer vacation. We would love to visit again. Thank you Melia Zahara team and all the best for the rest of the season.

The hotel itself is lovely. Clean, wonderful pool, great food, but the staff really let it down. I’ve never been to a hotel with such unpleasant staff. The fact we didn’t speak Spanish appeared to be a huge issue, and it took until day 3 for someone to explain the levels experience to us, so i think we missed out on a lot. It wouldn’t be hard to have this explained on a piece of paper in different languages. In the restaurant as Brits we were ignored constantly by the serving staff and chefs, with them often looking over our heads or round us to cater to the Spanish customers first. We also had an issue with our air con leaking onto the marble floor, causing me to slip with a baby in my arms. On getting to reception with tears in my eyes, they sent someone up to fix and clean it, but there was never an explanation or apology from a single member of staff. Very disappointing for a Melia hotel. I expected more.

Nice resort style hotel. Excellent pool. Close to zahara. Decent gym. Breakfast great. A couple of annoying things: 1. Parking cost 20 euro per day. This is a lot in my opinion. Plenty of parking options just outside of the hotel. No one mentioned the cost of parking to us on arrival. 2. Costs of drinks at the bar. A tiny bottle of water and a soft drink was 7.40. Feels expensive. The have “special” beds around the pool that are almost always empty yet they are taking a lot of prime space. Personally I am not a big fan of dividing hotel guests into different classes when all staying in the same hotel. But for some this might be a plus. Those are small things. Overall the hotel is lovely and rooms are decent size and the facilities are very good