Holiday Village Hotel

This was our third time to the holiday village(HV)and have seen a big difference in the place. Not as clean, food and entertainment much poorer than previous years. Seen many faces from the previous years and all agreed nowhere as good. The pools just cope with the amount of people now dread to think when the other 2 hotels are open. Had booked for next years before we left but have now changed to another HV. Mess was made by others leaving food, cups etc, seen rat during midday under kids trampoline at snack shak not good sign. Entertainment was ok come on Tom what happened from last year to this year. Was kept up at night with kids running wild in corridors whilst parents in Irish bar some as young as 5. Many people were not well having stomach cramps and skoots for days everyone that seemed to have it always seemed to stay at main pool whist others at beach club where fine, was not the food as knew of S/C people who also had it and never eat in HV. As for being AI you are treated like second class, stood in line for drinks/food and the minute a SC goes to there side servers straight over leaving AI line, if anything AI paid more to get there with SC only eating seldom in holiday so cannot be making loads of money from them. Have noticed a lot has been withdrawn from AI food lists. Also would be grateful they could make up there mind if they want to use the horrible AI band or the card, was refused several times cos didn't have card and when had card was never asked for it! Sorry but your show boat in starting to sink First choice and not a cheap holiday either for what you get now. Swimming instructors were wonderful Chris the lad from Edinburgh was wonderful had wee boy swimming in days and the kids clubs James and Danny were good with the kids and kept them busy kids are still singing "fishy fishy seaweed"

just back from my 2nd time at the holiday village. went on my own with my2 kids 13 and 11.
last year was much better, the beach club was mainly only opened to the holliday village rather than the holiday palace 2 so it wasnt so busy,people didnt get upbefore 7am to pathetically reserve their loungers at the main pool,it was a clean resort and the entertainment was fantastic!!
SO....... what happened this year??
dont get me wrong its a great place but this year the main complex was very very dirty! and whilst in the shower the glass door fell on me...waiting to see the outcome of my accident report made by first choice!!!still resting after injuring my back and leg!!so be careful of your kids in the shower it happened to another family when we were ther too
yep there was a sickness bug but we went out our way to watch what we ate and were ok!
yes the lifts broke down alot!
its a shame that theyve let it all slip
am going to the majorca village next year its apparently better
we stayed in the village for the whole 2 weeks as we just wanted to have fun in the sun and play in the pools together as a family so didnt use the kids clubs and apart from the severe annoyance of people allowing their kids to do the toilet in the pool it was clean enough at the beachclub.
i agree with the other the reviewers that the shop is v v expensive and its rubbish theres no snacks after dinner.
if you get a chance book the new grill restaurant at night at the beachclub it was the high light of our stay,dinning with great food,over looking the sea and it means you can escape the buffet one night week!!
the walk to the beach club is fine especially when compared to being run over on the busy road and it has the best food!!
overall if the entertainment by first choice was insultingly bad but the entertainment provided by the hotel at the piano bar was great.
my BIGGEST bug bare was that the all inclusive ended at 12noon and after paying 2500 for me and 2kids i was so so so annoyed that i had to pay for the extremely expensive food and drinks till i left at 5pm so for gods sake beware of that and dont go self catering either

I got back from the holiday village yesterday and so wanted to add a review to tell you what to expect. This is the first time i have been abroad in 5 years and the first time my 4 year old has been abroad. I would first like to add that the First Choce brochures and website do not do this place justice. The airport transfer time was 25 minutes on an airconditioned bus with friendly First Choice rep on board. You could complete your check in forms on the bus to save time when you got there. The place looked huge when we drove up and we quickly checked in (whilst having the complimentary drink offered to us). We were on the third floor. I had read other reviews saying the lifts in the village were always busy but we never found ourselves waiting for more than a couple of minutes at any time. Our apartment was a really good size and very clean. the bathroom was huge with twin basins, bath with shower over, toilet, bidet, another built in shower. The kitchen had standard kettle, toaster, microwave and more importantly a fridge. The living area had dual aspect windows, table and chairs, 4 seater settee (this could turn into a bed at night), TV and side tables. The bedroom had 2 double beds side by side that could be separated if you wished. there was built in clothes storage in the bedroom and living room with more than enough space for what we needed. There was access to a very roomy balcony from the living area and bedroom.
The shop on site did seem expensive for basics so i would definitely recommend going to this place all inclusive. If you have booked self-catering there is an upgrade option when you get there. I was a bit concerned with some of the other reviews for the food as i have a very picky 4 year old but at every meal there was ample choice and she tried quite a few new dishes. We noticed at all the meals that food was constantly being replaced even if there was some left. The salads especially were kept fresh. There was a theme night every night in the main restaurant eg oriental, indian etc but there were still other choices available as well. I would strongly recommend a visit to the Mexican and Italian on-site restaurants as the food and service was amazing.
The kids clubs were very well organised and the staff really went the extra mile to make sure the kids were entertained. The kids disco on an evening was fun for all the young children and me and my daughter loved joining in the dancing. I would recommend playing bingo at about 9pm. It is 2 euros a ticket and for a line you could win about 150 euros and for the full house people were winning nearly 600 euros.
The beach club was amazing and as it doesn't open until 10am i would say to go there for the day after breakfast. The pools were exceptionally clean and there were loads of different areas to sit and sunbathe and swim. My hubby loved the wave pool but i would say its not suitable for young children but there are loads of other areas for them.
I had read reviews of tummy problems at the village but we never heard of anything while we were there. There is an onsite doctor which is really reassuring if taking young children although we never used their services. There was once incident where there was some 'poo' in one of the pools. I think it had escaped from a childs swim nappy. the lifeguards got everyone out of the water and they secured the pool and carried out chemical tests to ensure it was going to be safe. This pool remained closed for the rest of the afternoon. We went in it after and have all been very well.
The only thing that was annoying were that some people were fanatical about reserving sun loungers on the dot of 9am round the main pool. But at the beach club site there were loads more space and pools so i would say go here anyway. There is a bit of a walk to the beach club but to be honest with all the food and drink you have, the enforced exercise does you good and we didn't hear any complaints. On our last day a trolley was even put outside our room for our cases the next morning.
My top tips if you are going are book the Mexican and Italian restaurants, be ready to go to the beach club for 10am and fill in the check in forms on the transfer bus to save time.
I strongly recommend this holiday as we had a fantastic time and only wished we could have afforded 2 weeks.

