Stayed at the Vacanza apartments for 2 weeks in September 2006 with husband.

The apartment was huge but basic and wasn't cleaned in the 2 weeks. There was one change of bed linen.

The pool area looked lovely but there were no sunloungers so you had to lie on concrete or hire a chair for 10 euros (which you got back on return) but the chairs weren't comfortable. The pool was huge and was well used. However it was emptied and sealed off on september 16. On inquiring we were told that it was closed for the season until June 2007.

Pity Globespan hadn't notified people before travelling. Could have been half board in a good hotel cheaper than the

Stayed for 2 weeks in the Monaco block. Fantastic holiday, and will definetly go back.

Security- No breakins heard of when we were there. Although they had taken away the pushbell to get out of gates so everyone had to use key to get in AND out, so they must be really cracking down on security. Can only be a good thing, no strangers in complex, and if they do get in they cant get out!!

Cleanliness- Very Very clean, especially the pool which is huge, cleaned and hoovered, yes hoovered every day the ground were also great, and had a gyn, tennis courts, bar, open till about 10.

Apartment- Really big, with everything you need for a great holiday.

Incline- This is not a mountain, like some obviously lazy people are saying, but more of a slight incline, infact when you are walking up you can hardly tell you are going upwards, and there are loads of bars and shops on the way up, which is by the way only about 2min max from bottom to top.

Resort- FANTASTIC- love Benidorm, no-one can say it is not for them, as it has something for everyone, from babies to elderly, why sit somewhere you dont like, move on, the place next door is probably better for you, honestly Benidorm has everything for everyone, from quiet to noisy, for all ages you just have to look.

On arrival we were left outside complex rep had given us wrong code to get in had to wait for someone to enter complex. Receptionist told us if we had been any later we would have had to come back after the weekend one couple actually had to stay somewhere else as emergency phone no is on window inside complex.

Apartment clean enough on arrival but maids only came once mopped one side of bed tried to change bedsheets with me in it. Threw babies clothes on floor (they were on spare bed as not enough cupboards for all of us)

Security lax as in our block there was a hole in fence and people put hand through to hit open pad.

Very noisy building work around won't be staying here again

These apartments are what you pay for on self catering. Be prepared to mop and brush up and take the rubbish out (huge bins all the way down the streets on your way out....even locals have to do it).

If you are used to hotels then this will not be ideal for you. We found the rooms to be quite clean. I brushed up daily, yet there was always dirt to be cleaned up which I guess having an open balcany with double patio doors is going to let in dust....but we didn't find it a problem.

They are very well equipped. We found the automatic washer very useful during our 14 days. It also had a kettle (boil on the hob not electric) it had a pop up toaster....a 4 ring gas hob (don't forget lighters/matches as nothing to light the hob with). A full size fridge freezer and the usual...cutlery. Plates saucepans/fryingpans/dishes/glasses/cups (take a tin opener if you intend to use one as we had two and both wouldn't even open a paper bag).

Having 4 kids we thought it would be cheaper to eat one meal a day in the apartment but it was actually cheaper to eat out. I definitely recommend the chinese restaurants for a bargain. Happy menu meal is a starter...main course....desert...AND... half a bottle of wine for 3.95 euro. I also reccomend the Yorkshire pride, the meals are huge and could not even fit in deseert, and very reasonable prices owned by an english couple.

Also recommend the Queen Mary also english pub for meals. Very friendly.

From the Vacanza block you are 15mins from the beach (we timed it) thats with a 4 yr old. There is a slight incline but nothing like I was expecting from the other reviews. It did get a bit much for my 4 yr old by week 2 if we had walked around for 2 or 3 hrs then had to walk back but she use to run up it to beat us up so it is only an incline not a hill!! or mountain.

If you do not like walking anywhere then I would say Vacanza complex is not for you, or if you find it hard to walk about as another couple had their mother with them and she found it hard to get up the street everyday, but you can get a taxi into the heart of Benidorm nightlife for 5 euro (maybe cheaper during the day...that is what we paid at 1am).

Now for the stressfull bit that I am afraid to say does happen......regarding break ins....if you have booked through Thomson and am almost certain you have nothing to fear you will more than likely be in Vacanza (6 floors) and the safe is solid cast iron and two of us tried to lift it and could not move it an inch.

All the problems seem to be with Montecarlo block which is where you end up with First Choice. On the day of our arrival there was a young couple who had just got in at 3am in the morning after a night out and was very upset in the reception as there safe had been ripped off the wall and taken and as they rightly said what is the point of having a safe (which you have to pay 10 euro per week) if the safe can be ripped out and stolen??

