Barcelo Talanquera Beach Resort, Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic
Hotel Information
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Hotel Description:
The Hotel Barcelo Talanquera Beach Resort is a resort situated convenient to the Las Americas Airport. This resort majestically sits right on the beach at Villas de Mar, surrounded by exuberant vegetation. This hotel is neighbored by the Barceló Capella Beach Resort and Decameron Beach Resort and Casino Hotels, only 30km from the international airport of Las Américas and 55km from the city of Santo Domingo. loading...
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Barcelo Talanquera Beach Resort Reviews
" Myself and my partner recently... "
Submitted By: Mr D Rich
Myself and my partner recently visited Talanquera on a last minute deal hoping for a nice peaceful break in the sunshine! Afer the long flight, there was a 3 hour transfer! when we did finally arrive at the hotel, the grounds are beautiful and the setting is stunning. However, when we arrived in our room we found towels at the bootom of the doors - they were keeping the rainwater from flooding our room!! not a good start! Once in our room, it looked fine. It was spacious, a big bed, wardrobes, air-con and a decent sized bathroom. Upon closer ispection, the bedding was very dirty. The bathroom was terrible!! when the toilet was flushed, water leaked all over the bathroom floor. there were ants everywhere, all over the bath and the sink!! I immediately called reception asking to be moved - the receptionist clearly didnt understand what i had said and 10 mins later, we were sent new towels!! We tried contacting our rep with the number he gave us, but no joy!! The next day we decided to go to the beach - lovely beach, but you are constantly pestered by the locals trying to sell you things!! At the weekend, the hotel os completely overrun by the locals - they take over!! The staff clearly favour the locals, god help you of you try to make an enquiry while the locals are checking in, you are completely ignored. While we were waiting for 3 hours to complain about our room, a canadian couple were also trying to complain and met the same attitude as we did - 'you're foreign, so you can wait'. When you did finally speak to somebody, they were very rude and you felt like an inconvenience for them!! The food - there is a wide choice, but the hygiene levels leave a lot to be desired!! food was left uncovered and there were flies everywhere!! later on the second day my partner began to feel ill with bad stomach cramps. Throughout that night she was being violenty sick. he next mornig i had to pay $100 to see the on site doctor, who confirmed that she had food poisoning and had to dg to hospital immediately. We assumed an ambulance would be sent for as she was very weak, could barely stand and was still bing sick every 20 minutes. However, despite asking for an ambulance, we were put in a taxi and had to pay $70 to take us to the capital. When we arrived, despite the obvious language barrier, the hospital staff were execellent! There is little public health care in the dominican and this was technically a private hospital. We spent 2 nights and 3 days in the hospital - the hospital room was much much better than our hotel room! Our rep, despite being informed where we were on the Saturday morning, didn't contact us until the Monday afternoon! When we finally arrived back at the hotel, we insisted on being moved - and after 5 hours of waiting and faulty door keys, we finally had a half decent room which was much cleaner than the last one. We summoned the rep to our room and told him we wanted to move hotels as my partner didnt feel she could eat anything else in the hotel. despite the fact that the hotel had effectively poisoned my girlfriend, we were told that we would have to pay $100 to be moved plus whatever the taxi would cost. Obviously we weren't happy about this so we contacted the Thomas Cook head office in England and were told that we wouldn't have to pay anything atall and that they would sort it - LIARS!! the next day, our rep came to us to ask for the $100, so we explained what we had been told, he said that this wasn't right. so we phoned thomas cook again, and were told we would have to pay! by this time we were past caring and just wanted out of the hotel. so we payed the money and left. we were moved to a beautiful hotel further up the coast and thoroughly enjoyed the remaining few days of our holiday. I WOULDN'T GO BACK TO TALANQUERA IF YOU PAID ME!!!!!!