Had a fantastic holiday, the beach club is amazing with 8 pools, water jets etc. We went over there everyday as sunbeds were easy to get even at 11am. ( sunbeds round by hotel pool are reserved really early) Great food choice in restaurants, we preferred the lunch restaurant as bright and airy, the evening one was a bit dull but food still good. Kids loved the chocolate fountain on gala night. The reps did a a good job but entertainment was poor some evenings. Beware of the english reps just outside resort as they are trying to sell timeshare, basically they ask you to go and see another hotel up the road, we did this and 3 hours later we returned to the hotel. For going we were given 100euro voucher to spend on any first choice trip, plus 100 euros to spend in hotel, so on a 2 week holiday it did't matter spending 3 hours away from hotel, on 1 week holiday not sure we would of done it. Make sure you get the bus down to the marina, it is lovely to see the boats etc. Buses reliable and cheap. We went on excellent trip to Waterpark and Zoo, the zoo was fab and lovely to walk round. If getting late flight home, make sure you book to keep your room on before you travel as we didn't and they were full. We would def recommend this hotel for families going all Inc ONLY not suitable for Self catering. The hotel is very big, so only book if you are prepared to queue for things ( lifts/dinner/drinks) This didn't spoil it for us though. We would like to try other holiday villages before we returm to this one.

back from 2 weeks at holiday village very impressive at frist sight . 2 adults 2 kids 13 and 5 went self catering .this hotel should not do self catering no shops around and shop in hotel very very expensive and not a lot too offer . the staff at reception not very good and a lot of people not happy with the reps . one nice rep swim instructor tom my wee girl thought he was great: rooms very big and very clean only we were at the back and over looking the bins asked to be moved said we had to pay extra for sea view . we paid 2,500 for holiday and a extra 639euors for 5 days all inclusive been on a lot of holidays always had sea view never had to pay for it and paid a lot less for holiday . anyway enjoyed the holiday but not as much as other years would not go back and would not recommend it .

The complex is fantastic, and as many submitters have stated is second to none in terms of facilities and cleanliness. However, there are some things that holidaymakers with younger children should be aware of as follows:
The room doors cannot be deadlocked from the inside, anyone holding a master key card can gain access at any time. We had a toddler with us, and on 2 occasions, she let herself out of the room, when the deadlock was on! At night we had to wedge a chair under the door handle as this was the only way to be sure that nobody could get into the room through the front door.
On day 3 of our stay, my wife took the little one back to our room to have an afternoon nap. She deadlocked the door and sat on the balcony for a while, and then went and sat in the lounge, (child asleep in bedroom). A few minutes later a workman entered (he knocked the door once and entered before my wife could get up from the sofa). Had my wife been on the balcony she would not have heard the door being knocked. When challenged the hotel management explained that this was due to a fault reported by housekeeping, but did accept that we should have been notified. The rooms have an electronic door entry system, but the hotel were not able to provide a detailed log of who had entered our room and when, as the technology used did not go this far.
We were initially allocated a room overlooking the piano bar terrace, and were told that the Piano Bar closed at 23.00. This was not the case and the bar was open until midnight, and even later most nights. Guests also remained on the terrace until well after the bar eventually closed. The room was not suitable to a family with young children that wanted and needed to be in bed early (before midnight)). We eventually moved rooms to a much better quieter, location within the complex.
For information: There are in the region of 300 rooms at the resort, approximately half of which (150) have a pool/sea view. Of these around 60 are in the wing overlooking the Piano Bar, and only half of these would be affected. Therefore only 10% of the guests could be potentially impacted, the majority of which would not return to their room much before midnight. Why is there no warning in the First Choice literature that a room with a pool/sea view may also be overlooking an entertainment area that closes at midnight?
If you have younger children and want a quieter room ask for a high floor, as you need to use the lifts from most floors, and the design of the hotel is such that each balcony overlooks the one below, so the furthest anyone can fall is one floor.
There is the usual issue with sunbeds by the pools, and whilst there is a lot mentioned about beds being monitored and towels being removed, it does not happen and you have to get there early to secure your bed for the day. This only really applies to the pool on the hotel side, and there is more availability across at the beach club, where food can also be eaten in the restaurant as part of the all inclusive package.
The free ice creams are only available at selected bars, so work out which ones these are, get holdf of loads and put them in your fridge/freezer in the room.
First Choice advertises a talent competition in their holiday brochures called "Holiday Stars" with no mention of an age restriction on entry into the Holiday Stars competition, but the competition and prizes were only available to ove 18's so our 13 year old could not take part. We watched some of the acts and he would have stood a good chance of winning.
Finally, the main entertainment does not start until around 22.00, and this was preceded every night by the kiddies disco (which was entertaining for the little ones) and the obligatory half hour of Bingo. As a result families with younger children like ours were often deprived of the better quality entertainment late in the night, and had to make do with the local entertainment team who had varying degrees of ability!

