We stayed at the Monika Hotel in Cala Finestrat three years ago which was full of Spanish. They didn't queue for anything, pushed in front of you in the restaurant and the lifts. They even pushed a child down the stairs from top to bottom so not all Spanish are well behaved. Needless to say we haven't been to that hotel since.
i have to agree with northantsj , the spanish can also be very rude , especially when they arrive for the spanish ` free week` holiday . some of them (not them all) just barge their way to the front at meal times and to get on the lift.
what is the "free week" holiday?
Hi Ian
The Spanish government pay for a 'free week' which when we were there was for senior citizens. You couldn't hear yourself speak in the dining room and they were getting the milk pudding out with the serving spoon, tasting it then putting the spoon back in the container. Their manners were disgusting.
Jean
The Spanish government pay for a 'free week' which when we were there was for senior citizens. You couldn't hear yourself speak in the dining room and they were getting the milk pudding out with the serving spoon, tasting it then putting the spoon back in the container. Their manners were disgusting.
Jean
hello yes I have been when the Spanish people were on there free week. They were so rude pushing people and children around. We were waiting for a lift and they pushed straight past us into the lift not letting the people out of the lift and we had to wait for another this happened a couple of times but we got wise to it and made sure they didn't do it again. Carol
caroll wrote:We were waiting for a lift and they pushed straight past us into the lift not letting the people out of the lift and we had to wait for another this happened a couple of times but we got wise to it and made sure they didn't do it again. Carol
Caroll wasnt me you and your son Richard guilty of that at the Flamingo Oasis once I rememeber
Danny
danny if I remember rightly it was you wasn't it you we just followed you were just getting your own back. Carol
oh did i pushed in first... I rememeber that couple's face aswell they weren't happy were they? I got done another time for the same offence aswell didnt I oooops!
I got done another time for the same offence aswell didnt I oooops!
Well I suppose I've gone to different Hotels but I have been to some Hotels in the Winter where the Seniors have their Holidays I thought they couldn't claim their pensions whilst on these holidays.Then again the Europeans are like that that's how they get what they want.There's only the Briits who take anything like that Abroad.If it was over here I'm sure it would turn into something else.The point I was making was that if one person puts comments on their 'personal experience' at a place it doesn't mean that the next person is going to feel the same or the same happen to them.I've read some reports on the forums and visited some places mentioned only to find that I've enjoyed my visits.It's like what is fact or someone just having a moan because other things happened on holiday
Hi
The Spanish pensioner's/disabled persons have no such thing as a free week, "free" as in entirely free.
In the past, I was under the impression that the holidays for this group of people were totally subsidised by the government, but they are not, they all pay, albeit a reduced rate and talking to a Spanish pensioner soon put me right, and then I looked into further when I got home.
IMSERSO is the Spanish government organisation that runs this programme and the disabled /pensioners are not sent anywhere, they have to apply, and it has quite a few "rules" or criteria that they have to meet to qualify and acquire the necessary "points" or "credits". EG:
They have to be a resident in Spain. Be over 65 years old. Be retired from the public retirement pension system. Be widow's pension age equal to or greater than 55 years and I think if they've retired early through ill health or disability, the age comes down to 60 years old, but they all must be able to fend for themselves and have no behaviour problems that could cause problems that prevent " normal life" in the hotels.
If they have a child with disabilities, the disabilities have to be rated at 45% minimum and they can accompany the child as long as they all share the same room
If it's a single traveller, they pay more.
I'm not 100% positive about this because sometimes I have problems with the Spanish language, but I think if they are a married couple with one having a greater age than the other, but one of them isn't 65 years old and therefore doesn't qualify for the programme, they will combine the ages, divide the combined ages and the figure has to be 65 or over. EG: Husband 68 yrs old, wife 62 yrs old + 130 years ÷ 65 yrs and I also think it's means tested, for a married couple their combined pensions and income will be taken into account"¦.the scheme stops when a person reaches 80 yrs old.
