Great for a short stay
by A TripAdvisor Member
Have just returned from a 4 night stay (5 days) at the El Paso. Overall lovely hotel, very clean and great for children with themed breakfasts on a Tuesday and Thursday and regular visits by your characters around the pool and in the reception area.
The staff are in abundance and we found them polite and helpful. We had an early flight and got to the hotel at 10 am. The notice on the reception said check in at 3 pm, however they let us check in at the time, we got our passes and were in the park by 10:30!!
I would definitely recommend the half board option. The breakfast and dinner are buffet style, I am a bit of a fussy eater and I did struggle to find something I liked in the morning and evening. There was always chips on the menu and salad a plenty if you didn't fancy the main meals. Breakfast is in two sittings, we were lucky we had the 9:30 - 10:30 slot and as the park did not open until 10 am anyway, that suited us.
Every meal we had at breakfast or at lunch was either cold or luke warm. I soon got use to the cold baked beans, cold fried eggs and lukewarm bacon. I cannot fault the presentation of the food, just would have liked it hotter. Drinks in the evening with dinner are not included in the price of the half board option.
The pool is huge and has a large jacuzzi section where they hold water arobics twice a day, mainly for the kids, I didn't see too many adults joining in. There are also a lot of life guards.
The one thing I could not understand was at 6 pm prompt they closed the pool. All the lifeguards basically went home. After a long day in the park, what better way on a hot day but to go for a dip in the pool when you get back to the hotel - if you got back after 6 pm if you went in the pool security came and got you out. The weather was very hot and Thursday in particular was about 31c - we had had a full energetic day in the park and just wanted to have a dip - in the end I had a cold shower..
Entertainment was geared more to the children with dance lessons and a mini disco in the evening. The main entertainment is held on an outside stage surrounded by the complex and started at 8 pm and finished promptly at 11 pm. There was no other entertainment in the hotel and you either had the option of going back to your room or sitting in the bar which was very crowded and also very smokey, every where you went people were smoking.
The rooms were clean and the bed was the most comfortable I have ever had in a hotel. It was also very quiet, we stayed in the Jaguar section.
Your passes are also the entrance into the park. They also control the lights and air con in your room. As you open the door there is a little control box on the wall where you place your card and it operates your lights and air con. I read another review on this site which says if you want to keep your air con on during the day when you are in the park take a reward card. We took quite a few and it works with any reward card - great tip!
You can fast pass the rides, again with your card. When we went it wasn't that crowded, busy but not very crowded. The two main rides, Condor and Dragon Khan were the busiest however we only ever queued for Condor and the queue was no longer than 15 minutes. We fast passed Dragon Khan which is excellent, if you have been to Orlando the ride is similar to the Kondor.
The shows in the park were so well done - I only wish I could speak Spanish to understand them - you do after a while get the gist of what they are saying.
The park is big and reminded me of the animal Kingdom in Orlando with the way it was set out. There are plenty of shops and places to eat and drink however we did not think it was particularly cheap and some of the prices in the shops were quite outrageous. We found the staff friendly but they don't rush and do have quite a laid back attitude.
After 5 days (4 nights) we had pretty much exhausted the park, having done all the shows at least twice, 5 times with one of them and the rides again and again. It was defintely worth staying at the hotel for the unlimited entry to the park and water park - however I don't think I would have wanted to have stayed at the hotel or go to the park longer than that.
I would most definitely go back for another visit in about 5 or 6 years when they might have more bigger rides - if you are a roller coaster fanatic, you will soon get bored of this park. I would also choose to stay at the Port Adventura hotel next time as that hotel had more things to keep you occupied and with the advantage of being right in the park. El Paso is a 5 minute walk - Solou is about 15 minutes.
We caught a taxi to and from the hotel/airport, it cost 28 euros one way and 27 euros the other way.
In my opinion if you don't want the hassle of going over to Orlando with young kids and a long flight, this place is is well worth a visit.
Fantastic holiday, especially for children
by TripAdvisor Member citytraveller
Just returned from 1 week holiday and had a great time. Hotel very clean and buffet meals excellent. I would advise going out of season as we did. It was quiet mon-fri, no waiting for rides etc but Saturday was very busy with waiting times on rides, although your entry card allows express admission to some of the rides.