This was our second time at this hotel we had been 2yrs previous and at that time i would
have given 10 out of 10.I feel however this time the inclusion of some money making childrens rides beside the main stage has put alot of extra expense and pressure on families with young children.3 euro for 2 mins on a trampolene by 14 nights by 4 kids,all inclusive becomes a joke.If i am to believe management,that families had complained there was not enough entertainment in that area then why not improve the already existing play area and leave it without charge.

This Holiday village is amazing!
very clean there was a maid cleaning the rooms everyday
there is so much stuff to do for little kids my little sister is 3 and we never saw her !!!
There is always a club going on for kids !!
the food was brilliant there was always live entertainment round in the show dome
I Love it Going To go Back Next Year
By The Way Theres A Hair Dryer We Made The Mistake of packing one!!

After just returning from this village, I must say this place is lovely, but we did have a few hiccups but overall a fantastic place hence the 8. There was 6 adults and one child aged 10 in our party. On arrival you have to fill a form in which also includes a form for credit card details or a 100 euro deposit, this we were informed was for hire of TV remote, golf clubs, towels etc.. wouldn't have been so bad if this had been mentioned to us! We arrived at the hotel at noon but our rooms weren't ready, even though we were allowed AI on arrival, but been so hot, we just wanted to get changed.. 2 hours later this was possible!! The rooms however are massive, with 2 double beds, pull out beds in living room, this can accomodate 2. Massive lovely bathroom, and kitchenette, not really used as AI. TV in room even as BBC 1 ITV1 & ITV3. We had paid for a Sea/Pool view which was def worth it, the view is fantastic. However the cards you are issued as a key, failed on several times and been on the top floor was a bit of inconveience having to go to reception to get the card fixed. Plus we had problems with the safe 2.50 euros a day to hire, but was always promptly dealt with. The hotel and area is huge, and is spotless. The walk across the bridge to the other swimming areas, incl wave pool and slide, is only 10 mins and you will need to go to this side if you want to sunbathe and swim, if not at the main swimming pool before 9am.. From 6.30 am people grab the sunbeds.. however you are not allowed to reserve and towels will be removed!! The meals are lovely and caters for everyone including the snacks ie cheese toasties, nugget & chips, etc, the staff are efficent, friendly and always happy to help. Same for the drinks we expected watered down drinks, but not the case, they are very generous on the servings ie vodka etc and they know certain cocktails inc Sex on the beach! As advertised in the brochue this is 1.5km away from the towns, however the buses are frequent and only costed 1.30 euro into either town.. so can't complain when I knew this was the case. The beach on the village isn't that nice with stones etc but walk 15 mins and the beach is lovely, same if you go into either of the towns, lovely sandy beaches. I would say the only downside for this place is the evening entertainment, the reps work hard all day and night but for the price of the holiday professional acts should be shown.. I have seen better at 3* hotels..however the bingo of a evening cost 2euros a ticket but the money was always over a 100 euros for one line and 400 for the house.. not that we won!! But well worth winning. Overall we had a fantastic holiday, however it was very hot 34 - 36c and oneof the group suffered severe burning to her feet.. the nurse there is lovely and very helpful.. however to see the doctor, you have to pay 65 euros if he on site or 90 euros if not to call him out then whatever the treatment costs.. and then claim back off the travel insurance!! Would we return.. probably if the entertainment was sorted out!

What a place......We had 3 kids there aged 7,5 and 4,it was the best place i have ever been. Any review which tells you otherwise must be very fussy. It was so safe,clean and well managed. The food was excellant and the numerous swimming pools offered plenty of entertainment, you would nearly need 2 weeks to see all of the complex its so big. Dont even consider self catering but you can upgrade there if you want at roughly 40euro per adult and 25 for a child. Free food drink all day after that , how bad