SBH Monica Beach Resort

Clean, spacious hotel. The pool and pool bar area was really nice with a great outdoors bar facing the beach at the rear of the hotel (Africa Bar). All staff encountered were extremely helpful and friendly (not to mention hard-working). My room was fabulous with a really large patio with loungers and & bistro set. The room was cleaned every day and was I welcomed to a bottle of champagne upon arrival & a Christmas Stocking on the door handle. The beach is really accessible at the rear of the hotel and is gorgeous with fantastic views. Costa Calma is a quiet, clean, laid back resort town but if you are not going on an all-inclusive holiday I would recommend a larger resort instead as there really isn't much there at all outside of the hotel complexes other a couple of small shopping centres and one or two quiet bars & restaurants. During the day (as a few were overcast, people were flocking to the larger Morro Jable & Jandia on the bus about 30 minutes away). This really isn't a complaint in the slightest but expect to find Costa Calma and the Southern area of Fuerteventura to be a very German experience indeed therefore everything being extremely geared towards Germans. As I say, not a complaint, just a word in advance for any UK / Irish travellers expecting the usual British/Irish style bars (with Premiership football) that you find in a lot of holiday destinations. I've seen some unfairly bad reviews on here about the SBH Monica Beach, but in all honesty the hotel is really nice and has a lot of on-site amenities (just not much outside of the hotel). I've knocked a star off my review as I found for a journeyman Canary Islands 4 star hotel traveller that the restaurant was more the equivalent of a 2 or 3 star Canteen room experience & despite enjoying the food on offer the buffet was 95 percent the exact same daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. There were absolutely none of the "theme" nights that you come to expect in pretty much every other 4 star resort that you may stay at in the Canaries and beyond. The main bar for evening entertainment was quite impressive though, I didn't really stay for any of the entertainment on offer but it appeared to be of the usual variety that you would expect in resorts of this type.

The only plus is the location to the beach. Everything around the hotel is shut down. The majority of the residents are German who don’t abide by the smoking policy at the hotel. The staff don’t do anything about it, there was even a guy smoking at the pool bar next to the no smoking sign and they never told him. The food is just about edible. The hot dogs at the pool bar come out on a tray and are cold straight away. The food in the Asian restaurant was stodgy, some was cold and over salty. They even charge for the drinks which is the same drinks you get in the main restaurant. The Buffet restaurant we had chicken raw in the middle, one occasion potato wedges still frozen. More often than not the foods either cold or tepid. There is no real change in menu, and it’s definitely aimed to its German clients. Luckily we hired a car for a few days so we ate out. We book it last minute so didn’t check the reviews. I wish I had of done my research. Four stars is a joke, I’ve stayed in better 3 star resorts. In the two weeks we stayed here none of the hand dryers worked in the toilets, forget a hot shower or bath after about 8ish. I would definitely not recommend staying here. I’m glad to be going home.

Having read some of the previous reviews, it would have been easy to decide not to choose this hotel however, I am so very pleased that we did! From the moment we arrived, our positive experience began with the very welcoming, friendly and helpful reception staff. First impressions count, and this was only to continue throughout our stay. We were allocated a room (212) which was situated just a couple of minutes walk away from reception and the pool area. The property is brilliantly designed and laid out over the site overlooking the sandy beach and sea, with most (if not all) rooms having a sea view. Furthermore, it is quiet at night with only the sound of the waves. Very tranquil and relaxing. The room itself was a generous size with two single beds, a sofa-bed, TV, Fridge and sizeable balcony with a table and two chairs overlooking the beach / sea. The wifi is not the best but is enough for checking emails, news and emails if one needs to. The TV channels are mainly local with a few German channels and fewer English ones but we weren't there to watch TV. The bathroom was a fair size with tub and shower piece. The shower itself was powerful and hot on demand. The colours of the bathroom could hint at a 70's theme but in fact, they are just in tune with the property itself. The whole room was spotlessly clean and was attended to every day by the very happy and friendly housekeeping staff. The restaurant functions superbly. Every day, be it for breakfast, lunch of dinner, there are more than enough options for people, and if there are specific dietary requirements that appear not to be met, you only have to ask and the staff will be happy to help. The meat selections offered (more often than not, chicken and pork) were cooked to perfection. Tender whilst keeping flavour and excellently seasoned, it was always something to look forward to. The Ribs that were sadly on offer just once in the week that we were there, were some of the best that we have ever had. Whilst previous reviews mention some repetitive food options, there may have been a few standard offerings but there is so much to choose from, this is a subjective view. Frinks available in the restaurant are free-flow and there is a selection of soft drinks, beer or wine. We tried the Asian experience and again, was not disappointed. It is a smaller separate part of the restaurant and needs to be booked. Compared to the main restaurant, there was a smaller selection of dishes, but since it is not an A-La-Carte menu, it was still a brilliant meal experience. Evenings were either spent in the main bar (where the entertainment happens) or there is the pool bar that is quite busy although relaxed. Plenty of drink choices available. This also applies as an all-inclusive customer. Whilst you may not get the global brands, the quality of the drinks is excellent. So too are the measures that are provided! The bar staff were very welcoming and friendly and enjoyed talking with us both in Eng

Although the location of the hotel and most of the staff are super nice, there are more negatives at this place. Super old rooms with broken tiles in the bathroom, broken things everywhere you look. The animation team is not following the timetable which is quite tricky when you are with a small baby who wants to go to a playground (which is locked and open only couple hours per day!). As for food, it is not great, there is always plenty but the taste is not great, the asian restaurant is a joke. As for drinking water you need to search for a bar which is opened at certain time to get a cup, otherwise there is none. There were many unpleasant surprises during our week and i would not return to this hotel