Holiday Village Hotel

I have just got home from a fantastic holiday from sapin. I enjoyed it so much and really want to go back. We went all inclusive and the food is brilliant with a different selection each night. But we had one problem. On our last day we had to be out of our room at 12 so we had to get shwered and take our bags to the luggage room on -2. The normal lifts in the hotel are glass so you can see out. But down in the luggage room the is a small red lift. We went in that to go back up to floor 0 but the lift dropped one floor to leave us stuck in a lift. after numerous moinutes in the lift we continued to press the bell but no one answered. it was getting extremely hot in there but luckily we maneged to wedge the stiff door open and had to clime up. We told the staff and they didnt seem to care but apart from tha you will love this holidya soooooo much. i hope this review helps you out

4 readers found this review helpful

We went self catering to this hotel because we got a good deal, online with first choice there were four of us staying for 2 weeks,i travelled with my husband,mum and 17 year old daughter but admit after reading the reveiws almost cancelled, it sounded like a butlins holiday camp gone mad!!! and unless you took children would be like a fish out of water! But absolutely not the case at all, and feel that people just like to complain! When we checked in there was quite a queue but considering half of our transfer coach were going to the same hotel this was to be expected! but it didn,t take an hour as someone had written the staff were very efficient and worked quickly it was the guests checking in that hadn,t filled in their forms on the coach that held everyone up! so it does really help if you fill out the forms on the coach as annoying as it seems at the time.You will get asked for a deposit either £100 euro,s or credit card details, we decided on the £100 euros as it would give us extra spending money on the day we checked out as our transfer wasn,t until the evening and we had no problems having this returned they didn,t even want to see the receipt they give you for safe keeping remember to ask for the tv remote. The room was very clean and quite large, love the large bathroom fresh towels etc a large balcony/terrace there is no oven just microwave and we didn,t have a kettle but we told reception and they sent one first thing the next morning as it was gone midnight when we reported it room service everyday, sheets changed 3 times in the two weeks we were there just put any dirty towels in the bath and they will change them.We didn,t go to the shows having a 17 year as our youngest thought she,d be bored but she enjoyed herself and met up with other teens who were there we didn,t use the spa or restaurants so i can,t comment on those either but did enjoy the piano bar found this really relaxing this closes at midnight but the irish bar is open till 2 a.m and it,s 2 for 1 drinks from 12-1 a.m the bar staff were really friendly in both the bars. THE SUNBED WAR IS A JOKE!!! you just cannot get a sunbed unless your up with the birds and in some cases before the birds! i know it,s always like this in most hotels but half the time people who had put 'illegal towels'(not suppose to reserve sunbeds)on them don,t shoe their faces until way past dinner, plus they aren,t even comfortable and only lie flat! ,however if your lucky enough to have 1 the entertainment around the pool for the families is very good we joined in a few of the daily quizzes, the reps work very hard at entertaining the kids.The beach club is ok,loved the jacuzzi,s but there is only 1 pool that you can use your hired ring in and as we paid 6 euro,s and a deposit of 14 euro,s, it seemed a waste of money.The beach is only about a 15 min walk from the hotel and cheaper than the beach in the resorts,but these sunbeds have nice thick padded cushions ahhhh lush! the best sunbeds iv,e ever used they cost us 18 euros, for 4 sunbeds and 2 parasols but the total relaxation was worth it! As We were self catering we only ate out a few times in the resorts there are regular buses that stop outside the hotel that go into either benalmadena or fuengirola these run every 1/2 hour to either way so basically every 15 mins it only cost 1.40 euros each wherever you go,and you can pick up bus timetables from reception and the bus stops right outside the big tueday market in fuengirola, the last bus back to the hotel from either benal or fuen is 11.30 p.m but there are taxi,s everwhere if thats too early ours cost us 16 euros. We reccommend SCOBIES on the marina in fuengirola absolutely fantastic! proper home from home food if thats what your after. and not expensive either, traditional fish and home made chips! not the frozen stuff we were served so much food we couldn,t finish it all and they gave out caramel shots on the house, they were so friendly and down to earth no standing on ceremony with them. The onsite shop is expensive, but no more than any other shop on any other holiday places iv,e been to but they only have a small section,for more shopping there is a kwik save 2 stops away from the hotel towards benalmadena (near hotel playa bonita) that stock a lot of english brands we managed to get quite a lot from there other wise if you get a bus into feunirola, the bus stops right in the town centre at the bus station and there are at least 4 supermarkets just in that 1 area alone the best for english food is left just round the corner from the bus station a bit further up from claire,s accessories,and cheaper ex: 2 bottles 2 litre coke packs is only 2.30 euros and knowing when the buses were due, we managed to get our groceries and jump back on a bus within an hour altogether we must have spent about £160 euros on groceries for the four of us adults for the 2 weeks we were there,this was for a variety of meals including a fantastic salad,our tues curry night we even did home made chips considering there is no oven just a microwave we managed just fine on self catering we did eat at the snack bar a couple of times in the day,the reason i mention this is because i read a reveiw where someone had said that they felt left out of everything and were treated different because they weren,t an all inclusive guest and had to spend £18 euro,s a day on taxi,s just to eat!i didn,t find this was the case with us all. All in all, my grandkids would,ve been in heaven in this hotel i would highly reccommend this too famielies but wouldn,t pay the £3000 that some did ,we all enjoyed it here we managed to get the holiday we wanted which was to relax, even with cooking a few times it is a bit out the way but im used to been in more central resorts where there is a shop on ever corner but we managed just fine getting out and about, would i go back??? only if it was as cheap as it was when we booked it!

