We stayed for one week in October. Our villa was in zone 5. The whole zone thing is not a confusing as it seems. Thompsons basically seem to have villas in zone 3 and zone 5. The other zones appear to be either timeshare or self owned. We went half board. This was just a well as the prices in Menorca are very high this year. We would have been looking at

We have just come back from Son Bou. Enjoyed 14 days of beautiful clear blue sky. Really enjoyed our holiday - we stayed in Zone 4 at Son Bou Gardens in two ground floor apartments about 100 metres or so from the maze and the private San Jaime Club complex (the one with the water slides and where the nightly entertainment is).

Apartments were basic but very adequate - we had ants but you are in a mediterranean climate and so are part of the territory - just remember to keep your floors clean. Only thing we could have done with was a more regular change of the bed linen - it was done once in the two weeks. The area is nice and flat which we had hoped for given one of our little boys is disabled and is in a walker - apart from the steps at the pool lots of ramps in place which made access for him really easy. However I would not have liked to have stayed at some of the apartments up on the hillside so we chose well and review sites like this really helped our choice.

We spent our time at the San Jaime complex which was relatively quiet (I suspect as the English school holidays kick in it will get much busier)- which we only found at the end of the holiday is supposedly private - you have to pay 5 Euros for a lounger each day so like many people we just bought lilos (which they say are not allowed but are) and an umbrella at the little shop. We did venture to the beach one day which is spectacular - go down at sunset as well - but preferred the pool area. Our kids loved the slides which we did each afternoon and the girls who ran it were really great with them.

Eating out was very adequate - most nights we walked along to the little commercial centre (5-10mins) where there is plenty choice - nothing gourmet - but perfectly adequate (although I'd recommend avoiding the Chinese restaurant which does the buffet - not great). After dinner each night we went to the little Italian ice cream shop round the corner from the main reception in the commercial centre - you have to try it. There is also a little playpark/funfair at the commercial centre which we went to a few nights. There is also a great little patisserie just round the corner from the laundry in the Son Bou Gardens complex - the donuts and pastries are to die for. We did self catering lunch and breakfasts - basics are expensive at the little supermarket but c'est la vie. You can also get carry out pizzas and stuff at a number of places which we did a few times.

Plenty to do here during the day (little play park, great pool, slides, maze, etc) although we did not do the nightly tribute/circus act thing. We did not do any organised trips but did take the bus on two days to Mahon for the market ourselves (which is too far away from the port to walk to) and also went to Cuitadella on the west of the island (only about 45 mins on two buses) which is really lovely and worth a visit. The main reception staff were really helpful and we did not need the help of the rep during our stay. As an example we reported our toaster broken and our need for a few more towels one evening at the main reception and they got delivered two hours later at 11pm (great service).

Would definitely go again.

We stayed in Zone 5 (the furthest from the beach/centre) apartments are very spacious and were spotlessly clean (apart from the ants which we sorted with a spray from the shop in the first hour!).

They don't have a microwave which would have been good but they do have fridge, oven, ironing board, iron, kettle, pots/pans and cutlery etc. We stayed in a downstairs apartment with a front patio and garden bit, lovely to sit on a night and eat/drink on the patio.

Can't comment on the entertainment - not my thing, sounded like Spice Girls one night at Butlins! But quiet apart from that. Everyone in bed around midnight anyway which is good for kids.

Theres a small amusements arcade on site and bar but in the centre of resort (5 min walk) then theres bowling, restaurants, 3 supermarkets, beach not far and bus stops allover for trips out to the rest of the island. We went to mahon - nothing there but streets, didnt find the harbour!! A few other people also said same.

Don't book trips with the reps before looking locally, on one bus stop we saw a trip they tried to sell for twice the price and theres a boat trip on a board outside a cafe.

All in all - lovely place, would suit kids from 5 plus better then babies or teens. We have a 5 yr old and 7mth old. Plenty of places to buy baby jar food and nappies but bit pricey, one place sells cow & gate and hipp but I wouldnt rely on it and I did take my own dried packets in my luggage with milk sachets.

Eating out didnt cost too much - three of us ate with drinks for around 50 euros at Casa Andres and Boni's in the centre of son sou and had pizzas and chips etc at Arthurs on the front for 35 euros.

All in all - would have been a great holiday if it hadn't rained for 1st 3 days, but we did go in May!

We stayed in Zone 3 of the San Jaime Complex. I couldn't fault the location - it was in front of the play area, with a pool/restaurant a 100 yards to the left and Club San Jaime a couple of hundred yards to the right. The beach was just 5-10 minutes walk away.

The apartment itself was clean, and although pretty basic and in need of updating, it had everything we needed. It was brilliant to have ceiling fans in both bedrooms and in the living area. The apartments have two patio areas (or balconies if you're on the first floor) so you can choose to sit in the sun or shade. My only problem was the ants - they were everywhere, and this put us off eating indoors.

Most of the staff were very friendly and they all seemed to work extremely hard. Our pool was clean, and the restaurant handy for a few drinks, but the
entertainment there was too young for my children,(9 and 11) and we spent the majority of our time at Club San Jaime or the beach.

Club San Jaime has a great pool, and water slides
(10 slides for 6 euros). You have to pay for the loungers, or can watch the kids while having a drink in the reastaurant which overlooks the pool. There is a really great maze which we spent ages getting round. The food is pretty good and we ate there most nights while waiting for the entertainment. It's worth noting that you are charged less for drinks if you eat there and the waiters serve you. If you go up to the bar yourself, the drinks are almost 2 euros more per drink.

