Barcelo Ponent Playa

Hotel situated in lovely position over looking beach, rooms were kept very clean and public areas too.

Food too much the same, dining room very busy at times and if you were too late in the evening choices limited.

Entertainment well forget it, insult to adult intelligence, highlight was to guess how quickly the animation team could empty the room. Some rooms vey noisy.

Reception staff seemed to ignore anyone at desk. Interested to note hotel not in 2008 brochure.

Good bars within walking distance with great entertainment, but having paid all inclusive felt cheated we had to go out in the evenings.

The hotel is a bit tired looking but the room was great and was spotless and kept that way all week. The staff were very friendly at all times.

The location is great right next to a lovely beach. The pool is the usual - folk putting towels down in the morning never to return - getting a bed was hopeless. Also a lot of the old plastic (uncomfortable) beds were broken. We gave up and paid for the sun beds on the beach less hassle.

The meals were fine, nothing special but lots to choose from. The layout of the dining room makes going for your food a nightmare, you are jostled by everyone going from one buffet table to the next. There are 4 of them in the middle of the room and a grill at the back.

The staff also clear the table when you go back to the buffet so don't leave anything on table you still want to eat i.e. bread, toast cos it will be gone.

The entertainment is terrible - 4 teenagers who the hotel have employed and the only time we stayed to watch they were doing "Sister Act" they mimed to records and at one point rushed into the audience screaming in folks faces? One unfortunate lady had her red wine spilt over her white trousers. It was so dire we left. But there are plenty bars near hand with entertainment.

Do not miss the Tamla Motown duo in the Hacienda Bar They are FAB! If you are going to Son Amar ask the rep how long you will be on bus there and back we were told it was just over an hour away, but were on the bus for over 2 1/2 hrs there and back, because we picked up folk from, as a rep (who was cadging a lift) sitting behind me on the bus said, "the back of beyond".

We were late for the start and were pinned onto a table that had already had their starter and were getting main served. We did not get served our meal till the show had started after much complaining. We missed the 1st 3 acts because they could not understand us and then had to go get our rep. She had had her meal by then?

The show was well worth seeing despite the problems and the mini tour of Majorca.

They gave us a bottle of Cava to apologise then as we were leaving they handed us 2 paper cups and we were told to drink it on the premises? We refused and it took ages to sort out so we missed the horse show outside.

Apart from that we had a wonderful holiday.

If you want a quiet holiday with few children this is the place for you.

The hotel and staff were excellent they couldn't do enough for you. Food was great for first 9 days went a bit downhill after that but still bearable.

Rooms were very basic but always very clean this was carried out throughout the complex we never saw any rubbish anywhere on this very small and extremely quiet area of the island.

We had 2 teenage children with us and we thought we were going to have terrible trouble entertaining them but the entertainment gang i.e. Christian, iris and Marco etc were absolutely brilliant they are great at their jobs and shows were great the best we've ever experienced when abroad. Thanks gang for a great holiday!!

We won't be returning to Menorca not for any other reason that when you go for 2 weeks and hire a car there isn't much left to see. But if you haven't been this hotel is well worth the visit.

Excellent hotel. Pleasant reception staff. Rooms spotlessly clean.

Food very good but there was always a wait for a table in the restaurant.

The hotel leads out onto the beach with fantastic views of the bay. Cala d'Or centre is within easy reach by walking or mini train.

I would highly recommend this hotel.

Me and my parents stayed in this Hotel in October 2006 and we travelled there with My Travel. The Hotel was very clean, but reception staff were very hard to understand when we first arrived.

The Food in the hotel it self was not all that good, in fact I think alot of it was catered for the German Travellers. Also Staff do not give you time to actually digest your food after eating it, as your plate is whipped out from underneath you as you take your last bite. I noticed this happened to alot of people in the Hotel and my mother had not even finished her pudding and they tried to take it away.

The Hotel itself had an excellent location. The Swimming Pool at the Hotel Complex was also very pleasant, You could not use the inside heated pool without booking it, and they have cameras on the pool to make sure that you do not slip in for a quick swim. My Travel Rep was never at the Hotel the whole time we were there we never seen one once.

