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Hotel Sun Club Eldorado - Cala Blava

Operator and Date: BMI Baby and Alparooms - May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : M Abbott - Staffs (32,30,6,4)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel caters for all nationalities and we found most guests where Belgians, French and German however all the entertainment staff spoke English and a lot of the guests could too (Infact most day time entertainment was explained in English only). The night time entertainment was of no real language mainly dance routines and slapstick and was very good.

The all-inclusive was very good with a good selection of local drinks and the staff very friendly. There was also ice cream, ice lollies, crisps nut, sandwiches, fruit and pizza available. The food for the main meals was of a high standard and well presented with a fish, meat and chicken dish plus salad and pasta or a potato dish
Rooms where clean and had maid service every day and had a separate bedroom for the kids

We found the hotel very good and very relaxing and have booked to go again. A very good budget holiday for families the only down side is it is the back of beyond but when you are all-inclusive do you need to roam?

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Hotel Sun Club Eldorado - Cala Blava

Operator and Date: Expedia May 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Tony Griffiths Manchester  49-49-27-5-3

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Fantastic complex for young kids with kids club, 3 pools and lots of activities. Food was fine and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Very few English families on the complex, mostly German and French but all the staff spoke English. The place itself is in the middle of nowhere and although it is on the coast the 360 steps down to the sea made it a none starter, and there was no real beach there anyway.

Overall had a greatime with the Grand children and would have no hesitation in recommending it for families with young children.

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Hotel Sun Club Eldorado - Cala Blava

Operator and Date: Avro - Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Staffordshire - 20,20

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Sun Club eldorado as a whole was ok. The apartments were very nice and there was plenty to do within the hotel complex itself. However the hotel was quite far out from any towns and you couldnt walk any where at night times unless you got a taxi into town, which weren't cheap. The food was pretty crap and didn't cater for english at all. The hotel was mainly full of germans and only around 5 other english families. Complex was good for kids and had plenty of sport facilities to keep you occupied.

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Cala Fornells / Playa Fornells - Majorca

Tirant Playa - Playa de Fornells

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July/August 2003

Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : Jan Mattinson - Hampshire (45, 29, 14, 11, 3)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Tirant Playa is a small (90 apartments) Thomas Cook Family World self-catering apartment complex, with an excellent pool area and the reps and Benji, the entertainer, were excellent.  We had planned to hire a car, but in the end didn't because we hardly ever left the complex. A full Kidsworld programme was available but the children didn't use it as they were happy just being by (and in)the pool.  The pool was large, always warm as it was in full sun all day, and had gently sloping rounded edges (no chances of accidents as we have had on previous holidays), it was also open until 9pm. The separate childrens pool was perfect and our 3 yr old spent nearly all day in it. Sunbeds were plentiful as were the parasols.

Our ground floor apartment was clean with a large patio area and had great views over the bay.  It was cleaned every other day (fresh towels supplied) and sheets changed every 4 days. We did have an ant problem but nothing that a can of ant spray couldn't fix, although all food had to be securely covered if left out of the fridge.  One drawback was that there was no air-conditioning, only a ceiling fan in the bedroom.  Extra fans were available but they had to be paid extra for - a fact I have already complained about.

All staff were VERY friendly and helpful.  Food in the complex restaurant was good but the menu was rather limited and everything (except pasta and pizza) came with chips, although salads were available.

The bar was open from 9am - 1am. The restaurant from 9am - 9.30pm.
Trips - Highly recommended is the Reps Caberet evening - a fantastic night out with good food, free champagne sangria and a brillant caberet. The catamaran trip was also brilliant. It was a bit on the pricey side but well worth the money - a very large catamaran, a limit of 65 people so not crowded, free soft drinks/beer throughout, an excellent buffet and the bay we stopped in to swim/snorkel was beautiful. The Shop and Sail trip could've been done much more cheaply independently, even by using taxis.

Playa de Fornells is a very quiet resort with only a few supermarkets, bars and restaurants but because of the excellent facilities at the Tirant Playa this did not matter.  The small supermarket in the grounds of the Tirant Playa was much cheaper than the large supermarket down the hill.
Tirant Playa has everything a family needs within its boundaries - we are already planning a return trip for next year.

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Cala Major - Majorca

Hotel Belvedere Park - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: sun4u July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : michael & elain hunt 45, 46, longton, stoke on trent

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked last minute was expected to go to Hotel Blue Bay.  When arrived at that hotel they told us room was very small but could go to Belvedere hotel. 

This was an Excellent hotel although could do with air conditioning in room as fan very inadequate.  Rooms clean, linen changed only once a week, towels changed daily.  You have to be down early in the morning to get sunbeds!!  Although people did leave them unused for hours. Pool area was clean, lifeguard was very strict about pushing people in and diving.

Courtesty bus to Palma Nova - but you do have to jostle with the Germans to get on the bus at both destinations, the last bus back from Palma nova is 6.15 p.m. and gets packed.  Local bus to Palma runs every 20 minutes (or thereabouts) costs about 1 euro 20 cents for a 25 min bus ride.

Food was excellent lots to choose from and service of most of the staff was very good. 

Let down for the hotel was the walk to Cala Mayor.  Road was steep, winding and did not have any footpaths not very good for people with walking difficulties.
Street lighting was not too good, or half way down the road to Cala mayor you could try walking down the steps to the town - lots of them and very steep.  Once made it to the Beach this was lovely not too large but clean.  Don't expect a buzzing nightlife from Cala mayor (or even the hotel) most shops etc. closed about about 8.30 p.m.  Best get taxi into Palma Nova if needing stimulation and excitement at night!!

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Hotel Belvedere Park - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice april 30th - 7th may

Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Mandy,Michelle,Caroline,Amanda,Denis,angela(40,42,47,37,44,43)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a great time. The food was very good,rooms small but spotless our towels were changed every day while we we there. The entertainment was OK, the entertainment staff were very good. We will be back next year

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Hotel Belvedere Park - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: John Semple Travel .  July  2003

Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : James Mann 39, 39, 12, 8.

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

In my opinion the accommodation was very clean and tidy.The rooms were a bit small for a family but modern.Badly requiring air conditioning for this time of year as the ceiling fan was inadequate.Enough hanging space and plenty hangers.Bathroom was spacious and very clean.

We could not give an honest opinion of the evening entertainment as it was held indoors in the main lounge (which can hold up to 300) and did not want to submit our children to the smokey atmosphere combined with the heat and so as it felt, lack of airconditioning.With such a large outdoor area we could not understand why they did not hold the entertainment outside as they have done in so many other hotels that we have stayed at in Majorca.

Very nice large pool area with a little island in the centre.A jacuzzi was built on at the shallow end of the pool.The pool had a very small shallow area and children could quite easily get out their depth although there was a nice kiddies pool for the none swimmers about 500mm deep (2feet).

The dining hall was large and holds 400 people.The food was plentiful and varied as long as you are a fish lover not many meat varieties.Plenty of fresh fruit though and you can get a packed lunch as long as you order it at reception the previous day.The staff were pleasant in the dining hall paticularly Pepe who always had nice thing to say to the kids.

The pool side bar was never staffed by more than two people at one time which ment queueing for some long periods especially at busy times particularly in the evenings which we found ourselves waiting up to 15 minutes for a drink.Not much good for a family of four when an adult was only allowed four drinks each of which was less than half a pint and didn't last very long.I found myself queueing more than relaxing.The snack bar was next to the pool side bar.The service at this was even slower than the pool bar and compounded by the fact that no more than two snacks per person.The pizzeria was the worst that I have ever experienced.The only time that we used it it took FORTY FIVE MINUTES to get served and because one of our children sat down on a chair next to the queue the staff refused to serve her and told her to go to the back of the queue and would only give my wife ONE pizza (can't work that one out myself as everyone is allowed two per person).We complained to the management but felt we were getting nowhere they wre very nice but "please go away we have your money you are all inclusive",was the impression we got.

There is a free bus to Palva Nova which leaves the hotel on the hour and half hour and returns quarter to and quarter past the hour but stops for siesta.Be prepaired to push as no one seems to know what a bus queue is for.
If you require a taxi the reception staff will get it for you and will arrive within a minute or two as the local taxi rank is just at the bottom of the hill from the hotel.

Cala Mayor is not really much of a resort more residential, a few bars, some tacky Spanish souvenir shops, two very small beaches and, lots, and lots of crazy drivers which makes the long walk down the hill and even longer walk back up very dangerous particularly if you have young children or a pram as there is no pavement and two extremely dangerous blind corners.The beaches are cleaned every night with a tractor that scrapes the sand and collects all the rubbish so the are clean.

OTHER THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR.

We asked if we could keep our room until four o'clock on the day of our departure but reception could not let us know until about ten on the day of departure.So we all got up that morning got showered etc cleaned the room up and dried the bathroom as you do, with the dirty towels etc and went for breakfast.After breakfast we were informed at reception  the room was ours until four but would cost us an additional 21 euros which we paid willingly.We then spent the rest of the day at and in the pool.We went up to our room to get ready  only to discover  that when we went to get showered and changed for the journey home, our 21 euros did not cover the cost of clean towels. After a lengthy argument with management they reluctantly gave us the towels but, time wasted put more pressure on us  to get ready on time to catch the flight home.
What was the 21 euros for as a free curtasy room is available?

What is this Balearic tax for? Do we not spend enough money in the islands without adding an extra 1 euro + per day? It could add up to an expensive shock if you are holiday for 2 weeks with grown up children and what about the possibility of people not having any money with them as the holiday is described "ALL INCLUSIVE" shouldn't the travel agents tell us before we leave the UK.

Anyway to summarise,

Great holiday if you like fish, don't mind queueing all the time and are happy to part with hard earned cash for no apparent reason.

WILL NOT BE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hotel Belvedere Park - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice:  June, 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Julie Dawson - shavington

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Best feature of hotel - Excellent clean pool area with gorgeous pool - although you did have to be up before 08:00 to claim a sunbed!
Food very good, the best variety and quality of snacks on an all inclusive holiday that I have ever had.
Resort is v. quiet, but there is a bus to Palma for 1 euro if you fancy culture and shopping in this beautiful city.
Rooms - UNBEARABLY hot - had fans, but no air con and still needed lots of alcohol to get any sleep at all.
Entertainment - the crew worked very hard and there was something for everyone and especially good for kids.  Evening entertainment - really naff for adults, but it is lovely to sit around the bars near to pool and "just chill!"
Staff - quite friendly and do not seem to mind how may drinks you get!
Free bus to Palma Nova - nice resort, but the free bus is always full, and there was a bit of trouble with people pushing in.
all in all excellent value - £260 for the week (booked last minute at travel agent), exellent weather and you can pace it how you like - you can do loads or just have a real relaxing time - as long as you don't mind lots of kids!

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Hotel Belvedere Park - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Gavin Jones - Birmingham (26,24)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Me and my girlfriend went to the Belvedere Hotel for 2 weeks and were very unhappy when it came to leaving.

Our room was at the back of the hotel with a great view of the sea and Palma Bay.

The hotel was cleaned from top to bottom daily incl. hosing down and scrubbing the whole area around the pool. Maid service was excellent.

I can't say enough good things about the staff who worked hard and all seemed to know the main lingo in about 5 different languages-luckily as not many guests spoke to them in spanish-service was usually pretty quick and friendly.

I'm a fussy eater, but for main meals the size of the buffet usually meant there was something for me. Everything was presented every day as if it were being judged, i even saw some people come into the restaurant as it opened to photograph the food :).The poolside bar is great and the menu changed daily(as did the pizzeria and bbq area), we were often found outside at 10.30pm getting a snack to finish the day off :D.

The entertainment was about the only downside for us, as it wasn't really to our tastes although some nights we did enjoy it. In saying that i would add that the Entertainment staff put in a hell of a lot of work with daytime activities from around 10, working through til about 1.30am with only a few hours break - The same staff worked all 14 nights we were there !!!! Big Applause !! ;)

The courtesy bus was a great help, and Palma Nova is a great resort, plenty of english bars with english staff for the footy and a few beers. The bus also goes to marinland which is worth the visit if only for the Dolphin Show-Would go there again....also if you do go there, take a walk around the road to the left to the Marina there are some awesome boats, and you're pretty much guaranteed some flash cars there too.

Theres a shop just outside and a bus to Palma which costs 1euro and is about every 20 minutes.

All in All we would return to the Belvedere if visiting that area of MAjorca again, as it is an excellent hotel...i could have written a lot more.

Finally First Choice also looked after us well, espescially Steve the rep for the hotel who was on hand 5 days of the week and based in the hotel... so always there for any questions... So good i gave him a bottle of vodka i had in my suitcase before we left !

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Blue Bay Hotel - Cala Major

Operator and Date: great late deals - oct 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : sharyn & tina ( 59,42)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well wat can i say about this holiday? .. 

The area of cala major is very beautiful altho very hilly .. the hotel it's self is set upon a very steep hill,acessed by about 400 steps or a very steep hill ! so unless ur very active it really isn't suitable.. we did discover however that the local number 6 bus took u straight up the hill to a bus stop a few steps from the hotel entrance :o) .. the beach,once we found it ( not easy wen the hotel shuttle bus drops u off,they don't actually point u in the rite direction lol )was lovely,golden sands and shallow warm waters.. oh and incidently,just because they run a shuttle bus to drop u at the beach,don't assume they'll also come to pick u up again,we were told that as it was nearing the end of the season that it would only be coming once more that day,not so good wen u've been dropped off at 11 am (earliest shuttle ) and the only time u can get a lift back is at the other drop off time at 12.45 !! not long to get tanned eh?

The hotel it's self was very clean,rooms cleaned,bins emptied,towels changed etc every day and sheets changed once a week.. Rooms very cramped tho and was dismayed, as an early riser to find the balcony lights go off at 12.30 am and don't come on again til approx 8pm the following night,(no independant light switch,totally controlled by management)and as it doesn't get light enough to read til about 7.30am i spent several hrs sitting on a dark balcony unable to read :o( ..we were unfortunate enough to have a room directly at the top of the stairs on our floor and due to some inconsiderate guests had several nights of being disturbed by heels on the uncarpeted stairs and room doors being spung loaded,banging closed.

Altho we only went to the pool a couple of times it seemed very clean and tidy,the 84 steps down to the pool area did put us off a bit tho.

The food at the hotel was dreadful,chips with absolutely everything at main meal times,the usual greasy spanish bacon and eggs at breakfast..it was ALWAYS cold and we made extensive use of the microwave ;o)
be carefull, on more than one occasion we had under cooked food,especially the desserts,not once were there fresh vegetables,all tinned or frozen .. oh and be warned if u pre order the picnic lunch,which the hotel assure u that as an all inclusive guess ur welcome to.. uwe recieved,between the 2 of us  .. 5 bread rolls that u could easily have built a brick wall with,2 peaches that u could've played cricket with,2 plums u could've played golf with,2 oranges that u would never dare juggle with cuz if u dropped them u'd be in real danger of losing ur life !! 2 bottles of water(very nice actually :o) ) 2 plastic platters of cold meat and cheese slices (which i should imagine that by lunchtime would be rancid )oh and 2 small cans,with ring pulls on,no lable,nothing,we assumed they were either tuna or salmon,we were gonna have a guess the contents competition but decided to bring them home for the cat,hope that wen we do get round to feeding the cat that we don't discover we're giving her tinned carrots !!lol
all of this came beautifully presented(not!) in a bays hotels carrier bag with no knife to cut the rolls,no butter to put on them,no napkins to spit the disgusting muck into !! lol..needless to say,apart from the mystery tins and the bottled water it all went in the bin (we did try to ripen the fruit on the balcony but gave up after 3 days wen it remained as hard as it started )and we didn't request another one during our stay

And as for entertainment in the hotel it was pracically non existent,consisted of a mini disco for the kids for an hr at 8pm then either kareoke or bingo which was supposed to start at 9pm but didn't begin til at least 10-10.30, we usually gave up and went up to either read or play cards on the balcony before the light went out.. and being so isolated up the top of the hill, unless u were very young and active or extremly drunk u'd be a fool to go out of the hotel
We didn't book any excursions with the rep,who incidently was a company called destination care and they were excellent,would deff use them again

We used the local bus services to get out and about,which were very frequent and very cheap ... we went into palma for a day,paid 13 euros each for a ticket on the sighseeing bus,an open topped bus that u can get on and off as often as u like,we had a lovely day,went and looked round the castle,hopped on again,stepped off and had a leisurly coffee,hopped bk on and went to look round the beautiful cathedral,hopped bk on then hopped off again to have a very lazy lunch in one of the tree lined shopping areas..it really was a lovely day .. another day we went into palma nova,went and played mini golf at fantasia,it's a 54 hole mini golf course,set in fantastic gardens,complete with waterfalls,the 54 holes r split into 3 courses,we played 1 then got a ticket to readmit us,went out into the town to have lunch,then returned to play the last 2 courses.. we spent the last couple of hrs on the very beautiful beach,we were so impressed that we came bk to spend another 2 whole days lying on the beach,soaking up the sun and wandering around the huge amount of shops

I'll stop moaning now and say.. altho the hotel was a dissapointment we had a great holiday,made possible because we went out and about and found things to do ourselves and had a decent lunch out every day.. we wouldn't go to this hotel again and deff wouldn't begin to think of taking kids there..we loved palma nova and have booked a week there for next yr for the whole family
If u get this holiday as a late deal and it seems to be a fantastic bargain perhaps u'll understand why now

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Blue Bay Hotel - Cala Major

Operator and Date: Holiday Nights, Flights Airtours - July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Gloucester (52,43, 16, 13)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Blue Bay Hotel is 3*.  I think we were unlucky with the rooms - they were very small, twin beds pushed together and just enough room to get around them. However there were rooms which were much bigger.  We did not bother to complain because at the end of the day it was only for a week and we were not expecting to spend much time in the room.  The maid service was excellent, clean towels every day.

The food was of the usual 3* standard.  We were all inclusive so there was no need to go hungry as there was always something even if it was only pasta and chips!  The daytime snacks by the pool were very good.

The hotel is set into the side of a hill and the pool is right at the bottom although the lift takes you almost all the way down.  Although we were warned that this was the layout we were not prepared for quite how many steps there are - it is a long way down!  However the pool area and little terraces are good.

All in all it is a nice hotel and the staff are friendly.  The evening entertainment was also very good for a 3* but this was just as well because there did not appear to be much going on in the resort itself.

We did not like Cala Mayor, the area is very hilly. There is a regular courtesy mini bus from the hotel to the beach and this was very welcome as though it is not far away it is not a pleasant walk when it is hot as the hill is steep or there are loads of steps to get you down to the main road which are fine going down but hard work going back up!  We only went to the beach a couple of times as it is not very big and quite crowded. 

On the plus side there is a very good bus service running through the main street which can get you to Palma, Palma Nova, Magaluff, Illetas. The buses run about every 7 minutes and were not overcrowded.

It was a good holiday for what we paid and the weather was fab but would not return to Cala Mayor.  We love Majorca but not Cala Mayor.

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Blue Bay Hotel - Cala Major

Operator and Date: jet 2 - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : krissie - sheffield

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

3 girls on a 3 day holiday last minute booking the hotel was lovely very clean went A/L food very good.... we went at the beginning of may 06 hotel on a slight hill.... not very much happenning...only found 2 pubs open very board........ the beach was beautiful the sea was very clear loads of colourful fish swimming around that was the best bit.....got a taxi into magaluf got conned going in charged us 21 euros comeing back 14 euros so beware.. magaluf was great from what we can remember lot of touts trying to get u in there pub never spent a penny cause u get free drinks if u go with them so it was in 1 out 2 anothergood time bars music brill recomend magaluf than cala mayor

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Blue Bay Hotel - Cala Major

Operator and Date: August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : 42, 45

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Although Cala Major has a wonderful beach the resort itself is run down, grubby and caters more for its residential population than its holiday makers. Many of the local hotels are now all inclusive which has left the town unused and many parts, boarded up.
The lively resort of Magaluf is only 15 euros away in a taxi.
The hotel is clean and set in pleasant surroundings, we were fortunate to get a sea facing room which has adequate living space and air conditioning. No rooms have fridges or kettles which i found a problem, and the people who had accomodation at the rear of the hotel complained about the size of the rooms.
So ask for a sea view!

The hotel is set on top of a hill, known locally as 'Cardiac Hill', this hill has no pavement, is very busy and is set on two blind corners, not ideal if you have young children.
The hotel need to look at their entertainment programme or should i say introduce some entertainment.
For children, young teenagers and 'like it lively' people this is not the place for you.
As the hotel is set on a hill top, the pool area, although lovely, is 3 levels below ground floor and a lot of steps to negotiate when your patience wears thin waiting for the lift.

The staff are keen to close the bars dead on time,but not so keen to ensure they open when they are supposed to.
I found the selection of food ok, but with only one dining room, where you have to be suitably dressed, it was a nuisance if you just fancied a snack whilst sunbathing, as you cannot take anything out of the restaurant.

We enjoyed our holiday because we met up with a crazy bunch that were as bored as we were, and when we all got together laughing as you do sometimes on holiday, we were told we could not sit around the pool bar laughing after 1pm because of the local residents and we would be locked out.We made the most of it, but it would'nt be on our list of places to go back to.

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Blue Bay Hotel - Cala Major

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel - June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Maddie - Glasgow (59, 54, 30, 7, 5)

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel has been refurbished recently, although it is clean .. there is much all else I can positively say about the place.  It is very quiet, the kind of place to suit say older couples, but with the amount of steps in the complex, an elderly, infirm .. even a heavy smoker would struggle to reach the poolbar or the pool itself.

For families, its very quiet. Non-existent entertainment in the evening for adults although there is volleyball in the pool every afternoon which can be rough so deff not for the kids, practically no entertainment for the kids during the day, 1 hr over 2 afternoons is all we had, and only 1 hrs entertainment for the kids at night.  The adults evening entertainment is laughing at the kids .. oh, sorry .. there was bingo and a quiz!!

For young ones .. forget it!!  Although Magaluf is a short taxi ride away, you would end up going there every night and end up spending a fortune in taxis .. there is a moral to the story in that one!!

Food wise .. if you like chips, chips and more chips then this is the place for u!

On a positive note .. the rooms were cleaned every day .. but then again the rooms are very very small.

I'll end on that positive note!! As all inclusive hotels come .. this is definately on the bottom rung.

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Hotel Dali - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Natalie Bowyer - Derby (19, 20)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Holidays can sometimes be more stressfull than enjoyable and by the time your last day arrives you can not wait to get home, but this is the first holiday I can honestly say I was so dissapointed when it came to an end.
The hotel has friendly, helpfull staff members on duty at all times, all can speak English, and unlike some hotels will get things done when they say they will and promptly.

Rooms are comfortable and spacious with lovely views from the balconys or if on the top floor like I was, larger sun terraces complete with table, chairs and sunbeds, perfect if you want to escape and sunbathe in peace and quiet.
I stayed Bed and Breakfast but personally neither me or my partner felt breakfast was worth getting up for. It was by no means bad, there was a good choice of cereals, fruit, meats and cheeses etc, but the cooked breakfast was always barely warm. So turn up the heat in the kitchen and they would be cooking (pardon the pun).

The location of the hotel is perfect, the beach is just a short relaxing walk away, its not massive, but plenty big enough and is beautiful. There are even life guards on duty all day everyday so you can swim at ease. If your feeling lazy and even a short walk is to far, you can get a shuttle bus from the hotel at 10.00am to the beach, I think its free, and if your feeling really lazy and thats to early for you, there is always the hotels lovely pool and pool area to relax in. 

At the end of the street, which hotel is situated on, there are two of the nicest resturants in the resort of Cala Mayor. One, named 'La Greppia' is mainly a pizzaria but also serves pasta dishes, and the other is a Thai restaurant, the name escapes me at the moment, but they both serve delicious food. One problem with 'La Greppia' is that the menu is entirely in Spanish, as me and my partner discovered, so its a bit pot luck what you get if your not good with the language. Also, from both resturants, you can enjoy the view of the Royal palace and its stunnin grounds while eating your meal, not forgetting that you can also see it clearly from the hotel itself. 

Another great place to eat is at restaurant 'Casa Turo' which is on the right hand side as you are walking to the beach. You get not only fantastic food here but also brilliant and friendly service. Make sure you are really hungry if you eat there thuough because portion sizes are generous and you even get a free wedge of melon at the end of your meal. I recommend the swordfish, anyone who loves fish will not be dissapointed with this meal. If you enjoy a bit of English culture and food still while your away then 'Buffis Bar' is the place to go. Its a small, friendly, family run bar/resturant which had just opened whlie I was there so they were still finding their feet, but everyday it got better and better. They serve proper english grub and the fry ups are to die for! Its on your left hand side on the way to to beach, not far past 'Casa Turo'.

You wont find alot of English tourist in Cala Mayor, but there are alot of English residents, some of which me and my partner made good friends with while we were there. Three of them were actually the family that own 'Buffis Bar' and the other two were friends of theirs. Fantastic people, our holiday wouldn,t have been the same with out them.
All in all lovely hotel, great location and friendly people. What more could you ask for.

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Playa Hotel - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: Easy Jet - November-2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : May and Bill Mitchell 60-60

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Went on a short break on easyjet in Nov. Hotel is 20 euro taxi ride from airport
Buses to Palma are 3 mins from hotel and go every 5 mins or so--cost 1 euro. Beach is small with very clean sea and sand only 2 min walk from hotel door.

Hotel was very quiet at this time but is surely worth it's 4 stars--food is above average and the rooms are most clean all with a sea view--in fact with the balcony doors open the place is so peaceful that you can fall asleep to the sound of the waves on the beach. The staff were most helpful and friendly--

all in all a good place to chill out in the off season and combine the seaside along with the accessability of the city of palma.

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Playa Hotel - Cala Mayor

Operator and Date: Travel Extras(bmi baby)Nov 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Doreen,John - Durham(48,52)

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is a prime example that hotel star system means absolutly nothing, firstly the food was SWILL,nothing was freshly cooked, almost everything came out of a tin and anything leftover was reheated the folowing night and topped up with a "fresh" batch.

The hotel itself is tatty and depressing ,the room was dismal,"indoor heated pool" was a cold outdoor pool with a greenhouse slung over the top,the lifts were noisy ect. ect.ect.As for Cala Mayor it is a haven for beggers and alcoholics .

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Uto Palace - Cala Major

Operator and Date: BMI Baby and Octopus Travel -  August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Liz - Sheffield (32, 44, 18,12)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I ended up at the Uto Palace when we were recommended this by Octopus Travel as an alternative to Palma Nova.  The hotel is very clean and tidy and lives up to the 4*, it has a comfy bar area which reminded us of Griffyndor Common Room at Hogwarts!  Sloppy armchairs and wooden panelling!

The rooms are clean, spacious and well decorated with a lovely sea view over the harbour.  The air conditioning is fantastic!

There is a lovely big indoor pool for fitness swimming and a smaller outdoor one on a sun terrace, which juts out into the sea.  Indeed, it was only a little roll off the sunlounger into the sea by the side of you!  Lovely!

However, Palma Nova it was not.  It was like Mabelthorpe - one street set back from the sea!  There were very few bars, a couple of supermarkets, six hotels and two palm trees and that was it.  If you are expecting copious amounts of golden sands and promenades to stroll along at evening times, you will be sadly disappointed.  The beach is 150 metres long and is cut off at each end by rock formations.

I don't quite know how Octopus Travel could have compared this to Palma Nova.  We didn't want sun, sand, sangria, s*x and sick, but would have appreciated something a little more exciting than Cala Major.  We were only there a week, but struggled to eat at a different place each night.

It's a very Spanish orientated resort, as it should be allowed to be, with very few English voices heard all week. 

To summarise, the hotel is outstanding, but is let down by its surroundings.

Don't expect to be able to see eviction nights on Big Brother or English teams in the Champions League in a gorgeous little bar on the sea front!  It's just not happening!  But the 106 goes straight to Palma Nova, Magalluf and the water parks and Pirates.  It reverses to Palma too, as does the number 3 - Palma to Illetes. Get a timetable from reception.  You'll need it!

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Cala Mandia - Majorca

Club Cala Mandia - Cala Mandia

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson July 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Louise, Andrew, Elliot, Caris (45,42,14,11)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We chose this resort because of the activities available for older children. Unfortunately, due to the tiny number of Brits at this complex, our children were reluctant to join in any activities as Brits are definitely the minority here!
This wouldn't have been such a problem for a childless family though.