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- Date of Holiday:May 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" Talanquera Beach Resort was... "
Submitted By: emma0563
Talanquera Beach Resort was fantanstic the room was big and spacious with a huge bed. Bathroom was basic but clean, the cleaners put coffee and water and pop everyday in our room. the resort was very clean the staff were cleaning leaves and sweeping none stop. There was 24 hour security who were very nice and polite. The bar staff were quiet but Martin the waiter in the italian resturant was lovely. The entertainment was excellent but we found that the disco was not much cop the disco room smelt quiet revolting at times. The weekends when the locals come try and plan something as they are ignorant people and gets busy on the saturday night. The best was the beach bar. The whole entertainment was in spainish but they did tanslate in english most of the time which made it fine. The beach was brilliant white sand and blue sea but there was a lot of sea grass which made it hard to go any further then your waist unless you go in the middle where there was no sea grass. And BEWARE the fortnight that we went there was a perv taking pictures of topless ladys encluding myself and children around the pool. Which we all are trying to get the police envoled in england as the police in the dominican came from a different planet. But forgetting that we met lovely lovely couples and families and would defenanlty go again.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" We thought this place was fantastic.... "
Submitted By: Mr D Sharpe
We thought this place was fantastic. We all read the poor reviews before we went but we were amazed with the quality that we experienced.
The staff were always cleaning, mopping and serving us drinks. Despite the number of guests the bar staff knew exactly what drinks we wanted before we'd even got to the bar, very impressive. A hotel not to be missed!
The staff were always cleaning, mopping and serving us drinks. Despite the number of guests the bar staff knew exactly what drinks we wanted before we'd even got to the bar, very impressive. A hotel not to be missed!
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" I travelled here with my partner and... "
Submitted By: Miss J HUMPHREYS
I travelled here with my partner and 2 children aged 3 and 13 at the time. I feel it was very poor judgement on the travel agents part, as there was nothing for children on the complex and not many families.
At night it was like a ghost town. After we ate as there isn't anywhere to go out of the hotel grounds. It has been the worst all inclusive i have ever consumed. The only time the food menu expanded was when the locals came every weekend Friday to Sunday. At that point your treated as second class citizens.
We spent a fortune on trips just to entertain the kids. Each costing between £50-£80 for a family of 4. Saona island and Catalina island was worth the trip just for the nice food.
The hotel next door was a five star "The Capella" which made The Talanquera look like a 2 star after we had a look round.
At night it was like a ghost town. After we ate as there isn't anywhere to go out of the hotel grounds. It has been the worst all inclusive i have ever consumed. The only time the food menu expanded was when the locals came every weekend Friday to Sunday. At that point your treated as second class citizens.
We spent a fortune on trips just to entertain the kids. Each costing between £50-£80 for a family of 4. Saona island and Catalina island was worth the trip just for the nice food.
The hotel next door was a five star "The Capella" which made The Talanquera look like a 2 star after we had a look round.
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2005
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Lastminute
" I have been visiting the Talanquera... "
Submitted By: Miss G Burbidge
I have been visiting the Talanquera for the past 5yrs and let me tell you it’s a great place to stay.
The rooms are great, the food is great and the staff are fantastic. You always get a warm and friendly welcome it’s that good I’m going again in October 07.
So go try it and tell me anything different. You should go to Sionua Island, it’s out of this world, an experience not to be missed.
The rooms are great, the food is great and the staff are fantastic. You always get a warm and friendly welcome it’s that good I’m going again in October 07.
So go try it and tell me anything different. You should go to Sionua Island, it’s out of this world, an experience not to be missed.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" I visited this hotel with my... "
Submitted By: Miss S Crowther
I visited this hotel with my grandmother and young son and was quite disappointed.
The hotel was okay in itself but certain aspects such as the food, bad entertainment and rowdy locals at weekends let it down.
The choice of food wasn’t very good and one night featured trotters! I also once found a small grub in my cauliflower and I reported this to the rep, who was unhelpful, and told me these things were bound to happen if food was mass produced and that many guests find the food good.
In the mornings there was freshly blended juices which I usually enjoyed except for one day when the watermelon variety was sour. Me and my grandmother were ill nearly all the holiday, but were advised by the rep that this was due to the malaria tablets we had been taking, but I doubt this.
