SBH Monica Beach Resort

Clean, spacious hotel. The pool and pool bar area was really nice with a great outdoors bar facing the beach at the rear of the hotel (Africa Bar). All staff encountered were extremely helpful and friendly (not to mention hard-working). My room was fabulous with a really large patio with loungers and & bistro set. The room was cleaned every day and was I welcomed to a bottle of champagne upon arrival & a Christmas Stocking on the door handle. The beach is really accessible at the rear of the hotel and is gorgeous with fantastic views. Costa Calma is a quiet, clean, laid back resort town but if you are not going on an all-inclusive holiday I would recommend a larger resort instead as there really isn't much there at all outside of the hotel complexes other a couple of small shopping centres and one or two quiet bars & restaurants. During the day (as a few were overcast, people were flocking to the larger Morro Jable & Jandia on the bus about 30 minutes away). This really isn't a complaint in the slightest but expect to find Costa Calma and the Southern area of Fuerteventura to be a very German experience indeed therefore everything being extremely geared towards Germans. As I say, not a complaint, just a word in advance for any UK / Irish travellers expecting the usual British/Irish style bars (with Premiership football) that you find in a lot of holiday destinations. I've seen some unfairly bad reviews on here about the SBH Monica Beach, but in all honesty the hotel is really nice and has a lot of on-site amenities (just not much outside of the hotel). I've knocked a star off my review as I found for a journeyman Canary Islands 4 star hotel traveller that the restaurant was more the equivalent of a 2 or 3 star Canteen room experience & despite enjoying the food on offer the buffet was 95 percent the exact same daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. There were absolutely none of the "theme" nights that you come to expect in pretty much every other 4 star resort that you may stay at in the Canaries and beyond. The main bar for evening entertainment was quite impressive though, I didn't really stay for any of the entertainment on offer but it appeared to be of the usual variety that you would expect in resorts of this type.

The only plus is the location to the beach. Everything around the hotel is shut down. The majority of the residents are German who don’t abide by the smoking policy at the hotel. The staff don’t do anything about it, there was even a guy smoking at the pool bar next to the no smoking sign and they never told him. The food is just about edible. The hot dogs at the pool bar come out on a tray and are cold straight away. The food in the Asian restaurant was stodgy, some was cold and over salty. They even charge for the drinks which is the same drinks you get in the main restaurant. The Buffet restaurant we had chicken raw in the middle, one occasion potato wedges still frozen. More often than not the foods either cold or tepid. There is no real change in menu, and it’s definitely aimed to its German clients. Luckily we hired a car for a few days so we ate out. We book it last minute so didn’t check the reviews. I wish I had of done my research. Four stars is a joke, I’ve stayed in better 3 star resorts. In the two weeks we stayed here none of the hand dryers worked in the toilets, forget a hot shower or bath after about 8ish. I would definitely not recommend staying here. I’m glad to be going home.

Having read some of the previous reviews, it would have been easy to decide not to choose this hotel however, I am so very pleased that we did! From the moment we arrived, our positive experience began with the very welcoming, friendly and helpful reception staff. First impressions count, and this was only to continue throughout our stay. We were allocated a room (212) which was situated just a couple of minutes walk away from reception and the pool area. The property is brilliantly designed and laid out over the site overlooking the sandy beach and sea, with most (if not all) rooms having a sea view. Furthermore, it is quiet at night with only the sound of the waves. Very tranquil and relaxing. The room itself was a generous size with two single beds, a sofa-bed, TV, Fridge and sizeable balcony with a table and two chairs overlooking the beach / sea. The wifi is not the best but is enough for checking emails, news and emails if one needs to. The TV channels are mainly local with a few German channels and fewer English ones but we weren't there to watch TV. The bathroom was a fair size with tub and shower piece. The shower itself was powerful and hot on demand. The colours of the bathroom could hint at a 70's theme but in fact, they are just in tune with the property itself. The whole room was spotlessly clean and was attended to every day by the very happy and friendly housekeeping staff. The restaurant functions superbly. Every day, be it for breakfast, lunch of dinner, there are more than enough options for people, and if there are specific dietary requirements that appear not to be met, you only have to ask and the staff will be happy to help. The meat selections offered (more often than not, chicken and pork) were cooked to perfection. Tender whilst keeping flavour and excellently seasoned, it was always something to look forward to. The Ribs that were sadly on offer just once in the week that we were there, were some of the best that we have ever had. Whilst previous reviews mention some repetitive food options, there may have been a few standard offerings but there is so much to choose from, this is a subjective view. Frinks available in the restaurant are free-flow and there is a selection of soft drinks, beer or wine. We tried the Asian experience and again, was not disappointed. It is a smaller separate part of the restaurant and needs to be booked. Compared to the main restaurant, there was a smaller selection of dishes, but since it is not an A-La-Carte menu, it was still a brilliant meal experience. Evenings were either spent in the main bar (where the entertainment happens) or there is the pool bar that is quite busy although relaxed. Plenty of drink choices available. This also applies as an all-inclusive customer. Whilst you may not get the global brands, the quality of the drinks is excellent. So too are the measures that are provided! The bar staff were very welcoming and friendly and enjoyed talking with us both in Eng