One of the biggest problems was the acute lack of sunbeds. To be guaranteed a sunbed, especially the first week of our holiday, you had to bag a bed by 7am!!  Not conducive to a relaxing holiday! To be fair to the hotel they took delivery of extra sunbeds and sun shades (also sadly lacking) half way through our holiday, but as the hotel has been extended beyond its original conception, and because a large area of the poolisde is claimed for the bar area, there wasn't actually anywhere close to the pool to place them. There was a large terrace adjacent to the pool, but with children you need to be able to keep an eye!

The biggest problem we encountered was that the Insotel group which own this hotel have just introduced an "all inclusive" package, but for some strange reason this is not available to Thomson guests. This led to a two tier system as the all inclusive guets appeared to monopolise the bar area in particular. Long queues to get served were not unusual.

The dining rooms are vast. Thye have to be to cater for so many people. They get extremely busy, so much so that half way through our holiday a second sitting system was introduced. It was not a pleasant relaxed dining experience!

We went for lunch several times to the beachside restaurant, which was pleasant, had good food, and was much more relaxed.

On a positive note (no there weren't many) the animation staff are absolutely fantastic. They work their socks off and do their best to put on a wide range of entertainment each evening. Once or twice guest acts appear, but these were nothing startling.

The apatrments are adequate. The cleaners work hard and were very helpful. The bathroom in particular was a bit "tired". Not what you would expect from this class of hotel.

All in all I would not recommend this hotel, especially in high season. We would not return.

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Club Cala Mandia - Cala Mandia

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook  Aug 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : John Madle (45, 44, 17, 13)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having spent our last few holidays at appartments aimed at the 5-15 age group of children we felt that with a 17 yer old son that we could do with a bit more to do sportswise.The complex was exactly as the brochure portrayed, a very clean, well run complex with facilities that offered free, unlimited use of countles dry (no watersports on site) sports.

Our first impresion was only marred by the fact that as we checked in at 1-30am there was only one receptionist on duty and it took an age to process as another coach had arrived just before us.

The sun bed problem arose on the first morning as I left our excellent appartment to find a bed at 9-00. Ilooked around the 3 pools on our side of the beach (block D with the pool 4 is on the far side of the beach and although I should think the accomodation is good its a bit far away from the main site)and all Icould find were 2 beds. We were later to find that this was not only a German problem it afflicts all races but I must also say that the only language we heard on our first day was German. As I don't mind an early start to the day the patern was set for the rest of our 14 days if you want a well placed bed youv'e got to get up early!.

Although I don't consider myself a narrow minded Englander as I have worked overseas for 4-5 years and enjoyed all of the different cultures I came across we did feel part of a very small minority as there were very few brits about. We did find out that 2003 was the first year that brits were using the appartments so I expect the numbers will go up in the future. This did not spoil our holiday but at the end of the day it's nice to pass the time of the day with fellow brits occaisionaly.

One thing that cropped up was that if your children want to take part in the organised sports e.g. 5-a-side football and they are under 16 they have to use the kids club as they are not allowed join in with the big kids(adults). As my 13 year old has not gone to the organised kids clubs for years and didn't want to go this time he missed out(I was on a package on which you could leave off the kids club part if you wanted but I was not told of the above problem).

If you are self catering the resturants in the complex look great but all were closed at 7-00pm unless you were on a full or half board package. But all was not lost threr are a few good places to eat localy. The Cafe Paris opposite the main recetion block was very good and Molly Browns Pub on the other side of the beach proved excellent. Good food, plenty of entertainment and it also turned out to be a focal point for brits from the other accomodation in the area.
The beaches were good our favourite being a short walk from around the headland from Mandia beach.

All in all we had a good break after a few problems in the first couple of days. The resort will be much better in a few years as more development takes place, there were quite a few empty shops and returants which will fill up as more people use the resort.

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Insotel Club - Cala Mandia

Operator and Date: Eclipse Direct (part of First Choice)

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : kelly - Berkshire - 36,30,65,1

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked our flights direct with BMI and the hotel through Eclipsedirect.co.uk which is a discount of First Choice as this worked out much cheaper. We stayed all inclusive.  The hotel has a website - Insotel.com and you can book accommodation only through them quite cheaply too.  I emailed the hotel direct beforehand and asked for a room on the ground floor and close to all the facilities and that is exactly what we got.  The rooms are of a good size, nice big balcony, TV, fridge but no kettle.  We stayed in Block A.  Block B and C are across the road from the main building and have a pool and a bar but you can use any of the pools and bars during your stay.  There is also an indoor pool.  Block D is nearer the beach and furthest away from the other blocks. All the daytime and evening entertainment takes places in Block A.  If you like to be near everything and don't mind the noise ask for block A otherwise ask for block B or C.  if you prefer real piece and quite go for block D.  

The hotel has a few steps but there are ramps everywhere so very accessible for pushchairs.  There is a children's playground and the hotel is more or less on the beach. 

The food is pretty good, not the best all inclusive I've had but certainly not the worst. Every nights there seemed to be a good variety -couple of pasta dishes, chips, pizza ,veggie dishes, fish dish, meat dish, rice, a chef carving meat or cooking pork chops or fish etc.  Big salad bar and different types of bread available.  A waiter takes your order for drinks and you get whole bottle of wine rather than just a glass.  There are plenty of high chairs.  We never had a problem finding a seat/table.  The only complaint I had about the food is it was not labelled and not very hot but always a big choice. 

The all inclusive drinks package was good.  Quite a lot of international brands included e.g. Smirnoff etc.  Never had a problem getting served and if there was a show on in the evening the waiters would come round and take your order for you.  They will even fill your baby's bottle with warm milk in the evenings.  None of the bar staff spoke very good English however!

Outside the hotel - not much around, a few supermarkets and a couple of restaurants.  We went into Porto Cristo on the mini train which stops outside the hotel.  We were back within an hour!!  

All in all a lovely hotel, would recommend it to anyone with young children but not for couples or people with older kids

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Insotel Club - Cala Mandia

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Jackie Baker - Cannock (43, 41, 11, 9)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having read previous holidaymakers' reviews on this site we arrived at Cala Mandia with an open mind.

The hotel reception was spacious and welcoming.  We had to wait about an hour whilst our room was prepared which was a little disappointing but we were offered an alternative in one of the other blocks away from the main pool/entertainment area.

On accessing the room we were pleasantly surprised.  There was a separate bedroom with double bed and wardrobes, adequate bathroom and lounge area, with two sofa beds, small table and kitchenette, including fridge (which came in useful for storing drinks).

The balcony was furnished with a couple of plastic chairs and a small table.  The view was of the main pool/entertainment area.

Sporting facilities were excellent but our children were reluctant to join in as there were very few British guests.

The hotel was quite large and the sunbeds were all taken very early in the morning.  We therefore opted for the beach for the majority of days spent in resort.  Although the size of the beach was initially a little disappointing, it was clean and we never had problems getting sunbeds/shades.  There was a shop selling drinks/ice-creams, etc., and a nice looking restaurant (although we didn't try it). 

The dining rooms were large and dinner comprised of two sittings.  One point I would stress which is not apparent from the brochure is that gentlemen MUST wear long trousers to dinner (3/4 length trousers are not permitted).  The food was served buffet style and was of a good standard.

The resort itself was very small and there was not a lot going on if you want to party into the small hours (which we did not).  There was a trolley-type train that spicked up outside the hotel which went into Portocristo but the journey was not especially scenic.

The children enjoyed the entertainment while we adults preferred to sit in the bar or on the terrace.  It did take quite a while to be served at the bar on occasion but bar staff worked very hard in an attempt to avoid this.

We hired a car for several days and visited several other resorts.  The highlights were Es Trenc which is a protected area with a beautiful beach backed by pine trees and sand dunes which stretches for approx 3 miles along the south-eastern shore.  There is a small bar-restaurant and sunshades/beds can be hired.  There is a distinct lack of toilet facilities and the beach did become extremely crowded during the day of our visit which was a Sunday.  This may have been due to its popularity with locals but we could not be sure.  Cala d'Or harbour was also worth a visit if you enjoy boat/people watching. 

We booked two excursions through the Thomson Rep.  The first to Aquacity in S'Arenal was particularly enjoyable.  Having recently holidayed in Florida our expectations were not especially high, however, there was plenty to do and we considered it to be a great day out for the whole family.  The second excursion was to the Pirates Adventure in Magaluf - a swashbucling pirate show.  Audience participation was strongly encouraged and there was free-flowing pirate punch (if you could stomach it) to loosen your inhibitions.  The food was the only real drawback which comprised of sausage, chicken pieces, coleslaw/pasta salad and jacket potato followed by ice-cream - this did not compare to the Gala Dinner that we had missed at the Hotel due to Saturday night having been the only date available during out stay in Majorca.  Our advice, should you wish to see the show is to book early!

In all, we enjoyed our first visit to Majorca and would certainly consider returning to the Cala Mandia.

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Punta Reina Hotel & Apartments - Cala Mandia Nr. Porto Cristo

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Aug 2003

Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : Mr and Mrs S Andrew (37,36,7,4)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What can we say about Punta Reina, or "Puncha Germanica" as we sometimes felt like doing!

You WILL feel in the minority on this resort as only about 10% of the guest were English with the majority made up of Germans, Italians and Spanish.

Although there were kids clubs for 4-12 year olds our two boys spent one morning at the club and had difficulty communicating with the other children and therefore felt excluded by the reps. Thet didn't attend the club again during our stay.

The accommodation was fairly basic and the air conditioning did not function on arrival. Thay did fix it, however, after we complained. The rooms were cleaned every day but the cooker provided was not adequate for self catering cooking. As a result, we upgraded to half board for a week.

The evening entertainment was OK but translated in 5 languages which made it a bit laborious. Table waiter sertvice was provided but be prepared for the staff to expect a tip at every opportunity. 20 years of experience has made them very adept at this passtime.

The swimming pools were a lovely size and depth (highlight for the children) but you will have to be an early bird to get anywhere near them as the towel game commences at about 0530. There are signs asking all guests to NOT put towels out but they are completely ignored and not enforced by the hotel staff.

The hotel food was advertised as high class but we found it to be very ordinary in terms of choice and found it difficult even to get a drink of water with the meal for which you had to pay. The A La Carte restaurant (for which you had to pay extra) was of a high standard.

Both beaches on either side of the resort were beautiful and very safe for children. Climbing up from the beach in temperatures of 120 degrees was an effort though. Don't take Grandma.

The beach also offered boat trips in and around the local beaches on the coast. We took a 2 hour round trip to Porto Cristo which was excellent. The boat stops half way and lets the passengers have a dip in the sea. A real treat.We would also reccommend the trips to Son Amar and Marineland.

After all was said and done we felt this holiday to be a little outdated in many ways. 

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Punta Reina Hotel & Apartments - Cala Mandia Nr. Porto Cristo

Operator and Date: Airtour - June 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Collette Sawyer - Durham

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked last minute to go to this resort. I was in need of week to get away and relax.

We were not disapointed with our accommodation at all.

The Punta Reina is a very large complex with a mixture of Hotel rooms and self catering apartments.

This place is not for you if you dislike children.  There are lots of them! in all nationalities too!  You will probabaly not hear or see another british guest, unless you get to know them at the welcome party. There are lots of Italians, Spanish and German guests, very few British.

The entertainment team work flat out and have a seven day programme jammed packed with all sorts to suit everyone.  Aqua aerobics to Paella demonstrations. They also have a childrens club called the blaudi club and the kids are kept entertained.

The punta reina is kept very clean and the room attendants come and clean everyday.  Your towels are changed as often as you like.

The complex has two pools which is the main attraction to everyone during the day, hence it gets very busy and it can be hard finding a sun bed. 

There are two small beaches on either side of the complex and they can be reached down some steps, alright going down, not to good going back up them!

For stunning views ask for a sea view apartment, but be warned you are a fair way from the pool, maybe not a bad thing if you want peace and quiet.  We opted for a pool view and we were very lucky to be given a ground floor apartment.  We were very close to the pool, the only downside to that was people used to invade your privacy to sit in the shade of the palm trees just beside your terrace.  An older couple just 3 rooms along complained that it was too noisy for them.  Yes it was quite loud during the day, because the pool was very very busy but at night it was quite peaceful.  The apartments also benefit for air conditioning which was needed because it was very hot and humid when we went there.

The resort itself is very small, not much to do.

There are some nice restaurants to choose from.  Just down the road from the complex is a very nice restaurant called Las Palmeras.  The price is quite reasonable and there is something on the menu to suit all tastes.  I think it is quite new and may have just opened this year.

There are quite a lot of closed down restaurants and shop units about, but there a still a few shops round and about.

Another good restaurant was the Peking chinese restaurant.  Very good food, reasonable prices too.

The restaurant just up from there, I think its called the vora mar? is also very nice, but quite pricey.  Just down the steps from the vora mar is a nice grill restaurant, also worth a visit!  Just down from the Las palmeras restaurant is an English pub called Molly Browns, prices very reasonable and food also good.

The food outlets on the punta reina  complex are ok and there is a pizzeria, a snack bar and grill restaurant to choose from, if you decide to eat on the complex.  The hotel restaurant is clean and spacious, however if you choose to 'pay as you go' its quite expensive and gets very repetitive.

All in all this was a very relaxing holiday, not the sort of place you go if you want an excellent night life.

If I had remembered to take my driving licence I would have probabaly hired a car and got out and about a bit more.  Instead we hopped on the tourist train, which stops right outside the complex and takes you in to Porto Cristo, which has lots of nice shops to look around.  Be warned the restaurants are very expensive!  From Porto Cristo you can get a bus to alsomst anywhere on the Island, so you needn't just stay in the resort.  The Tourist train cost 2.7 euros per person and included the return trip too!  If you choose to get a taxi to and from it will cost around 8 euros each way.

It takes around 1hour and 15 mins to transfer from the airport.

All in all, good value and a very relaxing holiday, not for those who like to be on the go all the time and not for those who don't like the company of children.

Enjoy!

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Punta Reina Hotel & Apartments - Cala Mandia Nr. Porto Cristo

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - June 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Steve Bott - Rotherham

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Club Punta Reina is set on a small headland between the Bays of Cala Mandia and Cala Romantica, and these are two very attractive small bays with good beaches and crystal clear waters. The paths down to these bays though are quite steep so not for the elderly.

The complex itself comprises a Hotel and Apartment blocks, and the Apartments are the more attractive and can provide the better views. The Hotel is in the middle of the complex and therefore doesn't get either the views or breezes. Many of the Apartments are situated around the Headland and therefore do get the views. The Apartments are no higher than 3 storey's and although relatively basic, clean and bright. If you choose the Apartments with Sea Views (a supplement) then you get bigger balconies with Sun Loungers. The Punta Reina has many facilities, Archery, Shooting, 5-a-side, Tennis etc etc etc. The main problem with the Hotel is that unless you are using it as a base, then there is little there for the English as it is very orientated towards the Germans. The shows and clubs are orchestrated in German (would your young child let you leave them with a group of other kids where none of them speak English - would you want to leave them), although the shows do have the required commentary in other languages. You do suffer the German 'sun lounger' syndrome here more than most due to the numbers. Forget a Parasol unless you're out very early - you'll end up going to a beach and pying for one. Therefore, although the facilities are great for kids (it also has 2 good Pools) the problem that we found was that our 11 year old Son got a little bored over the 14 days as there were no other English children to meet up with. As the English are few and far between it is unlikely that your Kids wold meet up with some of a similar age.

The resort itself was as we expected, quiet with few Bars and Restaurants, but enough to vary your meals. We didn't mind that as we were looking for a quiet low rise resort.
For anyone who does visit, make sure that you visit Molly Brown's bar just down the road from the Punta Reina. The food there is good, the atmosphere is very friendly, and there are all the Beers that you would find in a British Pub. Kevin, the owner, is a great guy and always flexible to ensure that you enjoy your visit to the Bar.
The resort is a little more expensive than other parts of Majorca, but it's the 'captive audience' approach. If you have nowhere else to go then you pay the prices!
Overall, a good base if you want somewhere away from it but with the facilities, and would use it as a base. However, if you want to be able to meet up with other families, and keep your kids occupied then I would suggest elsewhere.

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Villa - Cala Mandia

Operator and Date: July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Barry 59 Shirley 56 Darren 34 Amy 27 Harriet 9 months

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a holiday at Cala Mandia.  We were slightly worried after reading the reviews that had been put on this site previously.  We loved it, the resort was lovely, really clean and the restaurants and bars couldnt do enough for you.  The chinese was really nice, as was Molly Browns and the restaurant round the corner from Mollys and across from the bank ( sorry cant remember the name ) Not the holiday for you if you want lots of night life, but if like us you like a beer and a chat in a nice bar in the sun then its perfect.  Porto Crist worth going to for a day.

We stayed in a private Villa near Club Insotel, this was lovely as we had our own pool and space which we prefer but everyone is different.  There are a lot of Germans but all seemed very friendly and there didnt seem to be any divide in the restaurants.

Would recommend this resort for friendly relaxed holidays.

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Vista Alegre Apartments - Cala Mandia (Porto Cristo Novo)

Operator and Date: (Cosmos Discounts) Cosmos Late Deal July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : M + T  South Wales (37, 40)

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The area of Porto Cristo Novo consists of three small beaches, Cala Aguilla, Cala Romantica and Cala Mandia. The problem with Cala Mandia, and the area as a whole, is that it is not so much a resort as a place that just happens to be by the sea. 

The only sign of tourism is the central Punto Reina complex where you'll find a Chinese restaurant and a British-owned bar which seemed popular with the few holiday-makers from the U.K. unfortunate enough to have found themselves allocated accommodation in this Majorcan ghost town. If you do find yourself here, jump on the bus or the road-train into Porto Cristo (a single will cost 1-40 and will take about 5 to 10 mins). From there you can get a bus to Sa Coma (15 mins) which has a long white sandy beach and crystal blue seas, along with a large choice of places to eat. This will also cost 1-40 or a nicer way to arrive is to take the glass-bottom boat from Porto Cristo and sail directly to the beach (10 euros single / 16 euros return). 

The close proximity to Porto Cristo, Caves of Drach and Sa Coma (or Calles de Mallorca in the other direction) is the only saving grace for anyone wanting to venture outside their hotel/apartment. As for the Vista Alegre, the room was clean and comfortable, and the fairly large pool provided some cooling relief from the heat of the day. 

As accommodation goes, there's certainly worse places to stay. As for Cala Mandia though, I can't think of one. 

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Cala Mesquida - Majorca

Cala Mesquida Resort

Operator and Date: Medhotels.com May 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Rule, Canterbury, Kent 33,31 & 1.25

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The resort was lovely, clean and the apartment was very spacious.  It was incredibly quiet, we got the feeling there was only about 10 out of the apartments occupied, but then the weather was a bit naff in early may, so maybe everybody else was indoors having a cup of coco.

I think it would be a pretty busy place to be in high season once it's full up.

The restaurant was great and exceptionally good with toddlers in the early evening, it's the first time I have tried to take a child into a reastaurant like that and they made it very easy for us with highchairs etc

The place is German owned and so nearly everybody else was German, only met one other british family.

The beach is absolutely fantastic, and one day we were the only people on it, but the sea was cold and a bit rough that early in the season - I did jump in after a few san miguels, but got out pretty quick

I didnt try the pool as it was looking every inch as cold as the sea.

I would definitely go there again, but maybe in a group, so that we had some other english people to chat to, and I would also go in September, so that the pool and sea had had a chance to warm up.

Theer are only a couple of supermarkets and a couple of bars outside these apartments and that is it for miles, so unless you are happy staying put for the whole of your hols, you will need a car.

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Viva Cala Mesquida Resort - Cala Mesquida

Operator and Date: Booked independantly-august 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : sarah smith (15,16,18,47,49,52,53,55

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Fabulous holiday. simple as that, food-excellent, pool area-excellent, beach-excellent, first impressions-excellent. We have been to the hotel before and loved it. we returned again this year and still loved it. Great entertainment team and always loads for the kids to do. as i said above the food is oputstanding. always a huge variety of food, from pizza, to roast lamb served on the same day. i would recommend this holiday for everyone. there was teenagers and 55year olds with us and we all loved it as much as each other! fabulous holiday ! 

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Viva Cala Mesquida Resort - Cala Mesquida

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Aug 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Wood 35,27,8,7

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was a lovely holiday.  

We booked self catering and that is nigh on impossible to do as the kitchen consists of 2 rings and a microwave and there are no bowls or toaster so we ended up paying to go all inclusive which was fine and it cost us 1300 euros for 10 days.  There is nowhere really to eat outside of the hotel there are 2 restaurants which didn't really offer anything great.  

The food in the hotel was lovely it was aimed more at the Swedish/Norweigan/German etc guests more that the Brits as we were definatley in the minority there.  There was still chips at lunch and dinner so the Brits can still eat them.  It did have a good choice of food for children too. The all inclusive was breakfast, lunch and dinner and drinks and ice creams but the pool bar didn't serve the ususal burgers etc so there wasn't really anything to eat in between meals (not that you would want it) there was a small area in one the restaurants that had bread, hams and cheese and a sandwich toaster but that was all but it didn't bother us.  

The entertainment was really good and the shows in the evening were great.  The kids club was fab and as there were only a few brits there it was nice round the pool for the kids as there was no rowdiness.  They do take towels off sunbeds if you aren't there so no reserving.  The rooms were clean and quite big but basic and I would have expected a bit more considering the cost.  The beach is lovely, the current is quite strong so beware with little kids but ours loved it.  

Would definatley go back.

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Viva Cala Mesquida Suites - Cala Masquida

Operator and Date: Soverign Holidays - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Mr & Mrs Wright (24, 27)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We chose this hotel as our honeymoon destination as we don't like to fly too far but wanted quite a luxurious holiday. We were not disappointed. I can honestly say that this is the best hotel I have satyed in abroad and certainly deserves it's 4* superior rating. As soon as we pulled up to the entrance, we were impressed. with cascading waterfalls and marble like exterior. We were greeted by a consierge who happily took our bags and were also given a glass of fruit juice each which we needed after the flight. After a swift check-in we we were shown to our beautiful suite with jacuzzi bath. 

The best thing about the hotel has to be the food. simply delicious and the amount that is on offer means we did not stop eating for the whole week they cater for everybody. The rooms, pool area and public areas were imaculate and they have entertainment on every night. When we first arrived the hotel it was full of German's (we were the minority) but later on in the week they were replaced by French and Italian's. We honestly didn't speak to any English for the whole week - but it was quite refreshing! 

The resort os Cala Mesquida is basically made up of four hotels - and that is it. Luckily we had car hire included in our package so we popped to Puerto Pollensa and Alcudia for the day when it was a bit cloudy. We only used the car because we felt we had to as everything you needed was either in the hotel or in the resort. with walking distance to the beach it was a breathtaking beach in which you can actually see Menorca. We would recommend the italian restaurant (also part of the resort) as it is perched high on a cliff top - it was certainly a romantic meal for us. 

Definatley a honeymoon to remember!!

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Viva Cala Mesquida Suites - Cala Masquida

Operator and Date: Med Hotels - May 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Gill Robinson (41,40,10,8)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Viva hotels are a chain in Majorca which I discovered while surfing the net.

We hired a car from Palma and drove accross the Island to Cala Masquida.  Basically Viva hotels owns the whole of this resort with various grades of hotels.  We stayed in Resort which is one of the higher grades but you can wander in to all the other hotels and use their facilities as well.  The entertainment is the same in all of them with the same "Viva holidays" song which you hope will never stick in your brain but of course does but the kids enjoyed it.

It is right on the beach in a fabulous location where you can hire pedalos etc.  There are many walks over the cliffs.

We went the week before half term and there were lots of German children but very few English until half term started.  The kids club was well organised and the evening entertainment was varied.  The buffet food was a bit monotonous but always hot and plenty of it but you do get to eat in their two speciality restaurants on two evenings if you are half board or all inclusive.

One tip, take your own table tennis bats as people do not give them back and hang on to them for days.

We had a one bedroom apartment which gives you extra room and the standard of cleaning was excellent.  There was always someone cleaning or maintaining something on the resort.

We would certainly think about going back again.

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Viva Cala Mesquida Suites - Cala Masquida

Operator and Date: Booked Direct - September 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Darren - Surrey (32, 29, 2)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We did quite a bit of research before booking our holiday this year. Finally chose to go to Cala Mesquida and booked direct with one of the 4 Viva hotels (hotelsviva.com), the Suite Hotel. Booked a car for 2 weeks with carjet.com which cost approx £200 and booked scheduled flights with BMI which was £300 for all 3 of us. All in all we saved about £400 by booking direct and this gave us use of a car for the whole holiday.

The Suite hotel was excellant. Rooms are very nicely decorated, spacious and very clean, in fact this was true of the whole complex. Food was very good and we were even given free lunch aswell as breakfast and dinner. The entertainment staff were good although we didn't see much of the adults entertainment at night due to our daughters age. The kids evening entertainment was good (BUFO the dog).

Cala Mesquida is small with just a couple of restaurants, a couple of supermarkets (one is very good) and the 4 viva hotels. The beach is great, big, sandy and clear water although it gets deep fairly quickly. We were unable to swim on a few days due to the roughness of the sea. Not sure if this is common.

I would recommend hiring a car for a number of days if staying here as the resort is so small. We went out 6 of the 13 days.

I would definately go back even though I don't normally like going to somewhere I have been before.

I had only 2 complaints on the holiday. One there was nowhere in Cala Mesquida to watch premiership football which I like to do when abroad. As I had a car I went to Cala Bona and Ca'n Picafort instead. Two, I was unable to swim in the sea on a few days.

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Viva Cala Mesquida Suites - Cala Masquida

Operator and Date: SELF- SEPTEMBER 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : SUE- 57,40,34,9 mths

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a holiday at the Viva Cala Mesquida Suite in Majorca and I can honestly say it is one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in.
The hotel is quite new,and the whole complex is spotlessly clean.

We upgraded to a suite for extra space as we have a baby,but my Mum had a standard room which was equally as lovely.

The food is excellent (i managed to put on half a stone in 9 days!)plenty of choice for even the most fussy of eaters.
The pool area is excellent and when we were there Sep 7th - 16th ,the pool was lovely and warm,even enough for our 9 month old daughter.

The hotel is about 250m from the beautiful beach and the sea was still very warm.

The only drawbacks are that there is very little in the resort itself.Only a couple of supermarkets,a couple of souvenir shops and a bar.There are a couple of aparthotels belonging to the same chain as the Viva suite,but to be honest from what we saw of them they were a bit tacky,more like holiday camps compared to our hotel.

The resort is also nearly all Germans and Scandanavians.Not a problem unless you have older children who may find it hard to make friends.The weather was good.Some days we had some cloud but the temperature was ideal for those who don"t like it sweltering(high 80"s farenheit).

There were loads of babies at this hotel and they were ctaered for superbly.Lots of highchairs and easy access for pushchairs.There was no problem taking a baby to dinner in a pushchair.

All in all an excellent holiday.I am really hard to please but will definately consider returning to this hotel next year.

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Viva Cala Mesquida Suites - Cala Masquida

Operator and Date: Independent - Easter 2003

Opinion submitted in May 2003 by : Trina Burgess - S Wales (50,47,5,4)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We took our 2 young granddaughters for their first holiday abroad to Cala Mesquida, Mallorca. I booked through the internet - flights via bmibaby, hotel through MedHotels.com and a hire-car through Carjet.com. Everything (fortunately) worked out as planned.

The resort is about 1 1/2 hours from Palma and quite off-the-beaten-track so a hire-car is essential if you want to see anything of the rest of the Island.

However, the resort is absolutely fantastic - the hotel complex itself I would rate as 5* - and you could easily there a week or two without going any further. Decor, suites, location (right on beach), cleanliness, facilities and food were immaculate.

Over the road was a Spar shop selling everything you needed and had a tele-bank.

A bus service ran to Cala Radjada, about 4-5 miles away, which is a more touristy resort with plenty of shops, bars etc.

There was entertainment each evening and, although not brilliant, it was very friendly and good for the kids. (Try the jugs of Sangria)!!

The resort isn't well-known to Brits (most were German with some Spanish), but is has really spoilt us now when looking at other holidays.

We will definately be going back.

