Medplaya Hotel Santa Monica

Great 😊

We stayed at the Hotel Santa Monica for our honeymoon in 1974 when it first opened. We returned 50 years later as part of our Golden Wedding celebrations and were so pleased we did. The hotel was so different to how we remembered it – the improvements and refurbishments over the years had bought it fully up-to-date and very comfortable. We let the hotel know in advance why we were returning, and they made us very welcome, the reception staff and management were just lovely. We had a record of which room we had stayed in first time around (on a top floor with a sea view) and asked for the same room as on our first visit ... the team were kind enough to do this, which made it extra special. More generally the hotel was lovely, restaurant and food good, and the plenty of sunbeds round the pool. Special thanks to Vicky and Minerva on reception and Juan the bar manager for making us so welcome. (Photos show our visits from 1974 and 2024!)

The location is pretty good, just a short walk from the beach, and the town is within walking distance. There's a road train which stops right outside of you want, we took it out but had a slow walk back. It isn't far. Take a kettle, we didn't this time, but you can rent them out for your stay from the reception team who were clear, welcoming and helpful. We didn't upgrade to the seaview rooms, but probably will if we return. Our view was a bit of void land but we were able to get a vibe of the town that way, and we kept a look out for the cats that were regulars there. The food was great, plenty of options for me and the wife. All very fresh. All the people working the kitchens and dining area were exceptional and personable, too many to name - except for the robot, who we named Ricardo (or Ricky after we had a few wines). It was very clean, the cleaners tidied the beds and bathroom of the room daily, and well. The main hotel was also very clean. The bar workers were fun guys. They handle two sides of a bar that cannot see the other, and I heard knocking tapping and whistling, which would have annoyed me greatly if I were working there. Tania literally never stops: setting up, preparing lemon slices, cleaning, serving drinks all go. Evening music does need more variety. I would have liked to have been DJ! Thanks for the stay, we had a great time.