Reviews of Holiday Centre Apartments, Santa Ponsa, Mallorca

I went to the Holiday Park...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Great Late Deals

Submitted By:

Miss L Aitken

Comments:

I went to the Holiday Park Apartments in July this year with my boyfriend. The hotel complex has a LOT of stairs and only a lift to pool level.



I had read reviews about the noise etc but as we were at the back of the complex, we found it relatively quiet, that said people are on holiday so you could hear them coming home etc.



There were always loungers available, if you were there for about 10.30am and you had the choice of lying by the pool or on the sun terrace which was slightly quieter. The pool did tend to have an abundance of inflatable toys but you could still get in to cool off.



The shop across the road had all the basics you would need; the pool was clean, sun area always clean. We had a great holiday, really enjoyed the place, the beach is beautiful and it's only a short walk along the beach to the neighbouring resort which isn't as 'lively'.



I wouldn't return to Santa Ponsa as I prefer to try new places but I would recommend the Holiday Park Apartments to anyone who is going to Santa Ponsa.

I have just returned from 1 week...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Budget Travel

Submitted By:

Mrs K Connolly

Comments:

I have just returned from 1 week at the Holiday Centre (booked as a late deal) in Santa Ponsa, having read the reviews on this site before I went I was really dreading my holiday.



I have to agree with some of the comments on the site.



Firstly the apartments are very basic with just 2 electric rings and a microwave in the very small kitchen. We were situated on the second floor overlooking the pool and bar, the balcony is tiny with only a small patio table and 2 chairs, the whole apartment could do with a little investment and a big makeover.



The beds were uncomfortable but not so much that you could not sleep in them however the pull out bed was very uncomfortable. The towels were changed every second day and the bathroom cleaned, the sheets on our bed were replaced once in the week.



If you are just looking for somewhere to lay your head and store your stuff these apartments are fine they are not as horrendous as I was expecting.



However when I am on holidays I do like to have the choice of eating out or preparing a grilled breakfast or lunch in my apartment but with the limited facilities this was not possible.



The complex itself does have lots of steps in it so if you have a buggy or walking difficulties this could be a nightmare, the ground floor apartments look terrible, as they seem to get no sun and have no facilities for sitting out.



The pool are can get a bit crowded and although there is a sign saying loungers cannot be reserved while not in use, we did see this happen on a number of occasions.



During the day many people did smoke while sun bathing and did just throw their cigarette butts on the ground despite there being plenty of ashtrays in the bar that they could have brought out to the lounger (as others did).



However this is not a reflection on the staff of the complex as they were out every evening stacking the loungers and cleaning around the pool but a reflection on the thoughtlessness of the visitors the same applied to the seating area between the pool and the bar, cigarette butts would just be thrown on the ground instead of getting an ashtray.



The bar staff can seem a little off at first but when you see the amount of work they do and the hours they put in you can see why, but they are really nice and Felix the entertainment guy works really hard and does a decent enough job.



The supermarket next door is handy but a little expensive as are the others in the area, if you are going with young children I would recommend u bring your boxes of cereals and crisps ect with you if you have room in your suitcase.



Mrs Murphy’s Kitchen down the road does a nice breakfast for €3.95 and there is a little place down at the roundabout (heading for the beach) called XOSES they did reasonably priced dinners, nicer and cheaper than some of the more expensive places we ate in.



All in all the Holiday Centre apartments are fine if you are not looking for a bit of comfort, they may not be the best place to stay in but from speaking to another couple who have stayed in Santa Ponsa a couple of times they most definitely are not the worst.

After booking the holiday centre...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs S Proctor

Comments:

After booking the holiday centre apartments online I was a bit worried by some of the reviews but was pleasantly surprised when we got there.



When I booked I had asked for a spacious apartment for a family of four on the ground floor and close to the pool this is exactly what we got.



The apartment was big enough for the four of us. The bedroom had two single beds which the kids slept and my husband and I slept in the lounge on a sofa pull out bed which was reasonably comfortable.



The apartment was your normal basic holiday accommodation but very clean and our towels where changed every two days which was great. Not a great kitchen area but we ate out so did use it.



