Reviews of Playa Garden Apartments, Playa De Muro, Mallorca

Excellent location, very close...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs Tracy Wood

Comments:

Excellent location, very close to beach, just a short walk through the gardens. Chose self catering option but breakfast was very reasonable at the hotel with an excellent choice so ate in restaurant most mornings.



Pool was very impressive, several sections for all members of the family, only slight downer was the lack of beds by the pool, all were reserved well before breakfast, despite the signs asking guests not to reserve beds.



A shame when holidaymakers would not appear until midmorning Probably the only negative about the hotel! Evening buffets were very good value and plenty of variety in the food, entertainment was far better than expected; entertainment staff were excellent with all the children.



All staff at hotel extremely friendly and approachable. Very good little supermarket, late opening. Also plenty of eating options around the hotel. Would recommend this hotel and resort would have given 10/10 if they could have sorted the poolside beds!

Lovely complex set in it's own...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr M Cooper

Comments:

Lovely complex set in it's own tropical gardens consisting of palms, ancient olive trees, shaded paths and many flowering plants. The reception area is decorated in marble has wonderfully comfortable big yellow sofas, its own fountain, internet access, notice boards with all the things happening on the site which are updated daily and a First Choice desk with all the info on trips and flights. The hotel itself had a few trips and special events itself, one was a football trip to see Real Majorca versus Villareal. Hotel reception staff, cleaning and bar staff were great and very efficient.



Yes the kitchenette is small but so what? You aren’t going to cook a massive Sunday lunch are you? Food is great in the local restaurants and Alcudia is a cheap and short bus ride along the coast in an air conditioned bus or coach. There are a few supermarkets along the small street outside the hotel and if you fancy a litre of vodka for around £4 then it's the place for you. Not sure about the local 'herb' liquors though!



We stayed in Block 8 on the first floor and had a balcony overlooking the pool area and a view of the sea...superb! The beach was literally a 2 minute walk from the room past the snack bar and you were there!



As I mentioned earlier the apartment had a small kitchenette but a good size lounge, patio doors to the balcony and has satellite TV...okay if you like the news or sport but you can marvel at some amazing German shows late at night. We even watched Dalziel and Pascoe in German. Magic! The bathroom has a bath, shower, toilet and bidet. The sink area is handily separate and the bedroom has twin beds and is nicely fitted and also has patio doors to the balcony. There is air conditioning throughout.



We didn’t frequent the bar area as we aren’t a 'cabaret' couple but what we could hear from our balcony seemed to be a good standard with lots of enthusiastic clapping going on. You couldn’t hear the music with the doors shut but be warned Blocks 1 and 2 seemed to be almost on top of the bar area so try and book rooms in Block 3 or 8 as they were closest to the sea.



The road outside had a few restaurants of good quality and plenty of shops and amusement arcades to amuse the kids. Practically every football match possible was showing somewhere including all the Premiership matches. There is also a nature reserve across the road and this can be easily walked too along the road to Alcudia or why not hire a bike?



The pool area was extensive and it was easy to get a lounger and because we went after the UK schools had re-opened not many children around. The beach is long and golden and the blue waters shallow to a good way out. There is a jetty along the coast that has boat trips to other areas.



We went into Alcudia a few times and it seemed to be the usual holiday pub scene and cheap 'tat' shops but non the less a lovely harbour and very picturesque...just jump on the number 2 bus on this side of the road and it costs about 1 euro 20 each way. Old Alcudia town is also well worth a visit. A walled town with lovely narrow little streets and great cafes. If you fancy Chinese food then try the restaurant along the main street in Alcudia just past the main taxi stop...fantastic food! We had a trip to Palma, same bus stop as for Alcudia you can get a time table from reception, also but be prepared for a bit of a jaunt but well worth it for 9 euros 40 return. Check out the cathedral.



Enough of me rambling on...have a great holiday and don't be disheartened by some negative reviews on here as I read them before I went and didn't think they were warranted. Happy Holidays!

My husband and I just returned...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs And Mr. Smith

Comments:

My husband and I just returned from our week in Playa Gardens. It was a really nice holiday.



First of all, the hotel is situated in a quiet mini resort (a few other hotels, a handful of restaurants and supermarkets and that's pretty much it). This is either a blessing or not, depending on how busy you like it - for us it was definitely the former. The hotel itself was very nice - well maintained complex with lovely gardens, big pool and pleasant staff. The apartments were spacious and very clean. The kitchen part was on a small side but hey who wants to do elaborate Gordon Ramsey culinary antics?



