Grupotel Mar de Menorca

We stayed here from 6th to the 20th May 2006 there were six in our party altogether aged, 34, 31, 26, 27, 1 and 11. We found it to be a lovely peaceful place a really refreshing change to the usual places full of bars and souvenier shops. The pool is enormous and there are always plenty of sunbeds to go round there is absolutely no need to put towels on to reserve them. The entertainment staff were stars they really work hard and although the evening entertainment wasn't always great we found that we got chatting to so many people outside the bar(where we had to go to smoke) that we enjoyed every night anyway. During the day we couldn't get our son away from the football and basketball courts or the various activities with the staff he loved it says its the best holiday he ever had. There are free buses most days to three different beaches which was very handy as the local beach is horrible, stinky with spongy sand no-one there except some ducks. There is a local bus to Mahon and recommend a visit it is also the only place to buy cigarettes although I understand that the English bar which is separate from the hotel was getting a machine. The shops and harbour in Mahon are very nice. I found the food very nice too, yes there was a lot of German food but also other stuff too we had a good variety, chicken, lasagne, paella, lamb chops, kebabs, veal, potatoes of all varieties, chips, boiled, mashed, fried. Salad and fruit is very fresh and the vegetables were cooked nicely not too hard. Pasta available every day, full 'English breakfast' the usual abroad bacon and sausages but still ok, cereals, breads, boiled eggs. Snacks are very limited to just bread and rolls with some ham and salami and salad that you have to make yourself and eat in the restaurant. Nothing available after 8.30pm which is a shame as we got hungry after having a drink but we stocked up in the shops on some crisps and stuff. The drinks are excellent all are available on the all inclusive and they are very strong. Have seen that some people mentioned that there are clothing restrictions for the restaurant but we never encountered this I went for lunch everyday in my swimsuit and sarong and no-one said a word, didn't know there were any restrictions and hubby only wore shorts the whole time. All in all we had a fabulous time and the entertainment staff were a big hit with our son. We met lovely people and we will be booking to go next year as a much larger party. Have explained that it is very remote, never been anywhere so remote before but because of the buses this isn't a problem for us in fact it added to the charm because it made it more relaxing.

My wife and I and our two daughters (10 & 7) travelled to this hotel with two freinds of ours with their son (also 10). The first thing I have to stress is there is NO air-conditioning, a fact I had overlooked in the booking of the holiday. We were in mainland Spain 2 years ago in July and I swore I would never go there again without air-con. We hired a fan from the small shop on the complex for 28 euros for the first week. The second week we hired one from reception and it was 15 euros. To be honest the accommodation is very basic. The beds are old, very uncomfortable and the sofa beds are unbareable. The rooms were generally clean but under the beds hadn't been swept for long enough. The food was okay but very continental. We came to the conclusion that it must be just about impossible to cater for 1,000 holiday makers from all over the continent and keep us all happy. We dined in the small pub in the complex and while extremely expensive, it was a welcome break from the hotel's food. The three kids in our party made full use of the "arcade" and air-hockey machines but between us they must have spent over 150 euros in the cash-draining amusements. The entertainment was okay but but another pet hate of mine is the multi-lingual announcemants. I have stayed in other all-inclusive hotels in Menorca and you have to go out of your way to spend money. The Mar de Menorca seem to have sussed out how to pick you up by the ankles and shake the change from your pockets. The change in legislation on the purchase of tobacco in Spain and the Balearics means you can only buy cigarettes in designated "Tabacs" shops or vending machines. Many pubs will only sell you one pack if you buy a drink as the margin on their cigarettes in tiny. This was explained to us by the guy in Chepas bar and seemed reasonable to me. As a relatively budget holiday, it was overall okay. The redeeming feature was the large pool which kept my daughters entertained all day but I was surprised that there was no life guard on duty in such a busy hotel. I can honestly say that I wouldn't pay to go back to this hotel

