Santa Susanna, Royal Sun Hotel

Firstly Royal Sun Hotel really isnt a 4 * hotel, we are not fussy at all and stayed in some very basic accomodation, but when you book a hotel which you think is going to be a bit more special thats what you expect as we didnt get a cheap deal for this holiday we paid full price 9 weeks before we went. The hotel itself is very clean, the maids came everyday of our 7 day stay and they were faultless they work very hard and we had clean towels daily and they changed the beds half way through.

As with all the other comments i totally agree about the location, we found it great that you could walk out the back doors and your on the beach which our little 3 year old loved.

However.. As for the staff there was only a few that were polite, most of the reception staff were very rude and the way one spoke to my partner made him actually say to stop speaking to him the way she was as we were the ones paying their wages.

Straight away when we got there at 11.30 am we was told that we couldnt check in till 12 so we had to put 4 suitcases in the luggage room and sit and wait. Our son of 3 wanted a drink so having no euros on us till we get our money exchanged we asked if we could get a drink for him as we were all inclusive in which we were abruptly told we will get our all inclusive cards when we have checked in and not before. Only to be told 10 minutes later by the same man we could now check in, he then vanishes so we get all 4 cases back out to be told by the man at reception we cant check in till 12! Faulty Towers!

Then when we get our all inclusive cards we had paid for our daughter and her boyfriend who are both 17 full price and was told that they was not allowed to have adult cards and gave them childrens cards and told them they werent to have any alcoholic, we said that we didnt mind them having a few drinks under our supervision as they were on holiday but they wouldnt give in. Even though the club opposite kept asking them to come in and they could buy alcohol from the shop!

The Food was very samey, again we have stayed in far more superior hotels that were 3* than this, everything you didnt eat for breakfast was made into something for lunch and what you didnt eat for lunch, what do you know you had for dinner! One concoction we found rather amusing was fried eggs (Breakfast) tomatoes (breakfast again!) and tuna (lunch) all mixed together and served at dinner..... Yummy! Although we can't moan too much because there was always something to eat but it always smelt like school dinners and the smell would hit you by the time you got to the second floor. Our son didnt enjoy going down there as its very cramped you can fit 4 to 5 round each table and the next table was right on top of you so felt like they were dining with you. The one night my partner tried to some bread rolls out so our son could eat something as he never would downstairs with everyone around him and they went mad and was saying they would get the manager, so we asked to see him and was told he wasnt there so we left a message for him to get back to us but he never did.

Staff in the bar indoors, was by far the rudest, we asked for a coffee which is freshly ground behind the bar which we were entitled to on all inclusive but was told to use the machine, which tasted like dishwater. It took several attempts before one was eventually made, it wasnt the fact that the member of staff was busy, there was no one else there, just couldnt be bothered and slammed the cups down.

It may seem like we were being petty but we had looked forward to an extra special holiday as it was a special occasion that we had gone for and all we got was a normal bog standard hotel which claimed it was more superior than it was.

Still we made the most of it and had a great time outside the hotel and the rude staff, stick to the bar outside they are more pleasant.

1 final thing is be very careful if you go to barcelona, we were just glad we didnt pay 35 euros each to go to the cathedral, it was under reconstruction and replaced with a cloth hanging over the whole front with a printed picture of the cathedral on it! Still its cheap to go on the train just under 7euros each return dont waste your money on the excursions!

So Overall the location was perfect but wouldnt go back to this hotel as MOST of the staff are rude and arrogant!

Royal Sun Hotel Staff were lovely in general, some were really sticklers for the rules, no leeway or common sense, but the hotel itself left a bit to be desired, too noisy with the train tracks only ten meters away, but still its on the beach and there are plenty of great bars to go to for a fun night out. Shots Bar, just over the road, is a great little place, good food and friendly staff and they had great theme nights during the weeks stay. The Hotel we used as a place to get our heads down

We did like the hotel, I don't think the weather helped as it was really bad did nothing but rain. We did like the hotel but I don't think we would go back although we enjoyed the break.

Having stayed at this hotel several times both in August and October the only missing thing was a heated or indoor pool during October as the sun was insufficient to heat it.

The hotel was relaxed and the staff were accommodating, any request was dealt with quickly and without complaint (such as extra pillows, blankets - for October, minibar if not already in the room.

Admittedly some of the staff were better than others but then having seen some of the holidaymakers generally giving them a hard time their attitude was understandable at times. The outside bar was ideal for taking drinks onto the beach, this was only spoilt again by holidaymakers, who left their glasses on the beach instead of returning them.

