Santa Susanna, Don Angel Hotel

We booked this hotel at a very cheap deal, the old saying you get what you pay for is definitely true! The flights were good and the check in was brilliant after that it went downhill.

Firstly when we got into the room we realised we had been given a twin room just with two extra (full sized) beds put into it one covering the dressing table and patio door and the other obstructing the bathroom door and radiator. The room was clean on arrival but the floor was not swept once during the entire week and the towels were only refolded and beds remade. We had clean sheets once we had our own toothpaste stain the whole week on the towels. Nothing was dusted at all I ended up doing it myself.

On this sort of holiday you expect some sort of repetition in the food but we were appalled by the quality of food served, it was never hot only lukewarm even if you were first in when the doors opened, the glasses were always dirty, plates still with bits of the last meal stuck on them and soaking wet, also they were well beyond replacement time scuffed and chipped. Each lunch and dinner consisted of soup (very very watered down powdered variety) fish, pork, chicken, steaks, some sort of potato, chips, paella and various pasta and rice salads, plain pasta and vegetable fingers. This was it for 2 meals for 7 days. There was admittedly plenty of fresh fruit and salad but always exactly the same never any variety. For pudding there was cake, ice cream, rice pudding full of cinnamon, jelly and fruit. Also if you like butter on your roll with soup make sure you take some with you from breakfast as that is the only time of day it is out. Also each breakfast time if you like coffee be prepared to wait as the Spanish seem to be obsessed with it and the hotel only ever have 2 out of 3 machines working and the queues are dreadful mainly as you are waiting for each person to fill up cereal bowls with the stuff instead of cups! Also when we finally found the hidden tea bags on the last day they appeared to be rationed to one per person per day. Our son has a heart condition and when we bought him a sealed can into the restaurant for our own peace of mind we were severely reprimanded and he was told to stop drinking it immediately.

We were the only British in the entire hotel it seems to be a haven for elderly Spanish on their breaks this isn't a problem to us at all.

There is currently building work both sides from 7am every morning - be warned about going onto the balcony in your nightie!! The sea or pool view is there just take your binoculars and be prepared to strain your neck round corners! Also the website shows gardens which no longer exist.

I have to say there is good disabled access if required. There are no poolside toilets and the ones inside the hotel are not very fragrant and of course you need to be fully dry and dressed to go to the loo inside which doesn't help small kids. The website and hotel info in rooms advises you can if desired pay a 6 Euro deposit to take hotel towels to the poolside with you unless you are Kate Moss's smaller sister there ain't nothing those towels are covering and drying! Also they are rough dirty towels which you wouldn't want to use let alone steal!

We made the most of our holiday and we love the Costa Brava but next year we will be going back to the Hotel Monteplaya further down in Malgrat there is limited shops etc in Santa Susanna but it is a very clean resort with a lovely market on Tuesday. Highly recommend using the trains and heading to Barca for the day.