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Cala Moreia - Majorca

Apartments Playa Moreia - Cala Moreia

Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - June 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Sophie Exham - Bridgenorth (36,24, 10, 3)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Apartment facilities - very average. Old apartment block with old style bathrooms, kitchens etc.
Grounds adequate with nice swimming pool, although a little on the small side for the size of the complex
Entertainment - pretty good. Thanks to Carlos who made our nights memorable!!
Resort - good for families and couples. Not much nightlife outside of hotels
Restaurants and Bars - good selection. We tried:
Antic - excellent
Lago - good but very expecnsie
Poker - very slow
BiBoBa - dreadful
Red Lion - good quality English fare
Britannia - good atmosphere but rotten food
Excursions - very expensive booked thru the rep. We booked pri¡vately and saved a LOT of dosh. We liked, Marineland and Aquacity

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Apartments Playa Moreia - Cala Moreia

Operator and Date: direct - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : kay burton tom blackwell     warwks  43 45

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

very nice, stayed here for four years ,recomend to all ages.sillot is restful, beaches great very shallow cove. lago bar brill, benito, donna, carlos very friendly. safe for babies, straight outta hotel onto fine sandy beach.its heaven.

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Cala Pi - Majorca

Cala Pi Club - Cala Pi

Operator and Date: thomon 2003

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : sand 65,40,42,36,36,10,6

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Resort was basically closing down for winter and trying to find food that the kids would enjoy was becoming harder until we found a small eaterie called La Paleta .Very good choice and good portions also very good with children.Establishment very clean and service was excellent cannot rate this place enough certainly made my holiday and take back everything they say about foreign food.Lovely and would certainly go back there if i returned to cala pi 

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Cala Ratjada - Majorca

Bella Playa - Cala Rajada

Operator and Date: Arranged via internet - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Wakelin - 67, 39, 36, 15, 7

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Our rooms were excellent, with great pool/mountain views - although not all views would be this good.  Food quality excellent, served hot and good variety, although sometimes geared towards the largely German clientel. Overall, not many British people seemed to stay in Cala Rajada at all.  Good facilities. Staff generally ok - especially if you tip them frequently! Rooms cleaned well each day.  No particular downsides - although quality of food from pool bar wasn't great - although reasonably cheap. 

Would definitely stay there again.

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Carolina - Cala Rajada

Operator and Date: Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Anna W (46 , 47)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel Carolina, Cala Sa Font, Cala Ratjada.

This 3* Iberostar all-inclusive hotel is clean, comfortable and well kept.  It is opposite the Iberostar Carolina Park aparthotel.  The bedrooms are small but perfectly adequate, although the furniture is rather functional and there is no TV, radio or kettle in the room.  However the lack of air con could be a problem in the height of the hot weather.  There is a charge for the safe in the room.   

The big plus is the standard of the food and drink which really was excellent and of good quality and variety, and the staff very attentative so we lacked for nothing. I was nervous of going for AI but fears were totally unfounded.  We stayed at the Serrano Palace in C. Ratjada last year and really enjoyed the food there, but this was even better, although obviously as the Palace is a 5* with better rooms.   I think the Carolina is very popular with the Germans because of the food (take your Union Jack shorts and wear with pride!).  Brand named soft drinks, palatable wines and spirits, with tea and coffee always available during the opening times of the bars.  Ice cream only at mealtimes and no snacks outside of the extremely adequate mealtimes, but we couldn't eat anymore!  

The pool is very small but since you are right by a pretty and clean sandy beach cove, it didn't matter to us, although we would have liked there to be a gym.  Hotel Carolina is situated a few miles outside of the main resort so we hired a car via the Internet before we left the UK and got a good deal of about £85 (fuel extra) on an air conditioned car similar to a Ford Focus, with a CD player.  There appeared to be adequate public transport.  There are good sporting facilities in the area including tennis, golf and an athletics track.  The area was quiet, and the hotel entertainment finished reasonably early, with the disco continuing on for a while longer but we were never disturbed by it.  

As I said, the food was excellent and so is the location if you like a quiet place so I definitely would consider going again, but late season because of the lack of air con.

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Hotel Columba - Cala Rajada

Operator and Date: fleetway august 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : caroline and mark - peterborough (20,35)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked this hotel and were moved to the 5 star surreno palace hotel for the first 2 days of our holiday. When we got to columba we noticed the difference in the sizes of the rooms between the 3 and 5 star hotels but the 3 star was plenty big enough .
he room was clean and airy with air con and an amasing sea view.
the food that you could order from the pool bar was the same as at the 5 star hotel only it was half the price.
The bar area lead out onto a jettee where you could sit at night by candle light and watch the boats on the sea.
The bar staff were very friendly and there was a good atmosphere compared with the 5 star hotel wich seemed dead at night.
The pool was lovely with lilos at the side for you to use and there were plenty of sunbeds all day.
The only problem with this hotel was that the staff dont speak english so i had to speak what little spanish and german i knew.

The resort was beutiful and there were plenty of shops and arcades.
Whilst we were there there was a market and a parade with live music on a podium in the city center.
The resort caters mainly for German tourists so the locals speak little if any English and the resyurant menus are in German.
I would go back to Majorca but i would go to a different resort where they spoke english as the whole time we were there we only spoke to 2 English families. 

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Falcalco - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: july 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : sheila whitelaw - glasgow 43, 12

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just back from a week here. the port was very nice and the beach but the main street at night was like magalluf.the hotel was nice and the staff but we had severe problems with noisy german lads and only one security guard for the hotel and apartments. i think when the staff look at the bookings they should put families and couples away from the young team so they don`t get disturbed.i won`t be back here i didn`t feel at all safe all round the resort the germans were chanting and shouting all day and night and shouting filth. one of the woman in the apartments was attacked by a german lad when she asked them to quieten down but all that happened was they were told to behave they had also peed over the balcony while the kids were playing pool.

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Hotel Flacalco / Flacalco II - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: Expedia - September 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Andy C - Bath (52, 46)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Aparthotel Flacalco popped up on a search of the Expedia site, offering an apartment for 4 people, for two of us at £125 for the week - significantly cheaper than anywhere else. I expected little for the money, and I was not dissappointed. In fact we never even ended up in the original hotel, but in the Flacalco II when we arrived - nothing about this was mentioned prior to our arrival, and it is in a different location, with more basic amenities. In fact it has no restuarant, the swimming pool is tiny (not for swimming, and is in the shade most of the day - so the sunbeds are always free!) and mastery of the German language is useful. Everything is written up in German and Spanish, the staff have difficulty understanding English, and the whole resort is very similar. But then you start to appreciate, this is a holiday where we left England behind, and were actually very happy.

The apartment was very basic, and we were stuck in a corner where there was no direct sunlight all day - but then we only wanted the room to sleep in. But it did have a kitchenette (fridge and saucepans but no kettle), could easily accomodate 4 persons (2 good sized sofa beds in main living room) and a small but functional double bedroom. The bathroom was accessed through the bedroom (no privacy unless you go alone like we did), but it was very clean - no cracked tiles, no mould, the shower worked well, but no plugs in the sink, or bath! The whole hotel was very clean, no evidence of ant or cockroach problems, although I did wake up with mosquito bites. Unfortunately its well tiled interior is also its main downfall - the building funnels and amplifies noises, so that everything happening throughout the night could be heard in our bedroom - well talking, rolling suitcases, and using bathrooms in particular. So if you are a light sleeper, take ear plugs.

The resort itself was a delight to us. Beautifully set surrounded by low mountains and the sea, plenty of trees in the town, and lots of restaurants and shops. Threre are several beaches around, but none of them (especially the beautiful Cala Agulla) are within easy walking distance. Cala Agulla is uphill about 20-30 minutes away, and Cala Son Moll is about 15-20 minutes downhill. Both beaches get very crowded - by midday you will struggle to find a space even at the end of September! The German holidaymakers have no problem with that - they use every last inch of the beach, and you may awake from a snooze to find a German face just inches from yours!

I think car hire is essential here. This resort is not served by the British Holiday companies, so there are no easy transfers. Taxi costs will be around £125, and for that money we had a Renault Scenic for the week from Hertz. This also allows you the chance to explore the area more, and the countryside is beautiful (with lovely towns like Arta, and Capdepera nearby). It allowed us the opportunity to find beaches with more room (45 minutes to Puerto Pollensa guarantees you plenty of beach and our favourite location on the island).

The restaurants in Cala Ratjada gave a full range of choice for eating. From Burger King to Cafe Classic (Avenida America - serves excellent traditional Mallorcan dishes)to all manner of fish, and pizza restaurants serving very high quality fare. Many of restaurants also open early enough to serve some excellent breakfasts (you can use the main Hotel Flacalco restaurant - 4 Euros per person) but our favourite breakfast cafe faced onto the village square on Leonor Servera, and we used it every day.

Overall, this was an excellent value for money holiday, but not one for the inexperienced traveller to Mallorca. You need to speak a fair smattering of Mallorcan, be a confident driver on the islands roads, with an ability to stand on your own two feet and make a good holiday of it. We did and would return again to this beautiful area.

If you have any disability, this may also prove challenging. To access the hotel, you have to negotiate a kerb and step either side of a very narrow pavement. There is a lift inside but it is also very narrow. The village itself has ramps onto the pavements in places, but many pavements are very narrow, obstructed with lamp posts, and the wider ones tend to be crowded.

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Hotel Flacalco - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: expedia-august 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : sharon walsh (58,57,42,40,38,38,46,36,16,14,14,13,6)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Decided to write a review as i could find nothing about this hotel on the internet at all.

Never been on holiday in august before and it was hot,no air-con in hotel which was badly needed but that was the only downside.Owners are really helpful from answering questions before we arrived to being a godsend when my dad was hospitalised(all concerned from night porter to hospital staff were excellent,he says next time he feels ill he will definately go to Spain).

Maids come in every day,my husband + I enjoyed food in restaurant although others in our party not as much,the six year old ate five desserts one night so something for everyone.We only ate in four nights of our fortnight as we found a lovely restaurant on the main rd who tried their best to understand us and did with a mixture of their english + our Spanish.No English bars at all 4 or 5 night clubs + a lot of teenagers(who all seemed to be immaculately behaved)Even though we were a big group we all said we would go back there seperately + feel completely comfortable.Big Spanish supermarket up road,much cheaper than main street.

Even though this is definately a German resort we were very embarassed that the majority could speak alittle English + said "good morning" etc.Spent most nights in Copas were Annette practised her English on us.The PR girl spoke perfect English + told us Cala Bona was full of English bars so we took a taxi ride down(18E) she was right ,really funny to read menues in our own language,but none of us could wait to get back to ratjada.

All in all for the price we paid we were very happy + made to feel very welcome.I think more + more English are finding this resort because of the internet as there were at least 4 or 5 others families on the complex.Loads of shops + restaurants,lovely harbour to walk around +lots of places of interest close by.Fiesta was just finishing when we arrived +we were treated to a brilliant firework display on our second night sitting by the harbour.

We all agreed we would go back again.

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Hotel Serrano Palace - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: Great Late Deals- August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Norah  and Stephen (55, 60)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Having already taken our main holiday earlier in the year we decided to try and book a last minute week in the sun, we booked through Great Late Deals only a few days before we travelled.  We hadn't been to the Serrano Palace before or indeed to Majorca, but we wanted a good hotel in nice, fairly quiet surroundings and that is what we got.

On arrival at the Serrano Palace we were greeted personally by the manager, which was a nice touch.  First impressions of the hotel were good; very elegant foyer, plenty of space and light and calm colours.  We booked a week half board in a room with a sea view.  On arriving in our room we noticed we overlooked a patch of waste ground, and a car park.  I went to reception to enquire about our sea view room.  The receptionist muttered something about 'these tour operators who book sea views without checking availability' and went to get the manager who told us we could move to a sea view room the following day as none would become available until then.  She told us our room would be ready by 12 noon the following day and that as a gesture of goodwill we could have free drinks in the bar that night and also a free bottle of wine with dinner as well as any water we would care to purchase.

It was 5pm the following day when we were informed our room was ready.  No hardship though as we had spent a very pleasant day by the pool.  The rooms are generally of a high standard.  We had a lovely large bathroom with a plentiful supply of toiletries.  The room itself was very comfortable and the air condtioning was excellent, there was plenty of wardrobe space, a mini bar, safe, bathrobes and a haridryer, although I would suggest taking your own hairdryer as the one in the bathroom was your typical inefficient hotel type dryer.  The balcony was of a good size with two comfortable reclining chairs and a small table.  We had a good view of the sea and overlooked the pool.   The room was kept immaculately clean, towels changed morning and evening if you wished, a turn down service at night including a chocolate being left on your pillow.

The food was very good, although by the end of the week we had had enough of the buffet syle meals.  If we had of been staying two weeks then we would not have eaten in the hotel every night.  Breakfasts were the usual continental style but there was also plenty of fresh fruit, bacon eggs and toast.  Plus the chef was there every morning to make crepes and omelettes to order.  At dinner times each evening there were always a good selection of salads, a few hot dishes including chicken, fish, casseroles etc plus a carvery (roast beef was particularly good) again the chef was there to cook a different selection of dishes every night, usually a good selection of fish cooked to order (tuna steaks, swordfish, chicken on skewers etc).  Desserts I found to be disappointing.  Cheesecakes and puddings that looked delicious but had very littel taste.  However there was always a good selection of fresh fruit and cheese.  So as you will see you will definitely not starve at the Serrano Palace!

The pool area was very nice, we were there at the busiest time but never had any problem getting a sunbed.  There were the usual towels on sunbeds at the crack of dawn, one morning the manager appeared and put 'telling off'  letters on all of these unoccupied beds.  If you are so inclined there is a nudist terrace on the fourth floor!  The indoor pool looked nice but we didn't use it, nor did we use the spa but the treatments seemed reasonably priced.  Overall I would rate the Serrano Palace as a 4* hotel.

Cala Ratjada itself was a pleasant surprise to us.  Even in the middle of August it was not packed.  There only seems to be one main street with another good street of shops leading from it.  there are the usual 'bucket and spade' shops, a few Spar supermarkets, some nice little clothes shops and a few cosmetic/perfume stores.

The Serrano Palace is right across the road from a small beach (always busy but we were happy to stay by the pool).  There is a very nice promenade around the bay which is lined with bars and restaurants, the promenade leads to a harbour.  We used to walk along there most nights and although it was busy again it was never packed or rowdy.  Cala Ratjada seems to be a family resort, frequented mainly by German tourists.  Infact as other posters have commented all of the shopkeepers and hotel staff spoke good German but very little English.  Not that this bothered us at all.

On our departure day we went to settle the bill and discovered we had been charged for our drinks the first night when we had been told they would be complimentary.  We had had one beer, a G&T, wine with our meal and bottled water.  The manager was summoned and to our astonishment said that she could not remember offering us complimentary drinks in compensation for not having our booked sea view room avialable until our second day.  After much arguing she reluctantly agreed to knock 20 euros off our bill. (Which she said was the nightly supplement for a sea view room).  Well the drinks had cost us a total of about 50 euros.  So I'm afraid that took the edge of what had been a really lovely holiday.  It wasn't the amount that we quibbled about but the fact that she denied ever offering us any compensation.

So in summary I would say if you are looking for a nice realxing break in a good hotel with good food in a relatively quiet part of Majorca then you cannot go far wrong with the Serrano Palace.  Just make sure if you pay for a sea view room make sure you get it on your first night!

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Hotel Serrano Palace - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: fleetway august 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : 35,20

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were moved to this hotel due to over booking it is a 5 star so we were expecting something really nice.

on first opinions it was, the room was spacious and clean but the longer we stayed there the more we found wrong with it. I dont normally complain but the prices were double that of the 3 star hotel and there was no difference in quality, E.G: the pizzas were exactly the same only you pay 7.50 euros in the 5 star hotel compared with 4 euros in the 3 star.

the pateo door diddnt lock which isnt much to ask, the view was of a horrid back street where on the first nite one of the locals started swearing at us when all we were doing was sitting out playing cards.
The food wasnt brilliant there was not much of a selection and my boyfriend was ill on the first night as was another couple and they all ate the same food.
another problem was the language barrier the staff in the hotel spoke only spanish or german so i had to make do.

the resort itself was nice,the views were amasing and the local culture is very much alive, the only problem we found was that nearly all the bars are german and as are the menues in the resturants and very few of the locals speak English so i had to try and remember my G.C.S.E German.
I would return to majorca as it is a beutifull place but i wouldnt go to cala rajada i would choose a mainly english speaking resort.

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Hotel Serrano Palace - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: Fleetway Travel - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Theo Davidson - Herts

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked through lastminute (With Fleetway Travel) a week before we went for 5 people, 2 adults and 3 children, half board. We had 2 rooms, 3 rooms away from each other, but that was OK.

Across the road there is a Spar supermarket store and a beach, packed at times, but with a life guard. It is a sandy beach. You can jump in the waves.

There are mostly Germans, but quite a few English, French too.

At the reception the people at the desk are very helpful, and speak English. You also can take a sweet.

The rooms are very good, some air conditioned some not, so it does get a bit hot in the night.

The maids come 2 times a day. In the morning and night which is quite good. They make your beds, clean away and also they refill the shampoo, shower gel and soaps. In the night they give you a sweet on your bed.

The hotel has 2 swimming pools. The indoor one is always hot and relaxing. The outdoor pool is mostly cold, but both pools are big.

The places to get food are "Mama Pizza", really good homemade pizza, and if you want quality ice-cream then go to "Dolce Vita" for homemade ice cream and snacks. There are lots of flavours to choose from.

You can hire bikes and cars for a day, there are a lot of shops who do this.

The main words you need to know are: hola - hello, buenos dias/noches (good morning/good evening) and Gracias - Thank you.

The restaurant is very good. There is a lot to choose from - fish and meat for whatever is your choice.

The desert always has ice-cream, but they do not clean up the plates in the morning, so the table does get a bit packed. They only clean it away when you leave!

The drinks cost you though. 2.25 euro for a 200ml Coke. (or any soft drink) when if you want to get a 500ml soft drink for 1.20 euro then go to a coca cola machine outside Spar or go inside the shop and buy 1 for 0.85 euro, (but the 1 in the shop is not chilled, the one in the machine is.)

I would not go to the really busy places at night. The harbour is quiet in the day, but in the night it is like a different place.

It is very busy and my mum and my sister got pelted with a water bomb by a person throwing it from his car, who thought this was rather funny.

You do not really need to bring any cold weather clothes, because it reaches the 30's in the day, and in the night it is not cold at all.

Places to visit are the Caves of Drach, or a similar Caves of Arta from the bus stop outside the hotel and you can walk to the nearby lighthouse, or go somewhere for children like Marineland and Aqualand.

You should get transfers from the airport (Palma de Mallorca Airport) because it is much easier. Or there is lots of "rent a car's" at the airport. Taxis could cost you if you are a family more than 4. It does take a good 1 hour and a half to get to/from Cala Ratjada by transfers. It cost us 106 euro (£72) each way.

You should definitely come to this hotel. It is worth its 5* rating.
I would definitely come to this hotel again because it is just fantastic. Clean, helpful staff, great pools, good location, good rooms, its definitely worth it.

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Hotel Serrano Palace - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: med hotels  july 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Rita , Charlotte - Manchester (seniors !!!!!!)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this hotel is a true 5 star accommodation.
everything we could have wanted and more !!
 
food buffet style but a good variety lovely restaurant, fab service nothing was too much trouble for the hotel staff.

great pool area loads of vacsnt sunbeds,room spacious and elegant and kept spotlessly clean !!!!

2 mins to beach and lovely little resort of cala ratjada.

entertainment of an evening occassionally.

about 1 hour and a half transfer from palma airort.

DONT THINK ABOUT THIS ONE JUST BOOK IT WE GUARANTEE YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED.

WILL DEFINATELY RETURN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hotel Serrano Palace - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: Med Hotels - June 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : Wendy and Sheila (33, 67)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked this hotel through med hotels on the off-chance knowing very little about the hotel and resort.

Cala Ratjada is on the North Eastern coast of Majorca, a predominantly German resort approximately 1hr 10mins from Palma airport by taxi.

Hotel made arrangements for transfer after I e-mailed direct and were extremely helpful.  A minibus met us at the airport as planned and payment was made to the hotel, which saves getting ripped-off.

We were very impressed by the hotel itself.  The rooms are most impressive.  Large and airy with all the ammenities you would expect from a 5* hotel.  Do take your own hairdryer though as the one provided in the bathroom is useless!

The food was very satisfactory with a great feeling of calm in the dining room.  There could have been more of a selection on occasions and the menu does not cater extensively for children.  Whether this improves in peak season I don't know.

Pool area was very clean, no scramble for sunbeds and pool towels are provided at no extra charge.  Pool bar food is rather slow.

All in all we had a most enjoyable holiday and would recommended it even to the lone traveller.

If you are travelling to this resort my only advice would be to take advantage of the rather tacky tourist train ride.  It gives you a much better perspective of the resort as it is much larger than you first predict.

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Hotel Serrano Palace - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: Med Hotels - April 2003

Opinion submitted in Apr 2003 by : Maxine and Thomas - Cheshire (41,10)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were looking for a last minute holiday in a decent hotel situated by the sea in a quiet resort but with enough to bars and restaurants to entertain us for a week and this is what we got.  Cala Ratjada is a pretty resort with good sandy beaches, a small harbour and a promenade lined with restaurants and bars.  Great pizzas at "Mama Pizza" and good coffees and milkshakes at "La Luna".  

The resort seems to be quite new to English tourists and many restaurants do not have menus in English.  Even the staff in the hotel spoke very little English but were very welcoming and helpful.  The hotel is a five star but I think that really it is more like a four star.  However, the price is not as high as other five star hotels so I suppose you get what you pay for, as they say!  The food is OK but is buffet style and is not as good as four star hotels that I have stayed in.  The sunbathing area around the pool is quite small and I think it could be quite crowded in the peak season and there may be an early morning race on for beds!  In April the outdoor pool was too cold for me but the indoor pool is heated and can be accessed from the sunbathing area.  There was evening entertainment twice during our week's stay, flamenco dancers and a pianist - not worth staying in for!  

Would recommend Cala Ratjada for a quiet relaxing break.  It is about an hour in a taxi from Palma Airport.  I booked a taxi from Cala Ratjada taxis which I found on the net and their driver Tony, who speaks perfect English, was there to meet us when we arrived at 3 a.m.

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Hotel Serrano Palace - Cala Ratjada

Operator and Date: Teletext Holidays - 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Matt / Kerstin (25, 25)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a fantastic one week stay in the Sorrano Palace.  I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a relaxing, pampered and quiet week away.

The hotel (official rating 5*) is of a very high standard as one would expect.  The rooms, finished in marble are of an excellent quality with a/c, TV, mini bar, balcony.  Dressing gowns are provided and room service is twice daily. The only gripe perhaps the lack of double beds (all rooms are provided with two single beds pushed together - this can be a problem on the marble floor!)

The hotel staff were noticeably pleasant and very helpful.

The restaurant is of 'buffet self service' with the staff providing an excellent service for drinks and other requirements.  The food is excellent with cava and smoked salmon on offer each morning for breakfast. The evening main course was also excellent with a fantastic range of starters and main courses.  On two occasions the main course could have been better! but hey not everyone is perfect.

The hotel has an indoor and outdoor pool, with sauna, jacuzzi, steam room and gym.  The gym wasn't amazing but had enough equipment to keep me happy for a week.  The outside area has a terrace around the pool and garden with sunloungers, comfy pads and infinite clean towels.  In addition to this there is a nice beach wich is located opposite.

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For Cala Romantica see Playa Romantica - Majorca

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Campanet - Majorca

Monnaber Nou Hotel - Campanet

Operator and Date: open holidays - 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : J Taylor - Cambridge (24,27)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This is an amazing hotel offering both half board and self catering holidays. the main hotel has about 18 rooms with about 6 apartments. the swimming pool is an area of tranquility as is the indoor pool where you feel totally relaxed as it is underground with a beautiful arched roof, i think it used to be a monestry. the hotel is based about 20 mins from alcudia (inland) and is set in acres of its own private woodland. You will need a car here.

The staff are wonderful, they are always there if you need them but the rest of the time they keep themselves away from you. The resturant is fantastic,definatly worth 4 stars. i have noticed however that different brochures give this a 5 star rating. for a total relaxation break this is the place to go! you can book direct with this hotel and have just short breaks aswell.

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Camp De Mar - Majorca

Hotel Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson - June 2005

Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : John,Pam (53,51)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Pluses: Well managed,efficient,friendly, excellent location
Minuses: Not much else in the resort
1. Hotel
The hotel is in a lovely location with stunning views and surrounding walks.Overall the hotel is very well run and the staff very friendly and efficient.There are a few resturants / bars in resort but these closed early evening.
2. Room
Make sure you pay for a sea view, rooms are clean and functional, mini bar is useful.
3. Food
Plenty of choice and some nice little touches.Restaurant is very large and well laid out so plenty of tables, good selection of wines.
4. Entertainment
A bit varied, a couple of good comedians / entertainers,but also some poor nights, had better at other Gold Hotels
5. Bars
Pre dinner bar lacking a bit of atmosphere, also after dinner service outside could have been better

Overall : If you are looking for a quite hotel with good food,well run, in lovely surroundings then this is for you.If you prefer something more lively then not.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: thomson 29th july/12th august

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : John and Barbara Herbert - S.Wales 49, 53.

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our Ist time to Majorca, although our 2nd time to a Thomson Gold, and again we weren't disappointed.

Camp De Mar is very quiet which suited us as there was enough entertainment at the hotel. The hotel is quite large, but the service you receive is top class. The reps work very hard, and are all very talented, Kersten, Claire, Bridie and Joel are assetts to the hotel. The food was excellent, there was so much choice that you ended up having at least two main meals because you can't choose between any of it.A few times a week there was a champagne breakfast and in the evenings there were taster drinks before you went into the restaurant. 

The entertainment was very good, there was only one act that we felt let things down and that was the Tommy Cooper Experience, all the others, from the Spanish dancers, to the Thomson Production Team, who I might add, were brilliant.The beach gets very crowded in the afternoon as there are two stop offs from the boats with other holiday makers, but there is always the other little beach around the corner if your looking for somewhere quieter. There are few shops in Camp De Mar, so if you want to do some shopping, then take a taxi to Paguera, about a mile or 2 away.On the down side of this hotel, I really think they need to look at the sunbed situation, the door is locked until 8.30am. for cleaning, which unfortunately allows every one to start queueing at 7.30 onwards to get the best places on the terrace, I really don't see why they won't open earlier to allow people to go down whenever they want to avoid this embarrassing stampede at 8.30.There are plenty of sunbeds, but theres also plenty of people and you won't get one if you leave it too late. 

Also don't be afraid to ask for a different room if your not happy with what you've been given, we had room 544, really high up with a small balcony and right at the back, I asked if we could be moved, they said I'd have to wait a few days, but the same night they rang us to say there was a room on the Ist floor on the side, so we were happy with that. 

We had a lovely time at the Camp De Mar and would definately go back.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: Thomson- July 2007

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : trevor-herts (53,32)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from Camp de Mar,very quiet but pretty resort.
I have stayed in many thomson Gold And Platinum Hotels but this one is the best so far.
The Thomson Gold Team are the best we have had Lead by Craig and well supported by Kirsten, Claire,Becky and Jennie.
Kirsten is hilarious and has a fine singing voice, and Claire is a very good dancer,and Craig is very funny.These skills ensure a very good cabaret on the terrace at night.
The service and the food in the resturaunt
are excellent,extensive range and excellent wine list.
The staff are very friendly both in the bar and restuarants,Toni is an excellant bar man.
The hotel Manager is very involved and pops up all over the place, speaking with guests,his speech at the farewell meeting is very funny and he ensures that the free champagne keeps flowing.

Overall an excellent holiday and would recommend this hotel to anyone wanting a quite relaxing holiday.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: Thomson May 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Pat & Mick Harper and Mother   (61,61,83)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Half board basis.
The date of holiday, May 2007
Marks, 8/10

Playa Camp De Mar
Majorca

We have just returned from a two-week holiday at the playa camp De Mar Hotel and had a brilliant time.
We thoroughly enjoyed the food, (hence the need for a strict diet now), and thought the entertainment was brilliant, compared to some of the awful acts we have seen in other hotels in previous years.
Kirsten was the best rep. we have ever had.  She is a vast asset to the Hotel, with a dynamic personality.

Yes, the mattresses were hard on the walls rather thin, but we had a superb room overlooking the pool and bay which made those little faults less significant.  With regard to the cleaning, our room was spotless when we first arrived, but we don't think a bath was cleaned again throughout the fortnight -the rest was fine.
One last gripe. My mother, who came with us, and paid a hefty supplement for a single room, (as is usually the case), had a very small room with the bed right by the patio door.  It was a very tight squeeze to get out on to the balcony.  The shower was nothing better than a small trough in the bathroom, with no handrail.  As least, she had a fairly pleasant outlook. She spoke to another lady, who said her room was even smaller.
My point is, how can travel companies justify the huge supplement when the room is not large enough for two people anyway?
I can understand the need when one person is occupying a double room.
Something should be done about this.

