Spain is attractive both for fans of sightseeing tours, and for the avid “beach people”. The advantage of this country - as a tourist destination - lies precisely in the possibility of organizing combined tours: educational, beach, eco and extreme. Everyone here can find what suits him best. However, in the summer, Spain is in demand primarily as a seaside resort. The magnificent beaches of the Mediterranean attract millions of tourists from all over the world. The most popular among Russian citizens is the Costa Brava, whose name translates from Spanish as “wild coast” or “daredevil coast”. There are many comfortable hotels, both brand new and veteran hotels, built in the middle of the last century. However, thanks to many reconstructions, they are able to provide tourists with high-class service. So, for example, the 3 * Hotel Montanamar (Costa Brava / Lloret de Mar), built in 1962, has not lost its popularity among tourists from different countries, including our native Russia, for several decades. But before proceeding with the description of this complex, I want to talk a bit about the Costa Brava and the town of Lloret de Mar, where this hotel is located.
“The shore of the daredevils”
Costa Brava is located in the northwest of Catalonia and is considered part of the province of Gerona. Being one of the most beautiful corners of the Spanish coast, it annually receives thousands, even millions of tourists from all over the world. There are many zones created for both beach and for active and extreme tourism. Together with this, the Costa Brava is the coolest coast of Spain. It has a particularly mild climate. It’s not too hot here in summer. The average air temperature during the beach season (from May to October) is 25-28 degrees. In winter, the weather here is sunny, and the air cools to 10 degrees. The Costa Brava coast is divided into many small resort towns. Among them, the most noteworthy are Tossa de Mar, Blanes and Lloret de Mar, in which the Hotel Montanamar 3 * is located. By the way, the magnificent beach area of this resort was awarded the Q (ICTE) insignia for the highest level of organization and the creation of comfortable conditions for the development of tourism. The local coast is striking in its picturesqueness: impregnable cliffs and cliffs overgrown with coniferous trees (pines, firs and pine trees) emerald slopes of the Pyrenees, beautiful bays and bays, snow-white beaches, etc. Costa Brava is considered the very first Spanish resort that opened its doors to vacationers from Russia. By the way, vacation packages to hotels of this coast are much cheaper than in other resorts of the country. So, for example, the daily price for accommodation at the Montanamar 3 * hotel (Spain / Costa Brava) is about 2500 rubles (breakfast is included in the price). Of course, this hotel can not be called "luxury", however, tourist services are provided at the highest level. This is evidenced by the reviews of vacationers left at numerous tourist forums.
How to get there?
In the region of Catalonia, there are three international airports at once: in Gerona, Reus and Barcelona. However, Russians most often choose the third option. The flight time from Moscow to Barcelona is about 4 hours. Not so much, is it? When buying a tour to the Montanamar (Lloret) hotel, tourists also have the opportunity to spend an unforgettable day in the city of the great Gaudi. From the capital of Catalonia, the coast can be reached in many ways: by bus, train, taxi. The most convenient option is to pre-rent a car. This will cost tourists 30-40 euros per day, but it will be possible to independently make excursions to the many attractions that are rich in these places.
Lloret de Mar - the tourist capital of the “Wild Coast”
What is remarkable for tourists this town? It has a lot of entertainment for both adults and children, for example, Water World water park, Mrineland water park, Aqualeon mini-zoo, which will delight young tourists, and a huge number of nightclubs act as entertainment for adults, disco floors, bars and restaurants. Fans of educational tours can make excursions to the Verdakier Cultural Center. The Iberian relics stored in it date back to the third century BC, and Lloret Castle is also a great place to visit. All these activities will be available to tourists who have chosen a vacation at the Montanamar Hotel (Spain / Lloret de Mar). Another distinctive feature of this resort is the light and unobtrusive scent of laurel, floating in the air. By the way, the name Loredo (the so-called city in former times) means "the area where laurel trees grow", and on the coat of arms of Lloret de Mar there is an image of a laurel tree.
Costa Brava - the best Spanish resort for Russians
Costa Brava attracts our tourists with a wide network of upscale hotels and entertainment venues, sightseeing tours, a wide selection of water activities, magnificent natural landscapes and clean ecology. After all, there are still no industrial enterprises polluting the air on this coast. By the way, Russian tourists prefer this resort also because here they practically do not encounter a language barrier. Everywhere you can see signs, price lists in restaurants and hotels in Russian, as well as Russian-speaking staff. So, for example, in the Hotel Montanamar 3 * there will certainly be a couple of employees who understand our speech and can at any time help in resolving issues. And this, believe me, is a big plus, especially for those who do not speak any foreign language.