I can't fault the entertainment. It was mostly tribute acts but they were all brilliant, and the atmosphere in the club is great, with everyone singing and dancing along by the end of the night.

I would guess this place was built in the 1960's to cope with the growing British demand for package holidays, however apart from a lick off paint it would appear nothing much has been done to improve it since then.

The resort is divided into 3 Zones each with a pool, restaurant and entertainment programme and you are at liberty to go to whichever zone you like whenever you like. Our first impressions of this place were not good, not good at all as we were allocated an apartment in zone 3 which is the least appealing and most down market. On entering the apartment there was a stale smell and I noticed the steady procession of ants along the wall. Having 2 small children (2 and 5) it was important for them to have an afternoon sleep but to my dismay when I opened their bedroom window I found it was directly opposite the resorts laundry facility with large industrial size washing machines and tumble driers churning out constant noise. In addition it was also only 25 metres from the entertainment stage where lookalike tribute bands would bellow out 'pub singer' type songs until mid-night.

The beds were small and covered in tired old bedding, the furniture was scratched
and chipped and the stale smell of cigarettes pervaded the place.

I went back to reception, however there was not a holiday rep in sight and the receptionist was either unwilling or incapable of helping with the problem.

In desperation we called the tour operator national call centre and explained the problem requesting a move and the reasons why and in fairness an hour later we were picked up and delivered to Zone 5 which was slightly quieter. The pool at Zone 5 is the best, however with only 27 sun beds and about 250 people trying to use it you invariably had to leave your belongings on the floor only for people with wet feet to tread on them. The pools at Zone 4 and 3 were less than appealing with clinically obese families more interested in admiring each others tattoos and body piercing and drinking vast amounts of lager rather than swimming.

If you like chips then you are in luck, as chips come with everything. The food was very poor and the difference between a spaghetti bolognaise and a chilli con carne was 5 kidney beans and a tea spoon of en cona hot chilli sauce. They both came with chips. The service was OK but bordering upon surly.

The tribute bands (Abba, Take That) in the evening were a good way to occupy the children, however once you got them home and tucked them up in bed they were quite often woken up in the early hours of the morning by families shouting, screaming and arguing through too much drink.

The beach at Son Bou is beautiful and great for children however it becomes absolutely jam packed. Also it is 17 euros a day to hire 2 sun loungers and a tired umbrella.

In closing, if you are not too fussed about the quality or size of your accommodation, like chips as your main meal, can consume huge quantities of alcohol without vomiting in the swimming pool then this resort is ideal for you.

what a place i absolutly loved every single day of my stay im going back next year and i cannot wait it was amazing.

Stayed in Zone 3 just 100 yds from Resort centre of Son Bou. Beach another 100 yds. Hotel is like its own village with different zones some built up the hillside. Each has its own reception/bar and pool area with entertainment.

We thought the entertainment at Zone 5 bar was better than ours so went there some nights. The shows were soundalikes of groups. If you liked them they were on another night at the Copacabana bar in Son Bou. Which we were going to nearly every night.

Food in our zone 3 restaurant quite nice. Varied menu.Half board option available for about 15.50 Euro a day excl. drinks but 2nd drink free. Did not use bar/pool as found entertainment organiser a bit loud for out tastes. Unfortunately our accomodation was almost directly opposite and found it a bit noisy.

Fortunately had a front and back balcony so could move to other balcony where quieter.Apartment fantastically equipped full cooker with oven, electric kettle and toaster.

Also ironing board and iron in cupboard. Have never had such a range of equipment, saucepans etc provided in other holiday lets. Fans over beds and in large kitchen/lounge were great help as it was hot.

Lovely and spacious rooms. Newly painted but some tiles in bathroom were cracked and toilet seat losing its colour round edges. Lighting a bit dim for reading at night also no bedside lights.

We were both sorry we had not booked for two weeks. Did not rate the trips we went on very highly apart from visit to a Fiesta.

Maid service was regular. Reception service was very helpful. Would recommend hotel but resort of Son Bou is very small.

Hotel was clean lively and friendly.
Staff were helpful and entertainment (aimed at Kids) was easy to watch. A little worried about the Resort based on previous reports, however, it is close to shops, bars and restaurants and far enough away not to be bothered by them. We went with a 2 year old and a 6 month old. The whole time the staff was helpful. I phoned up 2 days before we travelled just to make sure there was a cot bed and they organised it for us. No trouble.

We went off peek, so no problems for beds around the pools. On peek will be a different story. There are different areas to stay at and you need to find your feet and the best pool.


All in all, I recommend that you go there; we did it as a cheep last minute deal and were pleasantly surprised.

Stayed at these apartments for 2 weeks and it was brill. The complex is split into zones each having a bar and pool at hand all serving food. Zone 3 is the closest to the beach zone 4 right in the middle next to the water slides, the pool there is the deepest and the best they do charge about 3

We stayed in this complex for 7 nights and went away wishing we'd booked 14. We found it to be clean, well kept and the staff friendly. We had a wonderful sea view and were teated to a great display by the flocking birds around dusk.
The entertainment we went to was provided by a private bar located in the center of the complex, and can be described only as excellent, a variety of shows changing nightly, from singers, dancers and breath taking acrobats.
Our apartment was basic yet more than adequate, with a good range of utensils in the kitchen and ceiling fans in every room.
As for noise We were lucky with our apartment but this could have been a little noisey had we been situated nearer the reception or entertainment areas.
We intend to return this year (2007)