Although the location of the hotel and most of the staff are super nice, there are more negatives at this place. Super old rooms with broken tiles in the bathroom, broken things everywhere you look. The animation team is not following the timetable which is quite tricky when you are with a small baby who wants to go to a playground (which is locked and open only couple hours per day!). As for food, it is not great, there is always plenty but the taste is not great, the asian restaurant is a joke. As for drinking water you need to search for a bar which is opened at certain time to get a cup, otherwise there is none. There were many unpleasant surprises during our week and i would not return to this hotel

Firstly, I'd like to mention that we'd researched Tripadvisor before our holiday, and pretty much knew what we were coming to. However, we were purely going to accompany a relative, who'd been before. Jet2 and UK TUI don't do this hotel, and now I know why ! There were very, very few UK guests. We've been regular visitors to Spain and the Canaries since 1975, so we know a thing or two about the hotels, both half-board and all inclusive. This is without doubt the worst 4 Star hotel I can remember. Mostly you expect the all inclusive drinks to be cheap rubbish anyway, ( except the beer) and here, it was no exception. However, in every AI hotel I've ever been to, you can always purchase a branded drink, by paying a few Euros extra at the bar, but not here. They had nothing other than the local AI cheap stuff. Even the "Whisky" was made in Spain, and it was only fit for cleaning the floor ! The beer is Amstel, which is good and saved the day. You couldn't even go out to a bar for a drink, as there were none nearby. The best thing about this hotel was the friendliness of the hardworking staff ( well most of them ! ). Always seemed to be a shortage of staff, doing the work of two ! Especially Maria at the Africa Bar ( it faces Africa ! ) , she is lovely and works very hard usually on her own with long queues for drinks. The area outside is pretty run down, probably due to SBH owning all the hotels in the area and all but the SBH Palace next door ( don't be fooled by the name ) are all inclusive, so the area has died ! No bars or restaurants nearby ( and boarded up). I would call it a 3 star hotel, by a fabulous beach. I suspect that this hotel is typical of many other older hotels in Spain. They were good once, when built and owned originally, by say Iberostar or Melia etc, but they get to a certain age and are then sold off to businesses who run it, as is, on a shoestring and slowly do it up bit by bit, room by room. The cleaning in the public areas ranged from acceptable to sometimes disgusting. The Pool Bar was filthy in the evenings around the tables etc, as there'd been no cleaning all day. Food etc lying around and under tables ! The food was typical 3 star fayre for a German clientele, plenty of pork ( mostly over-cooked and tough ). Fish was lovely and occasionally the chicken. Didn't see any smoked salmon in the 9 days we were there. Plenty of cheap cuts of meat and stews etc. Only one choice of soup. Desserts were cheap and cheerful. Breakfast was 2 / 3 star, no back bacon, only streaky, various egg types, cheap cereals, no nuts or seeds or anything healthy to sprinkle over ( only raisins ). Toasting machines were ancient and didn't work properly, etc, etc, etc. The wine on tap was the usual 3 star "give it a miss" stuff. The water tap was incredibly slow ( others not available or "out of order" ) The restaurant was basically a works/school canteen. Air-conditioning in restaurant was non-existent ( it was very hot for End

The hotel might need a renovation but this folks go above and beyond for you. Food: A pleasant surprise, negative reviews doesn’t justify negative reviews. Don’t expect a 5* but it’s more than you’ll get in other hotels. Staff: Managing director is a gem for the company, he is a truly leader, not a manager but a leader who knows his business. We have a small issue with out room locker and he automatically understood that kids were the most important to avoid long walks so he upgraded us whit asking. @sbh owner: This fella will rock your company, have seen him cleaning floor in children area, taking care of stuff and leading by example. To readers; Be reasonable, top season, everyone wants the same and the same time, folks here are working hard, you’ll miss things here and there but that’s normal. Don’t be afraid of negativity reviews. I was and it’s totally ungrounded. You’re literally on the beach, drop you kids to mini-club, grab a beer, and enjoy the sun and life. Alfonso

I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the outstanding service provided by the staff during my recent stay at your hotel. The professionalism and dedication of the team did not go unnoticed. In particular, Maria from the pool bar stood out with her hard work and pleasant manner. Likewise, Mario and Linda consistently impressed us with their attentiveness and warm smiles. I must also commend the reception and housekeeping teams for their friendly greetings and excellent service throughout our stay. Furthermore, the hotel itself exceeded our expectations. The variety of food at the restaurant was exceptional, with a different selection offered daily, ensuring a delightful dining experience every day. Thank you once again for providing such a memorable stay. I look forward to returning to your hotel in the future.

