Estival Centurion Playa

The four-story Estival Centurion Playa attracts an evenly mixed crowd of couples and families with its nearly beachfront setting, leisure facilities, and entertainment. Interiors are contemporary and clean-lined, if a bit generic. For example, the lobby has black-leather butterfly chairs next to brown and white couches and white cuboid coffee tables. Potted plants, a couple orange-glass candle holders, and lighting under the front desk add some character. The restaurant is more bland, but the bar is cheerful with lime-green and orange-yellow chairs. Guests tend to spend most of their time out on the spacious pool deck, which offers lots of loungers and sea views. The atmosphere is mostly relaxed, though expect to hear some children playing and evening entertainment.

Set across from the ocean, the Estival Playa Centurion is well-located for those looking to minimize the time spent traveling from their bed to the beach, but there’s not much of note on this stretch of coastline. The hotel is nearly equidistant between Cambrils and Salou, with the immediate surrounds housing just hotels and a few bars, grocery stores,  and restaurants. The center of Cambrils is a half-hour walk, or an eight-minute drive, away, while Salou is 45 minutes away on foot (12-minute drive). Buses or taxis are available to get to town. Expect a 20-minute transfer time to Reus Airport, while Barcelona-El Prat is a 70-minute drive. Limited hotel parking is available for a fee, and guests have noted trouble finding nearby street parking at times.

The 257 rooms here are comfortable and smart, decorated in neutral shades (plus pops of orange in upgraded units), simple and clean-lined wood furniture, and accent walls with either wood paneling or striped paint. All rooms have furnished outdoor spaces, and some overlook the pool and ocean. Standard Rooms are on the small side, but suites are spacious, and have more vivid decor and separate living rooms. The highest-category suites have huge terraces with loungers, couches, and shaded sunbeds. Bathrooms across the board are clean and modern, with showers, an array of toiletries, and small wall-mounted hairdryers. All rooms have Smart flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, tea- and coffee-making facilities (plus coffeemakers in upgraded units), desks, and air-conditioning. Suites add bathrobes and slippers. On the downside, safes and Wi-Fi require fees, and some guests have complained of thin walls causing noise issues.

Easily the biggest draw at the Estival Centurion Playa is the hotel’s wooden pool deck, which houses a good-sized pool with a rock waterfall and separate kiddy pool. There are plenty of loungers, tables, and chairs, but umbrellas are limited. Most guests beeline for the sunbeds facing the ocean. Guests just have to cross a pedestrian/bicycle path to reach the sandy beach, and loungers are available for rent. A bar is next to the pool, plus there's one inside. Evening entertainment, such as flamenco dancers and singing, occurs by the pool and at the bar. Buffet-style meals are served at the restaurant, and the international food receives positive reviews. A spa offers a free-to-use hot tub, steam, and sauna, and treatments are available for a fee. A small gym is also on-site, outfitted with limited but modern equipment. Visitors with bikes in tow can use the hotel’s bicycle storage and repair workshop for free. There is free Wi-Fi in reception, but it can be slow, and guests have to pay a daily fee for network access in their rooms.