We have just arrived back yesterday from Barcelo Torrenova.

We arrived at 6am so we went straight to bed on our arrival but then got awoken by 9am by the maids wanting to clean our room!

First impressions of the hotel was: very clean, nice hotel and we had a lovely view of the sea from our window so overall we were very pleased.

However on the second day of our visit we popped over to the spa for some water and when we returned our safe had been emptied and all our money had been taken. Someone had obviously got in to our safe with a key as there was no actual damage made to the safe. We asked the people next door if they had seen anyone suspicious but they had also been out and when they checked their safe the same thing had happened to them. We reported this to our rep, Mike, who was very good about the matter and explained to us what to do next and how we could get money transfered from England.

We found the receptionist very helpful during this time and she let us use the phone to ring home and arranged for us to have a free meal and free drinks for the night. The police were called and came to see our room, we found them very moody to say the least and not very helpful!

The hotel said they would put extra security on but we later found out another 12 people had been broken in to during our stay, this made us feel very unsafe knowing someone could get into our room quite easy and freely. We slept with our suitcases and a table up against the door and night as we didn't feel safe.

Putting the robery aside the hotel was nice, we enjoyed the pool and the entertainment - especially from that camp bloke!

The hotel was in a nice location apart from the walk up heart attack hill (as we called it!)

We dreaded everytime our room was tidied! We were sure the maids hid our stuff on purpose! Nothing was were we left it! And they had a strange habbit of taking all of our magazines and books - to never be returned!!

Overall we enjoyed our holiday despite having no money for a day or two and the maids little games!

We can't say we would return to this hotel as we just didn't feel safe, but maybe to a hotel within the area as the location was good.

We have just returned from the barcelo .

The barcelo was a good hotel to stay in and we didnt have much trouble however, like many of the reviews, we encountered many of the same problems.

At first we were very pleased with the appearence of the hotel and our room. The apartments are pretty spacious. To begin with your room is spotless but this is soon runied by the general lack of cleaning by the maids. We had our bedding changed only once in two weeks, and at one point the maid removed all of our towels leaving us with none to get a shower with!

The fact that we were a group of young girls seemed to make the hotel staff think that we wernt bothered to be sleeping in dirty beds!

We also had several items of clothing and shoes taken from our room, the fact that all of the items were brown suggests that whoever responsible was trying to make a whole matching outfit at our expense!

Several groups of our friends also staying in our hotel suffered more serious losses, with three of our friends having 1000 euro's stolen and a digital camera!Another group actually had the safe ripped off the wall and of course all the contents with it! This made us quite nervous about our property even though we had a safe!
Although this may only be a coincidence, it seemed that only groups of friends were broken into and it didnt seem to happen to any of the families we spoke to at the hotel.

The Rep, Mike was a good laugh and was very approachable over any issues, even him though did not seem suprised over the break in's and our friends who had thier money and camera stolen learnt that they were the 45th victims this season alone!

The security officers who work in the hotel seem more concerned with dealing with the slightest bit of noise than people having their money stolen and their holidays runied. Two of our friends had to go home a week early after the break in, as far as they were concerned aspart from the main fact that they had been left with no money, their holiday was ruined anyway by the whole incident.

Apart from all the above, the Barcelo is quite a nice hotel with a good size pool, plenty of sunbeds and a excellent entertainment team who make everyone regardless of age feel welcome!

The food in the hotel's restaurant always looked appealing and smelt nice but we were put off by the quite crappy food and service in the poolside cafe!

The staff are quite rude and terrible at taking orders, of the three times we ate there they managed to bring me and my friends the wrong meals, all of which were dripping in fat which when as hungover as us four actually turned our delicate stomachs!

Although it may sound that I have sat and moaned at everything we did actually have a great stay here and the barcelo, if the problems it has are sorted out would be a great hotel. The hills a killer but it certainly keeps you fit so unless you have trouble walking ( as we did after 20 vodka's) its fine!

1. Rooms were not cleaned very well, cleaners were rude.
2. Staff were not helpful and quite ride on ocasions

I would definatly nver ever visit this hotel again.

Dont know where all these people who have posted bad reports went because the hotel was gorgeous!

We paid

This was without a doubt the best holiday ever!

The cleanliness of the hotel was great, pool was to die for, views were stunning! food was yummy, big hangover fry up! Heart attack hill, annoying in the day but when your drunk you dont notice!

Staff were tops, specially Mike (the rep) entertainment was funny (meant for kiddies and families).

Although we had five rooms dotted all over the huge hotel, it was great, got to know loads of new people.

If you are a big loud group of friends (but can control yourselves)this place is great. We went to bed about 6am and got up bout 11am, there is always someone awake in the hotel and can be quite noisy, but you get used to it. Believe me, go and find out for yourselves!