I also heard off another couple that one couple was only given one set of keys so used them throughout the hols then when they booked out of there room they lost their 100 euro deposit as they was told they was given two and no matter how much they explained they only got one set it made no difference, so make sure in your envelope when you book in you have two sets of keys we found it very stressfull always worrying incase we lost the keys or got broke in. Or if we would get our deposit back as it turned out we never got broke in we had no probs and we got the full refund back on dropping keys off at 10am....if you do not book through a company be prepared to wait for your deposit as they check your room first.

As there was a couple waiting for their room to be checked to get their money back I got ours back as soon as week dropped keys off.

Overall we had a good holiday. Pool was huge and extremely clean, big pool was good as it was shallow all the way round which is good incase little ones fall in, which we had happen to us the year before at another place.

We would definitely go back to Benidorm and at some point go back to Vacanza we enjoyed our stay and there is always somewhere to go and plenty to do but while I have young kids I would prefer somewhere with a kids club and night time entertainment, as we had to go out everynight and when you have walked none stop the kids don't want to walk none stop at night.

All I can say if you have gone through Thomson enjoy your holiday if you have booked through First Choice BEWARE!!

We have stayed at the Vacanza now for two years running, our kids are 18 and 16 and if it was up to them we would be going back again this year.

We stayed in the Monte Carlo block both times. The pool is great, kept clean at all times, the only downside was having to trail out to the bins with rubbish.

Also the location of the apartments, the first time it was a killer walking back up to the complex, but the next year it was not a problem for some reason

I stayed at vacanza, was very worried after when we arrived, had people crying because they had been robbed! what a suprise. felt very unsafe throught my 2 week stay, maid came once, even then after askin many a time, 4 days after my arrival with no toilet tissue and no clean towels.

Very rude staff, shop very pricey, 3 EUROS for a can of drink. Would strongly recommend the triangle pub, not far away, great entertainment.

Floor VERY DIRTY, balcony not so clean, during our stay, playmon park ( the appartment at the back of us) had a fire which left out clothes smelling untill our return. Can't be helped I guess.

Yorkshire pride, lord nelson and grand national, GREAT FOOD. Dont think would ever recommend this pig stye to anyone. Noisy neighbours, need code to get in, silly though, every one gets in anyway.

REP NEVER EVER THERE, when she was, very frequent and rude!!!!

DON'T GO HERE

Overall the appartments are rather nice, they certainly contain all you need for an enjoyable holiday.

However there is no lock on the Monaco block and anyone can wander in and with 5 break-ins in the first week we decided to leave at least one person in the flat at all times.
Apartmments are entered with a key and emptied, The felons use the holiday makers own bags to carry away their belongings and they take all they can carry including clothes trainers valubles etc. There was also a bogus engineer turned up to change the lock on the safety deposit box.

The staff are rude and dismissive of the break-ins claiming they could not have happened because the doors are double locked. The cleaners continually leave the doors single locked and when we complained to reception they told us that was good enough!

We never saw a Thomsons rep the whole time we were there. The apartments are located at the top of mount Everest and by the end of the holiday you will have calf muscles like Thor. It is a heck of a trek and when its hot you are exhausted by the time you arrive at your flat.

Would I visit this awful place again? Never in a million light years.

Had concerns about cleanliness and security after reading others comments on net, but be reassured we had no problems. Well equippped apartment. Maid only came once but it is an apartment after all, not an aparthotel. Lovely pool, no problem getting sunbeds. In brochure it says steep hill up to complex, but we thought it was more of a slight incline (although we do live in Brighton which is quite hilly!).

Other visitors have commented on being dumped outside gate with no code to get in, and we also found this a problem as did everyone else who we observed arriving. It was only due to visitors who had already arrived that we were able to get in. Do make sure you ask Rep at airport for the code, as there is not a rep based at the complex so you will have no-one to ask. the driver just leaves you outside then goes to drop more people off.

The safe deposit boxes WERE safe we felt, and were not as some people have said on a balcony where anybody can see you putting your stuff in, not in our block at least. We stayed in the Monaco building and our safe was in the utility area which was semi-outside ie there was a kind of blind around it, but no way others could see in. We heard of no break-ins while we were there.

Also because it is an apartment you have to put your own rubbish out. There are bins on the street outside, and it wasn't a hardship taking the rubbish on the way into town.

All in all, a fairplace to stay.

Lovely pool that was cleaned regularly.

The apartment was very big but maids only came once in the week just to change the towels. Taking rubbish out etc we did ourselves.

Reception was hardly ever open, but the reps we had were brilliant, 3 others and I couldn

We were looking for a late deal for half term and looked on Thompsons.com, there were about three or four places at around the same price. We chose the Vacanza as it was named and rated 3T plus. It was advertised at half price, normally about