ha ha ha

This topic was covered here on HT back in 2008 - Sanji a long standing memeber of HT - and an expert in lots of things Spanish gave a detailed explanation of Imserso which is the Spanish name for the scheme. It is said to be self funding.
Details of the dicussions/topic can be found here.

https://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/spanish-pensioners-t152313.html

In theory there is nothing to stop HT members applying. If you do and it is a success then please share with us.

Details here

http://www.abacotaxes.com/subsidised-holidays-spain-imserso

Thanks FWH.
Cor blimey 10 years ago since I wrote that post.

This is a paragraph from another article in a Spanish paper, by Toni Mayor, the president of the hotel management of Benidorm, where at the end of the article, he picks up on this story... Translated into English.

Quote:

However, he opined that, an 81-year-old lady with mobility problems, "maybe the hotel was not the most appropriate, but the fault lies with the tour operator or with her for not specifying what kind of product she needed".
Concerning the regret for the presence of many Spaniards in the hotel, Toni Mayor recalled that Benidorm is very segmented with a Levante beach with English people, the center of Spaniards and Poniente beach with a more international presence.
Unquote :

And he is right, Benidorm is a big place and the hotel is positioned on the Poniente end of the resort close to the old town, where the Spanish tend to go.

Just out of interest because I'm a nosey old sod, 😁 I looked at Thomas Cook's website and unless it has recently been altered, it clearly states that this hotel is popular with the Spanish.

Quote :
The Poseidon Playa is a comfortable hotel in a perfect seafront location with fantastic views and popular with Spanish holidaymakers. Itʼs an ideal choice for couples and families looking for a beach-based holiday while still being within reach of all that Benidorm has to offer.
Please Note
Popular with Spanish holidaymakers, most of the activities and entertainment (both daytime and evening) will be in Spanish. Guests can dine at the sister hotel the Poseidon Resort 2.5km away, reservations required one day in advance.

https://www.thomascook.com/destinations/spain/mainland-spain/costa-blanca/benidorm/hotel-poseidon-playa/

Obviously she didn't do any research before booking, I'll stick my neck out and say that she just saw Benidorm, the cheap price for all inclusive £1.133 for 2 weeks in April.....and out of interest, were the dates anywhere near Easter?

Anybody who likes a variety of entertainment that's tailored to the British tourist, they don't stay in the old town/ Poniente end of the resort.....and when you go anywhere in Spain during the low season, you run the risk that the hotel may be participating in the Imserso scheme during that year....I've been there and got the T-shirt.

She moans that there were no reps in the hotel. Don't TC have a 24 hour help line.?
And she's moaning about the hills, Yes dear the old town of Benidorm is hilly in parts away from the promenade and the TO's website states the hotel is positioned on a short incline.... Something someone with mobility issues would check and double check....... and the insistence of a ground floor room.

Tbh, I cringed when I read it, and despite her age, it's embarrassing that she won't be the first or the last to come out with this bloody stupid type of comment about there being too many Spanish in Spain.
There's more holes in her story than the colander in my pantry.

Sanji x

cant say I was too impressed with the reporting of the story which was also in other papers. it seems to be very lazy, with all the papers just reiterating the same major point about the number of Spanish.
having stayed in some hotels in Costa Brava over the years, where there is no particular mention of them being popular with the Spanish, which are popular with the British it comes as a shock when the pensioners arrive and "take over" the hotel.
the menu changes, usually for the better when they arrive; the entertainment changes to be fully focused on the Spanish, and the staff attitude to the non Spanish guests becomes more brusque and the level of noise in the hotel rises very sharply. I know this is a bit of a general statement but that is what I discovered over the years.
this year the hotel opposite my apartment, which is very popular with British coach companies has had the normal holiday type entertainment on since April- singers/duos/dancers etc catering for all nationalities, but for August it is noticeable that the music content has changed drastically and is now primarily geared to the Spanish. Strangely enough the number of guests watching the evening entertainment is a lot lower than it was in July although the hotel has been full since June.
still, these are just my general observations and do not get away from the fact that this woman, like so many others who nowadays go for a cheap break/holiday, do very little research on the hotel or resort and then end up complaining about everything and anything when their expectations are not met.

I am a member of a coach holiday company's facebook page and every week there are people posting about their holidays and how their expectations were not being met. in 99% of these cases it is because they have not looked at the brochure nor read the T&Cs but purely booked on the price they have seen, which is very good value for money.
some of the worst for these complaints are those that have travelled many times with the same company, or to the same area, and for whatever reason try to save a few more pounds by booking Allocated on Arrival thinking they know what to expect and then getting upset because they are not in the hotel/resort they thought they would get.
as one politician once said I think "Research, Research, Research!"