The complex was very clean as well with a children’s play area which was directly across from our room which was good. the pools were clean one kids pool and one big pool.



The snack bar was clean and food was ok. The entertainment at night was your usual kids disco but ok nothing brilliant but there is plenty other places to go in Santa Ponsa.



Try out Berties bar just down the street if you have kids they have a children’s play room which is supervised you just sign the kids in and then go and sit in the bar and have a drink while your kids are looked after at no cost.



Also places to eat try Mrs Murphy’s just further down for breakfast or dinner nice and reasonable. If you like steaks and big ribs then try Crocodiles which is further down past the beach lovely!!



Went the to the beach also nice and clean.



All in all we had a lovely relaxing weeks holiday. I think going in May was just ideal as the apartments where quiet and so was the town not too much hustle and bustle when you have young kids.



Only one thing I will mention is the apartments are used by a travel co in Ireland so it is 99% used by Irish, not that I mind the Irish, they are lovely people but being the only Scots family there it could be quite intimidating, especially in the high season months but Santa Ponsa is very Irish orientated and green, if you know what I mean so if you are that way brilliant if not don’t go!

I can agree with most of the...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

On The Beach

Submitted By:

Mrs J Lawford

Comments:

I can agree with most of the comments that have been made about these apartments.



I don't think that they are suitable at all for families. I went with my husband and son on a last minute deal and have been put off going last minute again.



We arrived at the apartments in a taxi at around 7am as our flight had been delayed. As we got out of the taxi there were a lot of the residents returning after their night out!



The reception staff on the whole were polite and as helpful as possible, we checked in and our room was virtually next to the pool.



There was no prior warning that you had to hire kettles, toaster, hairdryer, air conditioning or safety deposit box which would have taken quite a chunk of our money if we had.



The apartments are very basic and there is no way that you can sleep 4 people comfortably, in fact the twin beds in the bedroom are as comfortable as sleeping on the floor!



I always thought that the idea of self-catering was that you could prepare food yourself but the kitchen facilities are so basic there was no chance, there isn't even a grill or oven.



Our "balcony" was part of the main thoroughfare so if you wanted to sit out at night you had to put up with being approached by drunken youths. They regularly shouted to each other and threw items off the balconies and it was generally quite intimidating, after two nights we decided to hire the air con so we didn't have to have the door or windows open, as the noise is relentless all day and night.



My son who always spends his holidays by the pool felt too intimidated (he's 14) to even go near the pool as it was packed every day and the people were incredibly rowdy.



There was also no mention of the fact that, that side of Santa Ponsa is the Irish quarter so 90% of the residents in the apartments were Irish, which we don't have a problem with but you did feel in the minority, as nobody would speak to us.



We did try to complain about the noise but nothing was done, I also complained to the holiday company on my return and they were not helpful at all.



I found this holiday to be one of the worst I have ever been on and would not return to the resort again, although Majorca is a very beautiful island. If you want to go and see the caves I would recommend you hire a car as it works out far cheaper than the coach trip.

On arrival we were impressed...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Excel Holidays

Submitted By:

Miss R C Walker

Comments:

On arrival we were impressed with where we were staying the swimming pools were clean, the only downfall is we were on the second floor with an 18 month old child we asked for this at time of booking but they couldn't move us.



We were told on arrival we could rent kettles and toasters so when we had taken the suitcases upstairs my partner went to rent a kettle and were told there was none available.



The entertainer at night let the apartments down he was loud rude. The staff were very helpful and friendly overall it was a good holiday.

Well what can I say about the...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

stein travel

Submitted By:

Not Specified

Comments:

Well what can I say about the holiday centre is that it was deplorable accommodation. And if you are looking this up and haven’t gone on your holiday yet please take my advice and do not stay in this place. We had 120 steps up and 120 down every day to our apartment. And that’s after the lift. Which is a joke!



The apartment is tiny and basic. Couldn’t boil a kettle (probably because there was none) have to pay a deposit to borrow a hairdryer. Air conditioning was only in the bedroom. The bathroom was so small you'd to close out the door to your the actual toilet. One towel change and they jus threw the sheet change on the couch for us to change them ourselves.. This was just appalling to come across.



