Hiya, question for anyone already been to HV!

We are flying out on Sunday 14th August at 4.45 pm from Birmingham. We should of been flying at 7.00 am but the delightful FC people decided to change our fligt and take practically a day off our holidays! (I wouldn't mind but we booked it in June 2004 so that we could choose most things that we wanted). Therefore, we have estimated that we won't be arriving at the HV till approximately 10.00 pm (spanish time).

Our question is, what time does the resturant open till? Will we be able to get anyting to eat after we have arrived and checked in? It don't bother me and my hubby, we'll be happy goin straight to the bar, but am worried that our 2 kids will want something to eat!

Any advice will be gratefully received!

Think the restaurant closed about 9.30pm, but some people arriving late had some funny looking microwave meals in there apartment, the piano bar also does sandwiches and cakes well into the evening. karen

Hi, Lola again

Didn't mean to upset anyone with RE my comments about HV but with hindsight had I known these faults I would of reconsidered most definitley going to this hotel. Please do yourselves a favour and don't blame others for you booking this holiday, if I had your option then I know what I would do.

Hi Hughesma

We too had our flight time changed by FC. I had booked a late checkout room as we were not due to leave the HV until around 7 pm. Notification came through in January that they had moved the return flight forward/back by 9 hours and asked us to check that this change had no knock on effect to our booking or other arrangements! I had to contact them to ask for the late room supplement to be refunded as we would now be leaving at 10am.

We leave from Glasgow at 3 15 pm on Saturday 30th July, so will be back just before you go. I will post a review to let you know what we think of the HV.

Lou

I have been to the Holiday Village and while there is plenty to do for the kids and the beach club is fantastic it is not in my opinion a four star hotel - and I would not go again! I know of a family who are very similar to my family and they had a great time at the HV in Majorca and the rated it excellent.

You can make the holiday what you want it to be - we had a very bad experience - but made the most of it. It really depends on what you like to do - if you like getting drunk and ensuring you get your money's worth in alcohol and like the holiday camp feel well you will have a fab time. (But this is just my opinion - don't bite my head or anyone elses for saying what we feel):yikes

Livy

I know everyone is entitled to their opinion. But I do not think that it is fair to say that everyone who enjoyed the Holiday Village (of which I am one and intend to go back) only enjoyed it because they like getting drunk and getting your money's worth in alcohol. I think this is insulting.

Carol

Insulting it may sound Carol but really there was a lot of evidence of that happening, one man I saw there was permanently on a bar stool day and night, he didn't even have time for his two small children. Its not what you go away for.

We arrived back last Sunday 2 adults 2 kids and can honestly say we never saw or experienced any of the things that some of you have listed in the earlier posts our room was excellent the maid very good drinks repleneshed daily and we had no problems with door being left open and also no thefts but then again we did have all money jewlery etc locked in safe ( people that had things stolen did you not lock away in safe)

Never saw anybody drunk the whole 2 weeks we were there just people having a good time had ,no problems with ques and yes there was ques but everybody waited there turn and they moved quite quick.

Overall we had a great time and yes the holiday village was by no means perfect but it was certainly not a dump we all have our opinons and should respect that but our holiday was excellent the hotel, staff , food and facilities were also very good.

I would say 2 things to everybody that has been or are going in the coming weeks 1. Please put your own rubbish in the bins and 2. control your children don't let them run riot and spoil other peoples holiday.

Sorry forgot to say have not yet added a review in the hotel section but will do so early this week.

Lola123

One man out of everyone in the hotel............well that's not too bad!! Okay, I think you have got your point across, you don't like this hotel and I respect your opinion.
You cannot change your holiday within 8 weeks of going without having to go through the cancellation process hence losing loads of money so some of us will have to go and make the most of it!! We are not drunks so don't tie all with the one brush!!!

None of my business I know, as I haven't booked the holiday village, but from experience I would never take other peoples views on here too seriously and let it spoil your holiday build up.
On two occasions in the past, both in the UK and in the Costa Del Sol I have found both my holiday experience and hotel to be excellent, despite other people giving negative feedback on such review forums.
Every one of us is different and we all have different expectations of what is good and what is bad. Also because one thing happens on one persons holiday doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen on another persons.
I stop in Torreblanca (about a 20 min walk from the holiday village) 4 times a year and one thing I will recommend is to use the public transport.
There is a bus stop directly outside the HV and for only 90c per adult (40c per child) you can venture into Fuengirola, Benalmadina, Torremolinos etc, so you are not entirely dependant on the facilities of HV.
I only returned from Spain 4 days ago and the buses etc weren't choc a bloc, far from it, so of you're concerned about stopping in the one place all the time and being isolated, don't be.
The solution to the problem of the sun beds getting taken by 7am is simple, only make it available to the Germans in winter

