Melia Isla Canela

We stayed at Melia Isla Canela, for 1 week from 24th April - 1st May. Firstly we were very lucky with the weather as it was lovely and hot every day. We had a The Level Suite, which was lovely, beautiful sea View, super comfy bed, lovely pillows, fantastic hot rainfall shower, spotlessly clean. Coffee machine and Kettle, tea/coffee/sugar. Fridge. The place was tranquil, which is what I had read and that was perfect for me. Why some people write negativity about this is beyond me, as it clearly states it is a laid back quiet place. To have an Adult only area, with no thumping music around the pool was heaven. The people looking for the noise, music around the pool, then go to Benidorm! To be able to chill in the sun read a book and totally relax is so lovely, rarely have I found such a peaceful environment. My life is very hectic and this was just what I needed. The beach is also very quiet but very beautiful and a nice quiet stroll down to it. There is a long promenade running alongside the hotel and a very enjoyable walk. The hotel is beautiful to look at, very stylish. There is an estuary next to the hotel and it is nice to watch the boats drift up and down. I enjoyed watching the fishing boats going out in the evening. There is a harbour close by and some restaurants nearby too, we did not try the restaurants as we ate at the hotel. We were half board and with The Level we had access to a lounge area serving snacks, which was fine for as kept us tied over till evening meal. We had breakfast in The Level lounge, there was a menu to choose from, and there was a selection on display. The Breakfast was very nice, we had breakfast in the main buffet also this was also very nice. The weekend was a bit hectic in the dining room, as many locals where in dining room and we had got used to it being peaceful with plenty of tables. I think the food could do with being kept warmer as the hotplates do not feel very warm. However there is a microwave which is very handy. There was plenty of choice 0f food, I’m sure would meet everyone’s taste I had not realised that drinks were not included with an evening meal, not even a glass of water or coffee. However there are drinks juices and coffee with breakfast. The bedroom was very peaceful at night could not hear anything, perfect. We attended the nightly entertainment and this was very nice. We had the power cut whilst there and we had not realised to begin with as to busy chilling on a sun lounger. The hotel had its own generator so most communal areas had electric, however no electric or WI-FI in rooms. Reception charged our phones for us and we had to use them as torches. The electric came on 7am just in time for morning coffee. We will definitely go back, so if you want a peaceful relaxing holiday in a very Spanish hotel and area, this is the place for you. If you want lots of music, noise, activities, this probably is not for you.

We loved everything about the hotel and the area. Isla Canela was super quiet and upmarket. The Melia is right at the end of the buildings along the beach and it's absolutely beautiful. All the staff were lovely and very friendly. The food was fantastic and plentiful. The room (standard family room) was lovely and our bed was huge! Rituals products in the bathroom and proper big sized towels were a bonus. We used the gym which was good and very quiet. I also went to yoga which was very relaxing. We were half board and the 2 local supermarkets were very good for drinks etc. There are mosquitoes so make sure to bring your repellant. The beach, which is a few minutes walk, is absolutely beautiful. Wide, long and golden. If a beach is important to you you won't be disappointed! The pools were lovely, a little cold but we were there in the midst of a heatwave so it was fine for us. They were kept the cleanest of all 4 star hotels we've even been to. We also liked that The Level was tucked out of the way so it wasn't in your face if you were standard half board like we were. Points of improvement...with it being 36 degrees some days, the hotel needs to up the air con in the rooms and the gym. A gentle cooling breeze just doesn't cut it in that sort of heat. Also better labelling on the food would help vegetarians etc as my husband did sometimes struggle to make out if things did or did not contain meat. Not every dish had a label. Overall this is an incredibly impressive hotel, in a beautiful location...what's not to love. We'll be back!

This was our annual visit and my umpteenth visit I would say 12th I introduced my 3 friends 5 years ago and they love it this hotel surpasses all others. Our rooms and service were second to none. The staff and management were wonderful Ruben says we are family The only complaint we have is about the rooms we would prefer to be nearer to each other instead of being on another floor. However we can’t wait for our next visit Sending all staff and management our very best wishes and look forward to 2026

The hotel is lovely. Refurbished in 2024 and a super job. Lots of places to sit quietly, no shortage of loungers and umbrellas around the pool. The staff very helpful and friendly, entertainment every evening. If you want a place to relax, take long walks along an endless beach this is the place.

This was my 3rd visit to this hotel. Previously visited in May 2022 and May 2023. The room was supposed to be an upgrade yet was the worst of the 3. Overlooking the huge conservatory roof. There are no bright ceiling lights in the room, just a standard lamp and 2 bedside lamps. It was like wandering around in the dark. There are no drawers in the room, so nowhere to put underwear, swimwear, accessories, etc. We ended up bagging stuff up for the week. Our towels weren't changed all week. The reception bar has been taken out, and the reception has been moved to where the bar was. If you want a drink before your meal, it's down 2 flights of stairs to where the new pool bar is. Ok, if you're not disabled or if you're ok on your feet. There's no lift to get down. The food has gone downhill, so much so that a cooked breakfast was a definite NO! As per the norm, the toaster either warms your bread or burns it. The 'sausages' were swimming in grease. There's no real bacon. Fried eggs were either burst or the whites were only partly cooked. Every meal was tepid, not hot. In the entire week, I didn't have a single hot meal. Hubby had pork on the first night, and it was raw in the middle. Not everything that was all-inclusive before no longer is so make sure you check before ordering. Sangria, for example, was included before and is now 6€ a glass. Pool snacks are no longer in the AI now. Reception is slow, really slow. They are polite, however, when you do eventually get acknowledged. Shame to say we will not be back.

Fabulous location. Pleasing looking hotel. Decor and layout excellent. Warm welcome on reception, just slightly slow check in process. We were all inclusive and found the food to be first class. Plenty of choice at all mealtimes, well presented and well cooked (difficult for even the pickiest person not to find something they like). The included wine was very good, best we have had on all inclusive. Actually served from a bottle not a box or tap. Staff in all departments were friendly, approachable and all spoke some English. Not a lot open in the area when we arrived but starting to open up over the May Day bank holiday. Nice room with large shower. The only downside was the hanging space, Not deep enough to hang dresses (so used the standard lamp frame instead, it worked a treat!). Also the hinged trouser hangers meant that trousers trailed on the foor. Again not deep enough to hang trousers. Need to replace with hangers with crossbars. The hotel is very clean all round. We were hit with the Spain/Portugal power outage. The Management and staff coped admirably with the situation. Apart from no power in our rooms for approximately 19 hours which we coped with. We were not inconvenienced at all. Thank you to all staff. We don't usually bother with the evening entertainment in hotels. However, as it was on slightly earlier (9 - 9.30 pm), we decided to watch it this time. All very good and enjoyable. We highly recommend the short boat trip (with wine & prawns) from the marina around to Isla Christina. Very interesting and good commentary.