The good point for the place was its location and the pool. It was clean and lively. I’m only 26 myself and went out every night myself but to be thrown in this kip for a week was a nightmare and I was dying to get out of it! The double bed is 2single beds pushed together with the thinnest mattress and springs coming up threw it! We asked for our accommodation to be changed and we were told under no circumstances could we get moved! Terrible. This was the worst place I’ve ever stayed in!

Have just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

sunmaster

Submitted By:

Miss Susie & Jo

Comments:

Have just returned from a week’s holiday staying in the Holiday Park Apartments and absolutely loved it!



Having read mixed reviews about the apartments and resort before arriving, we were wary of what to expect. The accommodation although basic (what do you expect from a 2/3* apartment), was spotless and comfortable. We were situated on the fourth floor and although there were 8 flights of stairs to climb we had no problem in doing this and found it good exercise. The pool was spacious and cleaned every morning and there were always plenty of sun beds.



We found the all the staff at the apartments to be very helpful and friendly, especially Paul the entertainment guy.



The location was excellent as we were literally a minute’s walk from shops and bars and 5 minutes from the beach, which was clean and safe for families. The nightlife was ok although it would probably have been better in peak season but this suited us as we were after a relaxing holiday. As we were self catering, we found the best restaurants to be Mrs Murphy's Kitchen and The President (on the beach) which were both reasonably priced and served excellent food.



The only slight downside were that we sometimes heard noise from other people returning back from their night's out (one guy singing the song 'you'll never walk alone' outside my window at 5am with the line 'walk on' - wished he had of!!). Also this is a mainly Irish resort (being the only 2 Welsh girls there) and we sometimes felt like we were holidaying in a very sunny Ireland!



I would definitely recommend the Holiday Park Apartments and hope to return to Majorca and possibly Santa Ponsa again.

We stayed for a week at the...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Miss L Macdonald

Comments:

We stayed for a week at the Holiday Park with my 2 year old son and my mum. The apartments are basic but spotlessly clean although the reception and games rooms did look a bit shabby! There are a lot of steps in the complex but we were lucky enough to get a 1st floor apartment so didn’t have that many to contend with plus a kind young man who was sunbathing at the time offered to carry our cases up to our room!



The pools were cleaned every day and the whole complex was kept very clean. There was always plenty of sun beds available-no need to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve one! As some of the other reviews have already stated there was loud music from the pool bar which started around 10.30am. I didn’t mind it so much, having said that we spent most of our days at the beach mainly because of my son and his obsession with building sandcastles!



There was some form of entertainment on each night but we preferred to venture into the resort. The music from the bar finished at midnight sometimes earlier and we never had any problem with noise during the night. The staff were all very friendly and quite a few were English!



The resort itself had plenty of bars and restaurants and loads of Irish bars. If you've got kids we found an excellent bar just down the road from the apartments called Berties, they have a supervised kids club-the place is just covered in toys and there’s play stations for the older ones. As long as you were drinking in the bar the kids club was free and you could sit outside and watch them play-my son loved it!



On the whole we had a great time-it was booked as a last minute deal at a rock bottom price and I would have no hesitation in booking again!

Myself, 2 friends and my...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Ms K Smith

Comments:

Myself, 2 friends and my friend’s daughter (8 yrs old) went with the intention of having a relaxing holiday with things suitable for all 4 of us. Kids clubs and swimming pool/beach for my friend’s daughter, and lively bars and pubs for us.



When we arrived we were taken aback, firstly, by the fact that with a self catering room, you had to pay to hire a kettle and leave a deposit. We thought we could boil the water in a pan instead but it took 2hrs and the water still wasn't boiling. We were told when we arrived that no loud noise would be permitted after midnight, and we thought great we will at least get some sleep. Although when the brochure says sleeps 4 it means that 2 sleep in beds,1 gets a pull out mattress and 1 gets a very uncomfortable and short sofa which is impossible to sleep on.