I visited mar de menorca with my two boys aged 6 and 8 in july 05 for two weeks on the all inclusive option. I was extremely impressed with the level of service, the food was varied and plentiful and catered for all tastes, I had to drag my eldest away from the ice cream bar complete with wafers and sauces, surely heaven for most small children to be able to help themselves!! The entertainment was excellent ,in particular for the children, the entertainment team are young, full of fun, fluent in many languages and do a fantastic job amusing many children of differing nationalities. The pool was stunning, very clean, and there was no reservation of sunbeds with towels the night before (if anyone tried this their towels would mysteriously end up in the pool!). My only criticism would be the need for air conditioning, although we hired 2 fans it was still very warm and humid at night. The room was very clean, sheets and towels regularly changed. Use the free bus which leaves from a stop opposite reception to visit other beaches, and try to do the catamaran trip from Mahon habour, simply stunning. Me and my boys cannot wait to return to this resort on this beautiful island.

The Mar de Menorca is a nice clean hotel with decent food and drink for all ages. Problem is it is very remote with little or nothing to do outside the complex. The kids loved it but i wouldnt advise it for young people or couples without kids. There is an english bar in the complex but its expensive and run by a strange couple who were quite rude to us when we bought some cigarettes out of their cigarette machine(strange place to open a bar in an all inclusive complex??). The beach is about 200 yards down a hill but is very small and we didnt use it. We did make use of the free coach to nearby beaches and i would recommend Son Bou as the best we went to. Back at the hotel the staff are friendly but the entertainment very average. I would recommend renting a car just to get out of the complex for a bit. Mahon harbour is 15 minutes away and very nice. All in all the hotel is nice but remote with a lovely pool and decent food. I would recommend it to families only, and for no more than 7 days.

I stayed here with my husband and 3 young children. The accomodation was average. The maid only came twice in a week. The food was very good however the meal times are seriously restricted and we had to eat much earlier than we wanted. The hotel is extremely remote. There is nothing else is the village other than the hotel and a tiny beach. The entertainment was mostly by the young kiddie reps and that was garbage!! You have to drink all drinks out of plastic cups and to hire these costs a euro per glass. The water available is not bottled and instead is undrinkable as it tastes of chemicals!! However, the pool is fantastic and the reception staff were friendly and helpful. NOT FOR COUPLES!! Wont recommend this hotel and wont go again. PS The hotel is geared completely towards the German guests.

My husband, myself & our two children aged 17 & 9 arrived at the hotel at 9.30 in the evening, complex was very clean & tidy, we were handed 4 pack lunches when we arrived only to find when my daughter started to unpack hers it had a snail in. We were told that the hotel was in a remote location but there’s remote & there’s remote!!!!! The entertainment was very average and finished at 11 o clock more child based not a lot for adults to do at night unless you hired a car and would have to as it would drive you round the bend if you had to do the same thing day in day out. We have never gone all inclusive before so we were a little bit apprehensive, we thought all inclusive was you weren’t on a time limit to when you could eat breakfast, lunch & dinner, we found there wasn’t a vast variety of food very much the same each time you went down also no snacks for children –snacks were bread rolls that they served all day with ham or some days salami and salad I would of thought being a hotel advertised for families there would have been more variety for children. The hotel food was focused on the German holiday makers that were there- I myself do not like German food and I don’t think I was on my own. We had a few problems while we were there and went down to reception to talk to the manager who we later found out was a director of the hotel, I found him not very helpful at all and when I told him about the snail in my daughters packed lunch she got, all he did was laugh I didn’t find this very professional at all infact I found him very rude and unapproachable and when you are in a position like he is I would of thought a professional approach would have been better To quite for families and very German orientated will not be returning.

