Best Value Hotels in Salou, Costa Dorada

The three-pearl Golden Avenida Suites is a family-friendly hotel that's a 10-minute walk from Salou's Llevant Beach. The 180 One- and Two-Bedroom Suites have mini-fridges, microwaves, and balconies -- some with pool views -- but the streamlined modern decor is cookie-cutter basic. With four swimming pools and two hot tubs, the hotel offers plenty of places to take a dip, and has one restaurant serving buffet meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- all-inclusive rates are available. Travelers seeking a comparable hotel closer to the beach should check out the 4R Playa Park Hotel, although rates will be higher.

The upscale H10 Mediterranean Village is located in serene Cap Salou, within walking distance of three picturesque swimming coves. The 199 rooms are beachy and modern, decorated in a subtle blue-and-white motif and modern comforts like flat-screen TVs, and apartments with kitchenettes are also available. This family friendly resort has four swimming pools, a kids' pool and kids' club, and dining options including a buffet and a la carte restaurant. There's also an adults-only terrace with hot tubs and a sauna for a little grown-up relaxation. Guests might want to also consider the H10 Salauris Palace, which has free in-room Wi-Fi at comparable rates.

The three-pearl Festival Village is a family friendly hotel with all-inclusive plans that's walking distance of three beaches. All 128 apartments have terraces and kitchens, but decor is basic and dated. Entertainment gets solid marks here, and there are plenty of activities like water polo, arts and crafts, games, and a mini-disco to keep kids busy. The hotel also is an outdoor pool area with a kids' pool, a pool bar, and hot tub. The buffet-style restaurant serves average Spanish and international cuisine, and several amenities and services come with extra fees. Guests looking for a little more style in their holiday may want to consider the H10 Salauris Palace.

The 69-room Apartaments CYE Salou is a budget, family-friendly property in Salou, located about a five-minute walk from the beach. All the rooms here are self-catered apartments, featuring separate living areas with sofa beds and kitchens with microwaves, stovetops, and mini-fridges. While bright, airy, and equipped with furnished balconies, the mismatched patterns linens are dated and TVs have few English-language channels. A privately owned bar is on-site, but that's all in terms of dining. A good-sized outdoor pool has a shallow, roped off section for children, set in a sunny terrace with loungers. This is a solid pick for low-key tourists who don't mind the lack of entertainment features and occasional noise, but the H10 Salou Princess offers a ton more in terms of activities -- though it lacks in-room kitchens.

The 4R Playa Park Hotel is a three-pearl chain resort on the Costa Dorada in Catalonia -- a 10-minute walk to Capellans Beach. The hotel is surrounded by other hotels, a souvenir shop, a supermarket, and a bar -- it's a 10-minute walk from the bars on Avinguda de Carles Buigas. The 315 guest rooms have balconies or terraces, but the style is extra-simple and some rooms have outdated features. There are two swimming pools, including a kids' pool, a kids' club and playground, an on-site bar and restaurant, plus game rooms and live entertainment. A daily breakfast buffet of hot and cold dishes is offered, as are buffets for lunch and dinner.

The two-and-a-half-pearl Aparthotel CYE Holiday Centre is a simple family-friendly option within a 10-minute walk to Salou's beach and boardwalk. The 145 well-kept, but dated, apartments have full kitchens and furnished terraces in one- and two-bedroom options. Air-conditioning and flat-screen TVs are standard, but free Wi-Fi is only available in the lobby. The outdoor pool includes a children's pool and plenty of sun beds, though its late-night entertainment can get rowdy. There's also an outdoor playground, arcade room, game room, and other activities for kids. Families wanting to be closer to PortAventura -- the popular nearby amusement park -- may want to consider the Hotel-Aparthotel Dorada Palace, where the style is equally outdated but rates are cheaper.

The Hotel Cala Font is a 312-room family hotel just above a small beach in Cap Salou. The pool complex, which includes a kids' pool, capitalizes on the sunny setting, and there's a kids' club and nightly entertainment. Rooms are basic and a bit dated, but clean, and most have small balconies with views across the Mediterranean. The hotel has free Wi-Fi in its rooms and communal areas, though there are fees to use mini-fridges. Pan-European and Spanish fare is available in the buffet restaurant, and while full- and half-board rates are available, reviews are only mediocre. There are just a few shops and restaurants nearby, and those looking for something right in Salou with more style might check out the H10 Salou Princess, though it's pricier.

The two-and-a-half-pearl Hotel Villamarina Club is an all-inclusive property with dated public spaces and more contemporary -- though bare-bones -- rooms. It's about a 15-minute walk to the beach, and there are multiple restaurants and bars within a 10-minute walk. Most of the 189 rooms have furnished balconies or patios, but old tube-style TVs and hairdryers are just about the only amenities. Two-bedroom apartments with kitchens are available off-site. The hotel is largely geared toward families with two large pools, a rooftop solarium with two hot tubs, and a playground. Meals are served buffet-style and receive excellent reviews, plus there are a poolside snack bar and bar with billiards tables. The communal areas of the hotel are well-maintained, and rooms are large and modern. Guests looking for a similar experience closer to the beach should consider the Eurosalou Hotel.

