Evenia Zoraida Garden

Visited as a family of 6 (3 generations) in early July. As previous reviewers have stated, the hotel had predominantly Spanish guests so a few words of Spanish were very useful and appreciated by the staff. If you stay here don't expect it to be like Benidorm with everyone speaking English, but you can always get burger and chips if you really have to. The bedrooms were small but the beds were huge, comfortable and rooms serviced well every day. We found food in the buffet restaurant had an extensive choice, with dishes changing every day. There was also show cooking at all three meal sittings. All the dishes had an explanation card in various languages including English. The speciality restaurants served snacks throughout the day but naturally had a more limited menu. The Spanish generally eat late (lunch til 4 pm) so to avoid any queues we ate at British meal times. The pool area extensive and had plenty of sun umbrellas and sun beds. If you wanted a particular spot you should reserve your bed before 8:00 am. Activities were mainly in Spanish but everyone was included. Aqua gym at midday was great fun, if a little noisy, and attracting a full swimming pool of participants. The bars served local and international brands with a good choice of cocktails made to order. All Inclusive officially ends at 12 midday on your day of departure, but as we arrived late evening we were allowed to use all the AI facilities until we left. All in all if you want to enjoy a holiday with a true Spanish feel I highly recommend the Zoraida Garden

We are currently staying here as a British family of four (children aged 5 and 9) and I cannot praise this hotel enough! I can’t understand why anyone has left poor reviews. The hotel is immaculately clean, both inside and around the outdoor areas. The cleaning staff work around the clock and it shows. Every member of staff we have spoken to are friendly, making an effort to wave at the kids and speak to them. Staff are extremely attentive, you never have to wait more than 30 seconds for a drink or a snack. The food is great, lots of choice both in the main food halls and around the pool snack bars. The ice creams and lollies are all branded. The all inclusive drinks are again fantastic with a wide selection. There’s something to suit everyone, including slushes and milkshakes. There are so many pools, splash parks and slides for the kids (and adults!) with plenty of sunbeds to choose from. We’ve never struggled to get a bed and we are here in the school holiday. The beach is directly opposite the hotel, it’s not a sandy beach, but more of a soft pebble type beach. This didn’t bother us or the kids at all, and you can pay 5 euro a day for a sun lounger. Yes, 90% of the guests are Spanish, but I don’t know why anyone is complaining about this. We’re in Spain!! Everyone has been kind and polite to us, and the kids are overcoming the language barrier to play with all of the children from all over Europe. I would 100% recommend this hotel to anyone that’s thinking about booking it. We’ve been to lots of hotels over the years and this one is by far our favourite. We will definitely be back!

We are on our last day at this hotel. In summary, this hotel has potential, but there are some areas that need improvement, like the decor and some of the furniture in the rooms and communal areas. Being from the UK didn't bother us, but the resort is 90% spanish. Food is 3 star, no variation every day it is the same. Big question for breakfast and dinner and some of the snack areas. Overall, I would class the hotel as 3 stars. we enjoyed it, but we won't be back.

Evenia Zoraida Garden Roquetas de Mar DONT GO IF YOUR ENGLISH 1016348490 WOULD NOT RETURN... We never have had to leave a negative review about a hotel before , but this place is an exception unfortunately, but first let's start with the good points you can get branded ice creams , the hotel is close to the airport , pools are fun and check in was fast. Out of all the entertainment staff their was only one who made an effort with us her name was Nadia she was Polish and absolutely lovely. Now onto the negatives [ ] There is NOTHING to do around the local area apart from two shops outside the front of the hotel. [ ] Kids club would call English families after an hour and say "your child would like to leave" , this is fine if they actually wanted to leave. We met a couple of English families and ended up sitting together, I would get a call and then a minute later they would , at the same time each day. When we asked our children if they wanted to stay they said yes, so I told kids club directly that they wanted to stay. But yes they treated English children VERY different to the Spanish children. [ ] There is a very strong divide between Spanish and English guests & staff. We were not offered all inclusive plus , pretty much all entertainment is in Spanish language and if you ask for things that the hotel offer such as late checkout you get told NO straight away. [ ] You would be lucky if you didnt have a fly on you after 5 minutes, as there are so many flies. [ ] On your last day your not guaranteed a full day of all inclusive , they take your band off you and give you a white wrist band and expect you to pay for everything. We checked out at 12 and wasn't getting picked up until 5.15pm and had young children with us, but wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink. They expected you to pay but no way would I pay for the cold food at this hotel. [ ] Spanish holiday makers were really rude. At the night entertainment you would be lucky if your chair wasn't snatched when you went to the toilet , if you wanted to go you would have to get your family/ friends to physically hold the chairs. There were families arguing over tables & chairs and you would get a dirty look if you spoke English. Overall I wouldnt return to this hotel as an English speaking guest.

