More Traveller Reviews of Viva Menorca Aparthotel
Fantastic holiday - 1 week wasn't enough
from Jenny&Simon
My family (me, my husband and 2 kids 13 and 6) had a fantastic week at the Viva Menorca in August this year - peak holiday time. We found the staff to be absolutely charming and no problem was too small for them. There was always a smile when we passed through reception. The aparments, although fairly small when occupied by a family of 4, were very good and clean with lots of storage, and we had no experience of bad furniture or damp smell at all. Our apartment was actually overlooking the pool and stage but we were not bothered by any noise as we were either out or enjoying the entertainment til fairly late. We did here some noise from next door but I'm sure they heard us too - nothing to stop us enjoying our stay! The apartments were exceptionally clean on arrival and were continually cleaned and clean towels provided during our stay. My son had a small 'accident' one night and the housekeeping staff came almost straight away to remake up his bed. We always had a sunbed around the pool but did have to go down by about 9 to make sure of this. As we are all sun lovers this was no problem at all. We booked self catering but chose to have our evening meal at the Viva restaurant most evenings - it is buffet style with so much choice there is definately something for everyone, and it was so cheap compared to eating at the restaurants around the Marina. We paid 15 euros per adult and 7.50 euros for children (£10 and £5) for evening meals but if you book for several at reception you pay slightly less. Food at the poolside bar was also very good value and my son particulaly enjoyed the Buffo meal! The Viva enterainment staff are amazing and work so hard to keep everyone amused during their stay - special shout out to Jemma who is fantastic with the kids - they all work so hard and put on really good shows. Jemma hurt her foot quite badly one day but still managed to appear on stage and perform - what a star!! Nick says Hi! The Irish Dancers who performed were awesome as were the Spanish Dancers - as for the 60's Tribute Band - Dippy Hippies or something similar - well - they were OK after we had had a few drinks. Put it this way, they were better than anything our family could have done! The restaurant and bar staff are also very friendly - a special mention to Encarna who was lovely with the children and who my son (aged 6) fell in love with. Encarna - if you read this Nick cried when we had to leave - you broke his heart! Magda on reception - you were superb in sorting out an emergency dental appointment for my husband - something the Rep wasn't able to do - thank you! We can't wait to book again for next year but this time it will be for 2 weeks. To the person who complained about too many brits at this hotel - if you want to be away from brits I suggest you don't book a british package tour in future. Yes there were lots of brits at the hotel but also lots of spanish and dutch as well, many of whom we spoke to plus all the children played together really well at the kids club. We didn't use the First Choice transport but arranged our own private taxi via the web- excellent value and so quick - we were at the hotel a good hour before the others who had been on our flight.
Nice hotel, good location
from Steve&Joanne
We booked last minute through First Choice (flying with Monarch) for a week at the Viva Menorca. After about an hours delay on the outbound flight we were faced with a 90 minute transfer to the hotel stopping at about half a dozen hotels before arriving at ours (could probably be done comfortably in half the time in a hire car/taxi). The good news on arrival was that the check-in was painless with the friendly staff directing us to our room within 3 or 4 minutes. The rooms themselves were reasonably spacious as well as being clean & comfortable. Beds & shower were okay and the balcony of a decent size. The pool area was once again very clean and there were plenty of sunbeds to go around (although we were travelling in September). There is also a snack bar next to the pool which is open throughout the day and the food and service provided were good. Although we didn’t have children in our party, the kids club seemed to be popular and the ‘entertainers’ very enthusiastic. For the adults there were also the usual activities such as water polo, rifle shooting, darts, etc. The only downside was the annoying ‘suncare representative’ who seemed insistent on trying to sell her suntan lotion every 10 minutes (okay it was only once a day but it felt as though it was more often). I can’t comment on the hotel restaurant as we walked down to the Marina to eat every night. It’s a 5-10 minute walk and you’ll find a good selection of restaurants and bars with a nice family atmosphere. We tried 5 or 6 different restaurants and didn’t have a bad meal although La Marina would be my recommendation for its excellent food & service. We also tried 2 or 3 bars and the only one I WOULDN’T recommend is the Britannia. I’d normally shy away from it with its typical ‘British’ beer & food but I wanted to catch an update on the Ryder Cup and it was the only place showing it. The staff were both rude and very slow, so not one I’d suggest trying. Back at the hotel the evening entertainment was a mixture of the ‘entertainers’ putting on shows and other acts such as dancers, singers, etc. Not exactly Vegas but they tried hard! Service at the bar was again good. On the return journey we were told on arrival at the airport that our flight would be delayed for a minimum of 4 hours due to a technical problem. The flight was then cancelled a couple of hours later. These things are sometimes unavoidable but the complete lack of information from First Choice was very frustrating. The only updates we got were through a COSMOS rep as the First Choice one seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. When we eventually found her we were told we could go back to Gatwick on a flight that was leaving immediately (we should have been going back to Luton). As we hadn’t driven to Luton it only meant a couple of hours delay to ourselves although most of the others on our flight had a ‘Friday rush hour’ trip back to Luton to look forward to. In summary, would I recommend the resort & hotel? Yes, definitely. Would I recommend First Choice or Monarch? Probably not.
