Melia Isla Canela in Isla de Canela

We stayed all inclusive at this hotel for 10 nights. First impression was Wow! The over all aesthetic was lovely and the reception smelt fab! The conservatory dominated the rear of the hotel and has ample seating plus the bar area. The pool areas are clean and well maintained. Bedrooms are modern and fresh and the maid service came in daily. Pros: Clean and pleasant hotel. Good facilities. Beautiful views. Great if you want to do very little/relax!! No rush for sun beds. Hotel towels for beach/pool. Great drink options. Branded drinks charged to room. Always seating available in restaurant. Great selection of food (see cons). Staff generally polite (see cons). AC in rooms works well. Easy reach of ferry to Portugal. Sugar reef bar worth a visit (Marina) Cons: There’s very little to do in the surrounding area. Marina has a small selection of bars and restaurants. Boat over to Isla Christina but there’s nothing much there either. Ayamonte is the nearest town (bus outside hotel) this is where to can catch the ferry to Portugal, there’s nothing much in town apart from the harbour and a few shops/cafes. You can walk along the strip from one end of the island to the other but it’s just lined with hotels for the most part. Room was not ready for check in at 2pm, we had to return to reception twice before it was. Hotel hallway carpets tired. Lifts a bit dodgy. Food in restaurant luke warm regardless of time!! Bermudes one of the bar staff is just plain rude and ignorant. You need to pay for beds at the beach, this is normal however despite going down there with several other couples the attendant made a beeline for us, ignoring everyone else, gave us a charge ticket, packed up and left!! We raised this at the hotel and the charge was waived. Predominantly Spanish holiday makers. Given very little information, had to figure things out for ourselves. The Level is a gimmick. No light on balcony. Fridge in room only works when cards in slot.