General description of the hotel Montanamar 3 * (Spain / Costa Brava / Lloret de Mar)
The hotel was founded in 1962. The last time it was reconstructed in 1992, however, cosmetic repairs are often made here, if necessary. In view of this, the building looks quite respectable and modern. Hotel Montanamar 3 * is a four-story building with a roof terrace. In front of the hotel there is a nine-meter (in length) pool for adults of an original form, as well as a small “paddling pool” for children. For younger guests, the hotel also has a swing and a playground. The hotel is convenient for both adults and children.
Location
This hotel is located on the second beach line. From it to the sea is only 10 minutes walk. The hotel is a little less than one kilometer from the center of the resort town of Lloret de Mar. And before the promenade even less. The hotel is located in a picturesque and very interesting area. Tourists on the way to the beach pass by the medieval walls of Lloret Castle. Nearby is also a beautiful Catholic church. From the point of view of infrastructure, everything is also in order here: a bus station is 20 minutes away, from where you can go both to nearby cities and for a walk along the coast; there is an excellent supermarket with a huge selection of food and other goods; not far from Montanamar 3 * there are many clubs, restaurants and cafes. Nevertheless, there is practically no noise in the hotel, at night nothing prevents you from sleeping.
Number of rooms
The hotel has a total of 67 rooms. In principle, they all belong to the “standard” category, but there are other classification options. For example, the hotel has modernized rooms with air conditioning and "old", without it. In addition, there are single and double apartments, as well as one or two rooms for the disabled and non-smoking.
Description of rooms
The full name of this hotel is Montanamar 3 * “Exclusive”, however it is simply marked as “Montanamar” on the tourist portals. All its rooms have balconies or a terrace with a set of summer furniture. The living quarters are not very large, but they can accommodate three people The smallest rooms are angular, but they have two balconies. As already noted, not all rooms are air-conditioned. Similar equipment is available only in those located above the floor with the reception desk. But there are no refrigerators in them. oh in general. And this is the most common complaint of tourists. In order to get the remote control from the air conditioner, you will need to leave a deposit of $ 20, which will be returned upon eviction. But for using the safe you need to pay 19 euros per week, and even leave it on reception as a security deposit for a key of $ 10. Russian tourists are perplexed by this fact, which they also write about in their reviews.As for the rest, the bathroom in the rooms is small, but sterile clean. On this occasion, the reviews of former guests are only positive. A television with satellite channels, a telephone and wireless internet are also included.
Services
Despite the fact that the hotel is not "luxury", but only a three-star hotel, rooms are cleaned daily, and towels are also new every day, but linen is changed every other day. For guests - dry cleaning and laundry. Packed lunches can be ordered to your room.
The hotel has a business center that provides services of a printer, photocopy, fax, scanner, etc. In public areas, you can use the Internet for free. In order to organize excursions, the Montanamar 3 * hotel has a travel agency, there is also a parking lot and a rental car and bicycle.
Entertainment and sports
The lobby of the ground floor has billiards, table tennis and, as already noted above, outdoor pools for both adults and children. Around them are sun loungers and umbrellas.
Nutrition
The food in the hotel, according to reviews of vacationers, is simply excellent. Breakfast is included in the price of the tours. For guests , a buffet consisting of Spanish and European dishes is served every morning. Fruits, vegetables, salads, side dishes, meat and fish are always served in abundance. The same goes for dinners. However, guests in their reviews recommend dining outside the hotel, as it turns out much more economically. You can spend only 10 euros per person. By the way, many recommend trying the most popular of the local dishes - "Maar and Mutanya" ("Sea and Mountains"). The hotel also has a bar and cafe.
Beach
The Montanamar Hotel (Spain / Costa Brava) does not have its own beach, so tourists use the services of the nearby municipal. For umbrellas and sunbeds you need to pay 6 euros per day. And the rest, the beach areas are simply magnificent and offer a wide range of water and other entertainment.
Hotel Montanamar 3 *: reviews and ratings of tourists
The staff of this hotel awarded the greatest praise. Everyone vied with each other to tell which hotel workers are friendly, hospitable, positive and optimistic. But the tourists’s dissatisfaction is caused by the internal charter, according to which, for using some of the benefits of civilization (air conditioning, safe, etc.) you need to leave money as a deposit. Everything else - and the service, and food, and the interior - are rated by guests at full 4, sometimes even 5 points. This means that this veteran hotel has not yet lost its appeal in the eyes of tourists.