In conclusion, overall, we had a fabulous, relaxing holiday in the resort and hotel.  We would love to visit again, and would recommend it unreservedly.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland - May 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Jill - Hants (42, 41)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a week at the Hotel Playa Camp de Mar (May 07).  Our first visit to this hotel, chosen because of the fantastic reviews it has received on the internet.  Needless to say we were not disappointed!  It was the most peaceful and relaxing holiday we have ever had, and although I do not need to add how beautiful the location is, the view from the big glass windows in reception really is fantastic - what a wonderful welcome upon arrival!  This was our first time at a Thomson Gold hotel, and will definitely not be the last . wish we had gone Gold years ago, as the child-free holiday made the whole experience less stressful, more civilised and peaceful, not to mention that the hotel is entirely made up of English guests.  Upon arrival at Palma airport, we were directed to a mini-bus along with two other couples and we were off immediately to the hotel (no sitting on the coach for ages, as is usually the case).  As we went directly to the hotel, the transfer was only approx 30 mins.  The Hotel Manager appeared on a regular basis including his cocktail party, where he introduced key members of staff.  On our last night we were invited to his farewell party, where, once again, the champagne was free-flowing!  He really does seem to try so hard to please everyone and has a good sense of humour.  The resident English band, "Reaction" were good.  

On our last night we were amazed to find Syd Little (of Little & Large fame) was the star act.  This was the first time we have been to a hotel abroad and actually seen someone famous on the bill, so we were really impressed.  Two other good evenings were "Elvis and the Teddy Bears" and the "Blues Brothers", both of which were acts brought in from outside the hotel.  We didn't go to the evening entertainment every night - it depended what was on.  The evening entertainment took place in a large room down a spiral staircase underneath the pool area which was completely non-smoking.  The main bar in the hotel had both smoking and non-smoking areas.  I am not sure whether the evening entertainment is always indoors as this was obviously not the height of the season.  One thing to note is that the pool is now heated (having read in previous reviews that the pool was not heated, so I suspect they took on board guests comments in this respect).

In addition to the usual excursions offered by Thomson, at this hotel they also laid on a few extra activities with the help of a Canadian lady who lives in Majorca.  She led us on a free walk to Peguera, a nearby resort approx 30 mins walk away, and once there you could either do your own thing or stay with her for a coffee and walk back.  Peguera is predominantly German, but has lots of shops etc and a large beach, so makes up for the lack of shops in Camp de Mar.  (May be worth wearing trainers or shoes with good grip for the walk as it is a little hilly and the path is unmade.)  Before we arrived, we had already decided we wanted to go on the "Western Encounter" excursion as we were keen to visit Soller and ride on the wooden train, so we were very disappointed to learn at the welcome meeting that the trip was already fully booked.  Therefore, we booked a similar trip through the hotel reception, which was cheaper but no doubt different as I don't believe the Thomson trip included the boat as well as the train.  We thoroughly enjoyed it but maybe some people would find 11 and a quarter hours a long time (as there was over 1.5 hrs of pick-ups along the way, us being the first pick-up).  However, we didn't mind as we were quite happy to sit on a coach and be driven around the different resorts on the way.  I am sure the Thomson trip would have had far less pick-ups.  

We went on the "Taste of Palma" trip with Thomson and I believe we only did one other pick-up and it was all adults on the coach.  For this trip we had a lovely local guide from Palma, who took us inside the beautiful cathedral, then we had approx 2 hrs to look round the shops/city (we stopped at two other places to take photos on the journey to Palma).  The evening trip to "Son Amar" was very good.  Beware though if the rep says you get a bottle of wine per person, as this was not the case.  We were only given a bottle of wine between two (and a glass or two of champagne) and got nowhere when asking the waiters for another bottle, even though we had all been assured it was a bottle each (a minor detail, but it's the principle of the thing).

So to sum up, a really great holiday and we would not hesitate to go again.  We shall also be looking to see what other Thomson Gold hotels are in the brochures!

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson- Sept 2006

Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : 57,53,83

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion:

Just had a wonderful relaxing week at the Hotel Playa Camp De Mar.Nothing bad to say about the holiday took my 83yr old mother with us and she thoroughly enjoyed it as we did. Mother had a single room on the street side with limited sea view but no complaints, we had a twin room on the end of the hotel looking directly onto the bay with a fabulous view. Rooms clean, food good with plenty of variety, staff tremendous (real family atmosphere), entertainment good, bar prices good.Didn't bother with car hire used taxi's cheap enough at 5 euros to Paguera etc. Recommend the 2hr. boat trip along the coast 12 euros for 2hrs. stops at Paguera and Santa Ponsa if want to look arround and catch a later one back. The beach at Camp de Mar is small but clean no night life here outside of the hotel but nice and quiet at night. 

This is a very popular hotel with many guests returning year after year,this is the fifth different Thomson Gold hotel we've stayed at and it ranks among the best I would certainly recommend this hotel to anyone wanting a quiet kid's free holiday and we will certainly return here in the future.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Angie and Steve Parrish - Tamworth (49, 47)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived quite late in the evening at Grupotel Playa Camp De Mar, having been delayed at Palma Airport for an hour trying to find a Carousel with Birmingham luggage on it which was labelled Gatwick!

On arrival at the hotel the reception staff were excellent and we were shown to our third floor sea view room.  The room was spacious enough with plenty of room for clothes.  The balcony had 2 comfortable chairs and a table.  When we awoke at 8 the next morning to the sound of hoovering by the pool, we witnessed the 8.30 a.m. run for the sunbeds which we eventually joined to get "front row seats"!  There are lots of sunbeds to be had even if you go down later.

The restaurant supplies something for everyone, very good quality food.  There is even champagne and smoked salmon for breakfast if desired - we could not fault it!  We had lunch at the pool bar which had a short but varied menu, and the food was always ok. 

Camp de Mar is a little isolated with a couple of bars and a few shops.  However after reading other reviews we visited Snack Bar El Quijote with its famous owner.  However, after having one drink each, he refused to serve us another even though we had done nothing to offend anyone.  Warning, if you visit her order a bottle of wine then you can keep drinking for a while!!  You can walk to Paguera and Port Andrax if you are agile.  They are both a good walk thought woodland, but the scenery on the walk to Port Andrax is breathtaking. 

The hotel entertainment is very much "middle of the road".  Maybe it is aimed at a market a little older than ourselves, since that covered the majority of guests.  There were plenty of activities in the daytime if people wanted to take part, but no pressure applied to those who didn't.  The entertainment team worked very hard.

The staff were all very friendly and made our holiday complete.  They worked hard as a team to make the place a clean, safe environment for us to spend our holiday.

We went on 3 Thomson excursions.  Horse riding by moonlight which was excellent, the Caves of Drach which was only spoiled by the fact that you could not take photos, and theCatamaran whch we had to travel to Paguera to board but was very enjoyable.

All in all, this hotel was a very high standard and set in such beautiful surroundings.  If you want an action packed holiday, this is not the one for you.  However, if you want a relaxing chill out holiday and dont mind being woken at 8 in the morning and kept away until 11.30 in the evening by the evening entertainment it is excellent.This hotel reads its questionnaires and puts things right I can assure you.  Congratulations to the Manager who takes a very active part in everything, something we have never seen before.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2006

Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Keith and Sue 50s

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a fortnight at this hotel. Our observations:

1. The setting is idyllic - beautiful, sheltered bay with clear green water, pine trees, sandy beach, small islet reached by pier. Beach gets crowded at the weekend, when locals invade, but loads of sunbeds available (7.20 euros for two+parasol). Sunbed man has eyes like a hawk, doesn't miss a trick, like locals trying to use unpaid-for parasol shade/giving ticket to latecomers when leaving for the day. However, full marks to him for finding our safety deposit key and returning it to the hotel!

2. Shops right outside hotel - newsagent, clothes, jewellery (sterling silver + gems, reasonable price, beautifully presented - ladies, bring money!!), supermarkets, bakery etc. Note that under new Spanish legislation, ordinary shops are not allowed to sell cigarettes/cigars, you have to go to a tobacconist. We took a taxi to Santa Ponsa - there's a huge tobacconist at the seafront, where we got boxes of King Edward Invincible cigars, 50 for 43.50 euros.

3. Hotel itself very large. We stayed in a suite. Huge bed, very comfortable. Balcony a little cramped for two + chairs + table, but ok for pre-dinner drinks and view-gazing. Air con very efficient. Bathroom large - 2 basins, very good shower, lovely large, fluffy towels. Shower/shampoo provided. Tea/coffee/milk provided, no need to buy extra. Manager Juan Sallis a lovely man, open to suggestions for improvements - even providing shepherd's pie for those sad muppets who couldn't survive without it! Hugely amused by the sunbed race each day. He locks the door out to the pool until 8.30 am, but there were still some unbelievably odd people queuing at 7.30 am. GET A LIFE, YOU'RE ON HOLIDAY!! Plenty of beds available, although you may have to put them out yourself from the stacks. Big deal!!
Must admit, we used the beach mostly. Couldn't stand some of the conversations around the pool, of the 'what-a-lot-i've-got' variety, though ok if you blot them out with headphones and a good blast of Keane!! The pool is lovely, although a bit cool at first. We tended to stay all day at the beach, then cool off at the pool at the end of the day when we had roasted enough.

4. The food is good, although not as good as Los Gigantes, where we're returning next year. It's all presented in one long buffet, repeated twice along the row. Usual fare - roasts, grills, salads (but do be careful if you're allergic to pineapple, as they don't label them very clearly). Breakfasts also good, even back bacon sometimes instead of the daily smoked streaky.Toasters very slow - take War and Peace to read while you're waiting, although wouldn't go as far as one punter's suggestion of having a pop-up toaster on each table - imagine 200 going off at once! Madness.

5. Entertainment. One word - dire. The reps work very hard, but let's face it, professional they're not. Somewhat akin to school games on a wet day (and I should know!). The resident duo More than Words - she can sing, he can't. We couldn't stand more than half an hour each evening. Depressing. The professional acts brought in by Thomson or the hotel were rather better, but definitely not the standard expected of a 4 * hotel. Seen far, far better at other Gold hotels. To be fair, the comedian tried, but when he jokingly asked a punter from Peterborough if he would be driving back home from the airport in a tractor, and got the reply, "No, a BMW" I did feel sorry for him.

6. Bars/restaurants in the area. Not many. We tried the one on the islet - seafood paella superb, although don't be in a hurry to leave, as the words 'leisurely lunch' are taken as a challenge there. The Arco Iris at the far end of the beach does a superb chicken in champagne/lemon sole. The little hut place right on the beach is great for coffee.

7. Trips. We were lucky enough to get the same tour guide for most of our trips. Francesco. What a gent. He kept us entertained with his gentle sense of humour and comments. Caves of Drach - great, lovely classical moment at the underground lake. No photos allowed though. Trip to La Granja interesting - free doughnuts and a jar of jam/marmalade each. Still enjoying the orange one on me morning toast! Trip to Palma a dead loss - thunder and lightning, and very rushed. Cathedral lovely, though. Nice trip to Valldemossa, and the train ride from Soller was great, though not great if you don't like long tunnels (13 of the flamers!). The Western Encounter was the best trip.

8. Are you asleep yet? All in all, a lovely holiday in a good hotel, superb beach, great scenery. Very quiet, which is what we wanted. Don't go here if you like lively - you won't get it! The only thing that irritated us was the behaviour of some of the guests. For goodness' sake, chill. You're on holiday. You don't have to be up at the crack of dawn, and you certainly don't have to 'impress' other guests with your loud references to your perceived assets. What is the saying? An empty kettle makes the most noise?

If you choose this hotel, have a lovely time, as I'm sure you will. Enjoy!

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - August 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Betty and Gareth - Cardiff (48, 48)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from 2 Weeks at the Grupotel Playa, Camp de Mar
The location is stunning. The resort is a little small but beautiful and quiet. There are a few bars close to the hotel, the best of which is called 'Petit' which is lit by candlelight and has tables on the sand. There are a few shops in the resort, two other hotels and apartments.

The hotel was one of the friendliest I have ever stayed at. All the staff go out of their way to be pleasant and the manager has a very 'hands on' approach. The food was good and the bar service excellent. Can't really comment on the entertainment as we didn't really bother with it. Reps were helpful without being pushy.
Downside? - The hotel is very crowded, especially around the pool area and in the restaurant. You do feel a little packed in. Loungers are very close together as are the tables in the dining room. The public areas were clean and our room was clean on arrival but the daily cleaning of the room left a lot to be desired.

This hotel stands amongst the best of other 'Gold' hotels we have stayed at. We had an excellent holiday and might well return at some time in the future.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland   July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Alan. 46. 50, 51.

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from Camp De Mar and must say it is one of the prettiest places i have stayed in Majorca. Hotel is Thompson Gold so no children which makes swimming in the pool a delight and meal times heaven ( No kids tripping you up carrying plates or poking the food with their fingers). The food at this Hotel is probably the best i have had and the staff the nicest. Hotel is on the beach and all rooms have wonderfull sea view.

Entertainment is good at the Hotel but be warned the town is very quite only about 4 bars all very quiet and about 6-7 small shops. The towns of Paguera and Andratx are very close about 5-6 euros by Taxi and are more lively. Take a trip on the boats that leave from the small island connected to the beach by a walkway, we went on a catamaran on the Saturday that sailed to Palma and back about 22 euros (£15.00) 2.5 hrs each way on the boat and 3.5 hrs in Palma, take swimming stuff because they stopped at sea to swim of the boat, they did not advise this when booking so i missed out. Palma is a lovely city especially the old town and 3.5 hrs is enough in the heat of the day.

The best advice i can give is not to miss the early morning entertanment that can be viewed from the balcony every morning at 08.30. We called it the Camp de Mar fun run, it is when the doors are opened to the pool area and everyone literally runs to get their spot a complete waste of time as their are plenty of beds and umbrellas and the pool area has equal amounts of sun and shade all day. One morning i counted out 97 people we were considering running a sweep. Cant blame that on the Germans because this is an all British hotel. Overall a great holiday and would go back again.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Jun 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Ian & Pat Sutton Coldfield  (43)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at this hotel as part of a cruise and stay holiday with thomson.

The holiday itself was acceptable, however the whole experience was spoilt by the fact that thompson had given our prebooked cabin on the boat (The Spirit)to someone else and gave us an inferior cabin to replace it. Also the cruise was advertised as "no children under 16" in the brochure and there were a number of families with children in pushchairs. Thomson refused to to do anything about this and stated that they often have to double book cabins to fill the (inferior) ones they haven't been able to sell. Whilst the basic holiday service is good, If you are particular about getting a specific cabin or indeed anything that is mentioned in the brochure then I wouldn't recommend Thomson. If you happen to be one of the poor unfortunates they deliberately double book, it will spoil your holiday.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson  -  June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : John & Kath - West Yorkshire   (58, 52)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first venture into the Thomson Gold brochure, which was the result of recommendation. It will certainly be the last. We have stayed in many four star hotels over the years, and this one is easily the worst. In fact I saw nothing whatsoever that warranted this rating.

The hotel is over large and as a result cannot provide the normal four star comforts one would expect. The pool area is far too small for the number of people wanting to use it. Consequently the four hundred sunbeds are virtually on top of each other. There is no privacy whatsoever. We were recently in a four star hotel in Menorca where, if you wanted to converse with the person in the adjoining sunbed, it was necessary to shout, which is as it should be. I will make no comment on the morning sunbed race, except to say that I have never seen such terrible behaviour in what is supposed to be a quality hotel.

The dining room suffers from a similar situation, tables too close together, and the number of diners meant that it suffered from indifferent service. The food, whilst edible, was nothing out of the ordinary and often repeated. Chips were provided every evening. (In a four star hotel???).  After one week we gave up and dined at the Arco Iris bar at the end of the bay. Excellent food at very good value.

There seemed to be many complaints regarding the rooms, one couple we spoke to had asked to be moved twice. The main problem seemed to be size. As usual we had taken a suite, and whilst this was spacious, it was far from clean. After one weeks dust had built up on the furniture we cleaned it ourselves. However towels were changed daily, and the mini bar was kept stocked.

The staff, whilst friendly, spent far too much time joking amongst themselves, resulting in many mistakes, both with orders and prices. Change was sometimes "forgotten," and on one occasion they even forgot to present me with a bill. The organisation at the pool bar, particularly at lunchtimes, is a complete joke.

We were at this hotel during the initial stages of the football world cup. In the bar there are three televisions. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw staff arranging all the tables and chairs into a cinema format in front of each of these TV's on the evening of the first England match. I gave up completely when I saw scores of guests entering the bar actually wearing England football shirts. This was an appalling and somewhat pathetic spectacle in what purports to be a four star hotel. As the usual evening "entertainment" was still continuing outside the bar anyone wishing for a quiet drink was effectively driven out of the hotel.

As for the entertainment - in the daytime it was childish and absurd, but to be fair, some of the evening offerings were not so bad. But you need to be selective.

This hotel was let down by its size, its poor standards (people were entering the bar wearing only swimwear and being allowed to do so), the general behaviour of many of the clients and the poor quality food. The resort itself is beautiful, with a few comfortable bars/restaurants and a lovely beach. It is spoilt by two thumping great hotels, this one and the Riu across the road.

So, if you want three star comforts and three star clientele go here. If you want a genuine four star hotel look elsewhere. As for us, it's back to the A la Carte brochure and the comforts we have come to expect from a four star hotel.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - June 2006

Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : S Byrne - Greater Manchester  (47, 47)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Not one of the best 'Gold' hotels we have stayed in.  Hotel would rate a 3 star rather than a 4 star.  Resort lovely, but very quiet in the evening - only approx 3 bars to walk to in the evening & these are very near the hotel - much better to get a Taxi to either Port d'Andratx or Paguera, much more going on.  Low-key evening entertainment.  Be warned.. there is a 8AM dash for Sunbeds - it really has to be seen to be believed! These beds are reserved for the entire day, even though some guests only use them in the afternoon!  

Food was very good, with plenty of choice. If you manage to go further afield visit Valldemossa and Deia -well worth a visit.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Gold

Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Mr & Mrs Scrase, Luton both 59

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The choice of beverage at the bar was very limited and supplies ran out very quickly. My husband's preferred choice of alcoholic beverage is beer and upon our first visit to the bar he ordered a pint of John Smiths. When he went for a second pint the hotel had run out. He therefore had no option but to order an alternative brand, but the hotel ran out of that also. We were advised that the hotel had only 1 barrel of lager. This is unacceptable.

Our experience with the restaurant was equally disappointing. There was no Maitre D to welcome guests, and this is something we would expect from a 4 star hotel, having stayed in them previously. A la carte menus were not offered and again this is something we would expect from a hotel boasting 4 star standards. There was no champagne available at breakfast, despite it being listed on the menu. There was only one vegetable available most evenings on a very limited menu. The buffet tables were cleared away on Saturday afternoon, despite the fact that most guests were not leaving until Sunday.

The bedding, although relatively clean, was very old and worn and not upto 4 star standard. This added to our disappointment.

We raised out concerns with the Thompson reps, but found them unhelpful as they couldn't comment or find solutions. Information given to us was also incorrect. I asked about Church Service times and upon attending the Church for a service in accordance with the information imparted to me by the hotel, we arrived to find the service had commenced an hour earlier. As practising Catholics, to miss our service was very distressing for both myself and my husband.

The entertainment at night was also very poor. We would expect more from a 4 star hotel which we had purposely chosen to meet our requirements.

On the morning of our departure we felt very neglected as we were left to our own devices with no reps to be seen. Yet at the pick up after ours there were four reps helping their guests.

Throughout the course of our stay we were made to feel like second class citizens. The excuse given was that it was getting to the end of the season and the hotel was getting ready to close. This is unacceptable. We paid for a 4 star hotel, so we are entitled to 4 star treatment whatever the time of year. We paid 4 star prices, but received 2 star service, and there is no excuse for that.

Having stayed at 4 star hotels through Thompson Gold before, for example the Los Gigates, our experience at the Camp de Mar was nothing but a let down and we will definitely not be returning.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: Thomsom -  October 2005

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Barry  and Sue - Doncaster (56,55)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

First time at a Gold hotel, but it won't be the last.

Delayed arrival meant that we arrived at 4am, but were welcomed by reception staff and offered drinks etc, in the restaurant.
Our room was very clean, just as shown in the brochures, and we had a stunning sea view as well as pool view. The balcony had padded reclining chairs, very comfortable.
The food was plentiful, hot and varied, and the staff were there if you needed them. The tables in the dining room were for two people, so you could be on your own if you wanted, but parties of four were encouraged to push tables together.
There were plenty of sun loungers, no need to get up early, although it was the end of the season. Pool towels were supplied daily.

The day time entertainment was o.k., you could take it or leave it. The evening entertainment was better, which was a good job, because there aren't many pubs at this small and quiet resort.
Went to see the Pirates show one evening, good show, but maybe a bit pricey for what you got. Also went on the Western Encounter trip, which was excellent, and included a boat trip and a ride on an old train through the orange and lemon groves.

If you want a quiet holiday without children, then this is the place for you.
Although it was the end of the season, and things were running down, the staff made it an excellent holiday, one to remember.Will certainly "Go Gold" again and will return to the Playa Camp de Mar.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson october 2005

Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by :  52 ,48

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from this fantastic hotel in Camp de Mar. the reviews here are very accurate and the standard of food and accomodation is the best we,ve ever experienced anywhere in europe .

Whatever you do don't miss the "Pirates" show in magaluf a bit expensive and very noisy but what an experience . The walk to paguera past the golf course is only to be attempted in sensible shoes not sandals as the path is a mass of rocks and loose stones waiting to wreck your holiday with a sprained ankle . There is not much to do in the evenings in Camp de Mar but the hotel entertainement is really quite good so this isn't a problem the only think that really annoyed us "non smokers" was that "smokers" were allowed to light up in the entertainement lounge/bar much to the annoyance of a lot of guests there , sort this out Thomsons and the Hotel would be perfect.

Definately a place worth another visit soon

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson sept2005

Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : sue dudfield worcestershire 48 47

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

lovelly hotel the veiws are breathtaking.We used to go to the beach bar next to hotel and sit and sip cocktails listening to the sea it is a must  do not miss it.We found staff very helpfull and always pleasent the only downside was the dash for sun beds'some people had same sunbeds every day how sad is that.

Will go back to hotel sometime and cant wait.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Gold - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Susan Collier - S Wales (53,55)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Once again we found this website helpful and accurate for finding a suitable holiday.

Very good hotel indeed, deserving its 4 stars.  Food was excellent and with a good choice at every meal.  The hot food was hot, it was all well presented, and they even had British sausages for breakfast - some people preferred that.  There's a good selection of wines available in the restaurant and the staff were friendly and efficient.

The room was fine, top floor facing the beautiful bay with comfortable, padded seats on the balcony.  Room itself was a little on the small side but quite adequate, beds comfortable and none of those awful foam pillows that make you so hot.  Air conditioning worked well. 18e refundable deposit for safe deposit box and 18e to use it for 2 weeks.  Small minibar to keep our milk (we always take a kettle and teabags) and cold drinks so didn't have to pay to rent a fridge.  We also had BBC1 and ITV in the room instead of just CNN news.

8.00am queue for sunbeds is optional. You still get a sunbed at 9.00am or even at 3.00pm when returning from a day out.  Only advantage of 8.00am rush is to get a location overlooking the beach - whatever does it for you.  The sunbeds are very comfortable: they're adjustable and have mattresses. Free pool towel rental from Reception.  Very friendly, helpful staff there too.

The only downside for us was the Thomson Gold entertainments.  They were really disappointing this time.  We've been used to seeing some genuinely good acts from the UK and the ones we saw (and there weren't many to see during our 2 weeks) were tired and their jokes were incredibly old.  It was as if they couldn't be bothered.  Loads of Thomson Reps based at the hotel but evening entertainments were, sadly, a washout.

Some guests suggested it didn't help that the evening tables were set out for couples instead of foursomes.  This didn't encourage people to mix and get to know each other so well.  They compared it with the Rocamar (Gold) at Cala D'Or which is much smaller and therefore cosier.  Perhaps they were right.

There are some wonderful places to visit if you hire a car and we were stunned by the sheer beauty of the mountains.  Places like Soller (wooden tram is a hoot), Valdemossa and Deia are really worth a visit and much cheaper to drive than taking the Thomson trips, though many who did enjoyed them.  We also stopped off at three different glassworks during the week where you can watch glass blowing and buy some if it takes your fancy.

The roads are improving every year - we found lots of new stretches of motorways - and driving on the island is relatively easy and safe. 

We'd go back to this hotel again quite happily but hope Thomson do something about the evening entertainment as there's nothing else going on in this quiet little area.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Carole Withers  - Warwickshire (53, 60)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our first experience of a Thomson Gold hotel and we were very impressed - it was EXACTLY as in the Portland Direct brochure.  The view from our room was stunning - again just as the brochure.  The hotel is very friendly and extremely well run and the food was excellent.  Really there is nothing we could say to fault it - we shall definitely return.

We booked only a couple of weeks beforehand, wanting a relaxing holiday, and this is exactly what we had.  The resort of Camp de Mar is quiet, so not suitable for anyone wanting to live it up in the evenings, but it suited our needs perfectly.

The Thomson Gold reps were great.  The week we were there Simon, the entertainment's rep, was on his own when his partner rep had to return unexpectedly to England, and he was brilliant, working tirelessly for the guests, although he was absolutely shattered at the end of the week!

We didn't do any of the tours, but did enjoy the daytime activities organised by the reps - giant Jenga, Connect 4, boules on the beach, water volleyball, quizes etc etc.  To some people it might sound a bit "naff" but it was great fun and you aren't pressurised into taking part if you don't want to.  We thought the evening entertainment was good too, although people who had been previously said it wasn't as good as last year.

All in all a great holiday!

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Ian and Angela Wight - York (52,52)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Where do you start?  We arrived at 9pm and the reception staff asked us to leave our bags and to go and have something to eat before the restaurant closed, then come back to see to the formalities of registering.  When we returned after an excellent meal our bags were already in our room - and this set the tone for the rest of our holiday!
Our room was spotless and what you would expect from a Thomson Gold 4* hotel, with the possible exception that there was no tea/coffee making facility.  The view over the bay was magnificent.

The entertainment was varied, with a resident duo and specialist acts, some local and some flown in from UK, and it was all held together by an excellent host called Simon, until his assistant Temera returned from a short period of time off and she was just as good!

If you want a quiet holiday this is the place to come.  Once everything closed down there wasn't a sound in the hotel apart from the waves breaking on the beach outside.  Even on the night when there was a disco till 2am as part of the entertainment you couldn't hear it anywhere else! 

The beach is down a dozen or so steps from the hotel and is clean and has loads of sunbeds, if you feel you want to venture down there to join the locals and people from other accommodation.  The resort itself is really quiet, with only a few quality hotels and little in the way of "tat" shops, but also little choice if you really want to eat out.
The food in the hotel, however, was varied throughout, with freshly cooked items available at both breakfast and dinner time - anyone who complains about the food here is very difficult to please!

Round the pool there were loads of sunbeds, although there were a number of sad people who had to queue up at 8am to put their towel on a specific bed!  They needn't to have bothered; there were more than enough to go round.
We hired a car for a few days so that we could see a bit more of the island - we'd recommend Europcar based in Santa Ponsa, who deliver to the hotel and you just leave your keys at reception when the car's due back, no fuss and very easy to deal with.

All in all the best holiday we've had.  We'd recommend this hotel to anyone, it's everything you could want for as a base and the staff are all really friendly. 

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Mike & Sue - York (48, 45)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a very relaxing week's holiday in the Hotel Playa de Mar. I use this web site to research all the package holidays we have recently been on and they are pretty accurate so far.

The hotel was very clean and well organised.  Our room although not huge was adequate, but do take a travel kettle if not staying in a superior room and you like a cuppa. Our sea veiw from the balcony was obscured by trees, but we had an end room on the 4th floor which had a balcony extending round the end of the buiding which made up for it.

The reps were very helpful and it's up to you how much of the activities you join in with.  But the quiz is good if you are around the pool at 4pm. Also the Paella and Sangria demonstration is well worth watching and you get to taste. 

The hotel was very busy when we arrived, and on the first day we were surprised not to be able to find a sunbed at around midday when we surfaced.  We have never experienced this before on any of the Gold holidays we have been on. I am sure that this was just because it was peak season as there were plenty of sunbeds not put up, so just grab one and a parasol and sit were you can.  Or you could go to the beach instead which is just lovely, although you have to pay for the sunbeds and parasols a little over 7 Euros for two. Please don't join in the 8am rush there is no need.