Have to say I'm not surprised the buses weren't full during your visit, as it's out of school holiday time. We were there during half-term, and most buses we caught were so full there were literally more people standing than sitting. The main problem is that, with the HV being between the two resorts, by the time the bus gets there it's already full of people from either Benalmadena going to Fuengirola or vice versa. This is especially true on market days - 2 went past us completely full one Tuesday morning. Bearing in mind that the buses are about 30-40 mins apart, you can imagine how we felt when the second one went past after sitting there for over an hour!

On the other hand, they are cheap, quick and probably less busy at off-peak times (eg after 11:00 in the morning after the post-breakfast rush). The train was also great, very quick and cheap, but the steps up to the station near the HV are a killer!

Fair point, when I go to Spain I avoid the school holidays so it's probably a different kettle of fish regards the public transport. It sounds like it may be best to avoid Tuesdays and perhaps get the bus late morning to avoid the rush.
It'll be good for people to share feedback on good/bad times to use this service as for me, it's the best and most cost effective way of enjoying what the CostaDel Sol has to offer, if hiring a car is out of the question.

Hughesema,

Like you we also had our flight time changed by first choice we went on 26/06/05 and arrived at the H/V at 10pm it took 5 mins to check in and within 10 mins of being in our room a waiter was knocking on the door with some microwave burger meals plus bread and butter.

to be honest though at that time of night none of us were hungry ( 2 adults .2 girls 13/11.

We were aware of this before we travelled so we made sure we had nice big lunch at airport plus meal on plane (not much but was ok) and we also took some pringles and other little nibbles.

The restaurant closes at 21.30 so you will miss the evening meal but the piano bar is open until 12pm and you can get sandwiches and small cakes and biscuites that should see you through untill breakfast but again once we had arrived and unpacked we went straight to bed as was quite a long day travelling.

T

Thanks TMan. Hubby said that we'll eat on the plane and also have something at the airport. I'm hoping that the kids won't be too hungry as they'll be exciting at arriving but it's good to know that we will be able to get something if we want it.

Can't wait now, 4 weeks today and we'll be at the bar, getting our money's worth of alcohol, as has previously been said!!!!!

soz, forgot to say, thanks karen and lou for your replies as well!!!

Your welcome
I am sure you will have a great time, my kids adored it, i thourght it was quite different from any other hotel , it has a boat inside ( just to look at) The building is quite a change from the usual type, and the glass lifts look out over the complex. We did use the buses quite a bit, if the first one was very busy we went and got a taxi, but sometimes they were almost empty, and we always got a seat going back to the HV. If you go into fuingerola remember to get your bus tickets BEFORE you get on the bus to go back to the HV, from the little bus ticket desk where you board. You get on the bus at the front, and get off the bus using the middle doors. Like i said before, if my kids were happy then so was i. I would not go back as we like to try different places, but if i asked the kids that question, they would be off packing before i could blink...............karen

Thanks Karen for all the useful info you have given in your posts. We are off in 11 days and are quite looking forward to it. I have taken note of the tip about the buses! We are planning to go to Tivoli World, Sea World and the cable cars so we hope to get out and about a bit. Do you know if the train that is close by goes to Benelmadena and should we use this instead of the bus. Also, how do you get to the station?

Thanks

Lou

Hi folks,
I have been watching the posts recently and have been amused by the variety and 'sturdiness' of the opinions on show.
We are going to the HV on Saturday from Glasgow. Our flight times were changed to our benefit! Mid afternoon flight and a lunchtime flight home....all good...
We had booked the HV last year but with all the trouble about the BC not being ready and the varied opinions we were allowed to cancel without penalty. We stayed at the Bali in Benalmadena HB and had a great time with a number of small caveats. I am really looking forward to this holiday. I do a REALLY stressful job and my idea of heaven is following my 2 yr old around the pool, having a couple of beers, watching my 7 year old prosper in new company and a new environment and watching my wife relax after the particular stresses of the last 50 weeks. I can deal with small niggles and although I don't speak Spanish I can communicate politeness fairly fluently. I suppose I am in the glass half full category but even with some of the more colourful whines ringing in my ear I am still very much excited about going away. So there!