Returned from our holiday 24/6/06. This hotel is completely geared towards families with young children, unless you are prepared for this don't go. The entertainment, both day and night is for children there are few activities for adults, the only thing I saw was water aerobics and water polo. If you don't wish to stay up long after the bar closes at night I recommend that you request a room in one of the blocks away from the pool as we were constantly disturbed by noise late into the night after the bar closed at 12. The hotel itself is clean, rooms are serviced 5 times a week, the rooms are quite spacious (there was only two of us) but there is no air conditioning, fans can be rented by the day. The bar is managed by a queueing system, and a deposit is required for your 'glass' - all drinks come in a plastic beaker regardless of the drink. The only plus for this is that there is little mess around the pool area as everyone returns their glass. No food is allowed out of the restaurant which again helps maintain cleanliness, but is a bit of a nuisance, particularly if you just want a snack. Food served is plentiful but again directed towards children. The only potato option I ever found available with any meal was chips. Salads were fresh but not always a full choice. At restaurant closing time they are very quick to clear everything away, so unless you have food on your plate at closing time you'll go without. No food is available after 20:30 unless you buy from vending machines. There are two or three shops and car rentals offices and one bar beside the hotel but other than this the remainder of the resort is residential. A short but steep walk takes you to the beach which looks pretty from above but does not look particularly clean. The bar beside the cove was a welcome escape from the hotel. The only saving grace of this holiday was that we rented a car, from Avis through the rep, for two days and explored the island. It's really easy to find your way around and whilst I would never return to this hotel, the island has a lot to offer.

We have just returned from this Hotel and thought that other families who have booked would like to know the real truth about this hotel, as when i read the previously posted reviews i got mixed feelings. I have been on many all-inclusive holidays around europe with my family, which consists of 2 children aged 2 and 5, and found this hotel very Average. Location- Very,Very remote which absolutely nothing around you whatsoever, when i read the reviews i thought canutells was a town close by, this is not the case. There are basically 3 shops under the Hotel and several car hire places which do rip you off. The Hotel is only 15 mins transfer from the airport, which is good. Beach- The beach itself is located down a steepish hill, one side gives a view of the Rocky coast and the other is a small cove, with a beach, which definitely smells of sewage. Worth a walk after tea just to check out the local villas and let your tea go down. Hotel Food - This was excellent overall. Only 2 things let it down, No snacks are available at the poolside or bars you have to go down to the restaurant (and Change) and secondly the snacks that were available all cold buffet style, very limited and closes early of an evening, No mid night snacking as you do. Food also cannot be taken out of the restaurant!! Entertainment - Poor overall. The entertainment team consisted of 4 dutch teenagers which was tolerable during the day, but of the evening i would say the following: Very Repetitive, only 30 mins of Kids Disco at 8:30 (which is too late), Not enough professional shows, All entertainment was inside and was very hot (The facilities outside was not utilised at all) Kids Club- There are 2 kids clubs, 1 for Germans and one for the english. The German kids get hats and T shirts, the english get nothing, The german kids activities were much more adventurous, whereas the english kids had to stay in a Wooden Kids club hut. Overall Very POOR we thought. Accommodation- Very good and spacious. Could have done with the cleaners coming every other day as we have young kids with nappies etc, etc. Pool- Large Freeform Pool, Very Nicely laid out. Plenty of sunbeds and brollies. One thing i would say is that we found a number of wasp type creatures flying around, they were a real pain. Outside bar was self service on the soft drinks, i think this is what attracted the wasps Bar Service - Pretty Good overall, large selection of drinks available and beer was self service as much as you want. You have to pay 1 euro for glasses, which is refundable, a good idea and stops glasses been left round the poolside. Car Hire - You definitely need a car at this place to see any of the local resorts. Would recommend Son Bou, Calen Porter, Galdanna, Ciudella, Mahon. Mahon has a range of shops mainly spanish though, buses leave the Hotel at 9 and 1 every day for Mahon, only 15 mins away. The hotel offers a free bus service everyday to a different beach, i recommend that you make use of this free service to see the local resorts\ shops even if you dont go on the beach as this is a cheap way of getting round the island. Would also recommend ordering pack lunches when you use this free service as they are pretty good. We hired a car from the Hotel for £96 for 3 days which was cheap and had 7 seats, just the job for getting around the island. I have been to alot of all inclusive Holidays, but have never been to one that has so many children, its a good job the hotel has a large pool, wouldn't advise you to use the childrens pool as most kids who go in there seem to have nothing on, not good for other children also using this pool, if you know what i mean. Looking back we had a good holiday, but 14 days here was too much, entertainment was poor and the Hotel is remote, we generally like to walk out of an evening, look at a few shops, etc, etc . We did get bored after the first week during the evenings.I dont think we would return to this Hotel again.