But it may surprise you to learn, that it costs the Spanish government nothing because although the programme involved funding of €50 million, the government recovers all the money back in other ways and for every €1 spent on the programme, they recover €1.8. (based on figures for 2004)
How do they do that, you may ask.?
Well, for a moment you have to think of Spain (the whole country) and not just Benidorm, and after October some places which rely on tourism, they close down, which means many jobs are lost and many people who are employed in the tourist industry have no qualifications to enable them to seek further employment.
When jobs are lost, then the government has to pay out benefits and this can cover families where several members of one family are all employed in some way or another, either directly or indirectly in the tourist sector"¦and it has a knock-on effect that ripples throughout the country, EG: the people employed in a hotel, the food suppliers, the farmers, the laundry workers, the transport industry, the maintenance men, electricians, plumbers, etc etc.
Therefore, this scheme was not set-up solely to give pensioners a "freebie" holiday, it was created to keep people in jobs by keeping establishments/hotels open between October and June by sending pensioners there, in what is low season or virtual shutdown and at the same time giving OAP's the chance to afford and enjoy a holiday.
Pensioners also spent money in the resort/city, which keeps local traders in business too"¦..and all these people pay tax to the government when they are kept in work.
So, you can see why this scheme is self funding and a success, the government recover the money by not paying out benefits on a mass scale due to seasonal unemployment and they collect various taxes while ever people are kept in work.
It also has a psychological effect because when permanent employment contracts are acquired, then people tend to buy things, which maybe they wouldn't do when on a temporary contract (which also generates income for the government) and the icing on the cake is, that sending their OAP's away for a holiday is beneficial to some vulnerable citizens and the image of the country.
On application to join the scheme, the pensioners have several choices on where they want to go, how long they want to stay and the type of holiday they would like. EG:
Between October and June, Mainland Spain and the Balearics, or the Canary Islands or Portugal"¦. Or a holiday based on a coastal resort, cultural (museums/art), nature orientated/countryside or an interchange with Portugal"¦and the price or contribution they make will depend on whichever type of holiday they chose and get accepted for"¦.depending on the availability.
They are guaranteed transport from their city to the hotel and back (if otherwise stated that transport is not included in the price), full board of the hotel which IMSERSO have chosen, Insurance, Medical services (state level) and an entertainment programme"¦.obviously if they chose a holiday based on the countryside, then they don't include medical services and an entertainment programme.
The prices/contributions for 2008/2009 can be found by scrolling down this link.
http://www.seg-social.es/imserso/envejecimiento/may_vacprog0809.html
With regards to queuing, the Spanish don't know the meaning of the word.
I was stood with Dave at a bus stop near Dove Park waiting to go to Cala Finestrat and when the bus rolled up, you should have seen the performance between themselves, all pushing and arguing to get on this bus, and one overweight Señora became very irate and was giving a right mouthful back because someone barged on the bus before her, but the crazy thing about it all was"¦.. that the bus was empty and everybody eventually got on it, and the bus driver just sat there in total bemusement watching a group of OAP's going at each other.
With regards to manners, well there are some very ignorant Spaniards, but you have to realise that today's present Spanish pensioner will have been born in the 1940's and bang in the middle of the Franco era, he was a fascist dictator who kept them as peasants and isolated Spain from the rest of Europe, plus old folks do become deaf, cantankerous and bloody minded...some will have never been taught any manners or even been to school, and they will have suffered 30 years of the Franco regime until 1975, where they scraped a living off the land and they probably ate such things as rabbit stew with their fingers or a spoon.
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
The Spanish pensioner's/disabled persons have no such thing as a free week, "free" as in entirely free.
In the past, I was under the impression that the holidays for this group of people were totally subsidised by the government, but they are not, they all pay, albeit a reduced rate and talking to a Spanish pensioner soon put me right, and then I looked into further when I got home.