The entertainment is the worst I have ever experienced and there was nothing good to mention about this at all.
Locals at the weekend were rude and I didn’t like being at the pool with my child when they were around as they could be rowdy, maybe they had been drinking the potent cocktails to excess! They took over the hotel totally at the weekends.
Things are no better at the beach as you would be harassed all day by people trying to give massages, or do hair braids to selling shoes. I was told the beach is manmade; it’s very odd sand and leaves a film of dust on your feet or whatever else it touches.
We enjoyed the Paradise Island trip and this is definitely a must if you visit this resort, we had a beach barbecue there and it was delicious, even so I will not be going to this hotel again.
The hotel was okay in itself but certain aspects such as the food, bad entertainment and rowdy locals at weekends let it down.
The choice of food wasn’t very good and one night featured trotters! I also once found a small grub in my cauliflower and I reported this to the rep, who was unhelpful, and told me these things were bound to happen if food was mass produced and that many guests find the food good.
In the mornings there was freshly blended juices which I usually enjoyed except for one day when the watermelon variety was sour. Me and my grandmother were ill nearly all the holiday, but were advised by the rep that this was due to the malaria tablets we had been taking, but I doubt this.
The entertainment is the worst I have ever experienced and there was nothing good to mention about this at all.
Locals at the weekend were rude and I didn’t like being at the pool with my child when they were around as they could be rowdy, maybe they had been drinking the potent cocktails to excess! They took over the hotel totally at the weekends.
Things are no better at the beach as you would be harassed all day by people trying to give massages, or do hair braids to selling shoes. I was told the beach is manmade; it’s very odd sand and leaves a film of dust on your feet or whatever else it touches.
We enjoyed the Paradise Island trip and this is definitely a must if you visit this resort, we had a beach barbecue there and it was delicious, even so I will not be going to this hotel again.
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2005
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" My girlfriend and I travelled to the... "
Submitted By: heppy
My girlfriend and I travelled to the Dominican Republic on the 6th of Sept. for 2 weeks. When we booked the Talenquera beach resort we were promised a nice and relaxing holiday.
On arrival at the airport after a lovely flight we had our Visa's ready, (we bought them in the UK to avoid the queue at the airport). This was a complete waste of time due to the fact that we still had to fill out another form to get into the country.
Once on the coach we were told that the transfer would take 3 hours although it says 2 hours in the brochure, it infact took over 3 hours so we were very tired when we arrived.
We were shown to our room which was in block 4 on the bottom floor. The 1st thing we noticed was a pool of water on the floor by the air conditioning unit. The unit was falling in bits but seemed to be working ok. The room was also very dark even with all the lights on. We didn't want to make a fuss so we persevered.
The food for me was ok but my girlfriend is vegetarian and she found it very hard unless she ate chips, fruit or salad for all the 2 weeks to find anything to eat that she liked. There was Pasta but she saw the cook mix the tomato sauce with the meat sauce and pass it off as vegetarian, this put her of having it for the rest of the holiday.
On the Friday we noticed a lot more visitors arriving, we were told later by the rep that any rooms that were empty at the weekend were sold to the locals. They arrived on Friday and left on Sunday evening. They were very loud and took over the restaurant, the beach, the bars and the pool. You couldn't get to the food when you went to eat and they were very rude when they came to the bar. We had had enough by the end of the 1st weekend and then we were told it happened every weekend. We went for a nice relaxing and quiet holiday not full of drunk and rowdy locals. We made a complaint to the rep and are going to send a complaint to Thomas Cook.
We were fed up after the weekend so we asked to move rooms, we were put on the top floor in block 4, the room was 100 times better, at least it cheered us up a bit.
The hotel itself is spotless and the staff are great, what lets it down is the poor standard of food and the fiasco at the weekends, you should be told about this before booking, if you are thinking about booking I would ask the travel agent about the occupancy levels at the hotel, if it is low when you book, the rooms will be filled and there goes your nice relaxing holiday.