Every night I was woken up at least twice by other people staying there coming in from drinking at all hours in the morning shouting at each other, swearing. Some even decided that before they went out on a night, it would be fun to go skinny dipping in the pool, in front of children who where sat in the bar.



Management were told about this but nothing was done. Also during the day you could not see the pool for inflatables being dived on, balls being thrown around, and plastic bottles in the pool. This was bad enough but when walking round the outside of the pool all you could see were cigarette ends, broken glass and full glass bottles.



On a plus note this did make us find a lovely swimming pool called the Watering Hole just 15mins walk away, quiet, clean. Even if you did have to pay 3 euros for a sun bed there it was worth it. When I go on holiday I don’t want to have to put up with people shouting from one balcony to another, throwing sun cream and water off balconies on to people underneath, feeling intimidated by people because they are drunk and rowdy.



I myself am only 20 and I like to have a good time but having to put up with things like that on your holiday for me is just unacceptable and I will never be going anywhere near that place again!

I’m just back from a weeks...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Budget Travel

Submitted By:

Miss Mary K

Comments:

I’m just back from a weeks holiday in holiday centre! I was not impressed with the cleaning service at all! When we arrived it was clean enough! The chamber maids came in twice during our stay!



She didn’t sweep the floor or clean the bathroom like she is meant to do! All she did was give us 4 towels and took our rubbish away! The beds are not made or changed!



The balcony was small and there are lots of steps! Air conditioning cost 30euro for a week but it’s only in the kitchen/sitting room area! The safety deposit boxes are in a room at reception! Anyone can go in an out of it so they are not the safest!



The apartments are quite central and the swimming pool is nice! It’s very basic but if you are just looking for somewhere to sleep an shower its perfect! I wouldn’t recommend it for families as there are lots young people coming home after all the clubs close at 6am!



It’s a great place for party people as everyone is really sociable in the complex!

I had a great holiday but I won’t go stay in holiday centre again! Far too many steps and no lifts! It was torture with our suitcases!!!!

Very Very Basic. Electric Ring...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2005

Tour Operator:

Travel Republic

Submitted By:

Mrs P Donovan

Comments:

Very Very Basic. Electric Ring took 1/2 hour to boil enough water for 1 mug of tea. Apartment clean, beds ok but would not have liked to have shared with 4 people- too small..


Worst thing was constant loud music from Bar as soon as it opened- sometimes 11.00am to 12pm whether anybody was in the Bar or round the pool or not (mostly nobody there!). Don’t know why the speakers had to face outwards, couldn’t hear yourself think at times.

I did a lot of reading on the...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2005

Tour Operator:

Budget Travel

Submitted By:

Mr D McCarthy

Comments:

I did a lot of reading on the net before booking this holiday. The main negative comments about the Holiday Centre Apartments did not bother me, such as the number of steps and the lively location.


I wish I had heeded the criticisms, and here I will add some of my own, while trying to give a fair and balanced report.


On the plus side, the staff at the Holiday centre were really lovely. Felix is a sort of Jack-of-all-trades, entertainer, mimic, children’s hero, and all round nice guy. Without his daily dose of wacky humour by the pool, it would have been a sleepy atmosphere in the daylight hours. Night porter Luis was another plus, really helpful and courteous. Reception staff were always pleasant to deal with.


However the apartment was really small, less than 400 sq feet.. Our ground floor apartment was completely devoid of privacy, as our "balcony" adjoined an internal footpath. Also, there was no view. Trees and shrubs kept even the sun away. We asked Luis (night porter) for a higher floor and that sorted both problems. Although the apartment was clean to look at, there were occasional visits by cockroaches.


The pool was not at all suitable for children as it sloped dramatically towards the deep end. The reception area was poor, with the fabric on the seating well frayed. However, these are all of little consequence compared to the two real issues I had with the accommodation, and with the resort itself.


Many of the other guests were in large family groups spread across three and four generations, and as many apartments. For the whole week we spent there, it was like being in somebody else’s house, with every intimate family event taking place and being freely discussed around us. It was not comfortable to hear our neighbours, for example, having a row in the middle of the night, complete with expletives and occasional physical violence. During the day, our two hardy children had to cope with occasional bullying and intimidation in the swimming pool. This went on in front of the parents, grand parents and assorted cousins of these little heroes.


