Kaktus Hotel Kaktus Playa - Adults Recommended

Great holiday

A short stay for of 2 days was booked with Triip.com for one adult and 2 children under 10, to join us who were booked in a day earlier for three days. Our three day booking was direct with the hotel, half board. The hotel is marked 'adults recommended' and they sure discourage children, by seeking to charge per occupancy rather than simply on a cost per room. The Trip site quite fairly offered the room at the rate for two adults, with children under 12 free, so this is what was paid. Half board was added but at the rate for two adults, which would be greater than the actual hotel rate for one adult and two children, but I was happy to have reserved restaurant secured. Things got messy at check in, the hotel insisting that the room was occupied by three 'persons' as they put it and should therefore be 50% extra, though the room was the same type as the twin we had for two adults. The Hotel also insisted that only breakfast was provided, and tried to argue that the B2B rate from the third party (Trip) was insufficient. I politely pointed out that the discounts provided to third party agents was no concern of the customer, and referred to my booking voucher which clearly stated I had booked a twin room, into which was going 1 adult, two very small children, and that breakfast and dinner was paid for, with the rate for 1 adult being greater than twice the local charge for a child. They were impossible to deal with, and I left the reception angry and upset. I contacted the Trip representative and by that evening it was sorted. Full marks to Trip, zero to the hotel. As for our stay, the hotel is excellent, but with room to improve. Dinner in the Buffet only commences at 8.00, resulting in quite the bunfight if the restaurant is busy. It was on that Thursday, a national holiday, and it was impossible to order wine and beverages after we seated, with a single service person taking orders. We ate our food dry, and finally placed an order for wine and water while eating dessert, some 40 minutes after seating. The same bottleneck occurred the next morning at breakfast, with the four snail paced Nespresso machines totally incapable of dealing with the coffee demands. Worse, all 4 machines overheated and went into 'service mode'. Worse again, these obviously unsuitable barista machines were the only source of hot water for Tea or infusions, but with no seperate hot water dispenser faucet. You had to stand for almost 2 minutes while the machine slowly dispensed through the coffee outlet, a single mug of hot water, to the frustration of the queue behind. This needs sorting, it took ages to get a breakfast beverage every morning, and on the second day I had to return 4 floors to my room and fill my cup from the in room Nespresso maker. I'd advise to bring a travel kettle with you. Otherwise, a fine hotel, but the restaurant problems and discriminatory pricing for children are an issue, so not a hotel for children.