Sol Milanos Pinguinos Hotel

My wife & I went to Son Bou Milanos/Pinguinos, last June (6th time in 7 years!) and loved the hotel & resort as much as ever.

We first went in October 2000, then again in June 2002. The staff remembered us! Just think how many guests had passed through the hotel in that time, and we don't go out of our way to be noticed.

Yes, the rooms are a bit small, but there's only the 2 of us, so no problem.

The food is good, although sometimes I wish they would give the microwaves a bit longer - cold curry takes a bit of getting used to!

The resort is lovely, and great as a base from which to explore Menorca - hire a car. We are going again this June (can't wait!).

Our holiday was disrupted by my husband injuring his leg during a football game so we spent 3 days in hospital in Ciutadella and came home one day early but apart from that.......

We had an excellent time at this hotel. For a 3* hotel is it really good and comparable in terms of the activities and facilities to a 4* hotel.

Plus points were:

1. fantastic facilities for children - if you have young children then I recommend this hotel very highly.

2. very helpful staff especially with our "invalid", lending us a wheelchair, pushing him up some of the steeper ramps, getting taxis, extra cushions etc

3. Right on a wonderful sandy beach with shallow warm clear clean sea - again perfect for young children

4. Huge swimming pool with lots of shallow parts, again great for children. I noted some of the other comments about the water being cold and we noticed this on the first day (when there were no adults in the pool) but after that it seemed to be warmer and was the same as normal swimming pool temperatures and even I went into the water

5. good choice of food

6. fridge in the room

7. our daughter loved the mini disco

Minus points:

1. Despite all our efforts and those of the chambermaid we couldn't eradicate the ants in our room so we just accepted them in the end. I've never had ants in a 4* hotel but have had them in 2* and 3* hotels.

2. The food was a bit cold especially in Betty's Kitchen

The medical centre and hospital, Clinica Menorca, were excellent. Luckily we had medical insurance to arrange and pay for surgery, transfers, an extra 5 plane tickets , help at the airport etc. otherwise we would have been in great difficulty physically and financially.

We got to see some of Ciutadella while my husband was in the hospital - what a gorgeous town - if you have the chance to visit it I recommend it.

We visited this hotel in June and had a fantastic time. Reception was very large but efficient. Although we had a room on the 11th floor, not good for those who don't like heights like my husband, we had fantastic view over the beach and sea.

Our room was small but very clean. We had a double bed and bunks for our 2 children. The bunks had flintstone-themed bedding which our girls liked. There was plenty of storage in the room and the air-con/ceiling fan were a must over the hot season. Linen and towels were changed daily.

The main restaurant was massive and very busy, but did a fantastic variety of foods from Minorcan to Italian to themed-nights. On occasions you didn't know what you were eating as nothing was labelled but with it being buffet-style, if you didn't like it you could go back and get something else. Sometimes some things were a little cold but on the whole we had no problems. Breakfast was also good with a massive range of cheese, fruit, cooked meats, cereal, breads, as well as full cooked breakfasts. High chairs were always readily available and were always clean. They could have done with a few more drinks machines, as there always seemed to be a queue for hot/cold drinks.

The pool area was always very crowded, at times you couldn't walk through past loungers to get to the beach. A bigger pool area is needed for the size of the hotel(s). The beach made up for the pool area. Due to its extensive size you never felt it to be overcrowded. The golden sand gently shelves into the sea, making it extremely safe for children. Don't hire sunbeds/umbrellas on the beach, as they work out at about £15.00 per day!

Entertainment in the hotel was good and the shows very professional, however, as the majority of people staying when we did were spanish and italians, not a lot of english was spoken. Our children didn't go to the kids clubs due to the fact by the time the reps told the kids what to do in spanish, italian and then garbled english, whatever they were supposed to be doing had finished.

Son Bou itself is very nice - its not massive but is big enough for 2 weeks with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. We went to the Copacabana bar which did great cocktails for both us and the kids. You could watch the sun setting over the beach from the confort of a large wicker chair whilst sipping you cocktail - heaven!

We didn't go on any tours with our tour company as they were very expensive. Instead we went on an island tour with Raphael, who owns a travel company/exchange bureau opposite the hotel. His tours are very professional and only half the price of our tour company. Our kids were the only children on the trip and they thoroughly enjoyed it, he made so much of them. You all felt like part of his family on your day out, he is an amazing man and is so funny. Our kids love him and can't wait to go back to Menorca to see him.

All in all we had a great time and would definately go back, but not to an 11th floor room!

Just come back, with husband and 2 children (9 and 11). Our experience was not good. This hotel can be rated between 2 and 3 stars, only the location is good, but useless if you get a car - as we did - and drive around Menorca (a wonderful place to go). The FOOD is very under any standard. We found dishes, forks, and glasses DIRTY. For this reason we decided not to use the restaurant and eat in local restaurants with interesting cusine.

The rooms are equipped with a "so called" MINIBAR, which is empty, with internal temperature too high to keep anything cold. In this way you are obliged to purchase cold drinks from vending machines at 2€ per half a liter of water.