We are travelling as a family of 3…me my wife and our little boy who’s nearly 3. We was nervous about coming here after reading the reviews but this hotel doesn’t deserve some of the really negative reviews. The good points are the pools are great yes saltwater but this didn’t bother us..they have pools and areas for all ages from 2 years all the way up to the even 18 plus with some big slides. Some of the best we have seen over the years The hotel was clean wherever you went as were the rooms daily to a decent standered. We didn’t find any of the staff rude like some people have said most were polite and just basically did whatever you asked it didn’t always come with a please or thank you but that’s the culture over here and something you just get used to and remember that as English we are over polite and expect the same back when it’s not always the case. In my honest opinion they probably do favour the Spanish guests but not to the point you find it offensive The Zaradia park hotel is the newer hotel with more stylish rooms and just generally nice than the zaradia garden which is a bit dated and we noticed that all the English seemed to be put over in this hotel Even a few that did book under zaradia park we tried multiple times to get into the a la cart restaurants and was constantly told no sorry we’re full and that you can’t pre book for another day…but we’re pretty sure people after us who was Spanish and in the same cue was booking them and then given a ticket with a time etc but it is what it is and obviously they have a bit more of a conversation with the Spanish guests as the English here isn’t as fluent to everyone that you would normally get in other hotels…some of the staff are very basic but you can normally community and this certainly doesn’t come across as them being rude if they can’t understand you they go and get another member of staff who happily assist you The drinks are great I didn’t have one bad beer all week nor did my wife with the spirits and cocktails and also the fact you can just help yourself to ice creams and crisps was great also the water stations all along the hotel. The location is perfect for us it’s right on the Beach even though it was to hot to go on as it’s seemed incredibly hot this week and we prefer the pool anyway There isn’t a great deal of restaurants and shops but the couple that are about are really good quality for food we went to popeys one night and then there is a pizza/pasta restaurant attached to the hotel next door that we had a meal at and again the food was amazing. There’s a supermarket and a few shops outside the front of the hotel aswell The entertainment in the day was great always stuff going on but at night it was all in Spanish and just remember it is mainly Spanish tourists here id say around 80 present of the guests are Spanish but we’ve had not one problem with any of them so that didn’t bother us. All of the above i would say are worthy of the 4 stars it’s given itself but there are some bad points The rooms are very small…we just about go away having us 2 and a little 2 year old in the rooms if your a family of 4 beware they isn’t much room the beds are pushed together there’s a tv on a unit that is just all in Spanish with no English channels so pretty pointless and there’s literally 10 hanging spots and about 5 shelves to put clothes on and that’s it! And a small on suite with a shower sink and toilet! Obviously I no you can upgrade but we was quoted from the hotel About £600 which we thought was too much for what you got with a bit of extra space and a sofa but for a family of 4 i would say you would need the upgrade! Another bad point as some people have mentioned is the food…the quality of the food is generally okay we didn’t have anything under cooked but it was just the variety especially at the buffet for lunch and dinner seemed to be the same dishes yes they changed the meat a little bit but the hotel Would really benefit from doing maybe themed nights to change it up as after the 3rd/4 night we just said we couldn’t handle eating the same meal and looking at the same stuff every night so we ended up eating out a few times which didn’t bother us it was nice to get out but that really needs improving and it’s defiantly in our opinion not 4 star quality The good part is the snack bar by the pool was great it does quick and easy food to just grab and go through the day…can’t comment on the a la cart restaurants as we just couldn’t get a reservation due to we believe maybe being English and not Spanish! We have thought long and hard about would we return and for what we paid which was a cheap last minute deal we probably would if it a few years we wanted another quick cheap week in the sun and it was for the same price we paid this time! Which was around £1500 for the 3 of us…. I can totally understand if people would of paid 2k or more to stay here being dissapointed with the hotel for that sort of money i would expect a lot more for that sort of money aswell Overall it’s got some 4 star quality but also some 3 star quality we have enjoyed our week it’s been great weather and as i said would probably return at some point in a few years but defiantly do not be put off by really bad reviews it’s a good standard stay and hotel