The lower-middle-range Les Dalies Apartamentos offers 75 apartment-style rooms with living areas and kitchenettes, and is located a six-minute walk from the beach. The apartments, which can sleep four, are plainly decorated but nonetheless clean and comfortable. Though rooms have self-catering facilities, guests can grab drinks and light snacks at the small bar. A terrace houses a swimming pool and separate kiddy pool next to a couple playground toys, but that's it in terms of leisure facilities. Guests looking for a similar apartment complex closer to the beach may want to consider the Apartaments CYE Salou.

The MedPlaya Hotel Calypso is a mid-range hotel in Salou, a 10-minute walk from Capellans Beach. The 514 simple rooms have furnished balconies, and some room rates include free access to the Aquopolis water park. The two on-site outdoor pools have adjacent kids' pools, and there is plenty of live entertainment throughout the day. Kid-friendly activities range from the free kids' club to a game room with bowling alley and pool tables, and all-inclusive options are available. Guests in town to visit PortAventura Park may want to consider the more modern PortAventura Hotel Caribe, which includes free park admission for all guests. 

The 230-room MedPlaya Piramide Salou is a mid-range hotel located a 10-minute walk from the beach and multiple eateries. Breakfast and dinner are served buffet-style in the hotel’s restaurant, while drinks and light snacks are available at both the main and poolside bar. Half-board up to all-inclusive packages are available. Rooms are spacious and bright thanks to sliding glass doors that lead to balconies, but they have some wear and occasional maintenance issues. Health facilities are absent here, but there's a large and attractive outdoor pool with a separate kiddy pool. A playground and children’s entertainment during high season make this hotel suitable for families. It's worth checking out the H10 Mediterranean Village, which has a ton more in terms of features.

The 163-room California Palace is located on the outskirts of Salou's old town, a 10-minute walk from the beach. Like many three-pearl hotels in Salou, this one is dated in many areas and offers average facilities. Air-conditioned rooms are clean but sparsely decorated, and guests have to pay for in-room mini-fridges, safes, and Wi-Fi. Nevertheless, small flat-screen TVs and furnished balconies are notable upsides. Kid-friendly amenities include a curiously shaped main pool and tiny children’s pool, windowless kids' pool, and nighttime entertainment. Half- and full-board rates are available, but food receives mixed reviews. While an indoor spa area has two whirlpools and a sauna, guests will have to pay to use it. It's worth considering the more modern Blaumar Hotel, which is two minutes on foot from Salou Beach and has higher-quality features.

The 775-room Jaime I is a dated budget hotel that's a six-minute walk from the beach and near the center of Salou. Attracting primarily Spanish families, the property offers simple but large rooms with furnished balconies, desks, and old tube-style TVs. Kid-friendly features are extensive, including two large outdoor pools and a sizable indoor pool, mini-golf, game room, playground, and kids' club. Squash and tennis courts, sauna and steam room, and gym round out the facilities. Breakfast and dinner are served buffet-style in the main restaurant, though guests have reported that the food can be mediocre. Expect annoying deposits and fees for spa facilities and TV remotes. It's worth considering Aparthotel CYE Holiday Centre, which offers apartments with kitchens and more contemporary public areas.

The Inter2Salou (formerly Internacional II) is a budget hotel with 200 apartment-style rooms a five-minute walk from the beach, at the far end of Salou, rather than in the main town. The modest studio apartments can sleep up to four people, and are equipped with a kitchenette, flat-screen TV, plastic dining table, and furnished balcony. Guests can book all-inclusive packages for the buffet restaurant and indoor and poolside bars, but the food receives mixed reviews. A medium-size outdoor pool has an adjacent kiddy pool, and the area can get crowded in high season. Communal areas are cheaply -- and often garishly -- decorated, and wear and tear is visible throughout. Travelers looking to be closer to the action should consider the more modern Les Dalies Apartamentos, though it doesn't offer all-inclusive rates.

The California Garden is budget hotel on the outskirts of Salou. It's a five-minute walk from the nearest shops and restaurants, and ten minutes on foot from Salou’s sandy beach. The hotel’s 469 rooms are generically modern, and while all have balconies, many still have tube TVs. The hotel offers both full- and half-board rates, but additional fees for everything from Wi-Fi to fridges or remote controls add up. Amenities include a buffet restaurant, game room, gym, and a large outdoor pool, plus kid-friendly entertainment in high season, but noise from nearby clubs is a bummer. Travelers who'd prefer to be closer to the beach could consider 4R Hotel Salou Park II, in neighboring Capellans. It has similar features, but is only a two-minute walk away from the beach there.