Hostal Alhaja Playa

Avoid Room 103 at all costs: horrible old smoke smell in this tiny worn out room. Bedsheets covers all smelled horrible. Now our belongings also smell. For 75 euros a night and Zero sleep, avoid this room. When I told reception, they did nothing, not even offered any discount.

Great hostal for a quick get away. Next to the pine studded dunes which was fantastic for the dog. Walk through these for 5 mins and you are on the beach. Location could not be better. Very friendly owners. Very pet friendly. Really enjoyable couple of days. Room spotlessly clean.

The best thing about this place is the location, nice window view to the pine grove. Just needed to cross the pine grove to find amazing ocean view. One more good thing is the private parking. The room by itself is quite old but fine. Visited it in the beginning of December. While taking the shower hot water became freezing so couldn't continue , was really disappointed. Probably is better to stay there in summer/spring season.

This small hotel is a nice place, staff was very friendly and helpful. Our room was on the upper floor, we had a beautiful view on the public park (pine forest) and the beach, that is 5 min walk from there. The room was a bit tight but clean, everything was basic and would need a bit of maintenance, but was all right (the wifi connection was a bit slow though).||Dogs are welcome (no extra fee), it is possible to park on site for free as well (safe: the door is closed at night, and this area is quiet). The hotel was a bit difficult to find, not enough signs to find it without driving around, to find out that it is soon but you cannot drive further because it is a one-way street.||||There are few restaurants and bars in the area, that is mainly residential. To go down town, or: you have to walk (what we did because we love it) and you will need approximately 45 minutes to be in the very centre full of restaurants and bars. Or you take the car, but you will have to know that car parks are scarce there and you will have to pay (not that expensive). Another good option is to go with the bike, it is all flat.||||It was a good option for us: staying at a quiet, affordable place and go eating in the centre, and walking back with our dog.||||Our first night was perfectly quiet, we even heard an owl. The second one (Saturday night) was short: noisy children around in the public wood till late and noisy neighbours downstairs.||||N.B. There is more to do in El Puerto than sight-seeing. I definitely recommend the track on the Peninsula de los Toruños (15 minutes with the car) and the beach till the Punta del Boquerón (30 minutes with the car): a lot of birds there, and beautiful nature.

We stayed in this hostel in Feb, 2013. This was our second visit to this Hostel - the last being in 2008. It has retained its charm.||||Upsides.||Very clean rooms, warm welcome, secured parking, simple but quite adequate breakfast. Very close to the beach, 5 minutes by car from the very charming town centre, Catamaran & Ferry to nearby Cadiz. Lovely little pool and spa. Some tiny problems in the room were sorted promptly and ceerfully in 10 minutes.||||Downsides - very minor - and we will certainly be back!||No nice pubs or restaurants within walking distance (but plenty within a short drive). ||A bit chilly in the rooms (Feb) and no heating or kettle.||One young male member of staff could use a little customer-care training - otherwise I would have rated the service as 5* as the rest of the staff were most friendly and courtious. We were given a really nice bottle of Cava in recompense - so no real grumbles there!||||Recommended for couples on weekend breaks and young families.

I can't believe people actually give good reviews for this place. It was awful. Dated bathroom, didn't feel clean. Builders were working when we arrived in afternoon and started again first thing in the morning. And it is in the middle of nowhere! About half hour drive from Central Cadiz - if that is where you were planning to go.||||The son of the owner was there when we arrived. He was very grumpy and uncommunicative. Behaved like we had rudely disturbed him.||||There is nothing in this area. We attempted to go for a walk in the park directly behind the hostel which was mainly full of dog crap and weirdos. The pool is not very inviting and not really something you would actually want to use. We did ask if there was a restaurant in the area. The owner pointed to just across the road where we spent a miserable half hour trying to find something worth eating on the menu. The owner of the restaurant just didn't seem interested at all. He could be sitting on a potential goldmine of regular mistake visitors to the hostel that he could then make money out of by feeding in his restaurant. Nope! Couldn't be bothered!||||We were told we could go to the port and get a ferry to Cadiz old city. Forget it. Pack your bags and drive straight to Cadiz, find a cheap hostel, pay the parking fee in central and have done with it.

I have been 1,5 weeks in the hotel in the early winter months with my 2 dogs to find an appartment in Puerto. They have big hotel-rooms with air conditioner and small terrasse. Everything is clean and fine. Its very nice hotel, familiar, next to the dunes and the beach. Always friendly people speak english and spanish. They have bikes you can rent and a very good restaurant is in front of the hotel. Also they have sweets and drinks to affordable prices all day long. Thanks for help and nice time in the hotel.

I stayed at this Hostal last year in August. The staff were helpful and friendly, the rooms spacious and comfortable. The food was simple but the service compensated the lack of variety. Other than that, I have nothing but praise for this place. I will highly recommend it to anyone travelling alone or for couples.