We went to Majorca - Cala D Or second week in September 2006 and stayed at Barcelo Ponent Playa Hotel. We booked through Travel City Direct.

TCD - When booking I received very good customer service, after paying I heard nothing, I had to request over 5 times for some form of receipt/itinerary. I eventually had to write a complaint letter and then finally I received some sort of confirmation. I then had a very difficult time trying to book seats on the flight. I would never book with Travel City Direct again unless I really had to.

The hotel for a 3 star was good, bad points:

Restaurant - when going for meals it was a nightmare, I was physically pushed out of the way by grown English men who wanted to get to the food. You first of all had to search for a table, then wait forever for the table to be cleared, then wait forever to be offered a drink, then fight to get some food on your plate - it was very off putting. The food however when you did get it was nice for a 3 star.

Beach - the beach by the hotel is packed, I think no matter what time of the year you go it is always packed, like sardines in a tin, even out of season.

Overall I think the Ponent Playa is a good value for money hotel and would recommend it if you had a tight budget or just wanted a cheap holiday with the kids.

Having been to this hotel for the past 4 years, I have booked again for 2007 and we are really looking forward to going again. The food is great the rooms are very clean, basic, air conditioned and have fantastic views over a small bay.

There are many local bars and restaurants if you fancy a change, the beach bar opposite is very good for all kinds of food. Do yourself a favour and hire a car and visit Porto Petrou, Porto Colom and cape Saint Jordi.

We booked with travel city direct and had a great deal flying from Cardiff with BMI Baby and was much cheaper than other companies. I was surprised to read some bad reviews about the food as we found it really good.

First time in this hotel but frequent visitor to Majorca, Have no complaints overall, staff very friendly, reception staff very helpful. Great pool area shame about the "hogging" of sun beds. Room was great had the biggest balcony we've ever had!

The only thing that let them down was the restaurant. I have read reviews where people have said they liked the food, which I find puzzling. In all the hotels we have stayed in we have never had fried squares of ham for breakfast! There was only bacon every other day. All mealtimes were like a bun fight, never enough tables and the staff were under pressure all the time.

We spoke to guests who had been to this hotel many times and they thought the standard of service and the quality of the food had gone down.

We had a first choice rep who was a waste of space. Thank goodness we know the island she was no real help to anyone.

Booked this holiday last minute, hotel was very busy at all times and quite noisy. The room was ok but very tired, air-con worked on and off. Airtours rep was nowhere to be seen the whole two weeks.

Food was very poor, repetitive and things such as chicken, pork etc was often not cooked properly. Staff on the whole were very good except the big guy doing the cooking, when the Spanish were in at the weekend it would be easier joining the Beatles than getting food out of him. The hotel is full of pensioners and at meal times its an absolute nightmare, its like its their last meal on earth, be prepared to be elbowed, shoved and generally barged about.

The entertainment team do their best but lack any talent. If you arrive by hire car be prepared to pay $3.50 euro a day to use a parking space, a San Miguel in the bar costs 3 euros and a coca cola costs about the same. The local bars and cafes seem to cater for chips with everything, hot dogs and baguettes, if this is the kind of food you like you will be ok.

Sorry to be so negative but this hotel is really not the place to be for a relaxing holiday as its far too busy with over 700 rooms and hardly any gardens or space to call its own, reception is like peak time on the London tube.

As one of the earlier reviewers said, Restaurant could not cope in peak season. We stayed from September 9-16 2006 and the hotel was full. Restaurant was completly disorganised except for the Saga guests later in the week, who seemed to receive preferential treatment and a different menu!

The ground floor is almost on the beach which is fabulous. we were on the first floor overlooking the beach, although the view was blocked by a large tree. The restaurant was on the second floor and once the restaurant opened all that could be heard in our room was the constant scraping noises coming from chairs being pushed back and forth as people headed for the buffet and back. IT WAS RELENTLESS! If you must go ask for floors 4-7. It is a good hotel that is not run efficiently. What a shame.

Would I return? No Way.