The hotel sangria is excellent as is the restaraunt food.  I enjoyed the local fish and the vegetables especially.  The house red wine is good. The service as usual on Gold holidays is excellent. You don't have to wait to be seated so you can sit were you like.

The entertainment is variable depending on your taste. There were a couple of good comedians but we're not into productions so didn't watch the reps perform. Had a dance at the end of one night which was fun.  All the entainment is outside so take a cardi girls it gets chilly!

Went to see the SonAmar production it was fantastic, the dance companies were breathtaking.  The food and drink were OK, as it all makes for a great night out.  We paid the Gold option because included in the price was a good seating position, glass of champayne, photgraph and two gold towels! Lee the rep was excellent and kept us all happy and entertained on the journey home.

We went to Paguera for half a day using the Taxi outside the hotel paid about 6 Euros. Very much built up resort then Camp de Mar with lots of shops and 2 beaches. Had a long wait for a Taxi home you have to stand at the Taxi ranks and wait until one passes on the one-way system that spots you.

Really loved the quiet Camp de Mar resort although if we had been there for 2 weeks we would have had to venture out to a livelier place for an evening or two.

The restaurant on the jetty is really good for paella, sardines and sangria. Take a boat trip from there around the little coves for 12 Euros each the ticket stand is just down the road from the hotel. A lovely stroll area along the sea front before or after dinner.

Overall I would stay at the hotel and resort again but not for a while. If you like quiet then this is the place.  My only negative on the whole holiday was the resort lacked an alternative lively bar form the hotel and the transfer back to the airport went round all the hotels as we were first to be picked up very early.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: July/August 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : John & Les Morgan (57 & 53)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Have spent two wonderful weeks at this hotel and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Its location is superb; the pool and its terrace overlook the beach and is easily accessible; it is located in the centre of the small, quiet resort, with a few "essential needs" shops located immediately outside, including a bank, a newsagents and two Spar's!. A taxi rank on the doorstep and a short walk to a bus stop means you can get out & about to larger, livelier and busier places if you want/need to (Paguera, Puerto Andratx & Palma to name but a few) for no more than a few Euro's.
The hotel staff are all friendly, helpful and efficient. Everywhere is kept immaculately clean and the pool is crystal clear.

There is an 8 o'clock rush for sunbeds, but this is people wanting the same spot day in, day out!. There are plenty of sunbeds & brollies for everyone and you can move them wherever you want to.
The meals are varied and excellent quality. Nothing ever ran out and lots of it was cooked and served in front of you.
The room was well equipped with really comfortable balcony furnishings and there was space left, in the mini bar fridge, for you to put your own bits & pieces in.

Beach towels were available from Reception (no charge) and exchanged whenever you wanted to change them.
Fun & games were available, if you wished to participate, but no-one forced anyone to undertake anything they did not wish to do. Evening entertainment was varied but, as they are trying to please everyone, not all of it was to our taste. Nonetheless it was generally fairly good quality and pleased the majority.
Being a Thomson Gold Hotel, the overall plus point for us (and many people we spoke to) was the absence of the under 16's! It was really good to be able to use the pool without being jumped on, splashed, battered with a lilo or thumped with a football. To eat in the dining room without a crying, screaming or demanding child within hearing, or sight, was wonderful and to be able to have civilised conversations, day or night, was incredible! We have two children of our own, so do not dislike them, but to not have them, or other people's offspring, around made the holiday a truly relaxing and enjoyable one.

We could not find fault with either the resort, the hotel or the staff and would thoroughly recommend the holiday to anyone who did not crave a "Blackpool in the Sun" resort.
P.S. The weather was great!!

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Sept 2004

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Sylvia and Dave (44,39)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We spent a very enjoyable week at this hotel, our first Thomson Gold experience!
It was a little odd staying in an all British hotel and the all day events around the pool also took some getting used to, but the reps did everything they could to keep people entertained.
For us target beanbag, quizzes and volleyball etc. were not our thing, and as there is just one pool it was difficult to escape the entertainment. However it was obviously the reason a lot of other people come to the hotel so each to their own!

Our room faced the tennis courts so was very quiet altho not a great view.

We cannot fault the food at all which is possibly the best we've had at any half board hotel.

Camp de Mar itself is very quiet, just a few bars and restaurants. There is a lovely walk along to the horseshoe bay though which is quite stunning.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct- September 2004.

Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : Baker Family- Hereford ( 56,50,21,22),

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at the Playa Camp de Mar in the early hours of the morning and must say first apperances were better than expected. For once looked alot better than in the brochure.Nothing really to complain about, the food was great, plenty of variety and something for everyone. Evening entertainment was the best we had seen, ranging from the Thomson reps to an American opera singer. Went on one of the trips to 'Son A Mar', as were told before we went this was a must. decided to go all out on the platinum, but to be honest was no better than the standard tickets. Was a good night out and worth the visit but recomend not to go platinum. The hotel was very clean and the rooms were spacious and well laid out. The hotel was quiet but there were always plenty of taxi's outside to go to near by towns- Pagerra and Port d Andrax. The hotel reps were the best we've ever had, there always seemed to be somone on hand and plenty of day time entertainment and orgainised walks.

We also chose a good time to go because when we were there it was national tourist day, there was plenty of celebrations, including free wine with dinner and a buffet lunch, with Sangria and beer flowing! for one day we thought we were on a classy all inclusive!! 

This is officially the best Gold Hotel and we could see why! Will definately be returning!

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Gold - September 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Carol Miller - York (55, 76)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Returned from Camp de Mar on Saturday 18 September 2004, after staying for a two week holiday in the Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar.  The hotel was lovely and the staff were friendly and efficient.  

The food was very good, with plenty of choice, mostly to suit the English palate.  ALL the guests at the Playa were English.  The early morning rush for sunbeds could not, therefore, be blamed on the Germans, as is usually the case.  There is no need to join in the scramble, there are plenty of sunbeds, umbrellas and plenty of shady spots if that's what you want.  

The pool has a shallowish end with enough room for people like me, who don't like to get out of their depth.  A gentle slope into the pool gives you plenty of time to adjust to the water temperature, which was lovely once you were swimming.  The poolside area overlooks the beach and the villas of the rich and famous.  

The entertainment staff were excellent supplying plenty of activities to join in with.  Actually won myself a star prize, a Thomson Gold travel bag.  Go on join in, it's fun, and you meet lots of new people.  There's a quiz in the afternoon for those of you feeling you need to exercise the grey matter!  The only disappointment we had were the single rooms, which were very small.  Only one overlooked the sea/pool, the other overlooked the road and roundabout, which was noisy from 5.30am with refuse collections, deliveries etc, so if you want a single room, either pay for the sea view or ask for a high floor, where the traffic noise is not so obvious.  

The manager was wonderful, friendly and his presence was obvious at most times of the day.  Go to the Manager's cocktail party, have a laugh and plenty of champagne, sangria or orange juice, with nibbles provided as well.  

The daytime cheese and wine demo and the sangria and paella demo (both on Friday 12.30) were excellent, cheese, wine, sangria and paella a plenty, and the Thomson team made sure it was fun as well, well done Heather, Bex and Paloma.  Take your own shampoo, as the only stuff provided is body wash/shampoo and mine was on the OPPOSITE wall to the shower/bath.  

The resort is quiet, not many bars and NO discos (heaven), but if you want night-life Paguera is only 5 minutes away on the local bus and at 1 Euro 10 cents, very cheap, and the bus stop is only 2 minutes away from the hotel itself.  A lovely holiday, would recommend it.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland August 2004

Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Rich & Deb - Southampton ( 29, 33)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Playa Camp De Mar is a solid mid range hotel, and what it may slightly lack in food quality (which I thought was standard buffet quality), it more than makes up in location, and the quality of the staff.

The location is great for people, young and old, who want to get away from it all for a week or two. There are a handful of restaurants and bars (one showing Sky Sports footie!).

That said, you can walk to some larger/livelier resorts, and Palma is only a shortish bus ride away.

The beach is lovely (Early morning snorkeling to watch the little octopuses before they disappear for the day is a must in my opinion).

Give Camp De Mar a go - Movie stars and Catwalk Models don't usually buy homes in scummy locations!

For an hour and a half flight, I don't think you can go wrong!

We will definitely go back in a couple of years...

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Fay & Steve - Northants (36 & 39)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Resort is small and fairly quiet with a handful of bars and shops. The beach has many sun beds (Euros 7.20 for 2 plus a parasol) but tends to get very crowded at weekends. Plenty of places to walk if you are fairly fit and mobile as the terrain is very hilly.

The hotel accomodation is good. The food in the restuarant is varied and would suit most tastes although the evening dining times were 6 - 9 pm which we found a little bit early.

If you want a sun bed in a good spot around the pool area be prepared to queue before 8am when the doors open for the pool area. Otherwise there were plenty of sun beds to go around if you are not that picky about where you put it!

The evening entertainment was on the whole good. The Thomson Gold Team worked hard in keeping everyone entertained with quizzes etc prior to main acts. It was nice to see a few English comedians (only possible I guess because the holiday makers were all English!)- we found Rudy West very funny. Lounge singers though either side of the acts left a lot to be desired! Also there were so very few bar staff available that it did prove difficult to get drinks.

Overall a very enjoyable holiday with plenty of peace and quiet.

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Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Gold - July 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Lynn Walker - Bournemouth (47, 55)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at the resort, the first time we had gone without kids.  We booked a Thomson Gold holiday, but think it should be re-named Thomson 'Old'.  We knew it would be different, but I dont think we were ready to "give up on life" yet!  

The hotel itself was excellent, although maybe not what I would rate as 4 star, the food quality was very good and always freshly cooked.  The entertainment was varied, but somewhat mundane at times.  Every morning, at 8 am, there was a long queue for when the hotel opened the doors to the sunbeds and everyone rushed round like locusts to get their best spot.  Us, not being early risers, had no chance of getting a bed so found it easier to pay 7 euros for the 2 of us on the beach instead each day.  

Although the resort was very pretty and we knew it would be quiet, there really was nowhere to wander in the evenings when the entertainment "got to you", so we tended to get taxis to other more livlier resorts - Paguera and Port Andratx were superb.  We knew it would be quiet, but not as much as it was.  If you like queuing for beds, eating dinner at 6pm to get poll position for the entertainment, then this is for you.  If you like to wander down and eat around 8.30 you will not get a table anywhere near the entertainment - usually at the back where you can't hear it anyway.  

The Thomsons staff were very good and worked very hard to keep everyone amused and it was nice not having kids running here there and everywhere, but aimed at the older section of the population (although we're not that young, it was too old for us).  

All in all a relaxing week, but glad it was only a week - 2 weeks would have driven us to despair!

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Terry Riley - Stafford (49, 47, 16)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Lets start with the negatives and work up to the positives. 

The food although plentiful was very repetative - I think there was pork every night and very few vegetables. Great if you like chips with everything. By the end of 11 days we would have killed for a baked potato or even a boiled one! The beach although very attractive has shingles and pebbles at the shoreline followed by some larger rocks as you stumble your way into the sea trying to avoid lacerating your feet! Best to take a pair of sandals you dont mind getting wet.

The hotel itself had a feel of luxury from the outside and the reception and lounge area was quite sumptious. We were greeted off the coach by a porter who was adamant he was taking the cases and the next time we saw them they were in our room. 

The manager Juan Sallis appeared to be genuinely interested in the welfare of the guests and made daily tours of the hotel and grounds. Be aware of what Juan termed 'the sunbed racers' who were off the blocks as soon as the terrace door opened at 08.00 each morning. The fact that there are enough sunbeds and parosols for the whole resort makes no difference. If you don't want to join in the race do what we did and enjoy the rather pathetic spectacle from the comfort of your balcony - it looks like soldier ants rushing about below!

The reps were the best we have ever come across and answered any queries quickly and honestly. They were always at hand and helpful - even letting us borrow their personal phone charger. The entertainment was enjoyable and there were plenty of activities throughout the day if you are that way inclined. It certainly kept our 16 year old occupied and happy.

One of the highlights of the holiday was the person we nicknamed 'Supergrass' who rushed to inform the reps the second a child entered the premises to insist they and their parents were ejected immediately.Very entertaining. We felt sure had a child remained longer than 15 seconds we would all become tainted in some way, although to be honest not having kids running around and screaming was one of the best parts of the holiday.

If you are after a relaxing holiday in a quiet resort even in August then this will be the place for you. Would we return? Quite possibly.

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland Direct, June 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Pauline & Paddy, Middlesex, 57 & 58

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We had a wonderful two week holiday at the Playa Camp de Mar, it was without doubt the best hotel we have stayed in in Europe. 

The standard of cleanliness and comfort was very high.  Everyone was very friendly and helpful.  The reps worked very hard and were always on hand. The entertainment was good with the reps putting on their own shows plus professional shows.  The food was very good with plenty of choice, even for the fussiest of eaters.  

The resort was small and quiet but that is exactly what we wanted.  It was very peaceful, and relaxing especially as their was no children at the Hotel.  The location was beautifull with lots of walks. We went on some organised walks with the local interet Rep but we also went off on our own and walked to Pagara and to Port Andrax, we also did a lot of walking through the woods and climbing the hills around the bay. If you're not keen on walking you can get buses into neighbouring resorts and into Palma. Majorca is a beautiful Island and Camp de Mar is the Jewel in the Crown.  

We shall certainly come back.  We can't recommend it highly enough.

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Portland Direct) Portland DIRECT - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : ERIC AND SUE (56&54)-ESSEX

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arived back from this four star Thompson Gold hotel(14/06/04)after a weeks stay there.
I must say it is the best hotel we have stayed at in the last 25 years of holidaying.There is not one word of critism I could mention.
The food was absolutely out of this world with ample choice at all sittings.The hightlight being the choice of breakfast.

All the Hotel staff made you feel at home and went out of their way to serve you.They made you feel special.The hotel rooms were spacious and clean, with sheets changed three times a week.
All seven reps are curtious,helpful and are there practicaly most of the time in the hotel as they supervise the daytime and evening entertainment.They put on their own show one evening a week which is well worth seeing along with professional acts they provide.

The hotel and reps also lay on a welcome party and fairwell party with champage drinks where the owner of the hotel attends and personaly has his one to one conversation with you which has never happened anywhere else we have stayed.

The resort itself is very quiet with very few shops.The nearest shops are in Pagera which is a 5 euro taxi ride away.
This hotel caters mainly for couples and does not generally accept group bookings or guests of under 16 years of age (NO KIDS!!!!!).
There is ample opportunity for sightseeing as the hotel caters for many various excursions.

Sun beds were always available but as in most places there was the usual queuing
with towels at 7.30am rushing to get the prime spot for when the pool doors opened at 8.00am.
In general we found it to be a fantastic hotel and will not hesitate to return.

If you want a quiet relaxing holiday away from screaming noisy kids then I would recommend this hotel without doubt.

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Susan, Mark, Jim, Linda  27, 30 and 50 something

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We would recommed this hotel, it was absolutely brilliant, we went with my father and his wife.  His wife is disabled and found everything to be very accessible for her.  The swimming pool had a walkway down into it which is brilliant for people with mobility problems, because most hotels we have been to in the past have steps down.  There was also a ramp down to the beach.

We cannot fault the hotel at all, when we first arrived at 12noon, the rooms were not ready, they gave us a free drink in the bar while we waited and also a free bottle of wine in the restaurant at dinner.  We did not expect this as rooms are not usually ready until 2.00pm anyway.

The evening dinner was fabulous and plenty to choose from, even for picky eaters.  The breakfast was also excellent all the usual eggs, bacon, sausage etc, and the omeletes were to die for, however if you went on a trip which leaves at 8.10/8.15am you have to contend yourself with a continental breakfast which was a bit of let down.

We would recommend this hotel to anyone, even though it is more geared towards the over 50's my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as we wanted a quiet holiday with no clubs or pubs and it is exactly what we got.  If you wanted hustle and bustle then Paguera is a 5 euro taxi away and Santa Ponsa 10 euro, so well within easy reach.

The hotel gives a beach towel to each guest and when you want it changed, just exchange it at reception, free of charge. There is also plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas, although the usual queues at 7.30am waiting for the pool to open at 8.00am.

The Thomson trips are pricey but in this resort you really have no choice but to go with them.

We found this to be a very exclusive resort, Claudia Schiffer, Michael Schumacher and Boris Becker all have houses here.

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Sspt 2003

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : rob 53 hilary 49

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was absolutely superb,clean friendly,food was of a very high standard.We went mid Sept and the average age was 60 ish but that was not a bad thing as it made me feel young.The reps were very helpful and the entertainment team were always cheerful.Would recommend upgrading the room a bit pricey but well worth it as the space was as good as you would get in the USA.

Camp de mar was a lovely little bay although a bit quite but taxi's right outside the hotel were always on hand and the price to e.g. Paguera was only 5 euros about £3 and also a bus service that took you to Palma was good.Loads of sunbeds at the hotel so no need to get up to grab a sunbed like many people did sad muppets!

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Gold - Aug 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Steffan & Judy (29 & 30)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We ended up in the Hotel Playa on a Thomson Gold - Allocation on arrival basis.
We were very pleasantly surprised when we were dropped of at the Playa at 3am in the morning. The luxury foyer & reception bedecked in wood & marble led us to believe that they had put us in wrong hotel.

We were given a good sized room with spectacular views across the beach & out towards the sea.

The Hotel staff were very friendly and the cleanliness was very apparent. The food was also very good with an extensive array of local & British foods. It was very tempting to have 2 dinners a night & end up waddling home 2 stones heavier!!

We were slightly disappointed that everyone staying at the hotel was British. We would have liked a more international feel. The amount of similary overweight, moaning, picky couples was too much to bear at times. If they complain so much about the lack of some home comforts why did they leave home in the first place! No wonder many of the locals think the British are obnoxious. We are all tarred with the same brush.

The British feel was also reflected in the Entertainment which was mediocre at best!
The house band, "Old Rust" I think they're called, were woeful. They turned some of the best songs ever written into monotone dirge! They also served up the same patronising patter night after night.
The main acts were the same as usual, pandering to the middle aged "Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside" clientelle. The majority of the older residents seemed to like it though. Years of the Royal Variety Show, Blackpool & Bingo must have created an immunity to lacklustre entertaiment.

The reps at the hotel were very friendly & helpful. Emma stood out as a very talented singer (unlike some of the others!)

The resort itself was quiet but very picturesque and relaxing. The beach & sea were very clean & there were some very good restaurants along the front which specialised in seafood.
A nearby bar called Petit Bar was our favourite haunt in the evening. It was right next to the beach & candlelit throughout. The staff were excellent & a good laugh too.

The towns of Paguera & Santa Ponsa were only 10-15 mins away & the port at Andratz was a bit more lively with a plethora of good locally caught seafood restaurants.
The wonderful city of Palma was only 45 mins away on the bus too.

The well publicised race for the sunbeds was apparent at the hotel. I have never seen over 60s move so quickly at 8am in the morning. We stayed in bed an hour later & still managed to get a good spot around the pool though.

On the whole we really enjoyed our 2 weeks in Camp de Mar. A great place for a relaxing 2 weeks away from city life.
True, the hotel entertainment was not to our taste but we went out most evenings anyway.
The Hotel itself was excellent, only let down by some of it's residents.

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - august 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : lisa and bruce (23 and 24)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was probably the best holiday we have ever had in Majorca.  Camp de Mar is a very quiet town with a few shops, pubs and a beautiful beach.  However, if you are looking for nightlife, Paguera is only about 2km away(about 5 euros for a taxi) and Santa Ponsa is about 8km away (about 10euros for a taxi).  The hotel was absolutely fantastic.  There was poolside activities going on all day organised by the Thomson reps and there was entertainment every single night - good variety of acts to see.  

The food could not have been any better.  For breakfast and Evening meal- the choices were endless.  There was always plenty to pick from and not any two nights were the same.  Drinking in the hotel was not too bad and the waiter service was excellent.  They were very helpful and friendly to all guests.  We definetely would go back to this hotel again!!!

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson June 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Carole, Chris, Gill, Dave (mid-late 40's)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Holiday lived up to our expectations.  Hotel spotlessly clean.  Food varied and very enjoyable, easy to eat too much!  Perfect location if you want a quiet beach holiday.  Say 'ola' to sunbed man on beach who works from early morning until late evening keeping the beach looking great and calls all the ladies "Maria". Entertainment good especially some of the cabaret acts. Thomson rep Emma was a good all round entertainer.  Quizzes are a must.

Walk to tower for superb views of the bay.  Wear sensible shoes and take plenty of water.  Go down the other side to Paguera and stop off at lovely cove, if you are lucky you will get it all to yourself.

We went on two excursions, both highly recommended.  Western encounter booked via the reps, is a perfect way to see the 'other side' of island.  Lovely mountain scenery and super trip on wooden train!
Day at sea on catamaran booked with lady at bottom of beach road.  Wonderful relaxing day under sail with superb paella and sangria lunch. Swimming off the boat at various stops.

Bar Iris across from hotel is a lovely place for a pre dinner drink as you can catch the last of the evening sun. Lively Irish bars in Santa Ponsa, a short taxi drive away. Wonderful seafood served at restaurant on beach island at lunchtime. Buses and taxis very convenient.
Overall this was a very enjoyable holiday  and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys walking, swimming, spectacular scenery, good food and Sangria!!!! 

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Hotel Playa - Camp De Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson (Gold) June 2003

Opinion submitted in June 2003 by : G & M Roebuck - Tayside Scotland  (51 & 48)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Beautiful hotel set in scenic location, & kept immaculate. Staff very friendly and extremely helpful. Good food with an excellent choice to suit most tastes though repetitive - we stayed 2 weeks and the menu was the same each week (sweet dishes were same each night - icecream, jelly, fruit,rice pudding, creme caramel and cake/gateu. Rooms kept clean but maid service could have been better - on a few occasions we were out for 5 hours+ & room still not made up! Bar waiter service on terrace was extremely slow and they hadn't a clue as to which tables they were serving-quicker to go to bar. 

Entertainment okay-guests from neighbouring hotels as this was the only one with entertainment. Beach on doorstep which was just as well as the golden oldies were Q'ing for sunbeds at 8am and it was a mad rush-would not have believed it had we not seen it ourselves-amazing how quick and agile they can be when a sunbed is at stake!! On the whole a lovely hotel if you are looking for a chill-out relaxing break. Bus service a bit erratic until you suss out the timetable(!) but plenty of taxis-4 euros to go to Paguera 5mins drive and always someone willing to share  (NB double the price in the evening returning to Camp de Mar). Paguera also has a lovely beach and plenty eating places/bars/shops etc. but very much German orientated (nothing against them!)with some places writing menus only in spanish/german. New bar just been opened 3 weeks called Breezers-english owned, very nice, reasonable prices. Andratix market very busy with all usual stalls, and Santa Ponsa is also nearby with plenty of nightlife, bars, shops etc. Brilliant weather during our stay (30-33 deg.)Reps Sarah & Jason both helpful and nice and Emma has a good singing voice.

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Hotel Playa de Mar - Camp de Mar[Paltignum]

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Richard Cook - Cardiff [40,35,2]

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Poor

My/Our Holiday Opinion:   

`Platinum` - sounds good doesn`t it - sort of better somehow............and indeed it would probably be so if your name was `Hans`or `Eva` or `von` something.
However being Welsh we do not fall into this category and we found the overwhelming German bias of this[RIU] hotel made for long dull evenings after great days on the gorgeous camp de mar beach.

First the room [room - place of dwelling,usually denoting `space`....]swinging cats would be a luxury in what was offered,where simply trying to stroke said feline would be arduous.In addition to this the air conditioning offered in these rooms was about as effective as  my 2 year-old daughter blowing over a packet of polos for 10 seconds out of every hour and necessitated obtaing a duplicate key as it only worked when you were in the room -platinium, remember!

However our greatest ire was reserved for the `full cable TV as offered as inclusive in this deal,sorry,platinum deal.12-15 channels German 3-5 channels Spanish and 1 yes count them, 1 English channel!
And.....,guess what!? That`s right it was BBC World!24 hour news!-The evenings just flew by!What my daughter didn`t know of the geopolitical situation anywhere on earth after 11 `fun` nights just wasn`t worth knowing!Move over Tim Sebastian!

So,it came to the last day.Could we have a late check out?Don`t be silly sir!This is a platinum hotel!Just wash in the communal shower of the delapitated health club -thanks!

I could go on but just thinking of the hotel tires me,basically if you have children don`t go there, the rooms are too small and will crush you in heavy pulses of boredom.

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Hotel Riu Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: Holidays4U- June 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Marcus & Chi Chi (33,21)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We wanted to take a short 5 day break to somewhere quiet, where we could get our feet up and relax.

On arrival at the hotel we were greeted with a glass of wine each (which was a nice feature), then our luggage was taken to our room by the porter.

The rooms are not massive but are very clean and well furnished with fridge, safe and tv.
We had a wonderfull view from our balcony overlooking the pool and onto the sea, a fantastic sight to wake upto in a morning.

We stayed all inclusive but were left very dissappointed with the quality and selection of food on offer.

Breakfast was the same everyday!
Cereal, Bread, Fruit and for those who like a nice cooked breakfast it was Bacon, Egg (Fried or Scrambled) Sausage & Baked Beans everyday, just no variety.

The poor thing about lunch was it was served in the dining room. After many previous experience's of all inclusive it has always been served outside on the terrace, which makes it easier than having to get dressed and go indoors to eat.

After hearing so many good reports about the quality of Riu hotels we expected excellent food, but would have to say it was very poor indeed.

Both Lunch and Dinner were very similar with three Chefs cooking and serving either Fish, a Roast Meat or Fried Meat plus a selection of cold meats,salad and vegatables.

For our first three evening meals we were offered Roast Pork, the next evening Fried Pork strips and to top it all the next night Pork curry!! Had they just bought a load of Pigs???

The meat during our stay was very poor to say the least and i would recommend the hotel change there Butcher!

Our other dissappointment at the hotel would have to be the entertainment.
All five evenings watching the members of the entertainment team dancing around the stage, miming to recorded music wore a little thin!
But with not many bars in the resort it leaves you with limited options.

All in all if your looking for somewhere to relax in a quiet and scenic resort then Camp de Mar is for you, my only advice would be to stay at the Grupotel Playa Camp de Mar next door.

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Hotel Riu Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Barrie and Janette Walker [57,52]

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Stayed in Hotel Riu as part of a Thomson cruise and stay. Admittedly we were spoiled on board The Destiny but our weeks stay was a big let down. 

We had been told we were going to a quiet resort but did not bargain for the fact that there is nowhere in the whole resort with entertainment apart from the two main hotels.Entertainment in the hotel can only be described as enthusiastic at best, but very amateurish. Rooms in the hotel were of a good size and very clean, top marks to the domestic staff. Food in the restaurant was of a good quality and no one would need to go hungry. 

The pool area was excellant and the pool itself was also very good, however getting a sunbed in a good position (at the risk of sounding racist) was impossible as the large number of german guests had taken them all by 7am every day and kept them until 6pm every evening. The resort beach is small but very clean and so long as you stay on the sandy beach very safe. 

We will most definitely not be going back to Camp de Mar ever again.

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Hotel Riu Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: Med hotels - February 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Sally Wynn - Bath

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel staff are very polite and offer a very good service. The restaurant was also very good stayed on all inclusive basis. The food was cooked in the restaurant in front of you, as it was needed, so the food was always hot and fresh. A good choice of food at all meal times.

We were the only Brits there, the rest was Germans but that did not stop us from having a good time. The bar staff were brilliant, if you try to speak spanish it is much appreciated by the staff. As you should, as you are visiting them, after all why should they speak English? 

Camp del mar is a very quiet resort not much there.The hotel is on the beach. Bus service every day cost 3.45 euros to Palma. 4KM to Port D' Antriax about 50 minute walk, recommend a visit especially if you want night life.
 
Overall I would definately recommend this hotel, if you want a peaceful and relaxing holiday.

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Hotel Riu Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: Independent - Feb 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : John and Jane

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just got back from Camp de Mar. We booked our holiday independently for the first time and are now looking to do it again.  we chose our hotel and booked the flights.  We stayed for 7 nights at the 4 star HB RIU Hotel in Camp de Mar for a total of £177 each (including the flight).  Taxis were plentiful outside the airport and it took about 25 minutes at a cost of 38 euros (around £26).

The hotel had more Germans in it than English.  But we didn't mind as that's adds to going away.  The staff were friendly and the service first class.  We were welcomed with a glass of bubbly on arrival and shown to our room.  The food was plentiful but a bit greasy and salty for us and I think a week was just about right.

Although it was February the sun shone and we managed to come home with a bit of a tan.