The room we got was too little for 4 people. The main BED was only 150 cm size, so that my husband disturbed my sleep at nights. When we arrived we found a ball under the bed, may be the cleaning of the room was not made in proper way.

On the whole everything is very "cheap". The management of the hotel tries to save on everything. And many services are not included (so that they are a further cost not forecasted). For this reason we would not go there again.

I work for the UK ´s largest tour operator but I am based in Malaga with my family.

We travelled to Menorca in July 2005 and after a family vote we´re off again this year in September.

I work in hotel reservations and have seen more hotels than I could ever count and this hotel has to be one of the better 3 star´s I have stayed in.

Staff are friendly, rooms are fine and confortable, the kids will love the "flintstone" theme, right down to the sheets on the beds!.

My kids didn´t want to join the kiddie club but there were always lots of kids that did and they looked like they were having a fab time!.

Food as always with "Sol/Melia" chain was plentiful and good quality although restaurants always busy but you do have 2 to choose from.

Would recommend this as a real family hotel, my kids are 10 and 6 and they loved it.

I have just come back off my holiday and am already missing the staff and the hotel. The rooms are a bit too small for a family of four but you only use the room for sleeping in so it doesn't really matter.

The beach is literally on your doorstep and the sea is lovely and warm. However the pool is cooler in the morning than the afternoon as it doesn't get the sun on it in the morning.

The staff in betty's kitchen are helpful and pleasant, so are the cleaners, and you get your rooms cleaned everyday!

I strongly recommend this hotel and if you go then have a great time.

My girlfriend and I stayed here in July 2006 and we have nothing but praise for the hotel, its facilities, staff and surroundings.

The hotel's location was second to non in the resort of Son Bou, it is one of the few large hotels in Son Bou and is located directly on the sea front, from the pool it was a 30 second walk across the greenery and you were at the beach and the sea. The other side of the hotel led out onto the main resort, shops cafes etc literally on the doorstep and more up the hill towards the 'back' of Son Bou. To give you an idea of the layout of the hotel, it is split into two, the Milanos and the Penguinos, regardless of which you are in you are able to use the facilities of both, there is a restaurant in each, serving largely the same food but the Pinguinos restaurant is geared towards kids with the Filntstones theme evident throughout!! This is the noiser of the two restaurants, if you have no kids you're better off in the Milanos restaurant. Both were excellent, food was good, large selection for breakfast, cooked meat, eggs, cold meat, pastries, breads, you name it it was there. Dinner was again very good, a large selection and variety, I stuck with the Italian corner as I love Italian food but there was something for everybody. All the entertainment and pool access, bars etc is in the Milanos, not much in the Pinguinos apart from a Flintstones shop and play area for very young children, but as I said you can use the facilities of both hotels and the Milanos is a 10 second walk across the foyer area.

Don't be put off by the Flintstones thing, yes the characters are very much in evidence but it's not overwhelming at all, they manage to keep a good balance between being a 'theme' hotel and not shoving Fled Flintstone in your face every 10 feet!

Our room was small but comfortable, there are rooms bigger than the one we had which was located on the ground floor but it had a ceiling fan and excellent air con which kept us very cool in the Minorcan heat!! There was a safety deposit box in the room, 12 Euros for the week, and a fridge which was free. There was a TV with 25 channels including Sky News and CNN as well as Italian, German and Spanish channels. The bathroom was fine, shower, bath, huge mirror etc. The room was cleaned daily to a good standard, towels also changed every day. There was plenty of wardrobe and drawer space for our week long stay.

The entertainment at the hotel was among the best things about our stay. First thing to say is if you have kids you are sorted, as there are numerous kids clubs, plenty for kids to do in the day, a 'Mini Disco' outside every night at 8.30, kids games in the evening and even some that adults can join in on!! The Mini Disco kicked off the entertainment, then a kids/adult audience participation type game (keep your head down and you'll be alright!) and then the main evening's entertainment, whilst we were there there was a 60s/70s band, a 'music through the ages' tribute with singing/dancing from the hotel entertainment team, a circus style show, all very entertaining. It's remarkable that they manage to entertain 4 nationaliites but the entertainments staff are such excellent speakers of English that you hardly notice.

The staff at the hotel were extremely courtious and polite, they spoke flawless English, the bar/restaurant staff can be a bit surly but they are extremely busy and seem to work every hour God sends!! The facilities at the hotel again were very good, huge pool, plenty of sunloungers, activities going on all day for those who want to get involved, or like me you can just be lazy and fall asleep by the pool. The main nationalities at the hotel are English, Spanish and Italian, all got on fine with absolutely no problems.

On the whole an excellent resort and hotel, especially if you have kids, but it is possible to have a brilliant holiday here as a couple or older family, as long as you don't hate children, because in season there are a LOT of them at this hotel!! We're definately planning on going back at some point, lots of people seem to do the same.

My wife and myself decided to go to this hotel for it’s great location on Son Bou beach at the end of June 2006. What a beach! It does stretch a good distance from end to end. The golden sand gently shelves in to the crystal clear water - which means you can wade a good 40 metres out! Excellent for non-swimmers like myself!! A good 20 minute walk from the hotel the beach then becomes clothing optional. Ideal if you want that all over tan! Not just Germans but all nationalities were joining in! However if you do want a sun lounger and parasol. The price is now 17 euros.