Loved Viva Menorca except...
from bejenkins
We have just spent a week at the Viva Menorca, thoroughly enjoyed it, except for not having a kettle!!!! I asked at reception several times, but was told they had none left. Which was very disappointing, when you are on holiday you dont expect to have to stand watching a saucepan of water boil every time you want a cup of coffee!!!
Served the purpose i suppose
from eddyo
Viva Menorca, booked via First Choice who are the only agents for this place operating from UK. Had we been made aware that the transfer from the airport was going to take the best part of two hours, we'd have arranged a private transfer. It's the last drop on an extensive tour of other hotels all over the island. Not the hotel's fault but still, if you're going from the uk to Viva Menorca you'll be offrered this transfer. In all fairness, the retun trip was under an hour. A simple check -in, we were given the keycard, a bit of a map and sent on our way. We were fortunate enough to be given an apartment that was out of earshot of the pool and the 'stage' overlooking the scrubland . The apartments are a nice enough size, lots of storage space for clothes with a small kitchenette, fridge etc. The bathroom was okay with a good shower and i would have been okay with it all but our room had a damp problem that made the place stink a bit. Poor quality MDF furniture is used throughout the apartment and it had absorbed water over time, started to decay and was causing a damp smell. I voiced my concern the morning after arrival and was offered a second keycard that would allow us to leave the electricity on while we were out so that the air-conditioning unit stayed on. It didn't make much of a difference so we bought some stuff to make the place smell a bit better. If all the apartments are using the same furniture, i would imagine they have a similar problem. Our bed was made up of two singles pushed together but it never really worked as a double. Having said that, the beds were comfortable which is always a concern for us. There is a safe in the bottom of the main wardrobe but you have to pay to use it. It cost 20 Euros with 5 back on return of the key. There's a tv and some sort of sofa bed thing in the lounge area that wasn't really comfortable enough to lounge around on and the walls are quite thin so you get to hear voices/ snoring in other rooms. We used the hotel primarily as a base for exploring the island so i can't really comment on the facilities other than to say that there were too many sunbeds around the pool, pushed together like sardines and still not enough to go around if you follow. Oh and the evening entertainment on stage was poor to say the least. The hotel is situated half a km from the marina of Cala'n Bosc where most folk in the area congregate for the evening, ideal if you like commercial touristy places with inflated prices and low quality restaurants. The well run bus service stops just outside the Viva and is ideal for getting into Ciutadella or other less tainted parts of the island for the day/evening which is the way to go if you're not into the Brits abroad scene. Other than that, the place was okay. More suited to families with kids but certainly not four star as advertised and struggling to make a three in my experience.
Management response from Bernat_Comas
29 Sep 2006
The distance from Menorca Airport to the Viva Menorca Hotel is about 50 Kms. which under normal circumstances will take between 45 min. and 60 min.
Of course this may vary on traffic cicumstances and routes taken.
It is definately not a bad idea to Rent a car during your stay on the Island. Apart from being able to go straight to the hotel and back to the airport you'll be able to explore the beautifull Island of Minorca during your holiday.
The furniture used in Viva H&R is of a good quality standard. Unfortunately the furniture suffers a lot with the intensive use given every day, and the high humidity level of the air in the Balearic Islands.
Every winter (when the hotels are closed we do all the nesesary maintenance y refurnishments to leave the hotel in perfect conditions again)
That the safe in the room is to be rented is a normal procedure in most hotels in Spain and is of course being published in all broshures.
In the pool area are as many sunbeds as reasonably fit, to try and give most of the guests an oportunity to use them, but on some days the amount might not be sufficient.
The Viva Menorca is a family friendly hotel, but you as can read in the different comments that the hotel is generally highly valued by both families and couples of different age groups.
The four star rating of the hotel (or any hotel) is of course nobody's opinion, but the result of meeting up with the standards on acomodation and service set for this purpose.
Highly Recommend
from queeniejelly
The staff are all extremely pleasant, a well kept clean aparthotel. 10 mins walk to the marina where there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. Local beaches clean with beautiful clear blue sea.