Plastic glasses were available for taking to the pool areas and the beach. The food was certainly edible, my two sons aged 15 and 11 were never hungry - yes chips were available BUT so was rice, pasta, boiled vegetables, salad and others. We have a mixed diet at home therefore the food was more than adequate and things (which perhaps my youngest son would not have tried were it served to him) were tried in small quantities. The relaxed atmosphere was assisted by not having them ask for money for drinks or food, they drank and ate as they wanted and also were agreeable to enjoying evening meals with their parents without complaint.

Yes, the hotel will not suit everyone and Yes, some people will complain BUT for a cheap, relaxed, enjoyable holiday where you can lounge on the beach with a book and a drink and see your children doing what they want it is ideal.

The park situated within the hotel grounds is next to the outside bar so you can be there and keeping an eye on your children. There were bikes for hire from the hotel, free of charge but a refundable deposit was required, these were handy for cycling to Pineda Palace Hotel (another H Top hotel in the chain) where we stopped and had a refreshing drink (already paid for as all inclusive at Royal Sun) whilst exploring this hotel and the area of Pineda.

Other holiday makers did complain during our stays but given what they were complaining about (English children on holiday, drunken English holidaymakers and a lack of English food) you get the impression they should never have left England!

We have holidayed at this hotel several times, we have also stayed at the 3 star Planamar on several occasions also, if we had any complaint it would be with the other holiday makers and not with the hotel or the staff.

i would not class this hotel as four star but a three star at most.

it is very clean,and towels changed every day,hair dryer in bathroom plus shampo and soap.bed was changed every two days.

staff most of them very plesant and helpfull. entertainment at night was good.

I went to stay at the Royal Sun for an Easter break with my 13 year old daughter. I expected the worse after reading the reviews and got the worse. It was very similar to how I would imagine Pontins. I know when Hotels say they are 4* they very rarely are, and I have stopped in some lovely places and also some pretty grim places, and this was right up there as being very grim. It did not helped of course by the fact it rain pretty constantly, so to be fair, most places look drab when the weather is bad.

The room was tiny but warm which was a blessing as it was so cold outside. The walls were really thin so everything could be heard - and I mean everything! (toilet, talking, coughing etc) not nice. At the time of my visit it was full of young lads who were there for football, so the noise from this was awful, shouting, screaming, cheering, running up and down the corridor. Just as I would be falling off to sleep they would come in about 2/3 in the morning and put the TV on full belt and have a kick around. They tried to open my door on numerous occasions as they were drunk and got confused as to where their room was (not good for a single woman and child). The beds were tiny and uncomfortable and I had to ask for it to be cleaned as the maid never showed up. There was hot water though, a nice simple bathroom with a shower. I keep trying to look for positives really I do, but it is difficult.

The food was awful, not much choice and always cold. OK if you like a bit of salad and chips everyday. The same food was served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, ie. sausages in batter, chicken noodle soup, potatoes and peas (this was served every day until it ran out). No drinks were served at the table with a meal, you had to queue up for them at a little bar with your ID card - with a strict code of only 2 drinks per serving. On entering the restaurant it was like going through security having to have your card examined at every sitting. The food was a massive let down and there were no nice restaurants outside the hotel either.

The hotel bar was one large room with a few games for the children. It was good for little children but my teenage daughter was bored ridged with it. It was like a working mens club with a little stage with a bit of entertainment in the evening. The bar and the hotel lobby is strictly non smoking which as a smoker I found difficult, as I like a cigarette with a drink but a good thing for the non-smokers. There was a tiny smoking room, which was awful and the majority of smokers congregated at the entrance of the hotel, not very nice though I do appreciate it is not very nice for non-smokers to have to sit in a smoky environment.

No rep showed up and the reception staff were not very helpful, so as for things to do it was a case of looking at books in reception and asking plenty of questions. The train line is excellent for getting about, for 7€ each return, you can go into Barcelona. The journey took just over an hour but it would of helped if there was more information of what to do and where to go (especially when it is raining). There were 3 stops in Barcelona - so you have to ask which is the centre. There is a big zoo there which I did not get to in the end but you can catch the train to the zoo, which is one stop before Barcelona Centre.

The area of Santa Susana was very grim, grubby and built up. The only shops were tacky souvenir shops, and if you want to buy cigarettes well that was a challenge in itself.