If you intend not to move far from the hotel and expect a perfect beach with lots of shops nearby and snack's on tap -don't go there, it's not for you. As far as All inclusives go --The snacks seem to be more or less absent and all food finishes at 8.30pm. Having said that i can't think of another single thing to moan about. Yes there is German food, but also Spanish , English, itallian etc. We had some great meals such as Paella, Kebabs and such, although my 4 year old daughter ate only chips and ice-cream- I suppose it doesn't really matter on Holiday. Like everyone say's -the place is spotless and the pool is fantastic-the best i've used. The entertainment team (Dutch --Not German!!!!) Kept my ten year old busy with lots of diiferent sports and games going on all day, We literally had to drag him away from the place to go on trips.The mini disco at night (8.15 till 9.00) kept my 4 year old happy.the repetition of songs drove the rest of us mad,I stiil hear them sometimes.(meow meow pussy pussy,cluck cluck chicken,chicken)'Aahh the memories'. You can hire a car from the place next door, in fact there are 2 car hire places. the general consensus is that europe car are the best. I used them and payed 178 euros £125.00 for the week for an opel corsa, 5 door, air conditioned, diesel. Driving around is fairly easy (no traffic Jams) you can drive the length of the island in more or less an hour and the island is gorgeous with stunning beaces 20 minutes drive away -Try Binebequer, Sant thomas or Cala galdana. By your own beach umbrella from Sant climent(5 minues drive) for about 8 euros because the beach umbrella's with 2 sunbeds cost between 17 and 20 euros per day! A good trip from Mahon Harbour is the yellow catamaran, glass bottomed, boat trip it only takes about 1 hour 15 minutes around the Harbour and the views are great. 8.5 euros for adults, 4.5 euros for Kids and under 5's go free, its well worth it. Another nice trip is Mount Toro in the middle of the island panaramic views and a monastry. We had mixed weather in late May, 1 day 15 degrees bbrr!!!. the next 35 degrees Phew!!.10good days out of 14=--i'm not complaining. All in all,I'd reccommend it if you arearn't too fussy and don't mind the remote location. We had a fantastic time My 4 year old Daughter wants to live in menorca and i'm sure we will be back.

weve just arrived back from the mar de menorca on fri 9 th june so thought id write with our honest opinions and let you make your minds up. we arrived at this hotel late at night(almost midnight)and were met by welcoming staff who asked us to leave a passport and handed over a room key. the apartment itself was clen and very spacious and had self catering facilities even though its all inclusive. we woke the next day to a lovely hotel with a huge freeform pool and went for breakfast. it was ok but the selection quite poor. food for the rest of the stay was very average and believe you me were not fussy at all but i would say if you like to eat good food whilst your away then this is not the place for you. we also had the misfortune of needing a doctor on day 4 of our hols and whilst the hotel was helpful we got a huge shock at the £80 bill from the travel insurance. excesses we just hadnt looked at when we took it out. worth reding your documents id say..never know when you may need them. worst bit of hols was manager of hotel came to pool at 8.30 in the morning and ripped all the towels off everyones sunbeds and announced "no one reserves sunbeds in my hotel". also the all inclusive finished at 12 midday even thogh we didnt arrive till midnight and when we tried to use the restaurant at lunchtime we were asked to leave and were made to feel like common criminals. they did offer us a special rate for the meals but my argument was that we paid for 7 days all inclusive and thats what i think we should have had, not 61/2. altogether a stressful holiday with far too many rules for you to be relaxed. lovely hotel though but very very remote and needs a new manager with customer care skills