We flew from Bournemouth to Gerona with Ryanair - flight was good and on time and, having booked early, under ?50 each return. I had booked car hire from Gerona with Auriga Crown and we had a new Fiesta with A/C - essential in July! Again, very reasonable although I chose the supplementary insurance for 20 euros in case of damage to screen or tyres. Found the hotel and were able to park right outside, free of charge although the car had to be moved from Thursday evening due to local market on Friday. Room was clean, modern and reasonably spacious but all the sea view rooms seemed to have been reserved for the Dutch! It didn't matter that much as we overlooked the shopping street and there was plenty going on. The cafeteria was good with free entertainment every night. Noisy but hey - we're on holiday! Staff were great in all departments. We were on B & B terms and the buffet selection was very good, if a little oily. Avoid the restaurant at opening times if you don't want to queue as the Dutch seem to eat early. There's also a mini rush just before closing time as well but we never had to wait more than a couple of minutes for a table.The resort is wonderfully clean with plenty of room on the beach, plenty of sunbeds for 4 euros a day. The sea is warm but gets deep very near to the shore so watch out! Local trains run along the front between the hotel and the beach but are barely noticeable and there are subways to use to reach the beach safely. There's a land train connecting a few resorts and a boat also connects to various resorts although it's a bit more expensive at 23 euros return between Pineda and Lloret. There are a few restaurants in the town although they do tend to close a bit early for my taste but again, our continental cousins seem to prefer this. I would definitely use this hotel again and would recommend it for people liking a beach holiday. The pool was a bit small though and I was told it was a bit cool! With a beach like Pineda's, the pool is by no means an essential.

We were really impressed with this hotel. It is excellently located, right opposite the beach, the pool is really nice the service friendly and efficient, and the rooms a very good size. We only had breakfast which was a standard buffet with a good choice but not exactly Michelin standard. The only downside to the hotel was, being on the first floor, it was slightly noisy in the evenings when the cabaret was on until midnight. I imagine this would be overcome if you were on a higher floor. Pineda is a quiet resort, which was just what we were after, but during the day there are plenty of cafes and the beach is lovely. The train station is less than a 5 minute walk away with direct trains to Barcelona and Girona. In the evenings, we were hoping to explore the area and sample some Spanish cuisine but there was a real lack of restaurants that were open at this time of year (May). However, we found a jewel in the crown of Pineda that we would thouroughly recommend - Diagonal (on Av. Monsterrat). Only a 5 minute walk from the hotel, they did a great selection of meals and one of the nicest vegetarian meals I've ever had. They also cater for families. We liked it so much we went 4 nights out of 5!!! We are a party of 3 from ages 26 - 55 and would recommend this hotel if you're looking for a relaxing getaway.

We stayed at the Aqua Promenade hotel partly on the basis of the other positive reviews given here and we enjoyed our stay. We got off our Easyjet flight at Barcelona airport and went to baggage reclaim (make sure you check the baggage reclaim board for your airline company’s logo as I made the mistake of going to reclaim B instead of A and had to go through passport control/luggage X-ray scanning!) then walked along the covered walkway at terminal B to the train station. We boarded the RENFE train that takes you from the airport to Barcelona Sants station and from there changed and got another train that took us to Pineda De Mar. Logistically it is quite easy although you do have to tussle with other passengers and their bags for space so is probably slightly more stressful than direct coach transfers but it is cheaper at around ?12.80 for two to travel through 5 zones. The Pineda de Mar train station is 200 metres or so away from the hotel so you can easily drag your luggage along the kerbway. Reception booking in was good. Staff were multilingual and helpful. Our room was on the 3rd floor to the right. There are 2 x lifts. We asked for a sea view room but never achieved it. Not sure how they allocate rooms. The room we had was on 2 levels with a single bed, balcony with table and 2 x chairs and Satellite TV (14" CRT) on the lower level and then up some stairs for the upper level that included a double bed, toilets/bath/sink room (unlockable) and another balcony. It would be nicer for the TV to be situated in the upper room as that was where we mostly stayed. As mentioned by another reviewer directly below the rooms on the right hand side on the ground floor caf? is where the nightly cabaret performs. I still heard the music from the 3rd floor (the topmost floor of this area) but obviously not as much as the 1st floor. This may be a problem for you if you want to go to bed early. I agree with the other comments on the cleanliness of the rooms and hotel in general. The maids come each day to clean the rooms. The room we were in was a bit small but adequate for 1 week. For a 2 week stay I might be climbing the walls though! The wall pictures were squares covered by a single colour gloss paint – modern or cheap? Piped radio music was Spanish music which may annoy you after a while - take your own radio/MP3 player is my advice here. The shower had a fierce pressure to it and hot water takes a while to appear, also at the taps, so you have to let it run for a while. A safety deposit box in the wardrobe was rentable for ?18 per week plus ?10 deposit. They give you a lock and key. The buffet restaurant was no better or worse than others I’ve experienced at similar half/full board hotels. I disagree about the food being always hot. In general all buffet food under the lamps will be luke warm to medium warm but never piping hot. Being vegetarians there isn’t a great selection to choice from. You have the salad bar which mostly stays the same each night, a hot food bar which varies each night and a deserts area that had strange blancmanges, semi-frozen ice cream and fresh melon, pineapple and other fruits. You order the drinks separately and pay at the end of each meal. The staff were friendly and happy which was good. The downside of buffet style is that you are constantly weaving in and out trying to avoid crashing into other guests in the battle to get your dinner and breakfast so is a bit of a military operation each meal! This is a multinational hotel so you are mixing with German, Spanish, French people too so can become a bit ghettoised and isolating by the language barriers however people do comment to you occasionally. Breakfast tended to stay the same each day and was the normal fare. The fried eggs tended to be covered in oil, not to my liking but seen at other hotels so may be the continental way. The gym downstairs in the lower ground floor is a bit of a sorry state with some old machines in garish colours going a little bit rusty. There is a nasty damp smell down there. Also down there is a Salon with card tables and TV but nobody seems to venture in there. This is the most central hotel in Pineda de Mar situated right across adjacent to the beach. It is next to the tourist shops and close to the train station so is very well located. You can take the Xinu-Xanu road train to Calella for 1? 30. The ride is a bit bumpy and it is probably better after the initial novelty ride to catch the RENFE for the same price which is quicker and more comfortable. The driver did not announce the final destination which is not helpful if you have never been there and don’t know you have arrived! The RENFE runs every 30 mins compared to every 15 mins for the Xinu-Xanu. The hotel pool is a lot smaller than it looks in the hotel brochure but nobody was in it anyway. There are sun loungers scattered around the pool area. Pineda de Mar is a quietish resort and most of the guests tended to be older but that suited me as was relaxing without having to deal with screaming kids and yobs. I would probably use the hotel again If I visited the area again as the general experience was pleasant. Would have had some photos to offer but my camera got lost :-)

This hotel is a hidden treasure. About an hour train ride north of Barcelona, something I was worried about being so far away, the hotel came through for us and was beyond superb. The buffet for breakfast and dinner was different every meal and included courses from many different world cultures. The rooms were clean and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. It's about a two minute walk to the train station and many nice local restaurants border the hotel area. I was beyond pleased and if another chance becomes available to travel to Barcelona again, I will stay here without a doubt.