Reserve your sunbed now!
from doc-dragon
A slightly above average package destination with a clientele almost exclusively British. Apartments small and basic but clean. Pool area too small for number of guests hence towels on all the sunbeds by 9 in morning. Evening entertainment truly awful but fortunately doesn't go on much past 11 o'clock! Annoying lady selling her own brand of sunscreen around the pool with dubious claims regarding its powers. No late availability room on our final day despite written advice to the contrary (staff said hotel was far too busy and couldn't possibly accomodate us). Not too far to walk to marina and beach and marina certainly the place to go for evening meals (don't stay at hotel). Overall no major gripes, it's a mainstream package destination and it does what it says on the tin, just don't expect any frills and be prepared to join the embarrassing spectacle of British tourists placing towels on sunbeds before the sun itself has woken up!
Viva Menorca - You won't be disappointed!!!
from nicnjc
Just returned from a week at the Viva Menorca. We went with our 2 children (ages 11 and 13 yrs). The hotel and complex are superb. We were allocated a room by the pool area and near the entertainment, and we were pleasantly surprised as it wasnt that noisy and very convenient for the pool. The entertainment stops at midnight so this wasn't a problem for us. The rooms are lovely and spacious and loads of hanging space, etc. The maids are excellent and keep the rooms very clean - they clean 5 days out of the 7 we stayed there. We went half board for a week - was a bit wary doing this as we usually go self catering, however, the food is delicious and you have a huge selection every night (laid out in buffet style). There were no horrendous queues and the service was excellent. The staff are really friendly, speak very good English. The location is great as Cala'n Bosch has a lovely affluent harbour area and nice beaches just down the road. We hired a car for a couple of days, which I would recommend and visited lots of Menorca (Mahon, Cuitedella, Son Bou beach). If you are thinking about booking this hotel I would highly recommend it and we would definitely go back in the future. Just a point, on picking people up to leave and go to the airport we saw a good selection of the other hotels and the Viva Menorca looks by far the best out of them all - so we were really pleased. Thanks for all the reviews on here which helped us make this decision. Nic
Five star!
from Eleidgh
We have just returned from an amazing holiday at Viva. I just can't find fault with the place! The apartment was clean and nicely decorated. There was a lovely terrace too. The pool was great ,especially for children as it was all quite shallow. It was really spacious and there were plenty of sun loungers. There was also an excellent poolside bar, which served delicious lunches and good ice creams. The waitresses and waiters were really friendly and helpful. I think the evening entertainment programme was fairly new. It was really impressive with shows ranging from contortionists to river dance! Every night there was something for everyone- mini discos, spanish dancing, musicals, karaoke and limbo dancing! All the entertainers are so talented. The stage is outside, next to the bar, so you can watch whilst eating huge ice cream sundaes! The kids loved it! During the day there are always activities going on such as scuba-diving, archery, pool games, football etc. Cala'n' Bosch is a great resort with plenty to do. The hotel is only a short walking distance from the beautiful marina, where all the good restaurants are. The nearby Son Xoriguer beach is lovely with crystal clear water. I would recommend the Don Pancho boat trip and Ciutadella( the historical capital.) You will LOVE Viva Menorca!
2 great weeks
from A TripAdvisor Member
Had a great time with our 9 month old at Viva Menorca, apartment was clean and staff friendly, excellent breakfeasts... didnt stay in to try the evening entertainment but really enjoyed Citadella which is a great town and the resturants down at the marina. Had a really great stay, ideal for familys with a baby
Great Aparments and Location
from Lillybab
We have just returned from our second visit to Viva Menorca, first visiting in June 2003. The apartments and location are great, you are just a 10 minute (slow) walk into the marina area in Calan Bosc where you cannot fail to find an first class restaurant and plenty for the kids to do. Our two loved the Goody Goody Park, 2 hours of fun for them for3 euros each, this give you the chance to sit and have a quiet drink together while watching your kids have fun. The apartments are very clean, the staff are very friendly and very obliging. Nothing is too much trouble, we asked to change our apartment from a downstairs one to an upstairs one, this was carried out with no fuss and a smile. The childrens entertainment has improved dramatically from when we last visited, this is organised inhouse and the kids go off and play skittles, football, pool games and every evening at the mini disco the kids (and adults!) who have come first second and third are all presented with a certificate and a medal from BUFO, a very nice touch. The evening entertaiment is also much better. Both beaches are very nice and yes can get slightly busy over the morning, but we found after about 1.00pm the amount of people on the beach thinned out quite a bit. All in all, Viva Menorca remains my favourite apartment complex in a wonderful resort, fantastic if you have a young family, fantastic if you don't. We will be returning again sometime in the future. If you go this year look out for Jemma, the best children's entertainer there at the moment, she knows all the kids names and was so popular with our smallest one, she had to be prized away when it was time for us to go to the airport!!!
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2 readers found this review helpful
Couple (no kids)- hotel had just opened for the season and was very quiet. Food was fantastic, cooked fresh every day and always found something to eat - the freshly cooked fish was great. The chef and the staff were very friendly and remembered our drinks order. We never... more