We stayed 17th to 28th June as a family of 4 (kids 6&8). We'd read some rather bad reviews so we were a little nervous about staying but we had a fabulous time! The hotel is definitely worth it's 4* rating, it's extremely clean and well maintained. The pools are excellent and the lazy river was absolutely fantastic. The pools are salty and sting your eyes. My kids were not bothered by this and wore their goggles. One thing we really liked is that there are absolutely hundreds of sun loungers and parasols. The first few days we went down at 10am and there were loads left. Towards the end I was getting up at 8am to reserve a sunbed in our desired spot as it got busier but there were plenty left and always close to a pool and bar. There are several bars and snack bars over the complex so you can get food and drinks from wherever you set up for the day. There were no silly rules with the all inclusive like at some hotels where you have to return your glass in return for another. The drinks on offer were great and fever tree tonic served with gin! The kids loved the milkshakes and slushies! Try the iced coffee if they have it too in the slushie machine! So yum! There is one bar (I think the olive bar) that has a strict rule that you must wear shoes and a tshirt to enter. They will tell you once politely. I saw a few people arguing this but if you don't like it don't go in. The room was small for 4 of us but we coped and the air con was great. The room was cleaned every day and always spotless when we returned. The entertainment was all in Spanish but we didn't mind at all. The bar staff were lovely and sometimes offered to take your drink order and bring it to you which was nice. The food was OK. It was simple and always something we could eat. Not a lot of choice but I prefer this as sometimes it can be overwhelming. It would have helped if the hotel labelled the food as I don't eat fish and was sometimes worried there would be fish in something. The staff took your drink order when you sat down and always brought a bottle of wine even if you only ask for a glass. Location wise.. Not great as the temperature hit 40 a couple of times and shops/restaurants are a 20 min walk. There is a supermarket out the front of the hotel but it had very low stock of everything and about 5 souvenir shops over the road which were quite nice. Hotel has a gym and there were spinning classes 3 times a day! Tip: There are water stations all over the complex so take your water bottle with you so you can fill up when you need. There is no bottled water available.

**Fabulous Family Holiday** We booked our holiday through jet2 and didn't read the reviews until after we booked. After reading the reviews we almost cancelled the holiday. But we thought we'd give it a chance. And we are so glad we did! Not sure what the bad reviews are about! We travelled from Bristol airport. We went as a family with my mum, dad, husband, son (8years old), daughter (5years old), sister in law, neice (10) and nephew (8). The hotel:- beautiful and very clean (5* for cleanliness) The Staff:- Some reviews mentioned staff being rude. We did not see this at all. Staff were friendly and hard working. Most speak little English but this was not an issue. We could order drinks and food with no problems. The pools: The pools are salt water so remember to bring goggles. But the pools again are cleaned every morning and plenty of pools and slides to keep the kids occupied. The weather was lovely and hot and we spent most days by the pools and on the lazy river and slides. The beach: we didn't spend much time on the beach because the weather was too hot and not much shade on the beach. But there's a lovely path across the front which is lovely for an early morning or evening walk when it was cooler. The location: 40 minute transfer from almeria airport, so great with young children. There is not much around the area to do. Although we didn't venture far and didn't need to as we found plenty to do in the hotel. The entertainment:- Aqua aerobics early afternoon was great fun, the reps were great fun, jumping in the pool at the end. You could relax by the pool with no one hassling you to join in with any activities if you didn't want to. They had a kids club but we didn't use this, so I can't comment. The evening entertainment was OK, a lot of it was in Spanish but it was still nice to sit out and the kids enjoyed. They did a disney night which was good. The outdoor entertainment area was small for the amount of people, they could arrange seats better. Most nights it was difficult to find a table. Food:- The hotel buffet was ok, I have had better but also worse. They were making fresh pancakes every meal, fresh chicken and fish. There were nice salads. They had fresh prawns and mussels. Again, I was expecting worse from the reviews. Plenty of snack bars and food all through the day. ICECREAMS were a hit! Branded Cornettos and magnums and twisters. Alcohol:-we had bottles of wine on the table with our lunch and evening meal and bottles of estrella (all included with the orange band - nice wine). Not sure what we would have had extra if we had blue bands but it seemed we had no restriction with what we ordered. We had mojitos and other cocktails which were lovely! Kids had slushs, milkshakes. So if you have booked this hotel definitely go and enjoy! If you haven't booked yet, we would recommend. Don't let some of the reviews put you off.