The theme park is fantastic, great shows and something for all ages. The Far West show and the Bird Show are very good and it's worth going to see the show in "THE CANINNIA" in Mexico. The "TAMITAMI" is great fun for children(over 5 I would say) and adults. My grandchildren and husband went on it 16 continuous times without comming off.
just got back and want to go again!!!!
by TripAdvisor Member shellie_eeyore
oct 14th - 21st 2005 - just got back from el paso what and excellant time had by all theme park is amazing and you can easily spend a few hours every day there! splash is a must but you do get VERY wet and if the splash drop doesnt get you the people on the water guns do!!! not a dry spot on our body!!! the express tickets are great and felt good just walking past all the people who were in the queue especially the spanish ones who said " typical english!" dragon khan a must for an adrenalin buzz!! el paso itself was great very well decorated for haloween! and characters come round every day. didnt even have time for water park.
right bad bits now:- no facilities in rooms for drinks no kettle etc vending machines in every block but once you have emptied them thats it! no shop on site or within 10 mins walking distance for basics other than papers! very little in the choice for our fussy kids other than french fries and burgers. pool shut at 4 no mater how warm it was the life guards throw you out then a security guard armed with baton and hand cuffs came round every so often to check you hadnt gone back in!!! no where to get drink between 12 - 8am bar staff miseral and bar shut at 12! theme park shut at 8! and last of all water park outside shut even though it was 81 degrees!!
and finally a warning for anyone going oct/ nov everywhere is haloween and when i say haloween i mean some very scary and excellantly made up characters!! both in park and hotel!! including one with a chain saw (without chain) but you dont know it when they come running at you!! they are there to scare you and scare you they do! we took a quite hardened 7 year old and some of them even scared him!! DONT TAKE ANY KIDS IN PSYCO CIRCUS 3 of us went in 16 year old and 2 40's quote from them "its the scariest thing ive seen in my life!!" finally warning to all with young kids warn them before you go the halloween characters are VERY realistic and some very scray especially when i gets a bit dark!!! but it was excellant and am going to book to go again asap
Loved it, want to go again
by TripAdvisor Member Reginald
Just returned from a 7 day holiday (23rd - 30th October) and we had a fantastic time. Both daughters thoroughly enjoyed it (16yrs and 12yrs), the 16 year old wants to return next year with her mates. The hotel was excellent, cleaned every day, buffet breakfast and evening meal excellent - something for everyone and a different choice every night, we did have to queue on a couple of occasions but we were soon seated so wasn't much of a problem.
The first day was a bit of a nightmare, having arrived early in the morning, the room wasn't ready until 3 (which we knew in advance) but when we checked in we were given our passes and were told they would be activated at 3pm when the room was ready, what they failed to tell us was that we could go to the theme park straight away where we could have whiled away a few hours and found something to eat but instead we sat in the reception area, starving hungry (as there wasn't anywhere to eat), waiting for 3pm. Be aware that you can use your passes as soon as you are given them so make the most of it. The characters were excellent and enjoyed by adults and children!! Most of the entertainment was good although a couple of the magic acts were a bit cheesy!!
The theme park was brilliant and the express passes made it even better. Being halloween really made it for us but may be a little scary!! The shows all had a halloween theme to them which was very cleverly done. The girls were a little freaked by it but by the end we had convinced them that it was just makeup!! The park was quiet during the week but the weekends were manic but that probably had something to do with it being halloween weekend.
The water park was ok - the outdoor area was closed so only the indoor was available although there were sunbeds outside for us to use.
All in all we all really enjoyed it and did not want to come home. We are already looking to go again next year.
Kids liked it better than Disneyland Paris
by TripAdvisor Member mrfalafel
Just to echo what the other reviews were saying. Excellent place, not perfect, a great time was had by all.
Food: the breakfast buffet was huge everyday. Lots of fresh and cooked items for everyone. Can be a bit crowded at peak times but the queue moves quickly. Having the characters roaming the breakfast area was a nice touch.
The kids were so impressed by the buffet that we would up eating dinner there most nights. Excellent selection of food. Cost is 45 euros for 2 adults and 1 child for dinner.
