Le Méridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa

The hotel has several strong points. The staff are attentive and helpful, the property is clean, and the beachfront location is a major advantage. However, several issues during our stay significantly affected the experience we would normally expect from a five-star hotel. The sea was unfortunately quite murky and did not feel as clean as we expected. This may not be entirely within the hotel’s control, but it is still worth mentioning for guests planning a beach holiday. We also did not find the hotel particularly child-friendly. Compared with other five-star hotels we have stayed at, there were very limited organised activities or programmes for children. Our biggest disappointment was the restriction of hotel services because of a private event. On 26 August, Sant Salvador Beach Club and the beach bar were unavailable to hotel guests. Later that evening, we were also told that the buffet at La Terrassa del Mar was not available because of the same event, leaving only the à la carte option. I completely understand that hotels may host private events. The issue is that paying hotel guests were not informed in advance that important facilities and dining options would be unavailable. My wife, child and I had chosen to eat almost all of our meals at the hotel during our stay, paying separately for all meals apart from breakfast. Travelling with a child, one of the main reasons we chose this type of resort was the convenience of being able to stay on the property, dine there and enjoy the hotel facilities. Instead, that evening we had to leave the hotel and look for somewhere else to eat. If a private event is going to restrict important facilities such as restaurants, the beach club or bar, guests should either be informed before booking or provided with an equivalent alternative. Overall, the staff, cleanliness and beachfront location are definite positives. However, the limited services for children and the restriction of advertised facilities without prior notice did not meet the standard we expected from a five-star hotel.