Camp de Mar has a beautiful beach just breathtaking and well worth seeing. If you are looking for quiet this is the place to be.

Over the road from our hotel is the Hotel Playa which was closed up and the few shops and pubs there were were also closed. We found a lovely restaurant along the beach which served fresh salmon cooked in Martini (well worth trying).

We will definitely go again.

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Hotel Riu Camp de Mar - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - july 2003

Opinion submitted in Aug 2003 by : neil and jan caisley (52,48)

Resort Rating: Below Average

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the general standard of the hotel is very good. everyone is most professional. nothing seems to be too much trouble, they'll help if they can.

food : the standard and variation of meals was almost excellent, breakfast,lunch and dinner. the waiters are friendly and efficient. the packed lunches, however, leave a lot to be desired.

room : the rooms are quite small but after a bad start on the ground floor with a palm outside the window which totally blocked the 'view' we were moved to the third floor with a lovely view of the bay.

entertainment : the hotel entertainment was only average, being kind to them. you could go across the road to the thomson gold hotel which has two big advantages 1) no kids and 2)'good' entertainment not aimed at keeping the kids happy

poolside : as the hotel guests are predominantly german you can imagine how easy it was to get a sunbed, not. there are two small areas which have been developed by the local council just outside the hotel boundary which are at the sea front, unfortunately you have to pay six euros per day for two sunbeds.

the place : camp de mar is the quietest place i've ever been to for a holiday. it's beautiful but dead. you can travel to peguera and andraxt which are close.

overall : we had a lovely time once we got into our sea view room, there are two reasons we won't go back, the village is too quiet and the hotel was full of kids!

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Hotel Villa Real - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: Self-made package - May 2004

Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Jerry Guite - Sheffield (40, 44)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Villa Real is the smallest of the hotels in this quiet resort on the SW Coast. Built in 1956, it has lost little of its charm and is exceptionally well maintained. I last stayed there in 1983 and 21 years later, it's in even better nick!

Booked independently on internet, with flights with Jet2.com and Holiday Taxis transfers - so no waiting around for the masses at Palma Airport. The cost per person worked out about 50% of the cost of the same holiday with Thomson incidentally.

Had room on second floor - simple, spotlessly clean and comfortable. Everything you need really, except no TV, but then I don't go away to watch TV.

Half-board basis comprised buffet breakfast and evening meal, which is waiter service. This meal is set, and you only have a choice of starter (soup or fruit juice) and desert (cheese, ice cream or creme caramel for example). However, food is simple, fairly well cooked, nicely presented and there's enough of it. If you're a fussy eater, then you might decide to skip one or two items during a week long stay, but otherwise it's OK.

The staff in the hotel are very helpful and friendly and speak good English. There is a pool bar, a seperate bar in the basement and some beautifully elegant public lounges.

Camp de Mar itself is very quiet - little to do except for the beach. Our last two days were cloudy and rainy, so we headed off to Palma, nearby Peguera and to Andratx for something to see and to dine somewhere different.

The quietness could be a problem for some, but then don't choose Camp de Mar if you want all-night action and throbbing night clubs!

The hotel is featured in Thomson's Small and Friendly brochure, and as such, attracts a more mature clientele. I am 40yrs old, and was almost certainly the youngest guest staying that week.

Overall, a delightful and somewhat more traditional hotel full of charm. I just hope it doesn't surrender to the outside world and loose its appeal. I don't think it will. Reccommended.

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Hotel Villa Real - Camp de Mar

Operator and Date: July 2003

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Chris & Harry Cleveland

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel Service was good and the food adequate. However the bedrooms leave much to be desired.  First room offered was no bigger than a single room with a balcony overlooking local taverna. Second room had balcony that overlooked a brick wall and the furnishing needed up dating.  After complaining to Thompson rep was allocated room at front of hotel overlooking bay.  Much better room with lovely view, however the noise level was untennable due to the traffic from the large hotel opposite, which came and went at all times of the day and night. 

All in all the holiday was disapointing in that lack of sleep prevented us from enjoying the beach and surrounding areas.  One positive finding of the holiday was a small cove with excellent bay - Callayamp (hopefully spelt correctly).

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Canyamel - Majorca

Canyamel Classic - Canyamel

Operator and Date: global late deals thomson flights

Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : danny-hertfordshire 38,36,13,8,2

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

im only writing this review as i could not find one anywhere before we went to canyamel what a beautiful little part of majorca this is great beach and friendly people the only problem being it is very german and scandinavian and not best suited for english but having said that we had a great time we did see the odd english couple or family but very few and far between 

if your looking for a quite non commercialised resort this is the place. You can go out to dinner and not have your children be distracted from there dinner by bouncy castles and rides like they do in menorca everything is so relaxed.The staff at the hotel/apartment are very very helpful we had a massive 3 bed/2 bathroom /2 balcony apartment it was huge but very under equiped but after a slight moan the next day they provided us with a toaster/hair dryer/iron/ and microwave oven im mean come on this was meant to be 4 star it should have had it anyway the maids cleaned everyday and changed your towels everyday. 

Do not go all inclusive at this place the food is more for germans the couple we met said it was disgusting a guy i spoke to who runs the ice cream bar down the road said it was the first year canyamel had been all inclusive and they had not got it right boy you could say that again, do not eat at the mini golf bar next to the hotel the food is not that good and the service is poor the pizza place just down a bit is fantastic we practicaly lived there and its a nice family run place.There are other places to eat but when youve got 3 kids in tow its a bit hard and you have to keep things simple but nice not to see a macdonalds/kentucky/burger king/chinese/indian for 2 weeks the nearest chinese is 10km away.

All in all we got what we wanted from canyamel a nice relaxing family holiday great weather great beach no in your face stuff i would certainly go back but next time with my german translation book because those people not all of them but some of them are rude and were definately talking about us because we were english and we loved every minute of it.    

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Colonia Sant Jordi - Majorca

Colonia Sant Jordi Club - Colonia Sant Jordi

Operator and Date: Booked direct online - 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : 51, 57

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was of a very high standard; we were particularly impressed by the cleanliness and the frequent changes of towels and bed linen.

We were pleasantly surprised on our arrival at the Hotel Colonia Sant Jordi Club. Our accommodation, although fairly small was spotlessly clean and very well equipped. The hotel is set in beautiful grounds, which are impeccably maintained and cover several acres of landscaped gardens. The food quality was to a very high standard although somewhat repetitive. The hotel is very well equipped with a variety of outdoor pools and an indoor pool together with a sauna and gymnasium. There are plenty of sunbeds around the pool and in the grounds and the hotel bans reserving them. The staff were very pleasant and helpful and attentive to all our needs.

The hotel has 3 dining rooms and a table is allocated to guests on their 1st night for the entire stay. You are given the chance to change the table if you are unhappy with being stuck in the middle of the room, as we were, and were subsequently moved to a window table with a view over the salt lakes. The evening dining is done in 2 shifts at 7 and 9 o'clock. We took the later time to avoid all the screaming kids but unfortunately this meant it was after 10pm before we emerged for the evening entertainment.

The nightly entertainment was varied some very good, some very bad but surprisingly was in English as a first language. On the bad nights one could retreat to the piano bar and relax to jazz or other varied performances.

The Guests staying at the Colonia Sant Jordi Club tend to be mainly German; we only met one other English couple during our stay, this however was not a problem for us and it made a pleasant change not to hear loud and whinging Brits all day.

The hotel is situated a short walk from the small town of Colonia Sant Jordi which offers a very small beach and pleasant harbour with a few shops and restaurants, if you are seeking and active night life then this is not the place to be. We did miss the bustle of Cala'dor in the evenings, which is about forty minutes drive away, but as we had a car for the duration of our stay (which I would thoroughly recommend) we were able to spend a few evenings there.

We will certainly consider returning to the Colonia Sant Jordi Club next year and I would have no hesitation in recommending it as a delightful and pleasant hotel.

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Costa de los Pinos - Majorca

Eurotel Golf Punto Rotja - Costa de los Pinos

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson  - July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Sarah Swan - Scotland (44, 39, 16, 13)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Fabulous holiday

Just returned home after a fortnight stay at this brilliant hotel.  We booked largely on the basis of the other reviews on this site, and were not disappointed.

We booked through Thomson, although might well book direct next time.  The holiday company did provide a taxi from Palma Airport to the hotel.  (One word of warning, Palma Airport is huge; if you have walking difficulties of any type, a wheelchair is essential.  You walk miles.)

The hotel is the only one in the resort, which is largely made up of very upmarket villas.  This made it blissfully quiet, and it was very clean and well maintained.

Check in was very efficient, and the rooms we had were great.  Both had a full sized fridge, which was brilliant for storing drinks etc.  Very nice roomy bathroom and loads of storage.  We had a side sea view, but also had a mountain view, which was most attractive.  Very efficient air conditioning, and the maids were also very helpful and thorough every day.  One shortcoming was a lack of an information folder in the room; it would have been helpful to know how to get beach towels, when bars etc opened.  A minor point, as reception was very helpful.

Pool quite large, and beautifully clean.  There were a good number of sunloungers, and plenty of places to sit in the shade.  However, it did get very busy over the weekend, and I wonder how guests manage peak time.  The gardens are beautiful, and you walk through them and down steps to the beach.  That is rather small, and obviously artificial but attractive.  There is a marina adjacent to it, which is full of very expensive boats.  If you have a sunlounger on the beach, you will be charged 4 euros a day, although they are free around the pool. Beach towels are free, although you pay a deposit.  They are changed every morning by the pool from 9.30 till 10.30.

We were on half board, the breakfast buffet was excellent, and the evening meal superb.  A good choice served buffet style, but you can also have meat or fish grilled fresh for you.  Restaurant staff were fantastic, most speaking four languages.  One helpful point, if you don't want a whole bottle of wine every night, they are very happy to recork it for the following night and lots of people did this.  There is a lovely a la carte restaurant overlooking the sea, we didn't use it, but others said the food was fabulous.

The drinks prices were OK, not as expensive as some hotels we've stayed in.  There was some evening entertainment, but it was pretty low key.  Not much else activity wise, but our kids really made friends with others there and just enjoyed swimming, snorkelling and playing pool and table tennis.

We hired a car for a week, if you hire through Avis they deliver the car to the hotel for no extra charge.  There are some interesting places to visit nearby, we particularly enjoyed the Caves of Drach.  The nearest town is Cala Millor, rather touristy but useful for chemists etc.  The village has a small but well stocked supermarket.

I really was one of the best hotels we've ever stayed in, judging by the number of people who return every year I think others agree.  We will definitely be returning.

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Deya - Majorca

Hotel Es Moli - Deya

Operator and Date: August 07

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Iain 57, Edd 57, Rachel 54, Lynne 54

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel is set in the lovely village of Deya, this is a beautiful part of Majorca very unspoilt and an ideal place to totally chill. T and the food is a very good standard, we initially booked a weeks B&B but quickly changed our mind and switched to half board on tasting the first evenings dinner.
The hotel staff were very helpful and the pool area is comfortable with adequote sun beds around the pool and in the gardens
Not a great deal to do at night but we had a lovely week.

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El Toro - Majorca

Bella Vista Apartment - El Toro

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Samol - Poland  32 - 14 - 8

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Bella Vista Apartment, situated at El Toro, between Magalluf and Santa Ponza, South West Majorca.

This is the place for total relaxation, very quiet surrounding, use of a private swimming pool, BBQ and even attemot to make your own bread in the bread oven.

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Hotel Port Adriano - El Toro

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Sarah Hawksworth  - Sheffield

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Arrived at the Hotel with My family, Husband (43) and our Son (9).

The Hotel was very Modern , Fresh and had an Elegant , Contemporary feel.

Our room as promised was full sea view as indeed are all rooms in this hotel, clean and plenty big enough to accommodate our Son on a larger than average camp bed and comfier than average too ! Our bed was enormous and came as a real bonus to my 6'3" Husband.

The hotel pool was stunning and one of the best features of this hotel.

The Hotel also had a fitness center, gym and indoor pool and jacuzzi. I would think this really comes into its own in the Winter months. To be honest the last place we wanted to be was indoors so I cannot offer any opinion on this facillity as I didn't use it.

The Hotel was extremely pretty and consequently is a very popular venue for location fashion shoots and weddings. Though neither events spoilt our holiday they were none the less obtrusive as we found ourselves having to stay still in the pool for fear of being 'in - shot'. The weddings took place in the area around the pool used as the lunch time restaurant, and one in particular was a little loud and continued until 5 in the morning !

The service at this hotel on balance was good but very slow and depending on which member of staff came to your aid would depend on the level of courtecy received.

Be aware that the hotel food is quite expensive. A Club Sandwich was 12e and though nice was not FABULOUS. Something to bare in mind if you are only on B&B.

The evening A La Carte Restaurant was quite nice though again not FABULOUS and the lighting was very very low so it was hard to see exactly what you were eating !

The location of the hotel was high up and built on the cliff top. It over looks the Port Adriano Marina. Though not quite up to Porto Portals New Money Status, it does have one or two nice eateries. All around 100e with a bottle of Rioja.
The walk down the hill to the marina is quite steep but do-able in Jimmy Choos but the hike back is definately not and proved to be a real pain for us and we are qute fit!

A hire car would definately be a real bonus at this hotel, not only to make the trip to the port more enjojable but also taxis were an absolute nightmare to get. The hotel staff regularly called us taxis that would arrive 40 minutes later.

Nice restarants in the port were Utopia and El Faro. La Lechuga the poshest out of them all and most expensive was good but spoilt for us by a waitress with attitude when we sent back a foul G&T.

Very good fish restaurant in Santa Ponsa called Miguels. On the main drag and very  'local' but the food makes up for everything.

We did enjoy our stay at this hotel but were disappointed also. I hope my comments help.

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Hotel Port Adriano - El Toro

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Jeff Scotland 50 Trish 45

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel Port Adriano Hotel wonderful service, friendly staff,accomodation best ever.

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Private Apartment - El Toro

Operator and Date: August 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Dave Haddon   56, 32

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This villa is an excellent place for total relaxation. The use of the private pool is great it is always kept clean and tidy, if you do require to spraed your wings then it is a short journey into Magalluf or Santa Ponza.

This place is highly rercommended.

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Private Apartment - El Toro

Operator and Date: June 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Andrew Haddon - Newcastle (32,31,6,1)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we were on holiday in alcudia in June 2003 when I was at a internet café and I  stumbled across a web site www  palmanovaagency  com, on the properties page was advertised a villa apartment so we contacted them at flattolet@yahoo  co.uk we didn't know what to expect but the reply came back with some pictures of the villa which looked great. 

It turned out to be a 3 bedroom apartment in a private villa with swimming pool, large sun terraces and the works.  So we booked up for are next holiday for June 2004 The people were brilliant they gave us lots of info on what to do and what to avoid, it was just like having our own villa without the huge cost. Although it was in a quiet place between magaluff and Santa ponsa it was not far from all the fun of Marineland the water parks and some fabulous shows like pirates.  It was only a few minutes in a taxi to all these amenities and the night life. The taxi was mainly only about 4 euros which isn't much and there where buses at the bottom of the road.  

What a great place for a stress free holiday I will be definatlly be going back here and have told all my friends and family about it. 

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Fornalutx - Majorca

Petit Hotel - Fornalutx 

Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Finlay Currie - Scotland (47,49)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We've stayed at the Petit hotel in Fornalutx many times over the last few years.

If you want a romantic, peaceful, laid back holiday this is the place to go. Don't expect everyone to speak fluent English, don't expect easy parking if you've got a car - it's a village, space is
limited!

The Petit hotel is within walking distance of all the local bars, restaurants, shops and banks.
The staff do their utmost to make your stay enjoyable. You get clean towels and your room
cleaned every day - extra towels are available for sunbathing or whatever, Jacuzzi, sauna, swim - all available in the garden of the hotel.

This is rural Mallorca - not Magaluf - it's safe, it's quiet, there are limited choices in what to do - but the scenery is magnificent and the people of  Fornalutx are charming and friendly. Don't
expect everyone to speak fluent English, but everyone will try their best to give you what you
want and make your stay special.

Go to the Bella Vista - Tolo & Michelle's restaurant - for ok food, superb views, good service and clean toilets.

Go to  Bar Deportivo in the plaça and  get a 'taste of Mallorca' - watch the world go by, good
service, reasonable prices from the best barman in Mallorca - Migeul.

C'an Antun's restaurant (the first on the left as you come into the village from the 'high road' gets rave reviews in all the tour guide books - for better service and the same quality of food, go to the restaurant next door, you can't go wrong - only two restaurants side by side, think it's called ~Es Turo.

Don't go to Cafe Med in the square of Fornalutx - it's over-priced and nothing special. If you're
looking for something different to eat - explore Puerto Soller, you can get a lovely meal at Ses
Oliviers on the bay, a great curry at the Indian restaurant beside the beach, a good Chinese meal nearby also. Soller too offers different choices - the main shopping area has a good selection of
restaurants - we've tried a few and would recommend them.

If you do decide to go to Fornalutx, please don't tell too many people how much you enjoyed
it - too many tourists would spoil the experience.

One tip  . .  if you want to see the island, hire a car. You need to go to the port or to Soller for public transport.

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Illetas - Majorca

Barcelo Albatros - Illetas

Operator and Date: Expedia July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Peter Sadler - Ipswich (56,48,46,45)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

the small private beach is a very small area of concrete and hardcore big enough for three unbrellas. It is approached by steep uneven steps and getting into the sea from it is very difficult indeed. The nearest real beach is 15 minutes walk away. This is a small, sandy public beach in a pretty bay. It gets very busy, is popular with locals and overrun with teenagers each afternoon.

The Barcelo Albatros is an average Mediterranean hotel - average bedrooms, really small bathrooms. Not what we would call four star! The food is the stadard Med buffet and ok - there was generally something you could eat. The service standards were the worst we have come across - much worse than other Barcelo hotels and light years away from our normal Thomson Gold and Platinum experiences. Customers came a very poor second. When the 'owner' had a party the bar and entertainment areas were closed to hotel guests and the 'best' china, cultlery and glassware were taken from the restaurant.

Illetas was nothing to write home about - plenty of closed down shop and restaurant units, much graffiti and little for holiday makers. The resort had far more Russian guests that anywhere I had previously experienced - even the Germans had left. The transport infrastructure - buses and taxis was good. Access to Palma and further afield was good.

We experienced seven episodes of rudeness from locals (road rage, queue jumping and ignoring us in shops) and got the feeling that they did not want tourism. Local did not seem to want to work in a service industry. An increasing number of staff were South American / East European. Most of the guests I spoke to in the hotel will not return.

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Barcelo Albatros - Illetas

Operator and Date: first choice/sovereign July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : 42, 38

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have not rated this resort as it was very very small and lacked any feel of being a holiday resort (so much so we asked to be moved for our 2nd week)so I feel it can't even be called a resort.

However the hotel is lovely for a really peaceful relaxing break with access to Palma amazingly simple. (1 Euro on the bus outside the hotel stopping every 7 mins throughout day/eve and approx 12 in a taxi)

The best thing about the hotel for us was the beautiful terraces overlooking the med from the bars and restaurants it was really lovely, romantic and relaxing.

The worst thing for us was the fact that there was absolutely nothing to do anywhere in Illetas or the hotel with regard to feeling as though we were on holiday.  We like quiet holidays but this was way too quiet.  That said some people appeared to like it that way, although most people seemed to agree with us in that it lacked a holiday spark.

With regard to the pool area it was a  basic shape (I would have liked a larger and more shaped terraces and pools area) but it was very scenic and felt lovely and quiet and again had views over the med.  We managed to get a sunbed every day at some point during the day but people were reserving them.  The annoying part was they were reserving them early and then turning up at mid day.  Our only gripe about the pool area was that at the weekend the hotel opened it up to the public and this totally changed the feeling of the hotel for the worse.  It was then over run by people screaming and children running about and bombing in the pool etc which was the total opposite to the other days so I'd suggest Palma.

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Barcelo Albatros - Illetas

Operator and Date: Independant - July 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Paula & David - Rothwell, Leeds (36, 43)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked direct with this hotel - very cheap deal for 4 nights in July half board
The hotel is excellent, extremely clean throughout and furnished well.
The reception staff were extremely helpful and spoke good english

We had a side sea view room with balcony, double bed (if you request it when booking)television with 2 english channels. Mini bar (which costs extra) plenty of wardrobe space including hangers.
Bathroom was spotless and towels changed daily. The walls however are pretty thin - we had an old spanish couple next door who it seemed had left their hearing aids at home and continually shouted at each other.
Otherwise the whole resort is remarkably quiet. Just a hand full of cafe/restaurants.

The food was absolutely fabulous in the hotel - a buffet breakfast serving fruit, eggs, cheese, pastries, meats and toast amongst other things

Evening meal was also buffet but with so much choice of local food - paella, casseroles - not a chip in sight. Children (unless adventurous) may find it a bit difficult to find something they like.
Deserts were amazing - too much choice you have to try them all that's my excuse anyway !
Plenty of sunbeds around the pool with comfortable cushions - you don't need to reserve with a towel. The pool was lovely and the whole pool area overlooks the sea with a small "private beach" although no sand just pebbles. There is also an indoor pool and jacuzzi and small gym but very hot indoors.

If you are looking for a totally relaxing holiday then you would enjoy this hotel - livelier resorts are only a taxi ride away but very little within walking distance. Older children would probably find this hotel too quiet so an ideal break without the children - we left our 3 teenagers at home for that reason.

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Barcelo Albatros - Illetas

Operator and Date: july 2005

Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : anna 35, paul 37, lucy 2

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

fabulous hotel, didnt specify requirements and was given a suite with sea veiw over the bay. only 32 euro in taxi from airport.
very friendly hotel with high standards,good meals with lots of choice, (cava at breakfast).although staff slow at snack bar at busy lunch time.

pool area very relaxing and quiet with great veiws,lots of sunbeds what ever time you arrive.childrens pool and park area great for young children although not many children there.
resort quiet five or six bars and a few restraunts.
if your looking for a relaxing holiday couples or families with a little bit of luxury with high standards and away from the crowd here is a must,booking up again to go next year.

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Hotel Bon Sol - Illetas

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Select July 2004

Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Louise French 33, Terry French 47, George and Harry (6,1)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Fabulous, just heaven! 

On arrival we found the Bon Sol a little outdated and old fashioned but this turned out to be what we loved so much by the time we left. Our extremely spacious two bedroomed family room was just great, the furniture is not modern but boy is it comfortable! Proper sprung beds and comfy armchairs, kettle, lots of english speaking tv channels and the most comfy slippers ever (worn to breakfast daily!!!) The hotel will appeal to those seeking high standards, relaxation and not too many children. Our own children were treated like kings with a wonderful mature spanish nanny - they ate dinner at five while we got ready for our four course gourmet dinner which we ate alone while they had a ball at the kids play room! 

The hotel has its own private adorable beach and swimming pools with waterfalls and beautiful flowers everywhere. It is just wonderful - GO!!!  

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Hotel Bon Sol - Illetas

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Louise French - Ipswich (32, 47, 5, 1)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I simply cannot recommend this hotel enough, it is unique and worth every penny! If you like a holiday that is luxurious but not snobby, with home comforts then this is for you. It is a traditional style and not modern - but it has bags of character - antiques, oil paintings, beautiful lounges and restaurants. The rooms are clean and so comfortable - kettle, slippers and BBC1!!!

The pools are warm, tropical gardens surround and the little beach is so divine, with little rock pools. There are nannies who care for your children if you wish - they can eat home cooked food for their every whim at 6pm with the nannies and then go to a playroom while you eat your four course meal in peace!!! Please God let me be able to return very very soon.......  

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Hotel Bon Sol - Illetas

Operator and Date: (Sovereign Direct) Sovereign - June 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Carol And Peter (55, 52)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a week in the Hotel Bon Sol.  It is the finest hotel we have stayed in.  It has been run by the same family for 51 years and they treat all guests like friends.  People go back year after year and we are going back next year too.  (The weather was lovely - 30 degrees plus every day.)

The hotel is set in a hilly resort called Illetas, some 20 mins by bus from Palma. Whilst it is quiet there are a few nice bars and restaurants there.  (No tacky ones).  There are also two lovely small  beaches within 5 mins walk of the hotel.  The bus stops ouside to Portal Nous, ten minutes away, where there is a lovely marina just like Marbella and Puerto Banus.  Very chic with high class boutiques and restaurants.

We had a junior suite on the third floor  ( only 4 floors in all) with a stunning view of the Bay of Palma. The accommodation was superb, beautifully furnished and spacious.  There are furher rooms and villas in the landscaped gardens leading down to the private little beach which is so pretty.  The hotel is like an old Mallorcan manor house with fine oil paintings, armour and statues in the public rooms. There is a lovely conservatory where you can have breakfast, or you can eat in the reataurant right on the private beach.  

The dining room is excellent, also beautifully furnished in red velvet with starched white linen tablecloths and a lovely decorative fountain.  The food is exceptional and the service of a high standard.  The drinks are very reasonably priced.  We enjoyed a good bottle of wine with our meal every night for around 9 or 10 euros.  People tended to stay in the hotel in the evenings as the drinks were no dearer than the bars ouside and the entertainment was good too.

This hotel tries hard to please you. The owners mingle with the guests and want them to be satisfied. We have never stayed anywhere quite like it before and can't wait to return.  Although Sovereign were OK we will book direct next time.

We recommend this hotel to anyone who expects a high standard of accommodation, good food, beautiful surroundings and excellent service. Roll on 2005.

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Hotel Bon Sol - Illetas

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson A La Carte - September 2003

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Janette and David (43 and 48)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Overall
A 'nice' hotel. Not worth of Thomson's 5T rating.  Public rooms are very pleasant, filled with artefacts and antiques. Good food, friendly staff. Let down by rooms,  (in particular the bathroom) and the location.

Staff
Most of the staff are very friendly and keen to assist.

Clientale
Most guests over 60.

Illetas
Not a lot to do in Illetas and as the Bon Sol is on a hill, any venture out meant an up hill walk one way.

Lay-out of Hotel
This hotel is most definitely not suitable for those with mobility problems.  It is set on a number of levels.  To get to the beach it is necessary to go down numerous steps and across roads or to take two lifts from reception and walk through under road tunnels (and then more steps).

Public Transport
There is a regular bus service (stop not far from hotel) to Palma - costs one euro each way.

Meals
Breakfast - There is a breakfast room in the main hotel and breakfast is also served in the beach restaurant (not tried).  Reasonable choice and quality. Smoking and non-smoking areas.

Dinner - Restaurant in the hotel and beach restaurant (have to book the day BEFORE you wish to eat at beach restaurant, book early or you may not get a table).

Hotel Restaurant - Four course waiter served meal, choice of soups, starters, main courses and deserts/cheese.   Service excellent.  Unhurried - each meal felt like an occasion. Wine mark up is about 300% on supermarket prices. Smoking and non-smoking areas.

Beach Restaurant - Again four course, but here, starter and desert/cheese buffet.  Food and service not as good as hotel restaurant. On three of the five occasions we dined there, in spite of asking for well done lamb/steak/salmon, it arrived at best medium.  To make matters even worse, on two occasions, even when the meals sent back they returned still medium!  Setting very good, some tables outside looking onto the sea. It was evident that waiting staff were less experienced/trained than those in hotel restaurant.

Lunch
Beach bar - limited menu, small portions (especially the fries, 3 euros for, probably 25 thin, mass produced fries). 
Hotel bar - baguettes better than at beach bar!

Entertainment
Nothing to make you spend the evening in the hotel bar. 

Bar
Very pleasant staff.  Very, very slow service.

Rooms
On arrival we were allocated a room on the third floor which had a narrow balcony, with a sheer drop below it.  We asked to be moved and were allocated a room on the first floor.  The room (101) was fine, furnishings good quality, bed very comfortable, but all a bit tired looking. 

The bathroom was not fine.  Maybe in mid 1970's it was high tec, but in 2003, the only solution would be a refit.  The tiles around the shower end of the bath actually had black mould in the grout, this could be wiped off.  It took the hotel almost 48 hours and several complaints before this mould was cleaned off.  On our last night the sink began leaking and dripping. 

It was, however, nice to have tea and coffee making facilities.

Overall room was not five star quality at all.

Pools
Several pools, biggest one close to sea.  Not heated. Plenty of sunbeds. Not at all crowded. No music, no entertainment, no enthusiastic representatives encouraging participation in 'fun' things - excellent!