Room was clean, beds comfortable. The tile floors meant you could hear people moving furniture and dropping stuff upstairs and the hallways were a bit noisy but not too bad.
The staff are all mature and very professional. Helpful and efficient, even when faced with teeming hordes of tired and cranky tourists. Not all speak English so knowing a few words of Spanish will really go far.
Some things to be aware of: This is not a hotel for couples without kids. The bar plays Nickelodeon on the TV and kids are everywhere. And they're out late! The outdoor kids disco starts at 9pm and runs until 10pm. Kids are wandering the hotel grounds until 11pm or later. Teenagers congregate in the activies room which is a building with a ping pong table, billiards and air hockey while the young kids enjoy the kids disco and the 10-13 year olds kick a soccer ball around the grounds. If your room is facing the main stage area of the hotel grounds you will not be getting to sleep early!
The TV doesn't have kid orientated English language stations so TV addicted kids may get bored with German MTV...
The walk to the park is only a few minutes and the hotel Fast Pass is really a great feature.
Some sample prices at the El Paso:
Taxi to/from Reus airport: 28 euros (15 minutes)
Return train tickets for 1 adult and 2 kids to Barcelona 26 euros
Large shandy in the bar: 3.25 euros
Can of lager from hotel vending machine: 2 euros
Forum Posts
Hotel El Paso Half Board
by SimonRoberts
I am taking my family to Hotel El Paso in Port Aventura on a half-board basis. Does anyone know if the evening meal includes a "dine-around" anywhere in the park? The travel agent didn't seem to know or be able to find out!
Re: Hotel El Paso Half Board
by magictravelers
HELLO,
I am an american living in Barcelona (4 years) and have learn what the term Half'pension is. It is usually only breakfast. It might be the best desition, since there are a lot of places at the park, from fast food to nicer ones. Now, it is not cheap, and nothing Spanish (Mexican, American, Polynessian, and Chinesse). There are restaurants outside the park and hotel also, if you wish to change menus. Have fun, bring swimsuits and cool clothes. It is been the hottest Summer ever, and it gets very sunny and hot in Port Aventura, and you will find the water attractions, and the inside theater showa very conforting once in a while!
Car rental from Salou/Terragona to Barcelona Airport
by mymaya
First i d like to thank Belsaita and Le bod for your help regarding car rental from port aventura to bcn
I d like to tell you that i ve checked out a lot of options and found one which is very suitable for my case. europcar has got a pickup point at el paso hotel, close enough to portaventura hotel. what do you think of this?
some other companies make u pay for at least 3 days if you re changing pick up and return point - so they re out of question.
we r going to have at least 4 luggages, so it's probably a must to have a luggage rack, which adds about 50 euro for the rent, in our case 50 euro for just one day ( since we ll only be hiring d car for 1 day), which seems a lot! that makes it quite expensive doesn't it? According to Europcar.com a Peugeot partner only has space for 2 luggages. so to include luggage rack (and infant car seat) its around 132 euro.
In case of Avis and Hertz, they both have pick up points in Terragona, which suits us fine. but they do not seem to have a possibility of a luggage rack. So, to have space for suitcases we have to opt for the larger ones like Van Opel Zafira (123euro) or Ford focus Wagon (145.49). Those prices are for a day. Sometimes i wonder again whether for a little more a taxi wouldnt be a better choice,,, ?
Re: Car rental from Salou/Terragona to Barcelona Airport
by mark.m
Try doyouspain.com they are the cheapest deals I've found. You do pay for 3 days but it may still work out cheaper. Insist on bringing the car back with a full tank and not empty as they prefer as this will add considerably to the cost.
Good thing about this site is that you pay nothing till you pick up your car.
Re: Car rental from Salou/Terragona to Barcelona Airport
by saloubob
We once went from Salou to barcelona BCN with Touchdown Tours. All the bar owners know the owner and he took my family of 6 to the airport last minute, no bother. Very friendly English driver! They quoted us 150€ but if theres 4 of you they might have a different deal.
remember tolls to BCN are 20€. petrol will be about 20€ again.
www.touchdowntours.co.uk Good Luck
Bob
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