Hi Jo-Anne

I'll look out for you. Look for the contented mother lying by the pool in the beach club.

Have a safe journey.

Lou

Hi - just had a quick nose on the site to see how things are going - we were there last month

With regards to the Laundry - it is 5.00 euros for a wash load and then extra for the tumble dryer (we didn't use it though) dried really quickly on balcony you buy powder at shop for about 2.00 euros.

With regards to Amex Travellers Cheque Card - you can use it to take money out (maximum of 300 euros a day at the machine in hotel (they charge you 2.50 euros for each transaction - but you cannot use the card at the hotel to pay for anything and we couldn't use the American Express Card to get money out while in Gibraltar.

We also didn't get charged for taking money out of our Switch and Maestro cards either
Have a lovely holiday and anyone going out this weekend - our friends from Cumbria - a welsh woman(really well tanned), english man (even more tanned) and a very blonde little girl are going there on Sunday and if you see them say hi from their friends in Cumbria

Hughesema

They dont do service washes you have to wait. Well you can go down put it on and come back in an hour (or how ever long it takes)

Carol

Hi

This is a question for anyone who has been to the HV before. Is there a clothes drier on the balcony and do I have to take pegs with me? I am sure I saw this somwhere before on the site but I can't find it again!

Thanks

Lou

hi, we did not have a clothes drier, and did not see any.
I took one with me but we were on floor 5 with a funny turret bit on the balcony, so there was no where to tie one. The outside bit is different on several apartments-all will become clear when you get there.
We just put things over the patio chair backs-we had 5 chairs, and it worked very well, as i used HV towells i just changed them every day, sometimes twice.
My advice would be to take yours,..................karen

Firstly thanks to everyone contributing on this page, it has really been an invaluble source of information on the HV! I've been lurking for about 6months now but seeing as we're due to go in 10days I thought I would plump up the courage to ask a few Q's!.

I've noticed in the brochure that the gym indicates a local charge (as well as the sauna and jacuzzi).....did anyone use and pay for the gym while they were there? if there is a charge, how much is it. We're only going for a week and if it's a bit pricey I won't bother taking my gym stuff (more room for shoes!) .

Also, did anyone's children use the soccer school ? What did they think? Our son will be 5 while we're away so I'm hoping kids club might do something to celebrate oherwise it'll be a makeshift party in our room!

Thanks!

Bennylou

If you are AI I think the gym etc is free. We were AI and didnt pay anything.

Our son was too young for soccar school last year.

I also dont know about the party. It will be my birthday when I am there next year

Carol

bennylou... our lad used the soccer school although hes nearly 14!! he had a good time at it. It is great fun for all the ages and im sure a five year old will love it.. its run by 3 guys, an ex pro called robert Frisk ( glasgow rangers) and anthony and mark...... its on from monday to thursday meet at 9.30am in reception and finishes at 12(ish). All the boys an girls get a photo and a certificate at the end of their time with the soccer school.If you do enroll your son,when you meet anthony.(tall gordie/middlesboro kid) say 'hi' to him from me.... (craig) tell him i'll give him a ring soon.
we never used the gym...but did use the jacuzzi. etc in the health spa,, we never got charged?? maybe you do for the sauna..... never found the need for it.!! blazing sun,hot weather,cold drinks!!!!!
Also let them know its his birthday..we saw a couple of birthday cakes etc,,being done even at the mexican restuarnt.. dont know if there was an extra cost.

macc

Great, thanks guys! Looks like I'll be packing the running shoes afterall less room for nice shoes.

Our son is 5 on the Thursday so they may say he's too young to attend Soccer school as i think they have to 5 already.
But if he does go I'll pass on your hello!

We were at the HV first 2 weeks in July and i admit, after reading people's comments on this site, i wouldn't have been upset if it had been cancelled at the last minute.

However, i am happy to report that we had a great holiday, and many things that other people had commented on were rather insignificant to us when we were there or didn't apply at all.

- we never had anyone jumping queues at the bar
- we saw the pool area being cleaned every day
- we never saw anyone getting drunk just because it was AI
- it was great to be able to change your pool towel whenever you wanted ( especially after a day at the beach when it was full of sand!).

Yes the location could have been better but we knew that when we booked - can't complain about something we knew about beforehand. We hired a car for a week.
And yes the restaurant was busy, but the staff worked hard clearing tables etc, there just isn't enough staff to do the job efficiently.

I suppose my point is that i took everyone's comment to heart so much it could have ruined my holiday. A lot of issues brought up are peoples PERSONAL opinions and i should have remembered that. Someone said previously your holiday is what you make of it and that is so true- if you go looking for faults you will find them - no matter where you go.

So to anyone still to go - don't dread it as much as i did. You will have a great holiday even if there are a few things which, in your opinion, could be improved.

C

Hiya charlie

Thanks for such a positive review! We've got 17 sleeps to go and boy are we counting. I think it was me that said if you go expecting to have a bad time you probably will!!!

Could I just ask how much do you pay for towels per day? I told hubby i wasn't packing any apart from kids beach towels that their nan and grandad bought them and he said we should still take some. They take up so much room in the case that if we can hire them cheaply then I'd rather do that!

I'm busy packing at the moment so we know what we've got and what we've still got to buy!!!!

Thanks muchly! Em xxx

Hi, its 15 euro deposit for each towell. You just go to reception and ask for towell tokens, then you take the tickets to the lady by the small swimming pool and exchange them for towells. Then when you want to change them, just take your used towells and swap them for clean ones with the lady by the pool. We found this a brilliant idea.
At the end of your stay, change the towells back into tickets at the same place by the pool, then take the tickets back to reception and get all your deposits back. hope this helps..............

Karen,

I might be being very thick here, is it 15 euro per day per towell or is it just 15 euro per towell and you can change them each day for the duration of your stay!

You pay 15 euros deposit (only once) for each towel voucher which is then exchanged for a towel. You get the 15 euro deposit back when you return the voucher to reception. This worked really well and i (personally) would recommend leaving beach towels at home.
Charlie

sorry if my post was not very clear, the crazy golf is a must, we found it good fun, the kids loved it.
That it think was a 30euro deposit for as many clubs and balls as you needed (from reception)

Return the clubs/balls and get your deposit back, thats if your staying AI. we also found the piano bar did free non alcholic cocktails, only a couple, but if you order these, check they are free, i think it depends on the bar man as to wether the try and charge you.

Finally booked to go to HV again next September

After reading the not so good reviews we were going to book for HV in Majorca. We couldn't decide, however the decision has been taked out of our hands - there were no free child places left at all in September for Majorca or the date we originally wanted to go to HV Costa del Sol.

We are now going a week later than planned but Im sure we will have a great time.

Hi All

We are off to the HV tomorrow - really looking forward to it now. I had a very pleasant telephone call from a member of First Choice customer services who reckons that a lot of the teething problems at the start of the season have been resolved. This seems to be borne out by many of the recent posts here. Everything looking rosy.

To those of you going in the next week or two - maybe see you there. To those of you left at home - hope the sun shines here.

Bye

Lou

2 weeks tomorrow looking forward to it so much, Its my Daughters Birthday while we are at the HV and have emailed them about a cake the reply says its 14 euros for a sponge or chocalate cake big enough for 4 but they can make larger ones if needed. We were there last year so we know what to expect and if its half as god as last year it will still be good. However i have a question are the Tennis courts still there and are they free and do they need to be booked and what if any equipment is supplied.

you will all have afab time, we were there last year at same time as c&s, it was grand,