A couple of bars are also located on the beach if you want a drink or a snack at standard prices if you do not fancy going back to the hotel.

The hotel is certainly set up for the family, as it is known as a Flintstones theme hotel. Good fun for small kids with the staff dressing up and various statues of the cartoon characters dotted around the hotel and grounds. There is also a Flintstones souvenir shop. Even the dinner plates had the Flintstones on!

There are 2 restaurants. Breakfast at 8:00am. Dinner starts at 1:00pm through to 10pm! The restaurant in Sol Pinguinos is designed specifically for the kids and is known as Betty’s Kitchen. The main restaurant (Sol Milanos block) still has plenty of children but this is where we decided to eat during the week. There is ample of space and you can sit where you want but do not expect much food labelling which made it difficult for my wife who is vegetarian. There is plenty of variety but the most of the dishes are of standard fare i.e. fish, pizza, chips, beans, bacon, sausages etc. Do not expect any exotic meals. Big bottle of table wine is around 12 euros.

The room itself was small but clean and location was excellent on the 4th floor corner of the Sol Pinguinos building facing out to see and across the beach with marshlands backing on to it. A big fan on the ceiling will keep you comfortable. The cleaners are around every morning and do a good job. We did have a problem with a leaky tap and reception, that speak excellent English, had a maintenance man up to us within 2 hours not only to put a new washer on but to replace the whole tap unit! Again, good service!

Son Bou itself is a small resort and the hotel is in the centre. There are a handful of restaurants; bars and shops with similar prices to Britain and the kids will enjoy a small funfair outside the hotel. There is also trolley train than runs around the resort to link all the hotels straight outside the entrance. A bus stop coming out of the hotel to the left has transport that can take you, in 25 minutes, to the capital Mahon 6 times a day for just £2 euros each. Well worth the excursion for a day!

To sum up. The hotel is certainly geared for the children but it is also in a great location for the beach and is in the centre of the small resort. A good service is provided by the hotel staff but the quality of food in the restaurant is average.

An enjoyable holiday!

After recently finding this website and reading some of the negative reviews of this hotel we were a bit apprehensive to say the least....But, we have just returned from an extremley enjoyable stay at this hotel which is brilliantly situated on the beach at Son Bou. Our room was nice in size with a huge mirrored built in wardrobe and there was a safe inside which you could use for 12 euros a week. There was also a T.V and the air conditioning and a ceiling fan were very welcome as it was so hot. The bathroom was a good size with hairdryer, shower gel and handwash supplied. Daily towel change everyday, and linen changed every 2 days. Being on the 6th floor we had a wonderful view of the beach and cliffs/caves. The Hotel is really geared up towards children (hence the Flintstones theme) and there were many, many families staying here, so if you don't like children and noise stay away, but we do like children so we were ok. The entertainment team were very good and the children were well looked after by them, even including them in some of their evening entertainment shows which were brilliant, ranging from the entertainment team putting on their own shows and independent acts comming in which included a Four Tops tribute band to Flamenco dancers. All of the staff spoke good english, and were extremley helpful if you needed anything. Being such a big busy hotel there were plenty of lifts and the cleanliness of the place was second to none. There are two swimming pools there, these were packed everyday so your best bet is the beautiful beach, it was 17 euros to rent 2 sunbeds and a parasol, so the best bet is to buy a couple of inflatable lilos and a parosol (which were fairly cheap) from the many shops in the town which could save you a small fortune. We noticed activities during the day included Spinning classes, these were held on the stage outside so if you don't mind an audience you'll be ok and Aqua aerobics in the smaller swimming pool along with Water volleyball. The resturant is huge and the selection of food availabe is emmence, but slightly on the cold side, we did say something to the staff and found it to be much warmer the next day, so your complaints won't go unnoticed.

If you are after more than a beach holiday then head to the supermarket across the road from the hotel where you will find Raphael. His excursions are half the price of the holiday companies, and are WELLworth it. We even missed our welcome talk to go on them. He is there every day from 3pm till 6pm except on Sundays and Wednesdays when he is on the trips. Its an excellent way to see most of the island with plenty of stops and a lunch stop were you are taken to a lovely resturant and he is an extremley entertaining host, being a Menorcan he is very informative about the place.

There are plenty of resturants and bars if you fancied eating out in Son Bou, a very good Chinese resturant called Hong Kong is recommended and there is a good Haiwian bar next door to it.

All in all we had a really good time, so, read all the reviews, but go with an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Read some dodgy reviews before we set off, but shouldn’t have worried as we had a great time. Yes the rooms are small, the pool is freezing and Spain is an expensive holiday these days but that s the only minus points.

The staff are superb, the hotel is immaculate, the food is great with a massive choice, the Spanish kids club reps are the best I have seen. The Son Bou resort is not too busy yet not too quiet. Just right if you have 2 kids in tow.

Take a day trip to Mahon which is great. Kids loved the Tiger inflatables, but watched out we saw banged heads and blood more than once - all this and Fred and Dino. Highly recommended.