On arrival at the airport after a lovely flight we had our Visa's ready, (we bought them in the UK to avoid the queue at the airport). This was a complete waste of time due to the fact that we still had to fill out another form to get into the country.
Once on the coach we were told that the transfer would take 3 hours although it says 2 hours in the brochure, it infact took over 3 hours so we were very tired when we arrived.
We were shown to our room which was in block 4 on the bottom floor. The 1st thing we noticed was a pool of water on the floor by the air conditioning unit. The unit was falling in bits but seemed to be working ok. The room was also very dark even with all the lights on. We didn't want to make a fuss so we persevered.
The food for me was ok but my girlfriend is vegetarian and she found it very hard unless she ate chips, fruit or salad for all the 2 weeks to find anything to eat that she liked. There was Pasta but she saw the cook mix the tomato sauce with the meat sauce and pass it off as vegetarian, this put her of having it for the rest of the holiday.
On the Friday we noticed a lot more visitors arriving, we were told later by the rep that any rooms that were empty at the weekend were sold to the locals. They arrived on Friday and left on Sunday evening. They were very loud and took over the restaurant, the beach, the bars and the pool. You couldn't get to the food when you went to eat and they were very rude when they came to the bar. We had had enough by the end of the 1st weekend and then we were told it happened every weekend. We went for a nice relaxing and quiet holiday not full of drunk and rowdy locals. We made a complaint to the rep and are going to send a complaint to Thomas Cook.
We were fed up after the weekend so we asked to move rooms, we were put on the top floor in block 4, the room was 100 times better, at least it cheered us up a bit.
The hotel itself is spotless and the staff are great, what lets it down is the poor standard of food and the fiasco at the weekends, you should be told about this before booking, if you are thinking about booking I would ask the travel agent about the occupancy levels at the hotel, if it is low when you book, the rooms will be filled and there goes your nice relaxing holiday.
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" We chose this resort, on the... "
Submitted By: Mr Keith Halsey
We chose this resort, on the Caribbean side of the island on the basis of access to water sports particularly sailing. We were seriously disappointed and the best we managed at the resort was a bit of canoeing around a 50m x 75m area and some snorkelling.
We complained to the rep that no windsurfers or dinghies were available and were told we could use those on the next hotel beach about 1/2 mile away. We went there 5 times and were told: You can only use your own hotel equipment (same company); it is too rough/windy/tides out. Consequently no boats or boards were ever in use and we were eventually told that the reef was too close so the activity as advertised was not possible. However the Hilton along the beach did have boats in use.
With regard to the rest of hotel and area, our comments would be similar and ok if you are happy with laying on the beach as there is not much else to do. The Truck trip into country was worth doing along with island trips.
We would also like to give a special mention to the 'French' restaurant as a way of spending two hours waiting for some mostly uneatable food. The Caesar salad was some lettuce leaves, possibly, under a large dollop of Thousand Island dressing. We decided that someone may have already eaten it and gave it a miss.
We complained to the rep that no windsurfers or dinghies were available and were told we could use those on the next hotel beach about 1/2 mile away. We went there 5 times and were told: You can only use your own hotel equipment (same company); it is too rough/windy/tides out. Consequently no boats or boards were ever in use and we were eventually told that the reef was too close so the activity as advertised was not possible. However the Hilton along the beach did have boats in use.
With regard to the rest of hotel and area, our comments would be similar and ok if you are happy with laying on the beach as there is not much else to do. The Truck trip into country was worth doing along with island trips.
We would also like to give a special mention to the 'French' restaurant as a way of spending two hours waiting for some mostly uneatable food. The Caesar salad was some lettuce leaves, possibly, under a large dollop of Thousand Island dressing. We decided that someone may have already eaten it and gave it a miss.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" I recently returned from Dominican... "
Submitted By: Miss J Webb
I recently returned from Dominican and I thought it was excellent value for money.
I was delayed 26 hours before I even got there so you can imagine I was not looking forward to the flight.
The accommodation was quite good the room and the bed was massive and the rooms were cleaned everyday.