Thomson A La Carte
Having received no contact from Thomson asked hotel when representative came to hotel.  Were shown Thomson book and when representative visited.  Visited representative.  Apparently we should have had an envelope on arrival at airport (we were not only Thomson guests who had had no contact).  She told us that Thomson did not do 'Welcome Meeting' for A La Carte and that we could contact 24 hours by phone if we wanted to know anything (at our cost!) She also said that she visited hotel as thought that this was not sufficient.  Although the absence of a sales type welcome meeting is OK, contact with basic details would be helpful (eg local transport, quirks of hotel etc).  Bon Sol is not the representative's usual hotel, but it was disappointing that she did not even know that the hotel had more than one restaurant!

On the day of departure our taxi was late, hotel phoned Thomson and representative said it was on the way - delayed because of rain.  It eventually arrived, 25 minutes late (by now 1 hour 20 minutes before flight departure), driver saying late because of traffic!  He said that his company had phoned the hotel, this was not true.  The taxi absolutely stank of cigarettes and the whole rushed journey was most unpleasant.  Remarkably the driver expected a tip, he did not get one! We arrived at the departure gate just in time.  Not what we expected from A La Carte.   Have written to Thomson in this regard and will update my review when I receive their response.

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Hotel Bon Sol - Illetas

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson A La Carte - May 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Sandra Miles - Swansea (50, 47)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This has to be the best hotel we've ever stayed in. On arrival you are given a complimentary drink from the bar (whatever you like) while you fill in a little form with passport details etc.  We were then directed to our room and because we were on honeymoon we were automatically upgraded to a suite.  The room was fabulous with views over Palma and the bay to die for! All rooms are individually furnished so no two are alike and the furnishings are of the highest standard. We had a TV (with BBC1), fridge, tea & coffee making facilities, safety deposit box (at no charge), complimentary fruit & wine, sunbeds, table & chairs on the balcony and beautiful furniture.  The hotel has just celebrated its 50th anniversary and has been in the same family from the beginning.  It is crammed with antiques & oil paintings so it is rather like staying in a castle than a hotel.  The hotel is set out on three terraces and by either walking through the gardens via steps or by taking lifts and tunnels under the road you eventually find your way to the private beach.  

There are also 4 swimming pools on the different terraces and masses of sunbeds everywhere so you never have to reserve a bed with your towel!  There are a choice of 2 restaurants for evening meal - one in the main buiding (quite formal) and one in the beach restaurant (less formal and very popular - you have to book a table in reception for this one as there are only a limited number of tables). The food is excellent in both. Breakfast is served either in the conservatory restaurant overlooking one of the pools or in the beach restaurant. The selection is wonderful and you even have your fried eggs, omelettes, scrambled eggs etc cooked individually for you.  I cannot speak highly enough of this hotel and the number of returning guests and staff who have worked there for years speaks for itself. I can't wait to go back.

ps the bus-stop is 2 mins walk away and a regular bus takes you in to Palma for 1 euro each way and takes abour 15 mins. Bus times are on the reception notice board.

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Europe Playa Marina -  Illetas

Operator and Date: August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Tracy, Paul and Sophie - Worcs. (37, 39 and 6 )

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

I have posted this review because info on this hotel and resort is very difficult to find.

The Playa Marina is next door to the Hotel Bon Sol in Illetas. This is primarily a residential resort with only a handful of hotels and a lot of apartments. It is very quiet and reserved in Illetas with only a handful of bars and restaurants, do not come here if lively nightlife is your sort of thing.

The hotel itself has been refurbished and is immaculately kept. It is part of a German group of hotels and the majority of guests were German and Spanish, some Italian and Russian. We found the reception staff extremely courteous and helpful and fluent in all languages.

We had a room on the third floor with a good sea view towards Palma. The air conditioning was efficient, mini bar stocked on request, key pad safe 12 euros a week. Our only gripe would be the lack of room to get around the pull out sofa bed, it had to be folded away as soon as our daughter got up. If we visit again we would book and pay the extra euros for a suite. Hotel is also quiet and reserved, no loud music, no need to reserve sunbeds, right on the sea but no beach. (Take a left turn out of the hotel and walk for 5-10 mins, lovely, clean beach, sun beds and parasols for hire, couple of beach cafes and an extremely upmarket and contemporary beach club). Many of the guests swam in the sea first thing in the morning. There is a small circular pool, it was never crowded but be warned it is very deep.

Tucked away to one side of the sun terraces is a mini club open from 10am - 1pm, not the most inspiring activities available but our daughter enjoyed making friends with the other children and generally playing.

The restaurant has a lovely terrace dining area where we ate breakfast every morning. Meals are all buffet help yourself, fairly varied - you could find it repetitive if you are not prepared to try continental dishes. Drinks at dinner are charged to your room, they are quite happy to reserve unfinished bottles of wine for the next day. Staff attentive and polite.

The was 'entertainment' four out of seven evenings we were there. The only one I can bring myself to recommend was an International dance troupe that I am sure we saw in Tenerife last year! This is the one area that we felt seriously let the hotel down. Not a whisper of a mini disco to be had (even though the hotel advertises one). Evening bar service very slow but if you can get Juan Carlos to make your cocktails and cappucinos its worth the wait.

Other general info - daily papers from newsagents up road, turn left out of hotel and cross road at top, shop on left.
Bus stops just outside Bon Sol next door, there are two routes, one to Palma (20 minutes) and the other as far as Magalluf via Portals Nous etc. Very reliable bus service and very cheap, clean , air conditioned buses.
Reception will phone for a taxi, takes about ten minutes to arrive. Cost us 6 euros to get to the marina at Portals Nous (ten minutes).
We went to Palma Cathedral and walked around the old town. Lovely.
We went to Marineland. Tacky apart from the dolphin show, worth it just for that.
The Marina at Portal Nous is a real people watching place, we enjoyed a stroll there one evening admiring the yachts but didn't spot any celebs.

Visit the Playa Marina if you want a quiet, relaxing holiday, we would certainly return there again.

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Riu Bonanza Playa - Illetas

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson April 2007

Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Durham 50, 50

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

First time to Majorca weather was wonderful and the hotel gave the 4 star standard it deserved.  Staff were more than helpful and nothing was too much trouble.  Bar area lively with lovely marble floors throughout and wonderful views across the bay lots of comfy sofas if you wanted to sit away from the cocktail crowd.  Gardens well laid out and they are extending the area for more sun bathing space.  No beach here and pool freezing but a nice walk either direction will take you to a couple of nice coves.  Food well presented with a good selection even ate at the pool bar at lunchtimes as other restaurants outside the hotel were on the roadside and for a small place this was a busy road with buses passing on a regular basis, not conducive to having a few beers and enjoying the view as most of the hotels have taken over the sea front area.  Rooms clean and comfortable although a bit on the small side.  Some of the evening entertainment a bit dire but it was early in the season. No problem keeping our room as had late flight back which makes such a difference.  The hotel also kept restaurant open on our arrival as we missed dinner. Just a cold buffet and a couple of beers but a nice touch.  

Altogether a nice place for a quiet weeks break, would go back.

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Roc Illetas Playa - Illetas

Operator and Date: independant - july 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : claire moore - berkshire  (62,34,6)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

this holiday was a last minute booking and with any holiday you get what you pay for but not this time it was beautiful, the hotel and staff were great couldnt have been more helpful and friendly, 

the resort was lovely very quiet not for anyone looking for lively fun place you can travel into palma, palma nova portals nous and most places in bay of palma very easily on the bus which stops otside the hotel the food was fantastic not like other hotels. it was fresh and tasty and the outside eating area has views to die for looking over the bay watching the boats coming and going very relaxing the pool was not very big or was there enough sun loungers but we always managed to find somewhere. 

the beach is a 5 minute walk and is small but lovely there is good restaurant there. in all illetas has a handful of shops and restaurants not ideal if your self catering but if your looking for a relaxing break this is for you. 

i will definatly be returning to this resort and hotel. 10/10

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Roc Illetas Playa - Illetas

Operator and Date: July 2006

Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : 40,36,7,1

Resort Rating: Poor

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked this hotel with flexible trips through Thomas Cook TV arrived with a baby and a child at 7.30pm to be told they were double booked with a shrug of the shoulders as if that would be sufficient !!!

Reception staff said we could stay at their sister apartments for two days in Palma Nova then return to them as they would have space then, they then had the cheek to say the apartments we were going to was much better than theirs and more suitable for our children.

When we phoned our contact at Flexible trips we were directed to a middle man company that deal with complaints (what does that tell you!!)

We then had to arrange our own transport to Palma Nova from Illetas a taxi without a baby car seat, which is only available in a taxi if it is taken from the airport.

I would not risk my child's life or break the law in Scotland by having him sit on my knee, but it seems the only option unless we wanted to sleep on the streets.

After we arrange a taxi we went to Palma Nova Roc Apartments and were given a room and told we would be going back as they had no room left if we wanted to stay any longer. The apartment we were given was full of personal photographs of someone's grandchildren and we had the feeling we should not be there.
After two days we were told we could stay and move to another apartment in the block or go to Roc Illetas Apartments.

We then had the decision to return to someplace unsuitable for children (as stated by reception) or just unpack and enjoy the rest of our week. We decided to stay as the oldest had made friends and enjoyed the entertainment.

The day after the pool turned dark green/brown and had to be closed for 2 days, there were a variety of reasons for the pool to turn a toxic colour from the direction of the wind, the rain, hair dye and fake tan!!!

If you ask me it was most likely sewage as the colour descripted.

I will not be booking with Flexible trips ever again the company that promises  "the up market wide range of facilities in a chilled and relaxed environment with the bottom line being  that Flexible trips can get you, give you and guarantee you anything and everything you could ever want on the beautiful island of Mallorca" or then again maybe not, you decide.

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Hotel Rui Palace Bonanza Playa - Illetas (Near Palma)

Operator and Date: Made own arrangements Nov 2003

Opinion submitted in Dec 2003 by : Lynne and Dudley Bennett (late 50s)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This was our 3rd stay in this hotel and it was as good as ever. We went in November and the hotel was about half full, the food is superb and the staff are marvellous, so friendly and welcoming. On arrival you are sat down with a glass of champagne whilst all your details are taken, you have a reserved table for dinner, breakfast is sit where you like. At breakfast the staff bring tea or coffe to your table then you help yourself.

The bar staff went out of their way to be friendle to us, this is a mainly german hotel( could this be why the standards are so high!) only Thompson Al A carte and Palmair(Bournemouth) go to this hotel apart from specialised firms who create a pacakage for you.The situation is right on the sea, Illetas is a small resort with a small beach a handfull of bars and shops so is fairly quiet although in the high season must be busy as there appears to be a lot of self catering accommadation there.

This is not a hotel for children, there were a couple of children there who the staff made a big fuss of but there are no facilities for them, this suited us as we were after a quiet relaxing break.If you want high standards of food and service in a relaxed friendly atmosphere this hotel is to be highly reccommended

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Lluc Alcari - Majorca

Hotel Costa D'Or, Lluc Alcari

Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook Select - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Duane Robinson - Shrewsbury (43,42,14)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This hotel is set in a most picturesque, peaceul setting on its own just a few minutes  driving distanc away from the village of Deia. The staff were excellent, our room was clean, well presented and it's balcony view looked out across the sea, well worth the extra.The breakfast was inc. the buffet was european and varied, the chef would cook to order omelettes and eggs. I thoroughly enjoyed eating profiteroles on a couple of occasions, cereals were readily available as was fruit.

The evening meal was al a carte. We ate in the first evening, but we explored the island, so we ate somewhere different each night. A car is essential to get the best from stopping here. To get to this lovely hotel you head for Soller which has a tunnel through the mountains, it was 4 euros each way. I would like to go back to the Hotel Costa D'Or,  although its not been put in the next year's Thomas Cook Select brochure.

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Paguera - Majorca

Beverly Playa - Paguera

Operator and Date: Octopus - January 2005

Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Andrew Hall - 24 and 22.

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We went to the hotel - not knowing what to expect in the off season, but having read reviews, guessed we would be of the few, if any british there.

The hotel itself was fine - nice and clean. Wasn't too impressed with the hot breakfast we were promised - it turned out to be a typical continental type.
The breakfast waiters were not too friendly either.

After sweating buckets on the first night, we realised that the hotel had the central heating on!!
We switched it off in our room.

Despite it being January - the weather was very nice. touching the low seventies on more than one occassion.

The resort (am guessing with it being off season and full of old germans) didn't seem to stay open late. On our first night, we struggled to find anything open after we got there at 9.30pm. Eventually we found a chinese restaurant.
Even during the day, not all of the shops opened - again, it will be different in peak season.

We ended up staying in the hotel for the other nights we were there and watch the entertainment. A cabaret on Friday night and a quiz on Saturday - which we won!!
(A camp Spaniard hosted the quiz. Quite amusing watching him ask the question in german and then realise there was two english groups there!!)
A 20 question quiz lasted about 3 hours!! - each question having to be spoken in German, English and then Spanish for a family who joined in half way through.

TIPS: Hire a car and go to a lovely beach on the old road to Port Andratx. I can't remember the name "Play del...." and it doesn't look much, but the resort is being redeveloped, so the little cafe "Cafe Diplomat" on the beach should be quiet until the peak season. Lovely food and friendly service at a reasonable price - slightly cheaper than the not so good, bland food you find in Paguera itself.

The new supermarket at the very end of Paguera as you head to Port Andratx on the old road is very cheap - better than the Spar's. It has an underground car-park if you don't fancy walking the lenght of the resort with carrier bags.

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Beverly Playa - Paguera

Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel Lite - Sept. 2003

Opinion submitted in Oct 2003 by : Keith & Irene - Leamington Spa ( 54 & 52 )

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel is right on the beach within a lovely secluded bay which is one of three within the resort. This is the ideal resort for those that are looking for a virtual child free holiday. The last place open in the town is 1.00am. No "British Pubs or Fish and Chips" in this resort. It is mainly German but English is spoken throughout. Excellent restaurants with great variety. This is a return location for us.

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Hotel Club Europa - Paguera

Operator and Date: Internet booking - August 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : The McDonalds - Cardiff (50, 37, 5yr old twins)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from a blissful 10 days in Pegeura, Majorca staying at the Hotel Club Europa.  You won't find the hotel in any of the UK based tour operator's brochures you'll have to book on-line.  The resort is popular with the Dutch, French and German people.  We loved it.  The Club Europa is a fantastic place for a peaceful family holiday.  It has 3 pools (never too many arguments about sunbeds either!) and the apartments are grouped in buildings of no more than two storeys (there are a lot of them!) The hotel offers self-catering and all-inclusive options. Rooms are larger than many we've experienced and you get a two ring hob and fridge type kitchen area.

There is a Mini-Club for the 4-11yr olds (younger children can go if accompanied by a parent)and endless activities such as 5-a-side footie, volleyball, water polo, darts, boules for the teenagers and adults all very popular (the Strongest Man and Family Olympic Day gave us the best laughs!!)

The Entertainment team were fantastic - (Raul, Maggi, Ruben, Matt, Virgine, Femke and Lewis if you are reading this we miss you, Star Trekkin' and Schnappi!!) and we enjoyed the mini-disco each night with the children (it started at 8:30pm).

Adult entertainment started at 10pm and the whole complex was peaceful by midnight.  We really can't praise the place enough.  Don't go there if you are after all-night entertainment, loud music, drinking long into the night and a 18-30 style Magalluf-type break!  We'll be back!

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Hotel Cupido, Paguera

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson, May 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel was ok eventhough the rooms are a bit small and the breakfast is German(yuk) but the receptionist was friendly unlike the German guests. The beaches (there are three) are lovely.

Paguera is a lovely resort, predomantly German but there are about 20 British bars from tacky to lovely . We have been to Stonie's, a Scottish nice bar with very friendly owners, Archie and Carol, good breakfast and other food. We also found a great Live music bar ¨The little red rooster¨ run by  Dave and Jolanda a British and Dutch couple who had the best guitar player we ever heard.
If you visit Paguera be sure to visit these two bars!!

Magie Jones , Kingston, London

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Hotel Eucalipto - Paguera

Operator and Date: Abbey Travel Aug 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Richard Shipley - Nottingham (40, 40, 13, 9)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Below Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

If you are thinking about using this Hotel I would advise people to think again.  This hotel is lucky to have any stars at all. 

Staff- The majority of staff made the british feel unwelcome by slamming drinks down on the bar as they appear to resent the fact that the British are all inclusive. Thwy also made what I would call racist comments by saying that "these people will drive me mad with their demands" (refering to the British).  The only time they speak english is when they are telling off the children or asking for the payment of the Baleric tax which they only inform people of on depatrure and not on arrival.

Food - German cuisine, This is not a problem itself. However it was the same everyday the choice was non existent.  For very young Children it would be a nightmare. The Hotel is penny pinching for example you are not allowed a small sachet of butter at lunchtime as these are served at Breakfast only and requests are refused. Water is not served at Breakfast and therefore not allowed. How Ridiculous!!!

Rooms - Basic and Clean but no air conditioning which unfortunately for us we were told would be in the rooms.

Pool - Small but not once was it cleaned.

Overall I thought the hotel was below an acceptable standard and that the staff did not want us there. I would NOT recommend anyone to go there.

The resort of Paguera itself is good the Beach is superb one of the best ive been on.

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Hotel Eucalipto - Paguera

Operator and Date: malta/sunshine bargins - July 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : LB  and CN 19 yrs

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

HI ya just got back from my holiday at eucalipto and swore to myself id write one of the only reviews on the internet ive found about it! I searched long and hard b4 i went and found one review and and one home page.Well i hope my opinion helps.

Eucalipto has just begun there all inclusive status in 2003 and its only for the uk guests the germans are still there half board. This is kinda strange to go half and half as it results in the germans getting the better service as the waiters are getting more tips for them.

Eucalipto has turned all inclusive to attract the british ,I dont think they realised what hit them! THe british at the hotel where far more boisterous and loud compared with the germans and caused more havok!The hotel attracted alot of couples and a few very young familys it does not really cater for familys looking for loadsa entertainment and things to occupie the kids.

Food- by the time you go i think there menu will be improved as it seems like they where interested in feedback on the menu as they are NOT used to catering for the british pallet a fairly german orientated still. However i enjoyed 5/7 meals. According to my partner who has been on other all inclusives there was not a lot of food choice compared. But it was enjoyable enough.

Drink- had to wait a bit too long a dinner sometimes for the waiters to realise you were staring at them coz u wanted a drink. The bar was friedly but closed a bit early at 11 the cocktails where blimin strong and  small (served in plastic cups) the bar men were pleasant.

Accomodation- the rooms where ok quite small but i didnt spend a lot of time in them except for one hungover day. They all have a balconey some overlooking the pool but i wasnt really bothered. Bathroom was nice and clean. The maids where good. The only big downer is they dont have air conditioning they  have  AIR CIRCULATING BLOWERS. A lot of peeps complained but hey we're british.

Pools- the pools are nice warm and clean the bar pool is pretty deep but it keeps the kids confined over in the other seperate pool on the otherside of the hotel which itself is grassy and shady and shallow and also gives access to the tiny indoor pool.

The beach- is fantastic about a 5min walk not even that its just down the hill. sun beds about 7 euros for two with an umberella shallow sea gorgeous sand, only pedlos for watersports fans though:(

Resort- very german but bearable every one spoke english that i spoke to so that was nice.Has about 3 clubs not very busy during the week  but bearable if your drunk!  Didnt go out much to the other bars but yourll soon find the handfull of english bars that do actually exist . the resort is above average expense wise.there is a good cheap bus service to take you to neighbouring towns magaluf and palma ect.

magaluf is about a 10 min taxi ride and a 15-20 min bus ride closer than we thought but certainly not walikng distance.palma is about an 40 mins on the bus.
Lot of peeps went into magaluf for the night life  and came back the next morning.
any way i think this is the longest review ever but its one of the only ones at the mo so i hope its helpfull see ya

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Mar Y Pins - Pagurea

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - March 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Nathan Blake Birmingham (24) Chris Tonn West Bromwich (27)

Resort Rating: No rating

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Well, where do I start
The resort on a whole was not very good and had nothing for people under the ages of about 50. The hotel Mar y Pins was a nice clean hotel with friendly cleaning staff. The bar/waiter staff did not speak much English if any which was annoying at times. The in-door pool was rather small with the majority of tourist coming out from a swam with bubbles and blisters all over. There wasn't much on offer after dinner time of an evening and the bar closed at 22:30 with nothing on offer until 8:30, which on an all inclusive isn't really on in my eyes and the rest of English holidays makers didn't agree either. 

I wouldn't really recommend this resort as there is nothing to do and has very little English speaking people. Apart from all that it was a good holiday, I suppose you make the most of it and look for Bar Caloui, English Bar ran by a Yorkshire couple (Lovely).

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Mar Y Pins - Pagurea

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson March 2005

Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : paul harriman-leicester (21,22,22,24,29)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: No rating

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The resort was O.K but there was not much for young people to do, luckly for us we found a English bar and the people there were really freindly and looked after us, it was called Caloui Bar.

We went on this holiday thinking it was all inclusive but there was no food or drink(not even pop or water) available from 10.30pm-8.30am)the food was terrible and we ended up eating out most mornings and nights, the bar staff were very rude and spoke very little English and tened to turn there noses up at the English but treated the Germans with great respect.

The in door swimming pool contained that much clorine that it changed the colour of my shorts from blue to brown and har also burnt the legs of some of us.Well what more can be said i have complained to the hotel with no response so for.

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Mar Y Pins - Pagurea

Operator and Date: fleetway travel - 2004 / 5

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : jim mcmillan - edinburgh (29-03-05)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Hotel was great but they did not cater for british people.
Food was very poor,they served veal every day.
had to look for bar staff.
This hotel is based for german tourists.
But if you need to eat out you must try the the bar calilou just up the road.
What a great place to eat,drink and you will feel welcome and have a great laugh with the owners.
must rate this bar 10/10.
p.s must sign shirt on wall in bar.
hotel rate it 4/10.

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Ponent Apartments - Paguera

Operator and Date: July 2004

Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Michelle

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just recently returned from Pegeura. We had a wonderful holiday. 

It was the first holiday we had booked independently so we were a little nervous. Hotel was well situated on the beach. The resort was mainly german but that was no problem to us. 

The resort was lovely most of the night life was based in the restaurants. it became quite busy at approx 9 - 9:30 in the evening. We spent most of our time in the evenings at a small bistro overlooking the see across the road from our appartments. The food is the best we've tasted abroad. It had been recently owned by an english couple (Eden bistro bar) Kathy and warren. Warren was an english chef which was instantly apparent when you were served as the presentation was and food quality was not comparable to anywhere else in the resort the homemade desserts were delicious. We cannot praise them enough.

Visited Aqua city in el arenal. Great place for the family but expensive 20 euros per adult to get in 3 euros for the sun loungers and 4 euros for a locker that you could only access twice anymore than that and you paid again if you wanted to use on of their rubber rings it was another 4 euros with 10 euros deposit this all added up. However the water rides were brilliant and the whole day went very quickly.
Visited port soller whilst there and that was also beautiful.

Looking forward to going back to same resort and appartments all of the appartments in the resort looked well kept

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Apartments Ran De Mar - Paguera

Operator and Date: Alpha rooms  June/July 05

Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : 46/45/14

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The Ran de Mar apartments are clean but basic accommodation in a lovely, quiet resort. If you go when its really hot then take or buy fans as you will need them!!! Large rooms and balconies, beds a bit hard, enough utensils to get you by if you want to eat in and the supermarket underneath the apartments is great for fresh baked bread. Very handy for the beach which is only a 5 minute stroll.  Parking can be a problem but we managed okay. Loved Paguera even though there are not many Brits,it has a lovely atmosphere and feels a bit "posh". You can go into Santa Ponsa or Magalluf in minutes by taxi or very cheaply on the bus.  

Would definately go back to Paguera, maybe to these apartments if the price was as cheap as it was this time. Not the Ritz but great value for the money.  

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Apartments Ran De Mar - Paguera

Operator and Date: June 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Jennifer Flockhart (33) - Audrey Watson (47)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The apartments are basic but good value for money.  If your rooms are at the front away from the pool area then it can get very noisy due to the traffic and the night club opposite!  To keep you right and fed and watered, you must go to BAR CALILOU, Yorkshire owners Mike and his wife just cant do enough for you! 

Paguera itself is one of the safest, cleanest resorts ive ever been to, great for couples, families, older people, it has a little bit of everything for everyone!

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Apartments Ran De Mar - Paguera

Operator and Date: fleetway travel aug 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Andy,Monica,Gemma and Natalie Morris- Paignton,Devon (36,35,9,5)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We were a little unsure about Paguera when we booked up.It was a really cheap deal we got, and expected the worse. 

The apartments had very little to offer there wasn't a reception  for most of the time. We had to pick up our key from the hotel MAR Y PINS 50 meters away which offered all of its services to the apartment guests(which was nice!).The rooms were cleaned every day without fail, new towells,beds made, new linen couldn't fail it for cleanliness.

It's a very safe area for families, some noise of an evening time but we were overlooking the main street above a supermarket.The area is mainly German but the British are returning, there are a handful of British bars/restaraunts the HARP IRISH BAR is a must and tucked away just off the main street .A really freindly place where the food is homemade, great and not expensive, they have happy hour for 3 hours some nights .If you've got kids they will love it, we were there till 3 one night the kids were all getting soaked with water pistols they loved it.

There is a place there for fantastic Italian pasta and pizza (best ever) called (CAPRI),You will go back again.The beach is a typical Majorcan beach soft white sand and the water is safe with at least 2 lifeguards on patrol.The nightlife is quiet compared to other parts of the island but we were only 10 mins from magaluf and 15 mins from the airport.   

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Hotel Reina Peguera

Operator and Date: Just - Dec 2003

Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : C Saunders - Essex

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

It would be hard to fault the Hotel Reina.  Rooms were well furnished and spotlessly clean.  Bathroom well equipped too.

Food was excellent - plenty of choice, well served and the waiters were all extremely pleasant.

Reception very efficient and charming

Although the clientele was mainly German, the hotel did not forget other nationalities and the entertainment was multi-lingual.  (Not being enamoured of hotel entertainment such as bingo, I couldn't comment on the quality as we went out most nights)

The hotel is also well placed for wandering down to the beach or along the pedestrianised road parallel.

All in all, a good choice for a post-Christmas break

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San Valantin - Paguera

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson -  Feb 2004

Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Amanda Burt - Edinburgh

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

BEDROOMS - The hotel had just re-opened when we arrived. It had been freshly painted and was very clean. The rooms were spacious enough to move around without bumping into anything! They were cleaned everyday and the maids always gave a friendly hola! The room we were in was on the top floor (5 floor hotel)There was a balcony to sit on a watch the world go by. We were lucky in that the room overlooked the beach (although there were a view buildings in the way - not that it can be helped)

BAR & RESTAURANT - The bar and restaurant staff were really friendly. Although this is mainly a german resort (there were only 4 british people staying and about 70 germans) the staff can get by in English. Although they are fluent in German. The bar staff were always smiling and willing to help.

RECEPTION - The reception staff were not very friendly. They did not seem to want to help and did not seem interested in their guests. I never saw them smile once in the week stay. However don't let this put you off as the rest of the staff were friendly.

FOOD - The food was served in the form of a buffet for breakfast and dinner. The food was generally good and well cooked. There were different things each night. There were soups, breads, cheeses, salads and cold meats and a selection of hot meals to choose from.

ENTERTAINMENT - We went on holiday in Feb and the hotel had just re-opened so there didn't seem to be much going on. There was a carnival one night. But everybody was speaking in German. However we just sat in the bar and relaxed with the friendly bar staff who were dressed up.

THOMSON REP - The rep (Anna) at the hotel was great, she was always willing to help and was very friendly. We got enagaged while on holiday and she even gave us a bottle of champagne and some fruit. The rep tells you all about different tours you can take.

RESORT - The resort was nice and relaxing although not too quite. There were a few British pubs open when we went. Including the Harp which is an Irish pub. Also a British pub called Bamboozle. They were both really friendly and a nice break away from everyone speaking German. There are other British pubs about so would be open for summer.

Most shopkeepers and bar/restaurant staff spoke English. However it was presumed that you were German and so were spoken to in German when approached. Most were friendly too.

The beach was lovely and clean. It was a bit cold to swim when we were there but there were still people sunbathing. There are some nice bars lining the beach that you can relax in.

The weather was nice when we were there. It had been hotter the previous week (apparently) but it was warm enough to walk about in light clothing and sometimes a T shirt.

There were buses every hour to places like Magaluf and Palma. They were really easy to use and the drivers friendly and all the ones we met spoke some English.

Overall Paguera is a German orientated resort however as most people speak English it doesn't pose too much of a problem. The worst thing being that when you go to Spain you expect to hear Spanish. However this was the only real draw-back. We would definately return to this resort and this hotel in the future.