IMSERSO is the Spanish government organisation that runs this programme and the disabled /pensioners are not sent anywhere, they have to apply, and it has quite a few "rules" or criteria that they have to meet to qualify and acquire the necessary "points" or "credits". EG:
They have to be a resident in Spain. Be over 65 years old. Be retired from the public retirement pension system. Be widow's pension age equal to or greater than 55 years and I think if they've retired early through ill health or disability, the age comes down to 60 years old, but they all must be able to fend for themselves and have no behaviour problems that could cause problems that prevent " normal life" in the hotels.
If they have a child with disabilities, the disabilities have to be rated at 45% minimum and they can accompany the child as long as they all share the same room
If it's a single traveller, they pay more.
I'm not 100% positive about this because sometimes I have problems with the Spanish language, but I think if they are a married couple with one having a greater age than the other, but one of them isn't 65 years old and therefore doesn't qualify for the programme, they will combine the ages, divide the combined ages and the figure has to be 65 or over. EG: Husband 68 yrs old, wife 62 yrs old + 130 years ÷ 65 yrs and I also think it's means tested, for a married couple their combined pensions and income will be taken into account"¦.the scheme stops when a person reaches 80 yrs old.
But it may surprise you to learn, that it costs the Spanish government nothing because although the programme involved funding of €50 million, the government recovers all the money back in other ways and for every €1 spent on the programme, they recover €1.8. (based on figures for 2004)
How do they do that, you may ask.?
Well, for a moment you have to think of Spain (the whole country) and not just Benidorm, and after October some places which rely on tourism, they close down, which means many jobs are lost and many people who are employed in the tourist industry have no qualifications to enable them to seek further employment.
When jobs are lost, then the government has to pay out benefits and this can cover families where several members of one family are all employed in some way or another, either directly or indirectly in the tourist sector"¦and it has a knock-on effect that ripples throughout the country, EG: the people employed in a hotel, the food suppliers, the farmers, the laundry workers, the transport industry, the maintenance men, electricians, plumbers, etc etc.
Therefore, this scheme was not set-up solely to give pensioners a "freebie" holiday, it was created to keep people in jobs by keeping establishments/hotels open between October and June by sending pensioners there, in what is low season or virtual shutdown and at the same time giving OAP's the chance to afford and enjoy a holiday.
Pensioners also spent money in the resort/city, which keeps local traders in business too"¦..and all these people pay tax to the government when they are kept in work.
So, you can see why this scheme is self funding and a success, the government recover the money by not paying out benefits on a mass scale due to seasonal unemployment and they collect various taxes while ever people are kept in work.
It also has a psychological effect because when permanent employment contracts are acquired, then people tend to buy things, which maybe they wouldn't do when on a temporary contract (which also generates income for the government) and the icing on the cake is, that sending their OAP's away for a holiday is beneficial to some vulnerable citizens and the image of the country.
On application to join the scheme, the pensioners have several choices on where they want to go, how long they want to stay and the type of holiday they would like. EG:
Between October and June, Mainland Spain and the Balearics, or the Canary Islands or Portugal"¦. Or a holiday based on a coastal resort, cultural (museums/art), nature orientated/countryside or an interchange with Portugal"¦and the price or contribution they make will depend on whichever type of holiday they chose and get accepted for"¦.depending on the availability.
They are guaranteed transport from their city to the hotel and back (if otherwise stated that transport is not included in the price), full board of the hotel which IMSERSO have chosen, Insurance, Medical services (state level) and an entertainment programme"¦.obviously if they chose a holiday based on the countryside, then they don't include medical services and an entertainment programme.
The prices/contributions for 2008/2009 can be found by scrolling down this link.
http://www.seg-social.es/imserso/envejecimiento/may_vacprog0809.html
With regards to queuing, the Spanish don't know the meaning of the word.
I was stood with Dave at a bus stop near Dove Park waiting to go to Cala Finestrat and when the bus rolled up, you should have seen the performance between themselves, all pushing and arguing to get on this bus, and one overweight Señora became very irate and was giving a right mouthful back because someone barged on the bus before her, but the crazy thing about it all was"¦.. that the bus was empty and everybody eventually got on it, and the bus driver just sat there in total bemusement watching a group of OAP's going at each other.