The only complaint I had was the food. I had the runs for the whole week and so did everyone else I spoke to.
The Entertainment staff were excellent, there is always something to do, water polo, Spanish lessons, volleyball, they even give you lessons on how to gamble in the casino, so you know what to do when you take the free shuttle service down to the casino.
the beach was nice however the beach vendors are very over the top and on your first visit to the beach it is a bit overwhelming. after that first time you get used to it thought.
The best excursion to go on in Saona Island its like paradise, be prepared to get wet, the best food I had the whole week,
you do not need to take towels as they are provided by the pool.
I am planning to go back there in November as I only had a short break there in the end due to my delay and I would recommend this hotel, Value for money.
I was delayed 26 hours before I even got there so you can imagine I was not looking forward to the flight.
The accommodation was quite good the room and the bed was massive and the rooms were cleaned everyday.
The only complaint I had was the food. I had the runs for the whole week and so did everyone else I spoke to.
The Entertainment staff were excellent, there is always something to do, water polo, Spanish lessons, volleyball, they even give you lessons on how to gamble in the casino, so you know what to do when you take the free shuttle service down to the casino.
the beach was nice however the beach vendors are very over the top and on your first visit to the beach it is a bit overwhelming. after that first time you get used to it thought.
The best excursion to go on in Saona Island its like paradise, be prepared to get wet, the best food I had the whole week,
you do not need to take towels as they are provided by the pool.
I am planning to go back there in November as I only had a short break there in the end due to my delay and I would recommend this hotel, Value for money.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2005
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Airtours
" My wife and I stayed at the... "
Submitted By: Mr Paul Ricketts
My wife and I stayed at the Talanquera Resort - Juan Dolio between April 28 and May 12 2004 and found it a most pleasant place. Our room overlooked the beach area, only 50 meters from the sea, and it was stunning to wake up each morning to a view of the Caribbean gently lapping the sandy beach. Although not the greatest beach in the world the hotel staff did a good job of raking it each morning and one poor guy spent several days clearing up the coral and rocks that had made their way to the shoreline. The sea here is shallow and warm with an area set aside for snorkelling. There wasn't a great deal to see but what there was was great with eels, angel fish and a variety of different species so used to people that you could feed them breadcrumbs and banana from the hand.
The hotel complex was quite large and everywhere you walk you'll find fountains, waterfalls and fish ponds stocked with hundreds of small fish and terrapins. There's even 6 pink flamingos that I delighted in feeding at every opportunity as they came and took bread from the hand so gently. The hotel was also very clean and the maid service was regular if not always prompt. Some days our linen wasn't changed until early evening - but it was changed daily.
Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful although some didn't understand English too well. Nevertheless, they did their best and it was a pleasure to tip our favourites upon leaving. Close to the resort there was little to do except visit the local mini-markets about 300 meters along the road but we did go on a couple of island hops to Saona and Catalina islands. Saona in particular was stunning with the proverbial white beach and palm trees - Robinson Crusoe country. These are bookable with the tour reps but can be obtained cheaper by popping up the road to the mall.
The evening entertainment was pretty basic with a kids disco at around 8pm followed by a live band and trio of singers that seemed to sing the same collection night after night. However, the animation team took over for the last hour until 11pm and they proved to be quite entertaining, leaning heavily towards audience participation with karaoke and silly games (with bottles of rum given to the participants) and there was always the obligatory 'club dance'... If all that fails to inspire you there is a casino only a few hundred meters away with a free bus every evening to take you and bring you back in the wee small hours.
If there is a down side it was with the beach vendors. There was just too many of them - all selling similar items such as beaded necklaces, Caribbean shirts and sarongs, imitation Rolex watches, cigars and beach shoes. You could also get a manicure or pedicure and even a massage if you wanted. They do try to hike up the prices to the unsuspecting and although they didn't linger if you said 'NO' they still came back 5 minutes later and tried again. Nevertheless, after a couple of weeks of chatting to them every day a few became almost friends and we didn't mind them too much really.
