We stayed at Elba Costa Ballena for Christmas week (military/Space-A traveller) and it couldn't…read morehave been a better experience. Husband, wife and two boys 5 and 6 years old. About 15 minutes from Rota/Naval Base, so you must have a car. On the beach, beautiful, spotless, 5 star resort with reasonable prices, friendly staff, excellent buffet. We chose half-board (breakfast and dinner), a wise choice for a family. Plenty of kid and adult-friendly options, made to order omelets and fish/meats at night, pasta bar, Spanish and continental fare. Rooms were gorgeous, every square inch of the hotel is gleaming. It was peaceful and relaxing for the winter. I can imagine it must be incredibly fun in the summer. Thanks Elba for the best vacation!

Sometimes when you stay off base in Europe the accommodations can come up a little short of what…read moreyou might be accustomed to in the states, but you won't be let down here. Spotless hotel, friendly service, fridges in the room, restaurant on site, and morning buffet....and a 1 minute walk to the beach.

The views of the sunsets and sunrises are great, in almost all year round, can be seen from the…read moreswimming pool area. One doesn't need to be a client of the hotel to wander its premises. As a photographer, I asked once for permission to snap pixs of the alignment of five planets. I did it three mornings in a roll, going through the hotel with permission at 2-3am and staying till sunrise. Really! Just be courteous and respectful of the property. A hotel rich in history as it is built on the site of an old historic military fort A beautYful hotel in a gorgeous location!

This Hotel is literally in the best location literally not even 3 min from the beach and walking…read moredistance from all the stores and restaurants ! The room was beautiful and had a cute little balcony with a view of the castle that's 2 min away. The staff was friendly and very helpful and the restaurant was open from 1900-2300 Every store is pretty much closed during the day and they all open up around 1800 so be prepared for that. The locals were really helpful with giving directions but why have a map when you can literally walk the streets with a beer and explore ! I cannot wait to go back !

My husband and I came here for a wedding in October. The wedding was held here so we decided to…read morestay here to make everything much simpler, and we are glad we did. The only issue that we ran into was that there wasn't a late night option for food whenever we arrived on Thursday night. However, we were able to ask the front desk and they gave us directions to a pizza shop up the street that we were able to walk to, so crisis averted. Furthermore, the front desk was very helpful. They were friendly and provided us with the information we needed - included the ferry departure schedule, which allowed us to reach the ferry right in the nick of time! The room itself was wonderful and spacious! We didn't realize that it had a pull out bed in addition to the bed in the bedroom. Important things for me are having hot water with strong pressure, which this place had. The extras that I like are having robes and slippers, which this place also had. We didn't purchase the option for breakfast because we knew we would be getting in very late. But you were able to purchase it whichever day you'd like. We had breakfast at the hotel on the last day. The selection was very wide for food. My husband and I have the complete opposite tastes in what we like to eat and we were both satisfied with the options. The wedding was beautiful! They had the ceremony on the rooftop by the beach club. The ceremony was at 2 pm and it was very warm. The rooftop had minimal shade so it was quite warm and a little uncomfortable in the direct sunlight. Luckily the ceremony wasn't too long and they had water available. The views of the sea behind the couple and the wedding party were gorgeous though. The reception was held in a courtyard style room on the floor before. It was naturally beautiful with pink flowers (that I call veraneras) adorning the walls in addition to the flower decor from the actual wedding. The entrance to the room led you out to the seawall overlooking the sea. That room was a spectacular venue as it was open aired (with fresh sea wind) but also mostly covered so we had a break from the sun. We were able to eat, dance and be merry the whole night! This hotel itself is a short 5-minute drive (or a longer walk) to downtown Rota. My husband and I were happy to have rented a car. We flew into Sevilla and drove to Rota (2.5 hours because we stopped at other towns along the way) and it was helpful to get us to the nightlife in Rota but also to the ferry quickly. If you're looking for a wonderful and comfortable spot in Rota to hang your hat, I highly recommend this hotel!

Super friendly and beautiful hotel on the beach. Best part of the hotel is seeing the beautiful…read moresunset and super bright stars and moon. I stayed here for 8 nights in RM 125 by the pool. Room is kinda small and stuffy without the AC on. I didn't realize I can open the window for fresh breeze until two days before check out. It was kinda loud being by the pool area so I didn't get much sleep. I will definitely stay away from pool area next time. I really like the staffs here, everyone from housecleaning to receptionist goes beyond to welcome you and make you feel comfortable. Evening staff, Manuel, was very quick to print out documents for me at 4 am, which was very much appreciated. I booked half board so the room came with buffet breakfast and dinner. It was very filling and I loved it. I missed my last buffet breakfast because I had to leave early and the staff provided a to go breakfast for me which was very kind service to me. Overall, great hotel and will definitely return in the future.

