The Place Alegría Palacio Mojácar: My Honest Review After Staying at the Adults-Only Hotel in Almería
By Javier Sobrino
Travel expert and founder
We stayed at the The Place Alegría Palacio Mojácar , an adults-only hotel in Mojácar, Almería. We chose it because it’s one of the few adults-only hotels in the province with good reviews and a concept focused on rest, couples and tranquillity.
Plus, we’d just visited several family hotels in Mojácar, so we wanted to see the contrast: what changes when you go from a hotel designed for kids and entertainment to one where the focus is resting and unplugging .
In this article I’ll tell you the good, the bad and whether it’s really worth booking.
My quick verdict
We give it a 7.9 out of 10 . It has some really good things going for it: the bed is one of the most comfortable we’ve tried on a 20-hotel route, the pool is beautiful and peaceful, and the overall atmosphere conveys calm from the moment you walk in. But it also has weak points: the breakfast disappointed us, dinner is a notch below other hotels in the area, and we missed details like bathrobes or slippers in an adults-only four-star hotel.
It’s a hotel we recommend with caveats : ideal for a short getaway of a couple of nights, but not so much for longer stays.
Pros and Cons
The good
- Super comfortable bed: one of the best beds we’ve tried on our entire route. Firm, enveloping and wonderful to sleep on.
- Beautiful and peaceful pool: with a shallow area to relax, a deeper zone for swimming and Balinese beds in the gardens.
- Restful atmosphere: from the moment you enter, it smells good, plays calm music and the focus on tranquillity is clear. A more boutique feel than other hotels in the area.
- Breakfast coffee: two options, a bean machine and good-quality capsules. They get this right.
The bad
- Dry breakfast pastries: croissants, doughnuts and pastries were quite dry. We expected more from a four-star.
- Dinner below the area’s standard: the chicken and salmon were dry. We’d had better dinners at family hotels nearby.
- No bathrobes or slippers: in an adults-only hotel focused on rest and couples, these details should be there.
- Spa not accessible: they wouldn’t let us see it, even without customers. One of the few hotels where we couldn’t check it in person.
Did you know?
First impressions
Right from the start, the hotel gives a fairly pleasant feeling. The entrance is nice, spacious and you can tell they put effort into the atmosphere . All common areas smell really good, like that soft spa scent that conveys calm.
They also play very chilled background music that complements the feeling of rest nicely. In that sense, it does feel a bit more boutique than many family hotels in the area. Not because it’s a luxury hotel, but because it tries to create a more relaxed atmosphere from the moment you walk in.
The room and bathroom
Room
The room is fine. It’s not spectacular, but there’s nothing especially wrong with it either. It’s pretty, well decorated, with wood tones and not overly cluttered , and it has a pleasant terrace.
We got a room with partial views of the golf course, which is right next door. You can access the golf club from the hotel, though we didn’t try it. Overall, I’d say it’s a decent room for a four-star hotel.
Bathroom
The bathroom is fine. Clean, well kept and with the feel of a good four-star hotel, though without great luxuries.
What we liked least was that the shower water changed temperature on its own . It wasn’t unbearable, but it was annoying.
Missing details
In a four-star adults-only hotel with good reviews, we missed having slippers and a bathrobe. In a hotel of this style, focused on rest and couples, we think those details should be there. The towels, on the other hand, were good.
Bed and pillows
The bed was probably one of the strongest points of the room . In fact, I’d say it’s one of the most comfortable beds we’ve tried on this 20-hotel route. It’s a bed that wraps around you, with good firmness and where you sleep really well.
The pillows, on the other hand, are average. They do the job, but nothing more.
Food: breakfast and dinner
Breakfast
Breakfast disappointed me. It wasn’t a disaster, but I expected more.
Especially the sweet section : we tried croissants, doughnuts and some pastries, and they were quite dry. The rest of the products were in line with a four-star hotel, nothing particularly good or bad.
The positive point was the coffee . I’ll give them good marks there, because they have two options: the typical bean coffee machine that makes very good coffee, and also capsule coffee with pretty good capsules. So the coffee, good. The pastries, very much improvable.
