Hotel Best Costa Ballena

We absolutely loved our time at Costa Ballena. My partner and I with our 1 year old, found we had plenty to do over the course of our stay. There are nice beaches, parks and a lake in close proximity. The pool area was really tidy and bins were frequently changed. The pools open later after breakfast and there is a strict no reservation policy so we never had an issue getting a sunbed. The food was incredible. My only bit of feedback would be that nearly all deserts are cream based. As I don't like cream options were very limited. I will recommend this destination to all my friends with young children. It is suitable for all ages. Thank you for our stay and to all the lovely staff who made our holiday so memorable.

We booked a standard room, upgraded to all inclusive excluding drinks as well...we don't drink. Check in was long and abysmal, no clear instructions on how all inclusive worked. The safe in our room didn't work. Two beds in, room was fine enough, plenty of storage, nice balcony etc. Food times are very rigid and late, so expect a siesta for your kids and to eat later, or to not get dinner service and eat elsewhere for dinner if you can. The wok was great, but get there early (as we did). In general wide variety of food and operated pretty smoothly for an all inclusive. Drink service though for water or otherwise was almost non existent. No water throughout the hotel to refill water bottles other than in the gym. This really should change. The kids club was well organised. Kids pool was great, but cold and windy, so couldn't last long in reality in the pools. There is also a playground castle outside the facility which the kids loved. Beach is great for making sandcastles. Soccer mini pitch was good also, we brought our own ball and used this. Overall an ok stay, but felt more 3 star than 4. The gym was muggy but had a great amount of equipment for our stay.

Best Costa Ballena - Great food and atmosphere, but needs better guest orientation We had a very enjoyable stay at Best Costa Ballena. The hotel is beautiful, clean, and has a wonderful relaxing atmosphere. The food was one of the biggest highlights, everything was delicious with an impressive variety at the buffet and excellent à la carte options. The drinks were also fantastic, both at the bars and during meals. Overall, the culinary experience was outstanding. However, we were disappointed by the complete lack of information about the resort layout from the staff members because there lack of language. Having staff who can properly speak English (or other languages beyond basic phrases) would greatly enhance the guest experience, especially during check-in and when asking for directions or help. Despite these points, the hotel has a lot of potential and we would still recommend it, mainly thanks to the amazing food, friendly vibe, and nice location. With a few improvements in communication and orientation, it could be excellent.

What a great hotel, we didn't realise it was so big but it had something for everyone, from tots to grown ups. The rooftop bar was excellent and a special mention to Sophia who helped me with my limited Spanish. The food was varied and very well presented and tasted lovely from breakfast, to lunch and evening meal. Great variety of drinks and little to no waiting time to be served. Thanks too allbthe staff for a wonderful stay. The location is in a great spot with easy access to many locations in Andalusia. Thanks again Paul and Caroline Carolan ♥️

Very disappointing experience at Hotel Best Costa Ballena. Unfortunately, our stay was filled with stress, problems, and very poor customer treatment. The most serious issue happened when the hotel suddenly blocked access to both of our rooms without any warning, explanation, email, or notification. We returned to the hotel with my 75-year-old mother expecting to shower and go to dinner, only to discover that our room cards no longer worked.I had to make several trips to the front desk located far away from our rooms. I suffer from Type 1 diabetes and need to eat at regular times to avoid dangerous blood sugar drops. Because of the hotel’s mistakes and repeated card failures, I had to go to reception four separate times while we were locked out of the room. This situation caused unnecessary stress and put my health at risk. My elderly mother was exhausted and my partner ended up in tears because of the entire situation. From the beginning of the stay there were also technical issues in the rooms: phone not working, TV problems, safe problems, repeated access card failures. Even more concerning, my partner Dominika injured her foot in the infinity pool area because of a broken tile/plastic piece. The incident was immediately reported to hotel staff and the damaged part was replaced the same day, which clearly confirmed the issue existed. Fortunately, it ended with a cut and not a more serious injury. The hotel offered symbolic gestures such as spa access, room upgrade, or full board upgrade, but completely ignored our request for reasonable financial goodwill compensation considering the scale of the problems and the safety incident. We also explained that moving rooms was not practical due to my elderly mother’s condition. Additional disappointments: every dinner requires daily paper cards/tickets, which feels absurd and outdated for a 4-star hotel, very long queues for food stations such as the wok area (often 10–15 minutes), poor organization overall, lack of empathy and professional customer care. What disappointed us the most was not only the technical issues themselves, but the way we were treated afterwards. After multiple emails requesting a final resolution, the hotel simply stopped responding. This was our first trip to Spain and sadly the experience left us extremely disappointed. We would not return and unfortunately cannot recommend this hotel. Its a pitty because we picked this hotel over other ones in Huelva , Faro, and other destinations.