2 readers found this review helpful

just back from A 2wk holiday at the Holiday village Benalmadena.2 adults 2 kids 15 & 8 years .cant fault staff or accommadation .food good if you like same thing time and time again pool aera very good life guards on duty gym very disapointing out of date sorry 2 say gym not worth a visit holiday rep,s do an outstanding job

1 reader found this review helpful

We have just returned from a week at this hotel. its our second year as our 10 yr old granddaughter loved it so much last year.
Our room was spotless, fresh towels every day, clean sheets half way through our week and lots of space.
The food was really good for this type of child oriantated holiday with plenty of choice, my grand daughter is a fussy eater but had no trouble finding something that she liked.
Staff always polite and considerate.
Day time entertainment great the team worked really hard, the only down side was the evening entertainment. To be honest it was C.... We have been to at least 7 Thomson/First Choice holidays and this was the worst evening entertainment I have seen.
No disco for the young children, no song time just the people on stage who seemed to think it was just for themselve with adult suggestive remarks that where inapproperate for small children,
As for the adult part well It was terrible.
Please please do something Holiday Village you are letting First Choice down with such rubbish.
I have seen better evening entertainment at my grand daughters school.
All round I would recomend this place to my friends but suggest they
1]Hire a car and get out to see the Dolfin Park, Safari Park and The aquariam.
and
2] Avoid the main entertainment and go to the piano bar

5 readers found this review helpful

Had a lovely welcome to the hotel, staff friendly and welcome drinks waiting. The check in was quick and the spanish reception staff spoke quite good english and couldnt be more helpfull.
The rooms are ample size with a good sized bathroom and a large balcony. We are a large family of 5 and found the room more than spacious enough for all of us. They were cleaned every day and fresh bedding and towels were also giving everyday.
The food was nice for all inclusive well the best all inclusive i have had. It becomes a little repetative but to break this up there is an itallian and a mexican which are both good, the itallian however is by far the best from the two. bBreakfasts were good with alot of choice my fave as the omelttes freshly made to order. The snack bar had a good selection too as i said good for all inclusive.
The beach club is great hours of fun to be had for familys here.
The shop is shockingly expensive. Much like the haven holiday shops at home. Dont use it if you dont have too is my advice.
The kids clubs were great and they had something for all ages, the staff at these clubs also great.
Entertainment on a night was ok, The staff worked hard and that shpowed. However not great it was the same thing night in and night out.
Location is awful its to far to walk if you have children and getting taxis all the time gets too costly. Even when out and about i didnt think it had alot to offer The croc park is cheap and well wort a visit you even get to hold a baby croc.
The sea here is very rough and also its not very shallow so if your not a strong swimmer paddle on the edge.
This hotel has everything you could ask for in one resort. If you like going away and staying on the resort most of the time this is an ideal holiday. If your like me and like to get out exploreing its not the best place to go. I had a great time and loved every second of it, however i wouldnt come again. Hope this helps......