Secondly, the beach was amazing. It was just over a sand dune from the hotel pool. It's a long stretch of white sand beach, covering most of the Alcudia bay. The beach slopes gently into the sea - there's no seaweed or creatures, so it's safe for children or any creature-weary adults. The sea was very warm - probably because of being in the bay. The beach generally was very clean. There was a guy walking up and down in the evening, picking up rubbish that people left behind.



The food in the hotel was ok - nothing amazing but average. We ate there twice and probably wouldn't be very pleased if we had to do it every night (a bit on a cheap and cheerful side) - but on those two occasions it was fine. The food in the outside restaurants was nice- pizzas were lovely.



It is definitely a child friendly hotel - most people there were families with children. However, there was a lot of young couples after a quiet and relaxing week away. This holiday exceeded our expectations, as we booked last minute two nights before departure and didn't quite know what we were letting ourselves in for.



We are coming back next year!



PS. we caught some people 'reserving' their sun loungers with towels very early in the morning...The shocking part was that they were not German but Welsh!!!

The perfect hotel for families...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr I Porter

Comments:

The perfect hotel for families with young children. It's a shame that first choice has only 30 rooms next year. A German company has taken over for the next 5 years.

Buffet food was good and typical of Majorca. Do avoid the A La Carte as it is not good and a little overpriced.



Rooms were good but a little noisy but that is part of being on holiday. Pool was excellent and the beach was perfect. A stones throw from our apartment in Block 8 which was overlooking the beach and pool.



The entertainment is hard to describe. Ok I will in one word. FANTASTIC !



Snoopy and the team were excellent. They work hard during the day with the usual activities like water polo, table tennis and various kids clubs activities. Then every night a brilliant show was put on, from Abba to Saturday Night Fever to Dirty Dancing.

And if you bumped into any of the team at any time they had so much time for you. As well as their native tounge they were fluent in 4 languages.



It's one holiday that I did not want to come home from.

Arrived at early morning to...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Full Board

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr K Davis

Comments:

Arrived at early morning to trickling water in reception, the noise of an inside fish pond. The hotel was amazing, with 9 apartments, all easily accessible. The pools offered different ages, one for small children, one for taller children and a deeper pool. The Papaya snack bar at the back of the resort looks straight onto the sea. From reception it is less than a minute walk until you reach the beach.



As for the entertainment, it was brilliant. A group of young enthusatic adults, led by the experienced Snoopy. Laurie, Anna-Lei, Tobian are just a few which provided at least 7 hours of day time activities not including some awesome night time shows. They continually tried there best to keep everyone happy and made the holiday for me a real success.



Their night time shows ranged from them singing, to outside shows performing magic tricks. However, if you are going, book a table for We Will Rock You. It was amazing. When I went the lead singing couldn't make it so Snoopy (the boss of the entertainers) filled in and had everyone off the seats clapping and singing along. Simply amazing. Also watch out for Anne-Lei's amazing voice.



The food served in the hotel buffet has nice and had different themes each night, but had something for everything including an ‘eat as much as you can’ ice cream at the end for both adults and children. The whole experience was brilliant, my only moan is the price of the drinks, considering the onsite shop sold the same drinks larger for cheaper prices.



Apart from this, Playa Gardens 2006 was the best place ever to have a holiday and we didn't want to come home.

Excellent holiday destination...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr R Gourlay

Comments:

Excellent holiday destination for younger families with the evening entertainment guaranteed to keep the kids out of your hair. The evening buffet meals provide a good choice of food for all with the setting nice and relaxing also.



The location is just outside Playa de Muro but close enough to the main resort and Alcudia/Puerto de Pollensa for day excursions, so fitted our requirements for nice an peaceful location. The immediate location provides sufficient restaurants, amusements, etc to keep the hottest hours of the day filled while the sun cream is re-applied.



Would definitely return.

Arrived home yesterday from a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss B Neal

Comments:

Arrived home yesterday from a truly superb holiday! Went self catering as a couple, which despite previous reviews I would recommend! Managed to cook on the two hobs just fine (sat at the table for prepping!).



The hotel staff were excellent, room clean and entertainment brilliant. The first choice website doesn’t do this place justice, cant comment on the buffet since we ate out or cooked in, however it's definitely not your only option. Air conditioning was a treat and with the balcony doors closed you couldn’t hear the entertainment! Definitely a family orientated hotel but if you’re chilled out couple up for some activities it’s a great holiday.



There's plenty of room in the pools for kids, inflatables and loved up couples. The top pool is 1.8m deep the whole length so its perfect for a bit of swimming/floating around. As far as first choice excursions go I would recommend 'pirates'. Its an acrobatics show, with food and free flowing sangria, exceeded my expectations and well worth the money. (Rated 2nd best show to cirque du solei).