Hi all, I've thought long and hard about what to review, and considered other people's reviews too. So, here is my absolute honest, and comprhensive review from my family holiday (Mum, Dad, 2 boys age 3 and 4) of all the bits I consider important to a family holiday. First and foremost......the hotel staff are FANTASTIC, and absolutely not rude. Let's not forget we brits are famed for too many "thanks yous" " sorrys" and holdings the doors. Others cultures are not, and don't mistake this for rudeness. It's just functional, and each to their own. English isn't quite as good as expected, but this isn't a complaint, my spannosh is rubbish! Learn a few key phrases that you'd expect to use before you go, this will go a long way. Rooms are very comfortable, we had a junior suite (Room 512 - high up, sea and pool facing corner with a bigger balcony than the others) and it was clean, and comfy and had everything we needed. Cleaned every day if you chose. AC had to be on 24/7 to keep the room at a comfortable temp for sleeping. Turn it off and you'd suffer later. An old dated unit, but worked if you kept a key card in the slot for power all day. (Shhhhh) Pools - for my age group absolutely bloody fantastic. Immaculately clean, an army of pool attendants and cleaners are out from 0600 scrubbing mopping hoovering the entirety of the resort daily inside and out. Not a spot of rubbish or mud each morning. Splash park was amazing, and lifeguards are absolutely on point and fully attentive. I really was impressed. Ice creams chrisps, soft drinks and beer on tap at every corner, all good branded stuff on all inclusive. Walls, walkers, estrella and the like. Buffet....good stuff, but as any menu would be on repeat slightly monotonous. The food seemed to rotate lunch and dinner menus every 3 days. Breakfast stays the same. There is however a HUGE variety of meats, fresh fish, fruits, veg, salad, a bit of show grill cooking. Certainly not lacking in any way shape or form. The majority of the mains are European foods and mostly spannish cuisine which we enjoyed, however ofcourse there's always the old burgers and chips too. The hotel opens up directly onto a beautiful promenade for miles and the beach. Also great! Sunbeds.....if you want a decent poolside spot to keep an eye on your kids in comfort - get down there before 0700 to chuck your towels out. By 0730 most have gone. Really, it's true. But there's no bad press or problems with doing this - seemed to be the norm and was just accepted. There isn't a huge amount close to the hotel, except the beach and a couple small cafes. But taxis seemed to ve pennies. 5 euro for a 15 min ride. If your a family with reasonable expectations, and young children that love sunshine, ice creams, decent food and swimming pools then go for it! I'd go back. Also....the images on the jet2 site don't do the place justice. It'd much nicer and cleaner and better kept. The new pool facilities opened in may were also fantastic.