The food was a little basic but there was always plenty of choice so you never need to go hungry. Boiled eggs, coffee, toast and jam is a good standby for breakfast but there was lots of other things if you wanted to sample the local cuisine. Lunch brought another unusual selection but the soup was usually good and there was plenty of burgers, hot-dogs, fries, bread and fruit if you were unsure about anything on offer. In saying that roast pork was a regular sight along with pork chops and a selection of pasta and sauces - the same goes for the evening meal.
Overall, the Talenquera was a great place to holiday. Friendly, clean and relaxed. I wouldn't hesitate to go there again but the 3 hour transfer time is a bit excessive, especially after a long flight.
The hotel complex was quite large and everywhere you walk you'll find fountains, waterfalls and fish ponds stocked with hundreds of small fish and terrapins. There's even 6 pink flamingos that I delighted in feeding at every opportunity as they came and took bread from the hand so gently. The hotel was also very clean and the maid service was regular if not always prompt. Some days our linen wasn't changed until early evening - but it was changed daily.
Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful although some didn't understand English too well. Nevertheless, they did their best and it was a pleasure to tip our favourites upon leaving. Close to the resort there was little to do except visit the local mini-markets about 300 meters along the road but we did go on a couple of island hops to Saona and Catalina islands. Saona in particular was stunning with the proverbial white beach and palm trees - Robinson Crusoe country. These are bookable with the tour reps but can be obtained cheaper by popping up the road to the mall.
The evening entertainment was pretty basic with a kids disco at around 8pm followed by a live band and trio of singers that seemed to sing the same collection night after night. However, the animation team took over for the last hour until 11pm and they proved to be quite entertaining, leaning heavily towards audience participation with karaoke and silly games (with bottles of rum given to the participants) and there was always the obligatory 'club dance'... If all that fails to inspire you there is a casino only a few hundred meters away with a free bus every evening to take you and bring you back in the wee small hours.
If there is a down side it was with the beach vendors. There was just too many of them - all selling similar items such as beaded necklaces, Caribbean shirts and sarongs, imitation Rolex watches, cigars and beach shoes. You could also get a manicure or pedicure and even a massage if you wanted. They do try to hike up the prices to the unsuspecting and although they didn't linger if you said 'NO' they still came back 5 minutes later and tried again. Nevertheless, after a couple of weeks of chatting to them every day a few became almost friends and we didn't mind them too much really.
The food was a little basic but there was always plenty of choice so you never need to go hungry. Boiled eggs, coffee, toast and jam is a good standby for breakfast but there was lots of other things if you wanted to sample the local cuisine. Lunch brought another unusual selection but the soup was usually good and there was plenty of burgers, hot-dogs, fries, bread and fruit if you were unsure about anything on offer. In saying that roast pork was a regular sight along with pork chops and a selection of pasta and sauces - the same goes for the evening meal.
Overall, the Talenquera was a great place to holiday. Friendly, clean and relaxed. I wouldn't hesitate to go there again but the 3 hour transfer time is a bit excessive, especially after a long flight.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2004
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" We booked this all-inclusive deal... "
Submitted By: Ms H S Holdroyd
We booked this all-inclusive deal becuase it was very cheap (approx £400 per person) so were not disappointed that it was not top notch luxury. However it was very basic, food was average to below average accomodation OK but our toilet did break twice. We were quite happy but there were others who had paid £200+ more than us and I could understand why they'd be annoyed by the quality. Main tip would be if you want to go to a poor country and don't want to be confronted by the poverty go to a 5* complex where you won't see it. If you want to go somewhere hot and cheap this is a good place, but don't expect too much
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- Date of Holiday:Jan 2003
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:JMC Holidays
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the rooms were livable, the beach was lovely and the staff was good!!!
To me and emma who went we realy enjoyed it, we both said we wouldnt come back again but we do like to go to difrent places well i do anyway
when you go to this hotel dont have to much high expections just enjoy the sun, and the beach and pure relaxsation and you will be absoulty fine
11th sept til the 25th sept 2008 rebecca jayne dearn emma jayne packham.