Barceló Punta Umbría Beach Resort

Good buffet and swimming pool. Close to the beach.

My mom and I recently stayed at Barcelo Punta Umbría Beach Resort and, while we had an enjoyable holiday overall, there were several things that stopped it from being a higher-rated experience. The hotel itself is very clean, with our room cleaned every day without fail and fresh towels provided daily. The white bed linen was a nice touch, and all of the staff we encountered were polite and friendly. The pool is a good size with plenty of sunbeds available. As we’re British, we were up early each morning expecting the usual rush to reserve sunbeds, but we quickly realised there was no need. There were still plenty available until around 10:30am, which was a pleasant surprise. There are also four buffet restaurants offering plenty of variety, and the air-conditioned gym had decent equipment. Unfortunately, there were quite a few downsides. The location is fairly isolated with very little nearby, and the hotel itself is huge (around 1km long), so walking between facilities can take a while and may not be suitable for guests with mobility issues. The entertainment wasn’t really aimed at international guests. Everything, including the bingo, was entirely in Spanish with no translation, making it difficult for non-Spanish speakers to enjoy. Entertainment also didn’t begin until around 11pm, which felt far too late for us. Meal times also cater more to Spanish schedules, with the first dinner sitting starting at 8pm and continuing until 11pm. The choice of cocktails and alcoholic drinks was also quite limited. The pool rules are fairly strict. You can only leave your sunbed unattended for 30 minutes before your belongings may be moved, and inflatables aren’t allowed in the pool. One thing worth mentioning is that you’re allocated a different buffet restaurant each evening on a rotating basis. We were able to change ours at reception without any issues, although we did speak to other guests who weren’t as lucky. Another disappointment was the lack of a comfortable indoor lounge or lobby to relax in during the evenings. Instead, everyone sits outside on hard plastic chairs, which become quite uncomfortable after a while. Overall, my mom and I had a lovely break and the hotel is undeniably clean, well-maintained, and staffed by friendly people. However, it doesn’t feel particularly geared towards British or other international guests due to the lack of translated entertainment, very late dining and entertainment times, and a few restrictive policies.

I have not long returned back from an 11 nights stay here and I have a very mixed opinion on this hotel. I will start with the negatives, this hotel is not catered for English customers what so ever to the point where as a family we began to feel very unwelcome here by hotel staff but also guest. The day we arrived we had been travelling since 2am the reception was very busy and had to wait ages to finally be seen when we did get to the desk the lady didn’t speak English so had to wait for her to find someone who did. We had 2 rooms and were told that only one was read and to come back at 3pm for the second (this was around 1pm). Me and my mom went and sat in the bar and got a drink while we waited. When going back at 3 we were told again it wasn’t ready. We sat waiting till around 4 when again said it wasn’t ready. After complaining a 3rd time they realised the key had be sat on the side the entire time so as you can imagine this was not a great start. As the holiday progressed it became very clear to us that the hotel was mainly for Spanish customers, every part of the entertainment was done only in Spanish luckily we weren’t travelling with young children if you are I really do not reccomend coming here as they will be very bored. The hotel does put on lots of entertainment but as it’s only done in Spanish we are not able to get involved. One of the days we tried to get involved with the bingo we were told to listen for the numbers in English but they just forgot to say them in English so we gave up. Some of the staff in the bars also made us feel very unwelcome it was difficult to even order a basic drink it felt like they just didn’t want to talk to us. One member of the bar staff told me he didn’t speak English but later that day I heard him speaking fluent English to two girls who I believe weren’t English. In saying this there was a man working on the pool bar who spoke very good English and was very friendly and helpful. While this isn’t something the hotel can manage but something worth pointing out the guest at this hotel are point blank very rude. They make it very clear they do not want the English there. From pushing in front of us in the restaurants to giving us dirty looks and staring , it got to a point where we felt very uncomfortable. We did take our concerns to the hotels guest manager a young lady and a man ( I can’t remember there names) who are the two nicest people in the hotel, they took note to our issues and really showed an understanding and to apologise they did send us some cakes / treats to our room which was a very nice gesture. I’d like to give a big thank you to them for listening to us and understanding our issues. They did say they are going to do there best to be more inclusive for English customers in the upcoming season. Now for the positives as it’s not all bad. The hotel itself is beautiful the grounds and pools are stunning with lots of sunbeds to pick from , always kept clean and tidy as well. Th

The hotel has some very positive aspects, but unfortunately one issue significantly impacted our stay. Let's start with the good things: the pool area is great, the evening shows are genuinely high quality and very enjoyable, and the food in the themed restaurants was excellent. These were definitely the highlights of our stay. However, the biggest problem was the reception staff's level of English communication. If you don't speak Spanish, be very careful and double-check everything you are told. During our stay, I parked my car directly in front of the hotel. Since I didn't have coins, I paid for parking through an app. To make sure I had selected the correct parking zone, I went to reception, explained where the car was parked, and showed the app to the receptionist. She looked at it and confirmed that everything was correct. Three days later, I received two parking fines because I had paid for the wrong zone. Apparently, the parking area was a different color zone, and I should have selected another tariff. What was particularly frustrating is that I specifically asked reception for help to avoid exactly this situation. I understand that parking regulations are ultimately the driver's responsibility. However, if a staff member cannot clearly explain something in English or is not sure about the answer they should ask a colleague for assistance rather than simply telling guests that everything is fine. Had someone explained that I needed to check the color of the lines painted on the ground, this would have been avoided entirely. So my advice to future guests: don't just double-check information provided by reception in English - triple-check it. A real shame, because apart from this experience, the hotel itself is quite pleasant, with good facilities, good food, and excellent entertainment. Had it not been for this issue, my rating would have been higher.

All excelent as usual, as a repeat guest. Just a downside, we booked all inclusive and arrived after 4pm, asked if we could have lunch on the departure day as we lost the lunch included on arrival and we were told it's not possible.

We have arrived today was an early start for us so been up since 2am!! Upon getting here they had a ticket service to be seen which we had to wait almost 40 minutes for we arrived at the hotel about 1.30pm our room wasn’t ready 2.5 hrs later we are still sat in reception waiting on the key!! We are absolutely exhausted and feel sick with tiredness we were hoping to get a few hours by the pool but that wont happen now!! Snack bar is unbelievably poor dry rolls with chicken and cheese nothing that I would expect to see at a snack bar!! No one and I mean no one speaks English not really sure why this hotel is advertised to English people it is clearly favours the Spainish!! I am shattered and still waiting for my room!! All I want to do at this point is turn round and go home

We stayed at Barcelona Resort and had a very pleasant experience. The location is excellent, with the beach, shops, and local amenities all within easy walking distance. The staff were friendly, helpful, and always willing to go the extra mile. All of the receptionists at the resort where we stayed were lovely, especially María, who made us feel very welcome. The resort has four different restaurants offering a wide variety of delicious dishes. Breakfast was excellent, with an impressive selection of food to suit all tastes. There were also plenty of activities for families and children, making it a great choice for all ages. Our room was comfortable. During our stay, we had an issue with the bathroom basin, but as soon as we reported it, it was repaired promptly, which we really appreciated. The only downside was the check-in process. The resort has several different locations, and we initially went to the wrong one. We were sent from one resort to another, which was quite confusing and frustrating. It would be helpful if the resort provided someone to escort guests to the correct apartment, as we have experienced at resorts in Portugal and Croatia. Overall, we had a very enjoyable stay and would happily recommend Barcelona Resort to others.

Lovely hotel, close to the sea. We had a fantastic time. Would recommend the food and service from all the team at the Barcelo was top notch.