Have a great one!

I think the holiday was good and...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss S Davies

Comments:

I think the holiday was good and the night entertainment was good as we did not have to go outside the resort for food or entertainment except for when we visited the shops in Alcudia which I highly recommend and the hydro-park water park.



I advise older couples not to go if they want a quiet night there because the entertainment is on till late and we had to little biddies next door complaining because of the noise and following up round the food area they also stole out sun beds on the beach.



Also we got accused of stealing a bracelet I had bought the day before in Alcudia and the women started shouting at me in Spanish couldn't understand a word.



I liked the food there was a wide variety of food to choose from and you could go back for more and the staff are very friendly but the last night there one of the horse outside the hotel threw me off and I twisted my ankle and I had to fly back the next morning.



I highly recommend this holiday to families with young children.

My partner and I stayed at the...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

May 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss S Smith

Comments:

My partner and I stayed at the Playa Garden Apartments from 06/05/06 to 13/05/06 (only 1 week, which was plenty for us).



We found the holiday on first resort website through aol and it was really cheap for a 4 star hotel.



The Playa Garden Apartments are nice, very spacious, however, if you are self catering and want to cook your own meals, you will find it quite difficult, as the layout of the kitchenette is really small.



The sink integrates with a side board (all stainless steel), then a small space, then the cooker hob (2 rings). But the problem is that when you us the hob, as the work surface is all in one stainless steel, it all gets hot - so make sure you remove the kettle & toaster as is may start to melt (and keep kiddies away from hot surface). There is also only space for one person in the kitchen area at any one time.



The other thing that I was disappointed about was the fact that the walls were like paper. We were on the ground floor block 8 in the left hand corner (next to the kids club, but there wasn't any noise from them). We had noise from next door and the people above.



Because of the time of year we went, unfortunately it was quite windy and chilly. Although you have air conditioning that does heating and cooling, the hotel has the capability of turning of the heat when they feel it's 'summer'. I was very annoyed with our reps also, as when we asked them about the heating, they assumed we were thick and incapable of working the unit, as they believed the heating was still available. It took 3 nights before we were given an electric heater, and that was not through the reps, but me bothering the reception staff. It was that cold of a night that my partner and I caught colds which ended with chest infections. I don't know how everyone else managed, especially children.



Please also be aware of Avis Car Hire. There is a Thompson car hire shop along the parade just outside the hotel. We went and checked their prices, but thought it would be safer to do it through the hotel, and I think Avis worked out a little bit cheaper, however, when we booked the car hire for 3 days, a lady collected just my partner (they can only take one of you, then they take you to their hire shop down the road in Alcudia to sort out paperwork etc) I seemed to be waiting forever for him to return, but when he finally came back (without a car) he was told that the insurance would be 300 euros (because we didn't have a credit card and was paying cash, they seem to want your card details), and when my partner refused, he had to get the bus back.



We used Thompson car hire in the end and they were great, well recommend them.



I was also annoyed with first choice, as when we were leaving, we was not given any paperwork with times of departure etc, just as well we kept checking the board at reception, as they changed the times twice.



All in all, the entertainment was great for kids, but not really a place for a couple, it's definitely a family resort, great beach, but please don't eat the food in the buffet restaurant, as we paid 24 euros for a dinner at the buffet restaurant and we were so angry that we wasted our money, the food was evil, I pity half board customers. I do recommend the restaurant down the end of the parade of shops/reassurance on the left hand side of the road if you were to turn right as you exit the hotel.



The pool area is huge and there are plenty of sun loungers.



i would rate the whole holiday as 7/10 as the staff were pleasant, the hotel was clean, including the room, and the pool and snack bar were great.

2 Adults, 2 Children (5&8) for 7...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2005

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr P Muldowney

Comments:

2 Adults, 2 Children (5&8) for 7 nights with First Choice.



Good Points: Hotel right on beach, which is sandy and shallow for a good distance out. Great entertainments programme (FOC) by hotel including archery and shooting.



Great First Choice Kids Club - including some till 10pm. 3 interlinked pools (0-1.2m, 1.5m and 1.8m) and toddlers pool. Comfy beds, air con, clean and several maid visits. 4 or 5 local restaurants plus some shops and cash machine etc.



Minor drawbacks: kitchette had all the kit but was small with no real 'worktop' area (we had most meals out anyway - but I would imagine cooking dinner would have been a struggle!). Noise of water sprinklers woke me once or twice at night!



General: Definitely a family holiday resort. Nearest towns were a bus or taxi away. In fairness to the First Choice rep we booked with she made a good recommendation which met all our criteria.