Just returned from 8 days at this hotel. It’s not the worst I’ve stayed in but not the best. Defo not 4*. Pro’s Main pool is a good size and a good temperature with plenty of sunbeds. We didn’t have th e usual fight to secure one either. There is a kids pool with slides which we used most days. Snack bar was good and meant the kids could have hot dogs, burgers and cakes if they wanted. The beach is practically part of the resort and is stunning and the area around it clean. It really is picture perfect. Nice clean surrounding area albeit very quiet with only a few shops. The bus ride into Morro Jable or Jandia is worth it and very easy to navigate. Cons. Like others have said this hotel is dated. The rooms aren’t great although the cleaners came in every day and were very good. The food was disappointing, Very little choice each day and very similar day to day. Had far better food in lesser rated hotels. The general cleanliness is poor. By the kids pool there were cups and plates left lying round for days. There was sludge building up by one of the drains and all around the hotel we found rubbish left lying around. Almost like someone has gathered together and then not bothered removing it. Cockroaches and flies everywhere! Little the hotel can do about pests you might think but with the build up of rubbish it really is no surprise. The cockroaches were huge and plentiful which isn’t great. Certainly didn’t have that in our last stay in Gran Canaria. The entertainment was really poor with perhaps one night where we found it enjoyable. The Animation team are all around but don’t really bother with the older kids. It was on our 6th day when me and my son went to ask for the ping pong that one of them asked if we had just arrived. There was very few English people present when we were there and it showed in how we were engaged with. It was largely German guests so mostly it was tailored to them. Not the worst ever but wouldn’t go back.

All my previous hotel reviews have been positive and this is my 1st negative review. Due my mobility issue l emailed and telephoned asking for a quiet room close to reception and dining area and found that when l booked in at 22.30pm l found l couldn't have been further away with no general down the slopes and stairs to reach my room. The receptionist realised straight away that the room wasn't suitable for my needs due to my mobility and solo pensioner and l was informed he will try and get my room changed tomorrow. I will start with the positives Friendly staff in all areas apart from one receptionist who wasn't very helpful in my hour of need. Staff work very hard to meet guest expectations and needs. My 2nd sea facing room was lovely and located by the pool and was kept very clean by the hard worker cleaners The hotel resort was kept very clean and tidy with bar/ pool area cleaned daily. Breakfast was the best meal of the day with lots of choice. I don't eat pork which is served in various recipes every day but l always found something to eat and never went hungry. I enjoyed the cocktails and choice of soft drinks and it was great to see proper diet coke and not a cheap substitute I didn't join in the with the activities and entertainment but animination team members were cheerful hard working and were popular with the guests Lovely beach to walk on. Great seaviews from the hotel. Hotel close to the shops and mjnimarket. The not so positives. One reviewer wrote the hotel is a smokers paradise and sadly an accurate description ! Having many no smoking signs in the pool/ snack bar area but then provide ashtrays for guests to use defeats the object as l never found one table with out a dirty ashtray on it. A no smoking area is really needed as families were sitting next to guests with smoke wafting over them by guests that smoked cigarettes, cigars and vaping implements. I spent most of my time on my balcony when the neighbours weren't smoking around me. Smoking is allowed on balconies as ashtrays were provided and the the hotel doesn't appear to have any no smoking rooms. For non smokers like myself it spoilt my holiday experience. The main reason why l will never return to this hotel is there no evidence of any duty of care from the manager/ management team when guests are involved in unexpected incidents and need assistance. Within hrs of me arriving l was subjected to a robbery in my room whilst l was in the middle of unpacking and arranging a few things. I received a graze and minor bruises when my bag was snatched out of my hands along with my passport/ money. Crime can happen anywhere and that's not my main concern. My concern is that l received no duty of care from the manager or management team after l reported the incident as l was in shock, tearful and had some minor injuries that really needed attending to. Despite the communication problems the oncall security was very kind and caring towards me but that's where it ends.