Hotel la Co(o)Rniche

First time and we had the most amazing stay. Having read some lukewarm reviews, I was a little nervous but was blown away by the welcoming and accommodating staff from the moment we arrived. No ask was too much and they looked after us really well. It does get busy as it’s a big restaurant but we were always given a great table. On top, we could enjoy lunch on the pool loungers and you actually forget the diners behind you. Breakfast was delicious, and it was lovely to have the terrace/hotel to yourselves. A couple of reviews mentioned you couldn’t use the pool from 12-4. They may have changed this as my kids did but we tended to have our swim in the morning, and then head out to explore the area before returning mid afternoon when the restaurant was quieter. The valet parking was super helpful for this too esp. The ocean and Dune Pilat’s view was incredible, and we had memorable sunsets, made even more special by having the terrace to ourselves. The room was amazing and accommodated our 3 children easily. We loved our sweet treats at bedtime. It was home from home and we hope to return next year!

As per the title: the view is everything. Lounging on its pool deck (for hotel guests only) makes one feel on top of the world. Room was beautifully appointed and efficiently laid out. Front Desk team, especially Coraline who checked us in, really made our day with her beyond-her-duties attitude. We wanted to get the beautiful pastries from Haitza but didn't really want to take the shuttle ourselves to go there. Coraline ordered for us and put the bill to our room AND delivered those delicious goodies to the pool where we were. Bravo Coraline! Those alone made up for a few short comings: 1. services were uneven. While Coraline went above and beyond, the restaurant staffs were just sad: a. we were not allowed to sit early for dinner despite being a hotel guest and she rudely shooed us away. b. when we wanted some sweets from Haitza, another restaurant staff just looked at us blankly with no solution. We went to Coraline and got everything sorted. 2. for such a hotel, food was actually mediocre. Haitza, the sister property, has a much better food offerings. 3. pool was awkwardly located: swimming becomes part of restaurant guests' entertainment. Tips: go only during weekdays. On weekend nights, the restaurant is turned into a disco: it's noisy, crowded and open to public.

We visited the restaurant for dinner, we were not staying at the hotel. If you want good views it’s fabulous but food mediocre at best. We ordered a cote de boeuf and it arrived after a very long wait stone cold, sent it back and it was flash fried so came out incredibly chewy, by this point we were starving and with our 4 year old so had little option but to eat go. We said we were unhappy and were offered a free drink, but not really good enough when you’re paying a bill of €300 for 2 adults and a child. The starter of oysters was very good but mains were over priced average food. The manager was pretty argumentative, the staff were running around like crazy and kicked over our €50 bottle of wine which was on the floor due to our tiny table and no wine holder.