We had a great time and would strongly recommend the Playa Gardens.

This an excellent place to stay,...

Overall Rating:

0/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2005

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr L Harris

Comments:

This an excellent place to stay, with very friendly staff and a good in-house (Garden Experience team) entertainments programme. All the staff speak and understand English and are very helpful - making you feel very welcome.



The hotel is located directly on the beach, which is very clean and not too busy. The rooms are very good although as per other comments the kitchen area is small. The apartments are cleaned almost every day and the towel changes / linen changes are very regular.



Pricing in terms of food and drink is reasonable (i.e. 11 euros adults 4 euros children for a 3 course buffet meal and around 3/4 euros for a pint of beer). The buffet meal changes from day to day, also there is the option of half board or breakfast only in the hotel, which can be arranged at reception. In addition to the various buffet meals / half board there is a menu to choose from- the food is of a good standard and once again is of reasonable price (i.e. around 11 euros for a steak with chips / veg etc). There is a happy hour in the main bar of the complex twice every day at 7pm and 11pm (where all drinks are two for one - this is good value for money and is certainly cheaper than drinking at home).



Children are very well looked after here by the in-house entertainment team and to a lesser extent the first choice staff (bugs bunny club). Various activities are provided by the garden experience team from approx 10 - 4pm for both adults and children. The activities change from day to day and are provided on an hourly basis. The bugs bunny club also provide a programme of activities for the children usually for a couple of hours in the morning and afternoons.



I would say that the hotel is located within the upmarket section of the area, with Playa de Muro being located on the outskirts of the main Alcudia resort, whilst the immediate surroundings are not extensive (i.e. 5/ 6 bars, 3/ 4 supermarkets, 5/6 shops etc), other more extensive areas of the resort can be easily reached by either walking or buses / taxis. The buses are almost always on time and run about every 20 minutes from morning until night every day - there are also many taxi ranks scattered through the Alcudia resort and there is no problem whatsoever in getting a taxi.



I would certainly recommend this hotel to others and I envisage that my family will return at some point in the future. Please do not let my description of the immediate surroundings put you off.



for further information the hotels of website is worth looking at just type in www.gardenhotels and follow the links.

My first impression of the hotel...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2004

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss F Murphy

Comments:

My first impression of the hotel was that it was very welcoming, the reception area and reception staff are very friendly and helpful.



The swimming pool is absolutely gorgeous and although I have read other reviews about it being difficult to get a sunbed, we had no problem getting all of the ones we wanted. The nice thing about this pool is that the kids are allowed inflatables and they are even supplied by the hotel - there is a choice of them available in the pool and they are left all the time.



The apartment was nicely furnished and clean - the only thing was a very small kitchen - ideal if you are planning to spend most of your time eating out but not if you wanted to prepare food yourself.



The staff are very friendly and are really good at entertaining the kids and then they have a nighttime cabaret - not always my cup of tea but they obviously have talent and have spent a lot of time and money on the routines.



The bar was well furnished and spacious but the drinks were expensive - it cost over £8 for 2 pints of local lager where it is a lot cheaper just outside the hotel. The Grill bar over the road, which belongs to the hotel, has great service and lovely steaks, which is good considering the food in the hotel is of a very low standard. There is a buffet dinner every evening which you can pay for - it is expensive and there is very limited choice. The food they serve is not what would be expected of a 4star hotel.



This hotel would be ideal if you have kids over the age of three because there is a free kids club and there are activities all throughout the day.

Enjoyed our stay here, it was...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2004

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Comments:

Enjoyed our stay here, it was clean, pleasant gardens and close to the sea where there are plenty of sunbeds (at a charge of course!). The room was a reasonable size, clean and with a spacious balcony. The only problem we had was the kitchenette, very small and difficult for more than one person to be in it at a time - if you expect to really self-cater here, think again. We managed cereal, tea and coffee and a very basic salad (there is very little surface to work on).



Swimming pools smaller than they appear in the brochure and usually very busy but we had no problems getting a sunbed. If you want to be entertained on an evening, you can stay at the hotel where the musical entertainment is very good (every night) or there are restaurants and bars (with karaoke) within walking distance. There are also shops, cash machines and bike hire close by. Not in the thick of the action so to speak, to go to the more populated resorts and towns we used the bus but be warned, they pack ‘em in like sardines.



One other point, prepare yourselves for a long trip from the airport, we took well over an hour, you are the last ones dropped off. Make sure you have plenty of water or other drink.



All in all we really enjoyed the holiday and the hotel. Apart from a couple of points above, (and if you don’t want a quiet holiday with lots of children around) we would recommend it.



Happy Holidays!



LizK