On balance my stay at Melia Valencia was disappointing and not as good as it could have been.
Regarding the positives, I can say that the hotel's customer service, cleanliness, quality of food served and general condition were very good, however their policies on the use of hotel amenities really leave much to be desired.
Unlike the vast majority of other four or five star hotels I have ever stayed in, for some obscure reason it was not possible to visit the spa and use the sauna/steam room (etc) at Melia hotel without pre-booking some treatment(s) in advance. Even when you explain that you do not want a treatment as you may be allergic to certain ingredients and oils, access to the spa is still barred without a pre-booked treatment.
I found this attitude highly irregular, obstructive and discriminatory. In every four or five star hotel I have stayed in, hotel guests are fully entitled and encouraged to use the spa facilities without such onerous conditions. The hotel may require guests to arrange a specific time slot for their visit, but they do not ask them to book a treatment as a prerequisite.
Had I known that the hotel spa was not truly accessible then I would have just stayed elsewhere at another four or five star hotel, where it is.
Melia should look to address this issue in future, to remove discriminatory obstacles to the use of hotel amenities that are perfectly commonplace for guests everywhere else. This would greatly improve guest perceptions of their stay.