We stayed at Hotel Merce for 11 nights on a bed & breakfast package. Firstly the positives: - The Reception staff, bar staff & Cleaners were all very friendly & the Reception staff were also very helpful. - The location was perfect. With the hotel being situated in the old town it was very peaceful, yet within a 5 minute walk you were on the main strip full of shops & restaurants. The beach & train station were only a 15 minute walk away. - Breakfast was varied and plentiful, a good choice of everything from cereals, fresh fruits, meats and cheeses to various sweet pastries and cooked food….. bacon, eggs, sausages & beans. There were 2 drinks machines, one for hot drinks & the other for various juices & water. - The room was just the right size for 2 of us, with a decent size balcony and a great air conditioning system which was appreciated after a day in the hot weather. Our shower room had recently been refurbished & the shower was great. - Sun beds were readily available, even in August. Now the negatives: - The pool was on the small side so you couldn’t really swim in it as it didn’t take having many people in the pool for it to be busy. - If you want to swim to cool off you need to do so in the morning because by the afternoon the pool was so warm it was like getting into a bath. (This will only apply in the hot summer months) - our room had not been deep cleaned on arrival as there were hairs on the shelves - There is no fridge in the room so no way of keeping drinks cool and there is no kettle in the room. We took our own travel kettle, mugs and tea bags & just bought longlife milk from the supermarket. - bare in mind that this hotel accepts dogs & for our last 4 days there, the family in the room next door would go out all day & leave the little dog yapping all day. Overall the positives did outweigh the negatives…….. would we stay here again…… yes we would!

We booked a room for 2 people for 2 nights, but they charged us the rate for a room for 3 people. Despite reporting the error by proving that the reservation was for two guests, the hotel did not give us any immediate solution nor did they refund the difference. It is a total lack of professionalism and a disappointing service. I recommend checking the charges very carefully before paying because they overcharge the customer unjustifiably.

Hotel Merce in Pineda de Mar in Spain is a solid choice for shorter stays. The location, or generally Pineda de Mar, was never on my radar. The small town on the Costa Brava is close to Barcelona, as well as between Calella and Malgrat de Mar. The town is therefore well connected to the Barcelona route network, including train and tram services. The hotel is located quite far downtown about 20min/1km from the beach. Surrounding you will find a main road and an Aldi which is optimal. The hotel itself has an interesting structure. From the 0815 British breakfast to a labyrinthine space distribution, it is ultimately more just the sleeping place. My single room was equipped with everything you need for 4 days, small bathroom, small balcony, small TV and small bed. However, the big disadvantage was the either hypnotic noisy neighbors or the crepe paper walls (one of them). It was really partly so loud that I could hardly sleep at night. The cleaning service was extremely friendly, but came at quite strange times and relatively different. Cleanliness was appropriate for the condition. Breakfast was a very simple standard breakfast without frills (cap there were chia seeds!!). Standard oversweetened vending machines O-juice, coffee water and delicious red beans. Unfortunately, I have to mention here that the staff at the front of the counter were extremely unfriendly and unaccommodating. I really am not a fan of unnecessary small talk or much talk around it, but sympathy would be appropriate. Unfortunately, I felt that in some cases there was no attention paid to who leaves the hotel and enters, which made me a little worried as a solo traveler. When I checked out, I wasn't asked what I needed or anything else, not even a disinterested "Did you like it?" My card was taken and over and out. Adios. I can’t move to the pool area because I felt like it might be crowded there anyway.