The Barcelo Torrenova is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. The rooms are fantastic, the location is excellent. It is the friendliest place you will ever go. You read a lot of bad/terrible reviews about this place, mainly written by stupid arseholes that can't behave themselves and have gotten into a bit of trouble with security.

However I am glad to report that it is amazing. The Receptionists are fantastic, if you want anything from extra pillows to ordering a taxi. go see Paco, he is 'the man'. The entertainment team are the funniest set of Spanish people you will be likely to meet. Christian is an absolute scream and is up for anything. Nora is completely off her rocker, she can't seem to keep still for a second. Tina is great during the shows and loves doing the Kid's disco with all the kid's at the hotel.

The barstaff are fantastic, quick efficient and friendly, they will even come and sit down and have a drink with you on their breaks.

The Thomson rep Mike is very good, helpful,chatty and can recommend the best places to go for anything from a meal to a haircut. When he tells you to go to adult pirates make sure you do you won't regret it.

The Food in the restaurant is unreal, it varies everyday and always tastes great, It works as a buffet, you just help yourself to whatever you want.

The Pool area is great, the Families all tend to stay up towards the shallow end of the pool, and the Couples/Groups and Older Patrons seem to be at the deep end so you don't have to worry about getting a football thrown at you while you sleep off your hangover or sunbathe.

Daytime entertainment is done by the same guys mentioned above. They play games with the kids, and organise things like Pistol shooting, Volleyball, Water Polo, Archery, Darts, and Pool competitions for the adults.

Location is fantastic, easily within 5 minutes walk from Magaluf and Palmanova Beaches. The hill isn't as bad as it's made out to be. Your far enough away from the nightlife to get a good nights sleep, yet close enough to get out to the resort itself.

PS,I booked next years holiday at the Barcelo Torrenova two days after I got back.

The hotel was clean the reception area very nice. We ate in the restraunt once and enjoyed it. But spent most of our time in the restraunt at the bottom of cardiac hill on the right.

The pool was lovely and clean but ruined by thugs drinking lager, and kicking hard footballs at the glass in the doors. The towels and bed linen only got changed once in a fortnight.
We had to make the beds ourselves. Clothing was taken out of mine and my 2 sons cases. We werent broken into. So you can make your own conclusions as to who was taking our things.
Kept awake all hours of the night by noisy teenagers.

The staff on reception very polite and helpful. Mike the rep was a good laugh,and helpful.

The hynosis was a bit of a farce tho`. If they got rid of the lager louts and made it a respecable hotel i would go again. But this wont happen.

The location was a bit of a struggle at first gettin up cardiac hill but you get used to it by the second week. If you do go lock your cases at all time and take some ear plugs.

The hotel was very clean and tidy. The pool side bar served great food all day. The best thing was the entertainment with christian taking part in daily activities like darts and shooting, the rooms are basic but very clean and the staff are great.

My husband a I stayed here summer 2003 for 2 weeks,self catering.

On arrival the hotel looked quite nice. The check in was rapid and we where soon in our studio.The room was very basic but seemed ok.

We unpacked and went down to the bar for a drink seeing as we arrived about 10pm,we were quite tired but wanted to look around before we hit the sack.

The bar was quite small and there were plenty of sweaty bodies about, as there was no air con and in the bar just a few fans that blew warm air around and the smell of sweat.The doors were open and tables outside around the poolside for you to sit at which was quite nice looking out at sea and having a breeze and fresh air...BLISS?

The location of the hotel we had no problem with as it the hotel is on the top of steep hill maybe not for the less mobile this one. Although the views where fantasic and you could watch the airplanes coming into Palma although you could'nt hear them as they were quite away from the hotel.

The staff were quite friendly and would say hello when they saw you.The entertainment was ok and there was something on each day for both kids and adults.

Although most nites we would go into Magaluf or Palma for our evening meal. There are plenty of places to get food and not bad either.

We would visit this hotel again if the cleaners did a better job and the problem of ants on the work top got sorted. Oh and they put beds in studio's and took out sofa's. Didn't do my hubby's back much good 14 nts on a sofa bed.

We did have about 4 nights when we were woke by clubbers coming back at around 4/5 am. The receptionist sorted that when we rang and told them.

We hope to go back to this part of Majorca as we had such a fantastic holiday, but think we'll try another hotel see if they have better cleaners and less ants...

We were here in Summer 2003 and the Hotel has been completely refurbished and renewed. The pool area has been changed and everything is brand new, even the chairs on the balcon, all rooms now have air-conditioning.The food is excellent and the entertainment reps are awesome, no complaints whatsoever. It is in an excellent location but there is a fairly steep bank down to the main resorts of Magalluf or Palma Nova (both are equall as near) However I believe it will be exclusively a Thomson family hotel next summer so no doubt the prices will rise.
If anyone require any specific information, please post it on the Q & A and I will happily reply.

Colin