18 readers found this review helpful

i just returned back to uk 10th july, i had stayed at the holiday village for 10 days, i am 32 and went with my dad for a break... even thought this is fantastic and perfect for anyone with kids, i still had a great holiday, the first choice staff there were brilliant, really friendly, always something to do all day and night till 2 am at the hotel for kids and adults. you can get to the marina and the square where all the nightlife is, for 11 euros in a cab or under 2 euros on the 120 bus, i recommend molly malones if you venture out there.i was really worried before i went because i read lots of bad reviews. the sickness thing everyone had been writing about was nothing to do with food or cleanliness at the hotel, and had obviously passed before i got there as no-one was sick everyone was friendly happy and having a great holiday. i have never met so many nice great people and thats what makes a holiday great. the hotel was clean, the pool was huge, loads of sunbeds, too much food to choose from i dont know how anyone could complain about the food. i think some people just like to have a moan, and always find fault in things, thats why i have written this review, i never written one before i just want you all to know IT IS GREAT THERE AND YOU WILL HAVE A FANTASTIC HOLIDAY AND WANT TO GO BACK> hope this was helpful

8 readers found this review helpful

ok, general feelings about the hotel is good, spanish staff very hard working and lovely. Hotel is mostly in good order, but balcony was neglected.(weeds in planters with no plants, fag butts from previous guests and pigeon poo down the walls and on the floor) spoke to reception and maids were sent up to mop. Dont feel there was enough room for 4 people in room(I had to sleep on the sofa, as this was the 4th bed) The only real problem is the vomiting of guests, people were becoming very ill suddenly with vomiting. We were told it was the norovirus and as the week went on more and more people were becoming ill(a couple of times there was an ambulance outside) From reading previous reviews this is not a new problem and it does not seem to be being sorted out, real shame as the hotel was lovely

11 readers found this review helpful

just returned on 19th may 11 from a weeks stay at the holiday village with my family this place is fantastic for kids from ages 4 to 11 there busy everyday doing diffrent activities the reps seemed fantastic with them although we had one accident with my son 2yrold fell and cut his chin open the rep did leave us with a spanish speakin life gaurd which i was not happy about as my son need hospital treatment and we couldnt understand the life gaurd. the food was lovely too i would advise anyone who goes to go all inc the staff in all the bars were very friendly and i deffinatly look forward to going back here again in a few years time.