With regards to manners, well there are some very ignorant Spaniards, but you have to realise that today's present Spanish pensioner will have been born in the 1940's and bang in the middle of the Franco era, he was a fascist dictator who kept them as peasants and isolated Spain from the rest of Europe, plus old folks do become deaf, cantankerous and bloody minded...some will have never been taught any manners or even been to school, and they will have suffered 30 years of the Franco regime until 1975, where they scraped a living off the land and they probably ate such things as rabbit stew with their fingers or a spoon.
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Thanks Sanji.I have friends who are Spanish and it amazes me now that I'm on the inside how they think.By the way how long have you been going to Spain?
On the subject of those who seem to count the Spanish as a negative in hotels...
I do find it hillarious when reviewers put 'the food wasn't very English...' or 'was put off by the food, not much English choice'
As if Spanish food (which is considerably healtheir and more varied than the average English diet) is exotically extravagant (though, dangle a vegetable infront of some holidaymakers at the All Inclusive hotels and they might squeal)
It's almost as good as the 'the staff spoke mainly Spanish' line
I do find it hillarious when reviewers put 'the food wasn't very English...' or 'was put off by the food, not much English choice'
As if Spanish food (which is considerably healtheir and more varied than the average English diet) is exotically extravagant (though, dangle a vegetable infront of some holidaymakers at the All Inclusive hotels and they might squeal)
It's almost as good as the 'the staff spoke mainly Spanish' line
I have friends who are Spanish and it amazes me now that I'm on the inside how they think.
Yeh, I've collected a few over the years and they've showed me the other side of the coin.
By the way how long have you been going to Spain?
Not long enough, I should have been there permanently.....approx 30 years.
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
well here we go just back from pub blooterd as normal mind i only drink on a sunday i love spain and the spanish people and sanji you are a welth of nolige (woops drunk) off to beni again on the 25th july and i am staying in a hotel probbebly full of spanish and i cat wait so my point is you are in spain so what do you expect english everywere i hope not if i wanted that i would of booked blackpool roll on the 25th sorry if i upset anyone but i just love the spanish and keep them good posts going sanji after all you are the reason why i went to beni in the first place now i cant get enough now 
Aww thanks FatBoy and I'm sooooooooooooooooo happppppppppppppppy tonight, that I could kiss everybody on this forum. 
Even David ( the mod)
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Even David ( the mod)
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Aww thanks FatBoy and I'm sooooooooooooooooo happppppppppppppppy tonight, that I could kiss everybody on this forum.
ditto
viva espana!!!!!!!
Aww thanks FatBoy and I'm sooooooooooooooooo happppppppppppppppy tonight, that I could kiss everybody on this forum.
Even David ( the mod)
Sanji ... please note that it is both inappropriate and unacceptable to try and intimidate or terrorise a Moderator in this way. That was the last post I read before logging off last night, and even listening repeatedly to a recording of Nick Ross's "Don't have nightmares, do sleep well" catchphrase did nothing to help.
David
We have stayed in lots of Spainish hotels that are full of Spainish oaps on there yearly visit. 90 % of them we have found are pleasant and keep them selves to them selves. I know they don`t like to queue and sometimes push in but once you get used to them we have found them ok. To be honest it`s been the British oaps that we have come across as being rude, often making comments about our son being overactive,he`s on holiday and entiitled to enjoy himself as much as they are. This easter we stayed in a Spanish hotel in Benalmadena, it was mainly all Spainish with a handfull of British.On our first day we went to the pool, my son jumped in the pool and shouted out how cold it was, he was only enjoying himself, when a rude British women shouted at my oh "can you tell him to be quiet as I have come here for peace and quiet" my oh replied "well you`ve come to the wrong place then". Why does anyone have the right to be so rude, I have kept quiet for too long, if I think my child is too noisey then I will tell him to quieten down, not someone else. He is well behaved and has good manors, when he was younger he was very active but we avoided anywhere that was unsuitable. Why do people think they have the right to pass judgement, I wouldn`t dream of being so rude to anyone.
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