Check the price before you book
Dinner
We couldn’t try lunch because something came up and we had to leave right before. The hotel packed us a picnic, but it wouldn’t be fair to judge the lunch solely on that.
We did try dinner, and the feeling was pretty average. We found some nice touches, like mango and strawberry vinaigrettes for the salads , which were tasty and added a different touch.
But the main dishes disappointed us a bit. The chicken in sauce was dry , and the salmon also felt somewhat dry.
Dinner below other hotels in the area
We’d come from family hotels in the area where we’d had better dinners. In a four-star adults-only hotel, we expected a bit more. It’s not that dinner is bad, we just think it’s a notch below other good hotels at a similar price in the area.
Pool and outdoor area
The pool is probably the most striking area of the hotel . It’s very beautiful.
It has a shallow area where you can be calm, sit down, lie back a bit or simply relax without the water covering too much. Then it gets deeper towards an area more designed for swimming.
Around it you have sunbeds, though they’re standard ones. Not the premium padded sunbeds we’ve seen at other good four-star hotels. You also have a garden area with Balinese beds , which gives a more private touch.
It’s not a huge area or a resort with a thousand pools. It’s a beautiful, peaceful pool, with a poolside bar nearby and areas to rest.
Pool bar, bar and all inclusive
Next to the pool you have a pool bar that’s open until 7 PM . There you can order coffees, cocktails and drinks. The hotel offers half board, full board and all inclusive, so if you choose all inclusive, this will be one of the areas you use most during the day.
From 7 PM the pool bar closes and the main bar opens. This bar is in the most photogenic building of the hotel, the one with the two towers in cream tones. At night it’s quite peaceful. It has comfortable chairs, sofas, tables and an indoor area with a TV.
Don’t expect shows or much evening entertainment. It’s more of a place to have a gin and tonic, chat for an hour and rest. After all, this is a quiet adults-only hotel, not a party hotel or one for big shows.
Gym and spa
The gym is fine. It’s not huge, but it has a bit of everything for training for a few days. It could probably use heavier dumbbells, a leg machine or a barbell with plates, but it does the job.
As for the spa, they wouldn’t let us see it , even without customers. We like to see it in person because there are always things that are off, broken areas or just to get a feel for the atmosphere. It’s one of the few hotels that didn’t let us see it at all, so we can’t give you a real opinion on that area.
Staff
The staff were fine, but nothing standout. They weren’t unpleasant and we didn’t have any bad experiences, but we didn’t feel that special treatment that makes you say “they treated me really well” either.
In an adults-only hotel, quieter and aiming for a more boutique feel, we think they could work a bit more on warmth and the energy of the service.
Beach and surroundings
The hotel is not on the beachfront. From some rooms you can see the sea, but to get to the beach you’ll need to walk about 15 minutes or drive for a couple of minutes.
Honestly, we’d drive, because there’s parking and it’s more convenient. That said, if what you’re after is simply sunbathing and relaxing, the hotel’s facilities are probably more comfortable than the beach.
The other nearby leisure option is the golf club , which is right next to the hotel.
Scores and verdict
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness | 9 |
| Bed and pillows | 8 |
| Bathroom | 7.5 |
| Breakfast | 7.5 |
| Dinner | 7.5 |
| Pool | 9 |
| Adults facilities | 8.5 |
| Staff | 7.5 |
| Beach | 7 |
Average score: 7.9 out of 10.
The Final Verdict
For whom do I recommend it?
Perfect For
- You're looking for a short getaway of a couple of nights to rest, unwind and disconnect with your partner.
- You're drawn to an adults-only hotel with a beautiful pool, relaxed atmosphere and no kids' noise.
- You play golf and want the club right next to the hotel.
- You value a bed where you'll sleep wonderfully and an atmosphere that smells good and sounds calm.
Skip It If
- You're looking for a long stay of more than 3 nights . The food didn't seem varied or standout enough for several days in a row.
- You want to be on the beachfront . Here it's about 15 minutes on foot or a couple of minutes by car.
- You expect premium details like bathrobe, slippers or a spa you can actually visit.
- You're after night-time entertainment or lots of activities. This is a hotel for resting, not for partying.