The resort of Santa Ponsa is ok if you like your daily cocktail of vomit and broken glass. But first, the good points. It is small, and you could get around it on foot. The shop next door was handy for bread and water, but not cheap. Less than 10 minutes walk brings you to the excellent Syp supermarket where price and quality were excellent. (Ask anyone local where the Spanish shop!) Along the way, the Aris Internet cafe offers incredibly cheap and cheerful service, which includes tasty snacks.


On the negative side, out of the seven nights we spent at the resort, we were woken up on four nights by fighting outside our apartment window. On two of those nights, young women were assaulted by the men they were with.


I like to take an early morning walk, and even this pleasure was affected by events in the resort. I saw some dangerous and aggressive behaviour on the streets between the hours of 7.00am and 9.00am when all night partygoers made their way home. Victims of the aggressors included their companions and partners, and sometimes to passers-by.


My last morning summed up my experience of the resort. On my way out for a final walk on the beach at about 7.15am, I noticed as usual the street cleaners removing broken glass and vomit from the footpath. When I came back an hour later, there was fresh vomit in one spot, and a few feet away, a beautiful young girl leaning against a lamp post, her low cut top saturated with puke, with some even on one of her breasts which had fallen out. She was a metaphor which stood for a place which could be lovely if the people who went there minded themselves better.



I hope I never see Santa Ponsa again, and by the time my children are old enough to go on their own holidays, I hope that they do not go to places like it. With a little investment in the accommodation, the Holiday Centre could be a lovely place to stay, and with a limit on the size of party allowed to book, it would be a lot more pleasant.

We had a fortnights holiday at...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Panorama

Submitted By:

Mr M Burrow

Comments:

We had a fortnights holiday at the holiday park apartments and I would have to agree with most of the comments posted on this web site. When we first arrived at the apartments we were given a basement apartment We endured the apartment for the first night putting up with the awful smell, the constant noise of water being pumped around the filtration system for the pool, noise of people coming and going right through the night, at one point having a young lad sat outside on our balcony oblivious to the fact that it was not his apartment.


The next morning i went to the reception desk to ask for a fresh apartment but was told that there was no alternative apartments and we would have to stay in the one we are in.


Later that same day i went back to reception and asked again for a fresh apartment, this time it was a young girl who straight away gave us an alternative room, even gave me the key so that i could go and view the room first, vast improvement things are looking up we thought, got settled went out for tea.


The resort of Santa Ponsa is lovely, we found a lovely restaurant called presidents right on the waters edge, the service was excellent food was good the staff were very friendly could not ask for more, had a few drinks and back to the apartments to find out what the entertainment was like, big disappointment, Felix the entertainer was not what we expected and needed to be whole lot better, back to the apartments for what turned out to be a very short period of rest as at about 02.30 hrs the noise of drunken louts, males and females fighting out on the street and at points right outside our apartments block became to much to be able to carry on sleeping and we got up.



The noise went on until maybe 07.30 or so, at this point we went to get a sunlounger only to find they are all chained up and are only released by the pool attendants who only release them when they have cleaned the pool this takes forever because you can see that they have very little interest in helping you to enjoy your holiday.


When the sunloungers are released their takes place what I can only describe as a free for all, forget manners forget first in line we are talking survival here it was mayhem.


The majority of the people in the apartments were friendly but spoilt by a small section of guests whose behaviour was very poor. Santa Ponsa on the whole is a lovely place but the holiday park apartments are not the best we have stayed in.

We would return to Santa Ponsa but would stay at different apartments in a different area.

Very noisy because of the...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Miss M Coles

Comments:

Very noisy because of the location. Not suitable if you have a baby in a pushchair or find it hard to walk as there are loads of steps. Very basic apartments but at an affordable price. We loved it. Would go back again and the rep was very nice and friendly. I’d recommend sonamar and pirates both excellent shows and the western water park is suitable for everyone of all ages even if you don’t like the rides they have shows to keep you amused.