Great location on Costa Brava beach. Hotel is old though they do a good job of keeping it maintained. The staff are mostly nice, some exceptionally nice (reception, guys at pool) but others quick and dismissive (restaurant staff). Room was at best 4 stars. Ours smelled of dog, and indeed there was dog hair on floor that went uncleaned for 3 days. No coffee or tea in room (was told to order room service) and water bottles only provided the first day. Never had enough towels, and the shower leaked and got the entire floor wet. Walls are pretty thin, so expect to hear your neighbors throughout the night in their rooms and in hallways. We expected better value for what we paid for the room, based on what we experienced in other Spanish cities at 5 star resorts.
The beach is public and the Santa Marta provides no services there (no waitstaff, umbrellas, chairs, etc).
Overall there aren’t many resort options in the area, especially during peak summer season. I would book earlier and hope to stay somewhere else next time.