58 readers found this review helpful

We have just come back from a week at the Holiday Village. We had a fantastic time. I went with my mum, my son aged 8 and daughter aged 23 months. Gonna have a moan 1st, and then the good bits. Like many we read the reviews before we came and was a bit nervous as most of the reviews were bad, but trust me, its lovely out there.
We booked through First Choice, and before we went we looked at the trips they advertised. We booked up the Selwo Pack and Gibraltar rock tour. We thought we would save some money doing it that way, but you dont. At your welcome meeting you will get a leaflet explaining trips and prices. My advice is book it whilst your there. We got totally miss sold our trips. We were under the impression we would be collected from the hotel and returned back to the hotel! That was not the case, with the Selwo Marina and cable cars you have to get there yourself. They told us to get the train or buses, and with a toddler in a push chair is not easy especially in a country we dont know. In the end we just got taxis as it was on 11 euros each way, plus the 2 venues are up steep hills, so taxi was the best. On the internet it says at the top of the mountain of cable car trip that there are donkey rides! This is not true, they have a fantastic bird show, but no donkeys. For the Gibraltar trip you have to come out of the hotel and wait at a bus stop! Again not told this info. The Selwo Adventure trip was a disaster as we waited at the bus stop for an hour and bus never turned up! After walking back up and into reception to find a rep, we had to wait a further hour to be told they had forgotten about us. We got our money back, but the kids were still very upset, and it was a waste of a day. The Gibraltar trip was good but very rushed. It took 2 hours to get there. The monkeys are fantastic and the world war 2 tunnels were good.
When we arrived at airport it all went smoothly, we found rep straight away who pointed us in the direction of coach. He will give you a form to fill out with your bank details and passport numbers and issue date. My advice fill it out on the coach as it speeds up check in time at the hotel. Once we were checked, we went to our room and found we were on the top floor! On the balcony was a big drop and a table and chairs. My toddler is a bad climber and would have pushed a chair to the edge to look over. I didnt feel safe about this, so went back to reception and they were lovely. We were then moved down to 1st floor, much better. Rooms are nice, huge twin beds, with a sofa that pulls out to a double bed. Lovely bathroom with double sinks, bath and shower. Kitchen is very basic with kettle, toaster, microwave and electric hob. The cleaners dont wash up well, so we washed everything before we used it. The cleaners came in everyday and made beds and tidied up. You have to ask them for clean towels though.
We went self catering as we knew 4 of the days we would be out on trips so didnt see the point in AI. When we were at the hotel it wasnt a problem. The food comes in big portions and not badly priced. For example, at the snack bar you can get a hot dog and chips for 3.20 euros or a jacket potato with different fillings for 3.40 euros. And the food is nice. You can also order food from room service which was pretty reasonable too.
The shop in the hotel is very expensive. When we arrived at the hotel, we got the essentials like bread, milk and water. And on the next day we walked into Fuengirolla (sorry about spelling)to the little shop and got the rest. Its only a 10min walk and the beach down there is lovely.
The hotel itself is very nice. Glass lifts, lovely reception with a water feature, bars and restaurants.
Kids clubs are fantastic!!! They run from 10 in the morning till 11 at night. My son loved it, especially the chocolate party! He came out of there covered in it, so dont put your child in nice clothes that night! They do activities like archery, crazy golf, raft building, bowling, movie night, bingo night. Something different every day/night.
The pools are lovely too and we didnt get to see them all there was so many! Life guards around them all so you know the kids are safe. AI people get the pool towels, so you dont need to worry about packing them.
I am def going back next year. Im looking into it now! Will probably go AI next time as we have done the trips now, so we can stay at the hotel all day by the pool.
If you have children you will love this holiday. All the kids get on so well, my son made so many friends.
I wouldn't advise this holiday for couples who have no children as you will probably go mad!
Holiday reps are very helpful, and are there from first thing in the morning till around 9 at night in the reception so you will easily find them.
The only bad thing we found was the booking of trips back in the UK. So book whilst your there.
Have a great time and hope this information is useful to you.

11 readers found this review helpful

just got back from two weeks self catering with a 7 and 14 yr old and had an excellent time. The complex itself is clean, the staff are really friendly and the entertainment team Becky, Dixie, Sophia, Richard and Dave were absolutely fantastic. The beach club is a small walk, but really worth it and the main pool in the complex was large and had loads of activities through the day for adults and children. The rooms were large and spacious and the kitchen was adequate for self-catering, however would reccomend you take tea towels, washing-up liquid and dish cloth with you. Would also recommend you take your own teabags, coffee and sugar has the shop on site is very expensive. The restaurants on site have lovely food but if your not all inclusive they will set you back 25 euro's each per meal and 12.50 for under 12's. The shop is expensive, some examples being 3.50 euro's for bread and 2.50 for two pints of milk. And price aside there is not enough range for a one week stay, let alone two. Bar drinks will also set you back 3.50 for a pint 2.50 for glass of coke and 4.50 for a barcardi breezer. We shopped out at a local supermarket, but because of the situation of the complex this involved a bus ride. Price was only 1.20 no matter how far you went but all the buses were busy with up to 30 standing as well as the seated (no good with bags of shopping). However, i would definately go back and the kids loved it, but it would be all inclusive.