This chain of hotels have about 5 hotels in the same resort and you can use all their facilities which is good. The main hotel Valatin Park is just behind the San Valantin.

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San Valentin Hotel - Paguera

Operator and Date: Just - January 2004

Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : Jock - Glasgow (44)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Average

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

What can I say about Paguera? It definately is "Little Germany" but it is a clean area. Alan and Heather run a brit bar in the town, manna from heaven.  Brit footy! Very quiet place.

What about the "San Valentin"?

The room was pretty good, except for the shower curtain! TV only had CNN or Sky News in English, the rest was German. The food is cr*p.  One morning, they even served fried sliced ham (i.e. the square sliced stuff sold in the shops in a plastic pack, that you put on sandwiches).  The bar was OK.  Entertainment awful.  Bar staff, waiters, housekeeping staff pleasant.  Reception staff not. Will not go back.

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San Valentin Hotel - Paguera

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Rob Spurway London (32,32,55,52,12,5)):

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just arrived back from the Valentin hotel.The hotel its self is very clean & all of the staff where very helpful.The only down two downfalls for the hotel where nothing too do for the kids during the day & only limited disco for them at night.The shows at the hotel where rubbish.Even the hotel staff moaned about them. The other thing was out of 200 gusets only 20 British people the rest where German.So its a rush to get the best place by the pool in the morning.In my opinion this hotel is no good for kids,they also need to improve the entertainment and bring more British people to the place.

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Hotel S'Olivera - Paguera

Operator and Date: Premier Leisure  - June 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Lenny & Linda  - Kent  58,56

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Clean resort lovely beach clear and shallow water plenty of sun beds on beach,some nightclubs, many shops, bars,restaurants, etc mostly german and dutch clientele,but british starting to go there as safe relaxing and good quality feel about the place. We just wanted to chill out and with our hotel being clean spacious good food and friendly staff (especially Lupi) we had a good time.

If venturing out and need to have a good old fashioned Sunday Roast try Halfway Inn near Blighty's bar just off C/Eucaliptus where Cliff(Des Lynam lookalike) will tend to all your needs nice friendly bar where we ate and drank ourselves to contentment whilst watching the England v France game along with the Soaps (how sad are we).

We visited Santa Ponsa where we had stayed a few years back but becoming a bit like Blackpool sadly so we found Paguera quite a bit different and were very pleased we went there and will no doubt return in the near future.

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Hotel Sunna Park - Paguera

Operator and Date: FlyGlobespan - August 2007

Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : I Kennedy - Scotland (46,45,18,17)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from an all-inclusive break at the Sunna Park. As the UK travel company FlyGlobespan now offers this hotel we felt it would help future British travellers thinking of booking here. Reviews in English seem to be pretty thin on the ground.

Our stay did not get off to the best of starts when we were told on arrival that no rooms were available due to a mix up.

It meant that we were taken instead for two nights to one of the other hotels in the same chain, the Comodoro Playa in Palma Nova which was a little old fashioned but was in a great location.

After two nights we were taken back to the Sunna Park and we enjoyed the remaining five nights of our trip there.

Let me say straight away that in the resort of Peguera probably 95% of holidaymakers are German but we had no problems with that, although an understanding of the language would be a big advantage (we were lucky in that respect). Most signs and written information both in the Sunna Park and throughout the resort in general are only in German. However, compared to our brief stay in Palma Nova (popular with British lager louts and 18-30s) we found that the Germans were altogether a more civilised lot.

In comparison to the Comodoro Playa, the Sunna Park was generally better appointed. The rooms were larger and the bar and restaurant more attractive.

Food in the restaurant was the usual buffet selection and was perfectly acceptable. There were also a couple of snack bars by the pools which served burgers chips etc during the day.

We were surprised at how bustling the resort of Peguera is, considering we had never come across it before. The hotel is only about 50 yards from the main drag where you will find a big selection of restaurants and (mainly German) bars. The beach is only a few yards farther.

A couple of niggles. Dinner is only served until 8.30 in the evening which is an hour earlier than any other hotel we've stayed at in Spain - perhaps Germans eat earlier in the evening. Also, some of the female staff in the bar and restaurant were German and made little effort to speak English (I think they may have been students). It honestly left us a little uncomfortable especially when they were unsympathetic to our gallant attempts to try and ask for drinks etc in German. In contrast the local Spanish staff were unfailingly friendly and polite.

So to sum up, don't let the fact that fellow Brits will be thin on the ground here, as you could be missing out on a pleasant holiday.

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Hotel Sunna Park - Paguera

Operator and Date: april 2005

Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : karen & rick 41

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

we booked with med hotels in jan, got a letter 2 days before leaving to say the hotel we booked was unavailable (not open) we were offered a couple of hotels i had stayed in before and not liked then they offered us sunna park, i couldn't find any reveiws for it, but liked what i saw on the web site. although it was a bit further from the the aiport than i wanted. 

the hotel was a 4 star and was well worthy of that rating, the rooms were excellent , reception and restuarant of highest standards, had whirl pool indoor pool , sauna , gym (all good stuff). nice touch of fresh flowers on the tables in resturant bar and reception changes almsot daily. the hotel was spotless - however, it was full of germans, there was 4 other english couples in the hotel and 3 of those were on weekend breaks - we didn't mind as we wanted a relaxing break away from it all. the entertainers could not speak english and most staff spoke only german. but don't let this put you off, we had a lovely time and considered it a bargin at under £250 each for all inclusive - even had champagne.

the resort was quiet and again catering mainly for other nationalities but if you want to be surrounded by englsih bars and drunken yobs - there are more suitable resorts just down the road!!!!!

if you get the chance go and see for yourself.

car hire was cheap 60euro's for 3days - how bads that?

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Hotel Valentin Park - Paguera

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Sept 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Holly Wilson, Lee Shaw 19 + 23

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked a late deal and at Palma Airport were told we were going to Pageura. I was apprehensive at fiorst because we had never heard of it before. I was very impressed with the hotel, it had a spacious reception, and bar area and was spotlessly clean. The staff were smart and very helpful. They had saved us a selection of cold food from dinner (we arrived 1amish)

Our room was fairly small but again very clean. It had more then enough space to unpack all of our cases contents if we had wanted to. The bathroom was also big enough for us spread all our things with a big mirror. It also had a bodydryer, it might have been a hairdryer but it wasnt very strong so we used it for our bodys. Also it was airconditioned which was great. The worse thing about the room was their was only one plug socket, which was used for the tv. Never had a TV on holiday before but the only english speaking channel was cnn, not that we watched much telly.

Food was decent with lots of choice and variety, only problem was we shared a table with a french couple that always went for dinner before us and there mess was left all over the table!! it was cleared promptly once a waiter was informed though.Also there were too many kids that screamed and screamed and ran around, not good if ur in a young couple with no kids!!

Never saw the entertainment but it seem good for the kids, the pool was gorgeous and there were always enough sun beds and parasols!

The beach was clean and there were pedalos about 10 mins walk away.

The resort was mainly German with hardly any english people everyone spoke to us in german!! even if we spoke in english first!!  There were good regular buses to magaluf, palma, santa ponsa and the water parks (they were airconditioned) and it cost 12 euros in a taxi from magaluf and 10 from the waterpark.

I wouldnt go again unless as i had kids as pageura and valentin park were too family orientated for what we were looking for. However i think it would be a great family holiday

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Hotel Villa Rosa - Paguera

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Small & Friendly - Aug 2003

Opinion submitted in Sept 2003 by : Mandy Johnson - Warks (42,47,15)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We chose this hotel as we didn't want the usual rubbish entertainment,constant noise around the pool area,and children running riot.Not that I've anything against kids but now my own are grown up I want a bit of peace and quiet!

There are only about 40 rooms and on our first day it was like being in your own private villa as we were at times the only ones at the poolside.Paying for drinks took some time getting used to.When you order at tea time you don't pay straightaway - just do it next day at the bar quoting your room number. We used to pay every couple of days but you could leave it to the end of your stay. 

Breakfast is continental style but plenty of it.Evening meal is waitered (by the owner)and there is no choice - if you don't like what is offered too bad. However, we found it very nice and I think some of the dishes were traditional Mallorcan. My husband can be quite picky but he was happy to eat most things.

The rooms were quite nice - dark wood furniture, air con although the bathroom was perhaps a little dated.I think this is the first time they have opened up to the British market as they are more used to Germans and they don't speak a lot of English. However this wasn't too much of a problem.

Paguera itself is totally geared up for the Germans but there are a few British bars (not the usual karaoke infected hell holes!). Go and visit The Ship at the bottom of the road (c/Malgrats). Peter the owner is in his first season and will make you very welcome.

All in all this is a smashing resort,lovely beach,clean,no rowdies and ideally placed to visit other areas. If you want wall to wall football shirts,chips and burgers and litter don't come here - go back to Magaluf!

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Palma - Majorca

Hotel Costa Azul - Palma

Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - May 2006

Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Gail Currie - Cheshire (41,48)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just returned from a 4 day break. 

The Hotel Costa Azul offers excellent value for money, the staff are very friendly indeed, the rooms are of a good size and are very clean and comfortable. The breakfast is buffet style and again offers very good value. We flew with Thomsons but booked everything independently, which saved us a lot of money when compared to a package. There is nothing difficult about arranging this trip yourself, when arriving in Majorca we caught the number one bus from the airport, the bus runs approx every 15mins takes about 20mins and drops you off at the hotel door (cost 2.4euros each) 

We were very fortunate with the weather so we spent our mornings walking around the fabulous city of Palma, brilliant shops, bars and restaurants. In the afternoon we got the bus up to Palma Nova beach, back to the hotel, take your time heading back out people eat very late in Palma, though of course earlier diners are more than catered for. There is a good Indian restaurant next door to the hotel this is a great experience and I would recommend it, you are served lots of courses and wine for a set price,the food is good but the best thing is the ambience. A little further on is another Indian restaurant called the taste of India, it has all the familiar dishes that we know and love but done to an exceptional standard, everything was cooked from scratch and was brilliant, please go. We had another brilliant meal at La Baranda this is an Italian restaurant again serving exceptional food we paid 30euros for 2 courses with very good wine, this is on Sant Magi, in the day time this area looks a bit dodgy but this is where the best restaurants are. To get there, head left out of the hotel 50 yards and up the steps, that gets you into the correct area.  

Staying in Palma, particularly slightly out of the main season, is a great way to ensure that you have a good time, because Palma offers plenty to do in the rain, but jump on a bus and you can be on a beach in 10mins.    

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Hotel Costa Azul - Palma

Operator and Date: Independent - 2005

Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : BJ

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Had a four day break at the Costa Azul, right on the harbour in Palma, 15 mins walk round to the cathedral. We had a 2nd floor room which was on the road, if we go again would ask for a room, floor 4 or above, these are set back. The hotel was very good, clean, adequate breakfasts, nice bar area, the drinks were a good price also.Very much enjoyed our stay

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Playa de Muro - Majorca

Hotel Esperanza - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: Premier Travel  June 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Janet Hall

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The beach says it all, white sand and torquoise water, be careful with smaller children the water goes from shallow to deep and with the help of a sandbank goes back to shallow.  Two sunbeds and a beach umbrella cost 8 euros per day, this charge applies even if you dont hit the beach until 2.00pm.

The hotel is well presented and the rooms are cleaned daily, watch out for the fridge it has a tendancy to defrost if you dont use the key to lock it.  Its the first time I have been told what time I  will be eating dinner which I found to be a bore, It would have been nicer to stroll down for dinner when I wanted to. The times for dinner are 6.00pm or 8.00pm,
if you have young children the 6.00pm is better as the international childrens club starts at 9.00. The dinning room is a bit of a maze and will take you a couple of days to get used to the set up. The food itself is very good.

The pool in high summer is deserted, its just far too hot and most people opt for the shade of the gardens or the beach which tends to have a breeze. Make sure you take the children flip flops to wear on the beach as it gets very hot and one or two of the party I was with burnt the soles of their feet.  All in all an excellent holiday, I would return without any hesitation.

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Apartotel La Dorada - Playa De Muro

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2003

Opinion submitted in May 2003 by : Mark and Pat Conibere (64,41)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

After a somewhat lengthly trip from the airport to the hotel we were very impressed with the standard of accommodation and cleanliness of the hotel.

The accommodation was an aparthotel and we ended up with a one-bedroomed apartment even though we were on a half-board basis.  The furnishings were modern and the living room had two sofa's  with a coffee table.  There was also a dining table and 4 chairs.  The kitchen area was a little limited with only 2 rings and a microwave plus a fridge.

The hotel restaurant was spacious and incredibly clean.  No danger of an upset tummy here!  Food was impressive and two chefs on hand to cook food to order. 

There is a team of 4 providing entertainment through the day and on into the night.  Boy did they work hard.  None of the normal 'import any old cr*p in to keep the masses entertained' here.  Each night we were treated to a themed show provided by the 4 entertainment staff (with the occasional extra body for luck).  Grease one night, highlights from the musicals another.  The icing on the cake was the Mr. La Dorada contest.  Four normal guys asked to do the strangest things in the name of fun. 

I could not fault this holiday in any way and would not hesitate to recommend the hotel to a couple or family whatever their age.

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Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice August 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Pealling - Surrey (37,29,10)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We stayed at this new resort, it had only been opened for 5 1/2 weeks.  It was very clean and the accomodation was nice but I think it would be a bit cramped if we had full occupancy.  The swimming pool was great there was one that was by the bungalows and another quiter one round the corner.  There was always a sunbed available.  All rooms had air-conditioning, which we needed.  

The reception was very friendly and would call taxis if requested, though there was a bus stop right outside with a bus passing every 15 minutes and then a Train with wheels as well.  The town  was only a 5 min walk and the beach was literally across a road and then  you were there. The beach was clean and there were sunbeds and parasols to hire (7 euros a day)  

I really enjoyed my holiday here.

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Playa Garden Apartments - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: First Choice - September 2006

Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Martin & Helen - Derbyshire (31, 32)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We booked this holiday a couple of weeks in advance in search of somewhere relaxing to wind down. Overall we'd probably say we found it, even if the local area was perhaps even quieter than expected.

The apartment complex itself was well presented, with an attractive pool and large bar area. It was easy to get a sunbed at the time we were there and the landscaped layout meant we weren't lined up side by side with everyone else. The only negatives were that the music got a bit repetitive once you'd been by the pool a for a few hours and the daily advertising by the 'sun care consultant' became slightly irritating - but with very easy access to a nice clean beach it's quick to escape if that gets too much to bear!

Our first floor apartment (think all the blocks are just three stories high) was very spacious for two people - lots of seating and plenty of wardrobe room. The wash basin is separate to the toilet and bath/shower which we found convenient. The kitchenette is very bijou, preparing more than breakfast or a simple pasta dish would be a test of ingenuity.

The resort of Playa de Muro was really too small for us but seems absolutely ideally suited to families with young children. There is lots of entertainment both within the hotel and on the doorstep - air hockey, trampolines, arcades, pony rides - and some child-friendly restaurants.

Nearby C'an Picafort is full of brightly lit tourist-trap shops, bars and restaurants. Alighting on a good one amongst all the average and predictable offerings along the beach promenade was a challenge we didn't quite accomplish - take a stroll, check out the amazing candle lit beach sculptures, and make up your own mind. Walking along the road for 15 minutes (or taking the little tourist train) towards Alcudia you'll find more restaurants than in Muro itself. Again it's hard to differentiate between most of them but we did find Restaurant Boy (yes, odd name) which had a great fresh meat and fish slection all cooked to order on a grill in front of you - the grilled pork kebab and the rabbit were both superb.

At the other end of the scale to C'an Picafort is Port de Pollenca, a 15 minute drive north west from the hotel. When approached at night along the coast road you get a beautiful preview of the harbour from across the bay. Our advice is to drive fully through the resort until you reach the roundabout, turn left and park in a side street. You can then explore the myriad of pleasantly bustling restaurants and bars within the pedestrianised area (those set back from the beach are typically a little cheaper than those overlooking the beach). The stalls on the promenade here are interesting to browse; we even had our caricature drawn to the amusement of many passers-by who stopped to giggle!

Quick bit of advice regarding car hire... we took the bus to Alcudia, asked where the Avis office was, and ended up walking 20 minutes back down the road we'd come in on. For ease we'd recommend booking through the holiday rep (you only pay on collection of the car). Avis will collect you from the hotel to go get the car, and drop you off again afterwards. Further, the hire was in full 24 hr increments, so having collected it at 11am, we didn't have to return it until 11am on the final day. We paid 134 Euros for 48 hours including full insurance and second driver (we even got a free upgrade).

Other writers have commented on the supermarkets and we agree with the observations. Walk an extra two minutes to Mercamar (turn left out of the hotel, it has a blue canopy) and you get a lot more choice, better prices and great fresh baked pain au chocolat for breakfast. For a large family shop, head towards C'an Picafort and there's a much larger supermarket on the roundabout.

We enjoyed our holiday, but as another writer indicated, we'd like the Playa Gardens moved to someplace just a little more lively!! Thirty-somethings who want relaxation coupled with some grown up atmosphere should head for Port de Pollenca...

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Playa Garden Apartments - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: FIRST CHOICE-OCT 2005

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : JACKIE NIG - STAFFORDSHIRE (41,37,9)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

hi ya,glad to be back home, to be free of flies. i think majorca had an infestation of flies, but aparently its like this at this time of year. Any how the hotel complex was beautiful, and beautifully kept clean, also the apartment was basic but clean, which is what us women like!

however the staff in general could of done with some happy pills!!!I think because we went at the end of season they were shutting down mentally.The location was right on the beach which was lovely,especially if you've got kids, however the sunbeds/parasols were expensive.the hotel food was not good,cold and flavourless,however just a short walk outside the hotel are some lovely restaurants, who make a fuss of you.

The hotel entertainment was absolutely rubbish, and they closed the bar at 11.30 most nights, so we went in the next hotel at night, and we had a smashing time,and met some really nice people.Just one more thing to say,please take a bus into alcudia(its cheap)and right opposite the taxi rank is a chinese restaurant,they cook the best food ever, and there king prawns are to die for!

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Playa Garden Apartments - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2004

Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Sandra & Gary - S.Wales  (56, 51)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Very Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Just arrived back from 1 week at Playa Garden Apts booked as a last minute deal. We were looking for 1 weeks relaxation and that is what we got.
On transfer from the airport began to get a bit worried as we seemed to be travelling quite a way out from resort of Alcudia.

When we arrived at the apts.we were plesantly surprised although I wouln't class them as 4*+ more like 3*+. Nice reception area with friendly English speaking receptionists open 24 hrs a day. The grounds around the apartments are very well kept and extremly pretty. The pool area is split into 3 sections, a shallow part for children, the middle section is then used for games such as water polo, volley ball etc and the third part is the deeper part mainly used by the adults. The pool area is again very pretty with a waterfall from one pool into the other, bridges across the pools and numerous trees scattered around.Sun beds can be a bit of a problem,not too bad when we went but I would imagine could be a bit of a scabble in high season. 
The apts. themselves are quite spacious with everything you could need in them and all in blocks of 30 apts surrounding the pool.

Activities throughout the day if you want to join in, but we were never pressurised. Evening entertainment team,although quite talented, were not our cup of tea. No outside entertainment during the week we were there. Children seem to be well catered for with their clubs, mini disco etc. Drinks and food in the bar were quite expensive so we tended to go out each evening and only call back for the last drink at the apts.

Bus stop just around corner, 1E to Can Picafort and 1E 30 to Alcudia. Plenty to do in both these resorts. Not many bars or shops around apts so we caught bus each day/evening.

All in all enjoyed the break for 1 week but would have been bored if staying any longer 

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Playa Garden Apartments - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Date Not Specified

Opinion submitted in May 2003 by : Ann, Chris,Tom & Ben (34,37,9 &6

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

This place is a real gem! couldnt fault anything, except maybe the food offered within the complex. But dont be put off by that as their are many other food options available locally. The entertainment is the best we ve seen, and the place is spotless.

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Prinsotel La Dorada - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: Mallorca Accomodation.com - Aug 2005

Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Mick Dransfield - Barnsley (43, 42, 13, 11)

Resort Rating: Average

Accommodation Rating: Good

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

The hotel is on the face of it a very good hotel, however there are serious flaws that cannot be overlooked and have an adverse effect on the holiday. We'll start with the best bits- 1. Very big, clean and well equipped rooms. 2. Clean large pool area. 3. Good quality hot food that is well presented. 4. Friendly staff (not the sour faced waitress. Ecellent professional acts (every 2 - 3 days).

Now the down sides, there are many.... 1. All inclusive- you have to queue single file at bars with only one barman serving all drinks in small glasses (no more than 2 at a time so you have to take another family member to get enough drinks)- after 11pm however when the bar turns into a paying bar, guess what... they can't serve you quick enough. 2. The hotels own entertainment team are appalling and only worth watching for the 'cringe' factor. 3. Fight for a bed at 9am when the chains come off the beds ( I think it is sometimes better to allow peopke to get up early if they feel they need a bed). It doesnt cure the problem as beds are still left 'towelled up' all day and unoccupied. 3. Food, albeit good quality lacks variety and is generally salty and bland. 4. Ensure you have a pool view (the rooms at the back overlook a mosquito ridden swamp and factory, an unpleasant view. Most persons who sleep at the rear can be identified by the pool by the amount of bites they have.

Finally, we booked independent to stay at the hotel through majorca-accomodation.co.uk, we paid hundreds of pounds less than the people who booked with Thomas Cooke ( the germans paid in turn much less than we did as is common practice). When we arrived the hotel was overbooked and we had to spend the 1st night at a sister hotel (identical) at the rear. The managment could not do enough for us, we were given a very good room where we wanted it, 180 euros compensation, free safe, pool towels and extended all incusive at no charge on the day we left.

So all in all I have mixed feelings, we had a good holiday in accomodation that could have been fantastic, instead it let itself down in the areas mentioned to make it merely good.

Oh....by the way you need a car (ours cost less than transfers 220 euros for a Focus estate with a/c), spend evenings and shopping in nearby Port D'Alcudia, the main strip of Alcudia bay is a bit Blackpool like with too many 'Brit Bars' and shops selling junk. A good beach though.

Would we go back, with the present 'problems' a definite NO. If the problems could be resolved (it wouldn't be hard) then definitely YES, I would probably return every year. The hotel owners probably dont appreciate the potential of the hotel to be one of the best!

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Prinsotel La Dorada - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: (JMC Discounts) JMC - MAY 2003

Opinion submitted in July 2003 by : Claire  (20,20,1)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We arrived at the Prinsotel la dorada at 0600am. The staff on reception were very helpful and friendly.The complex around the hotel was clean and tidy with a lovley pool. There is also a indoor pool which was absouloutly freezing but a nice warm jacuzzi that makes up for it.

The hotel itself is quite a distance from Alcudia centre so we always took a taxi which cost a couple of pound. I strongly recommend if you have children to eat at the Cheers bar the food was great and the entertainment was fantastic.

Overall we had a fantastic time staying at the Prinsotel La Dorada, mind you it was at the begining of May and it was preety quite, I couldnt comment on what it would be like at peak season. But we strongly agree that you stay here, I would  definitley go back here again, but not this summer as where going to try Turkey.

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Viva Blue Aparthotel - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: Independant - May 2007

Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Mike - Lancashire (35,34,3)

Resort Rating: Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

Booked the Viva Blue via their website having stayed at Viva Menorca twice before. This year we opted to try a different location but we wanted a Viva complex based on the high standards of the Viva Menorca.

Location - The hotel is just 100 metres from the busy main road that runs from Alcudia to Can Picafort. The main road is very busy during the day and all of the hotels, bars, restaurants and shops (selling the usual tourist merchandise) are along this main road. There is no town or village centre to speak of. The hotel is approx 3 miles from Alcudia Port and the buses get very crowded at certain times. The beach is across the main road and is ideal for children especially the little ones. The beach is clean, the water clear and shelves very gently out to sea.

Accomodation - The accomodation is of a an exceptional standard. The apartments and grounds are spotlessly clean and maintained to a very high standards. Supermarket on site is very good although a little dearer than one of the shops on the main road. Staff found to be helpful and accomodating at all times. The entertainment at night varied from very good (Mamma Mia \ Chicago) to cringe worthy (Cinderella).

Eating out - There are plenty of restaurants along the main road although they all serve the standard steaks, pizza, nuggets to varying standards. We found the best ones to be Pizzeria Ole and Topo Gigio (ate at both twice). The best restaurants though are to be found in Alcudia old town on top of the hill (approx 5 miles away). The town is very spanish (lots of old style buildings \ tapas bars etc) and no sign of a brit pub or burger king in sight. The best restaurants that we found in the old town are Sa Taverna (very nice courtyard at the back), Sa Placa and a nice italian behing the town hall on the main street called Sa Caseta.

Overall - An excellent holiday hotel within close proximity to a very good beach. For the better restaurants be prepared to travel up to the old town on the hill (behind the port). The only downside was the lack of character to Playa de Muro and very busy main road.

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Viva Blue Aparthotel - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: first choice - june 2006

Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : sharon and rich - nottm (39,40)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

just returned from viva blue apt what can i say the best apts we have ever stayed in,and we have been to alot of places.apts are very spacious spotlessly clean maids came in every day except thur and sun.3 pools,loads of sunbeds your not supposed to save them but people do,entertainment team do a great job keeping everyone happy.night entertainment finishes at 11. 

reception and grounds kept immaculate,on site suppermarket stays open until 10.pm. we didnt use the viva blue resturant as there are plenty of places to eat on the main strip which is just 2mins away.beach lovely sea warm,and you can walk out for half a mile. boat trips and paragliding also available.(beach 5mins walk)no nightclubs in playa de muro you would have to go into alcudia(10mins on bus)local bars stay open until after midnight,there are a few english bars(smithy,posh paddy).

DONT HESITATE BOOK IT YOU WONT BE DISSAPPOINTED.

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Viva Blue Aparthotel - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: Seligo/Thomsonfly - July 2004

Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Sally Fare - Stoke on Trent (43,36,12,5)

Resort Rating: Excellent

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from the Viva Blue complex.  I personally have never been to the North of the Island and I would definately be going back.

The Viva Blue was excellent, everything you can ask for in a complex.  The staff could not do enough for you, they were pleasant and always smiling and willing to help.

They employ there own full time entertainment staff who were excellent with the children, games in the daytime and shows in the evening.  Even if they were off duty they would still make a fuss of the children.

Every Thursday they have a childrens day where you pay 15 euros and they will take the children off your hands for you.  They do face painting, T-Shirt painting, Pony Riding, Treasure Hunt, Mini-Golf etc.....

We stayed half board and we were not dissapointed the food was excellent, plenty of freshly cooked food no matter if you were the last in the restaurant there was always plenty of selection.

It was not a problem to get a sunbed as there were plenty to go around, as my youngest is very fair I asked reception for an extra parasol as they were all taken, the manager personally got a maintenance man to wheel the parasol base to where my sunbeds were.

The apartments are very spacious and very clean although we did not spend too much time in them.

We found an excellent bar in Playa del Muro called 'Cheers'.  A good family pub with loads to do for children and adults, Quiz, karaoke, Stars in their eyes  and lots more...  I would like to say  a big thank you to Ben and Sarah as they were excellent at keeping us all entertained.
I will definately be back if only to get our revenge on the quiz.....

Highly recommended complex, if you ant somewhere to stay in the North stay at the VIVA BLUE!!!!

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Viva Blue Aparthotel - Playa de Muro

Operator and Date: Internet - May 2004

Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Alyson Cowley - Derbyshire (40, 39, 12, 11)

Resort Rating: Very Good

Accommodation Rating: Excellent

My/Our Holiday Opinion: 

We have just returned from the Viva Blue Aparthotel at Playa de Muro near Alcudia.  I have decided to put a review on as there don't seem to be too many for this Aparthotel.
Accommodation Excellent, very spacious apartment in very good condition.  Very clean and well maintained.  We had a problem with the TV in our room, once we had reported this to reception it was fixed straight away. Kids were a bit disappointed with the TV Channels as most of them were in German.

Lovely swimming pool which was split into 3 levels each of which was a different depth.  It made a lovely change to not have to rush down to the pool each morning to put down our towel at the crack of dawn.  If any towels were put down and left before 9.30 in a morning then the pool guy would remove them and place them in a nice big pile somewhere, hence you could stroll down in a morning and have the pick of the sunbeds.

We chose the self catering option so we didn't actually eat at the hotel but there are plenty of good places to eat in Playa de Muro.  Bars and restaurants were approximately 5 minutes walk