If the weather had been better and the pools heated, I am sure I could have muddled through and had an OK holiday. As it was Easter I paid £770 for 2 adults, all inclusive from Leeds/Bradford Airport including transfer (which took a long 2 hours). I felt this was expensive as the hotel was such low quality - it is criminal that they can get away with calling it 4*. On booking your holiday you put your total trust in the travel agent and I feel they really took me for a ride. As I said above, it was that bad I paid a further £200 to come home.

If you got the chance to go, height of summer, for a really cheap price then I would say "yes go" but never, ever risk going at Easter like I did - a waste of time, money and really bad experience I cannot wait to forget.

Both my wife and I decided to book a short break at The Four Star Htop Royal Sun in Santa Susanna. On arriving there we found the place to be like an old peoples home and the bar staff to be very arrogant. The room that we were allocated was the size of a walk in closet. I actually fell over the bed when entering the room. I would question if any of the Hotels in this review were Four Star and would like to know where they get their star ratings.

The next day we asked for a transfer to Lloret de Mar and we were offered to stay at the Htop Royal Beach. On arrival at the Hotel in Lloret de Mar we witnessed a large group of Englishmen who had obviously been at the hotel for a few nights already, they were all drunk, loud and the night previous had caused a lot of damage and some had put excrement into the drawers of their hotel room before leaving. This is what they call checking out??

I was glad to see them leave, however when going to the bar for drinks I found the staff to be very arrogant they never smiled apart from one waiter who seemed to be able to distinguish normal people to that of the drunken element that frequented the bar and pool area. There were lots of people there who would drink themselves into oblivion and who would become aggressive, coming in at 3 or 4am and banging doors, screaming obscenities at each other until 5 or 6 in the morning. The Hotel security did nothing and let these drunken guests do as they pleased, keeping people awake the whole night. I have stayed in Hotels across Europe and none of them would have tolerated such a display of drunkeness and would have removed those people from the Hotel as a matter of security and other customers peace of mind.

The food in the restaurant was always cold and the snacks would be ok if you liked cold chips or fat filled, greasy hamburgers & bacon. . My wife and I spent most of our time in our room and ate out most of the time due to the substandard, cold food, the terrible entertainment and the attitude of the bar staff.

We decided to visit the Royal Star hotel at the same resort and contrary to what the travel agent told us, we were not allowed to use the facilities in the hotel apart from eating lunch there or drinking with the drunks. The food at this hotel was slightly better, even though they labelled Liver as Veal, and the restaurant had a distinct smell of sewage. The staff here seemed no different and were not very friendly.

Entertainment at all the hotels we visited was terrible and reminded me of the worst of the X factor, I actually thought that the acts were comedians however later found out that they were serious.

If you are a normal family or couple who wishes for a relaxing holiday without the hassle of feeling like you are in a Hostel environment for drunks and weirdo's then stay away from the Hotels that I mentioned.

If you are a drunken lout and just want a cheap drinking session with all of your mates, then this is certainly the place for you. The cold food shouldn't bother you, as you would not remember it anyway.

On a Positive note, This Hotel is clean and the lady who cleaned our room each day was very very nice.

We originally booked the Santa Susanna Aparthotel, fortunately it was shut and we were upgraded to the Royal Sun.

On arrival we could not fault the reception we received, quick, efficient and very welcoming.

We found that this was just the beginning of one of the most relaxing and problem free holidays we have ever had.

We were made to feel welcome in every area of the hotel, the staff were always on hand to help in any way that they could, and more importantly we felt that they were genuinely proud of thier hotel and wanted guests to relax and enjoy every minute that they spent there.

Over the years we have stayed in many hotels all over the world, non acheived as much as the Royal Sun in the short time (7 Days)

Stayed between 13th and 20th September 2005. The Royal Sun Hotel was clean and spacious, good size bedroom. The food was of a reasonable standard and there was plenty of choice. The outdoor bar was closed in the evenings. The entertainment at night was awful, mainly dancers or singers who left a lot to be desired. Although advertised in the hotel there was no daytime entertainment. We stayed all inclusive but they charged for certain items such as Coca Cola. You got a beer in a small glass if you wanted a bigger glass of beer you had to pay extra .The restaurant and bar staff were seen to smile, but it was just a rumour. Would not stay there again

Santa Susanna, Royal Sun Hotel - Me and my husband loved this place. We did not go in the swimming pool as the sea was so close. Our room was clean and our towels were changed often. The bathroom flooded easily so easy to break your neck. If you want a hair dryer you have to put a deposit down for one. We found both the staff and the other guests very friendly and helpful and would definitely go again but with more money to do our own day trips.