Just returned from Evenia Gardens, along with the Park, it was bigger than I usually like. Very Spanish which we expected from this area having been to other hotels in Roquetas, a bit too far out from others Best Roquetas etc which are central but again, we kind of knew when we booked and it is only a few minute taxi ride away. A little disappointed with the limited choice of food but always found enough to eat. Most hotels have mushrooms at breakfast but not here, little things like that. I have to mention Carmen Ruiz from the dining room who worked her socks off. Our maid, Nancy who always had our room done while we were at breakfast, all the maids on our floor were pleasant. As for the comments about the bar staff serving the Spanish guests first, being rude etc. NOT true in our case, hardly ever had to queue and they knew enough English to communicate well. My grandchildren had me on the water slides, that area was very busy but the main pool was a wonderful size. I also have to say that the animation team that did the qua gym were fantastic. Thank you all , we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

I stayed for a week 10th-17th June with my partner and 4 year old. We had an absolute amazing time. After reading the reviews I was abit worried about staying here and almost changed our hotel however I'm so glad I didn't. FOOD... I am a fussy eater and i always worry about this when I book all inclusive as previously I've been to places and survived the week off just chips or pasta. However the food was probably the best I've ever had in an all-inclusive package. The food was changed over and restocked frequently so it was still hot. A lovely lady worked on a griddle serving freshly cooked steak, fish, pork, burgers ect. For children there was a huge selection of food each meal time and a chocolate fountain each day for dessert plus cakes ect. If your too busy having fun in the pool and don't want to dry off and get changed for the restaurant at lunch time there are plenty of snack bars dotted around. One served chicken nuggets, burgers hotdogs, chips freshly cooked to order and one based in the Italian restaurant which was more buffet style that had fresh salads, meats, burgers, nuggets, fish and gorgeous risotto (which I'd highly recommend) The only down side to the food was sometimes flys would get into the restaurant. DRINKS.... The all-inclusive works on a band system. We had the silver package (yellow band) which is basic but I think upgrades are available at a cost. We found this band absolutely fine, most alcohol was served as local spirits which was fine, some nights we were given beefeater gin some nights it was local branding but all served with fever tree tonic. Beer available was astrella alcohol and alcohol free and is served in pints or half pints (your choice) rather than small plastic cups. I usually find with all-inclusive local brands you can drink all day and not feel any effect, this is not the case here the alcohol is strong and severed in big glasses so you don't have to keep going back. Bar staff were friendly polite and work fast to keep ques down. I'd recommend the coffee from behind the bars if your a coffee drinker as it was lovely. Alcohol is served at meal times too. I drink red wine and they give you the bottle. Cocktails are also good, not pre-made. A tip would be to take a water bottle each with you as they have plenty of refill stations around and don't serve water by the bottle. ROOMS..... On arrival the room had random hairs around the bathroom, cups ok the balcony and make up on a towel. We didn't complain as we were tired and the next day the room was cleaned. Rooms are a little on the small side but fine for a family of 3-4. Rooms are cleaned daily and the cleaning staff are very polite and friendly one member of staff stood out to us the most every morning she said hello to my daughter and tried to teach her some Spanish. ENTERTAINMENT... We didn't use the kids club as we wanted to spend the time as a family but there is one available. The evening entertainment was great. My 4 year old loved the disco and the entertainment after that was great each night. We particularly liked the band called Las Vegas and the magician. We did get quite bitten by mosquitoes but took spay, which helped. POOLS.... Brilliant, mainly salt water but that doesn't bother us. Two childrens pools full of slides and waterfalls all brilliant. And 2/3 deeper pools which were great too. Plenty of life guards around. BEACH & SURROUNDING AREA... The beach is not the responsibility of the hotel but it is part of the holiday experience so I thought I would add in that the beach is literally at the back of the hotel however it is not sand it is small stones. The local area had a supermarket, some shops, a bar and a pharmacy in walking distance however if you want abit more nightlife you might need a taxi. Overall the hotel was absolutely amazing, food, drinks, room, entertainment and pools are all brilliant. I really can not understand all the bad reviews. The guests were mainly Spanish and a few English. If you want to go to Spain and feel like your actually in Spain then I'd highly recommend. The staff were all polite, friendly and welcoming. I dont usually leave reviews but felt it was worth leaving one after reading so many negatives and having such a positive experience. I wish i had taken more photos to show how amazing it really was but they all have my family in. I would definitely come back and would say I felt as though i was in a 4*+. If you have a family with small children you won't be disappointed.