This is my second time staying at this hotel. The first time it was during the summer of 2009 and…read moreI had the "Ocean" theme room. The service was great, the room had good AC, and the customer service is good. Now I stayed there again just recently from 3-10 Oct 15 and the service was equally good. Although I've come to find out that the restaurant is under new management and the hotel is renting it out. I would have to say that the food is A LOT tastier from when I remember back in 2009. Everyone speaks English there and so now difficulty in communicating. I stayed in room 411 which was in the corner and it was good. The couch needs to be replaced because there are no more cushions on the arm rests and it feels like the arm rest will fall off soon. I would of given this 5 stars, but the break fast was OK. For one is that breakfast should be open sooner instead of opening up at 8AM, then breakfast closes at 10:30. Not very long as far as service. Then I would recommend in having a different type breakfast dish every day just to mix up the typical daily items you see every day.

I recently checked out of this property after being there for almost three months. From the day we…read morechecked in until the day we left, we were treated like family and assisted which is helpful during a PCS move. From Jose the receptionist, to the director, and all of the back of the house staff, you will not find a more comfortable stay until you find your forever home.

Used points to get a few free days here before our Airbnb in another city. Looked great from the…read morepictures so we figured why not save. Depending on what you're looking for and your taste, you might like this place. Unfortunately we didn't. The good: Cleaners are pleasant and good. Reception is helpful and on point. Hotel is a five minute walk to the beach. Has a pharmacy and small store on site for toiletries or other needs. Offers Pool and slides, mini golf, and craft activities for kids. The not so good: Two small elevators only and one was down for pretty much half our trip. You will inevitably be waiting for an elevator and have to take the stairs. The rooms are average and had some definite signs of wear. The unit, on one occasion, smelled terribly when we returned from the beach. Smell eventually went away. On another occasion the toilet had brown soiling at the bottom (feces? Rust?) whatever it was it wasn't us. Thankfully this last bit happened the morning we left. It is pandemonium at the hotel right when you check in through to check out. So many people everywhere. Families and kids running wild and without much order or decency. I prefer a calmer setting. They offer a free breakfast buffet at el apron, the restaurant inside the hotel. It is a lot of food but it's poor quality food. Yes you will gorge yourself, but you're in Spain and there is so much more out there for just a few euros, like decent tasting coffee. Tip: get to breakfast early at 8. Around 10 it is a mess and fight wading your way through so many people gorging themselves. Think OZ. The tapas bar connected to the hotel - where you get tickets to try free tapas and beer, is quite bad. It is self service which you wouldn't know until a waiter at the restaurant comes to tell you. I'm surprised by how bad the tapas were. You'd figure they'd wow you so you would actually want to eat there for dinner. A lost opportunity for the restaurant to get business, in my opinion. The beach is a short walk away. But it is crowded with the same people at the hotel - and more. Super busy. No room to enjoy. Debris and garbage everywhere. Tips: If you care about quality and can afford it, skip the buffet breakfast. An awesome churreria is only a ten minute walk away. He's a street vendor. Find him. It is excellent. Go early. There's always a line. There is a beautiful beach a few minutes' drive away - far better than the beach by the hotel. You pay for parking (minimal) but there is more space and the beach is incredible. The water quality is better as well (denoted by the blue flag). They have photographers on site not connected to the hotel but definitely in the hotel that do pictures and sell them to you for exorbitant amounts. You will be suckered into buying. It's nice if you want a memory of the trip. I was so thrilled to get to the Airbnb by the end of our stay. I can't say we would return to this hotel. I can see how it might fit other people's needs and they'd give it five stars. It just wasn't for us.

Great Place to stay! It's close to Rota and Cadiz. This place it's a little hidden Gem.read more

From the owner: Hotel Apartamentos Marina Luz está situado en la Playa de Regla, en Chipiona. Dispone de una…read morepiscina al aire libre y una terraza con dos jacuzzis. Además, ofrece unas magnificas vistas al mar y al Santuario de Nra. Sra. de la Regla. Los apartamentos y las habitaciones son luminosos y cuentan con aire acondicionado. Hay habitaciones adaptadas para personas de movilidad reducida. El alojamiento incluye TV y nevera y, en algunos casos, vistas al mar y al santuario. Los apartamentos y estudios disponen de una zona de salón comedor con cocina o zona de cocina moderna, equipada con microondas. El complejo se halla a 10 minutos a pie del centro de Chipiona y a 600 metros del famoso faro de Chipiona. El campo de golf Costa Ballena está situado a 4 km y el aeropuerto de Jerez se encuentra a 30 km. El complejo también está a 20 minutos a pie de la parada de autobús de Chipiona, que ofrece conexiones frecuentes con Jerez, Sevilla y Cádi