Travel agent has sent us to the most awful place :(

[Bethanyg25]

Me and my mum booked what we thought would be a lovely little break in Majorca with my 9 mo dd. Nice hotel right by Palma. However we are actually in Playa de Palma and she failed to tell us that this place is basically owned by Germans. We are the ONLY English here. Went for a walk along the beach and didn’t even hear any Spanish. Nothing but German. Noisy stag dos, very tacky that sort of thing. Now I’ve got nothing against Germans but when I imagined my relaxing holiday to Majorca this is not what I had in mind. Feel mega out of place and awkward!! Just wanted to have a rant about it.

Was your travel agent taking back-handers from the Hotel California? :)

Can't get past the fact you booked with a travel agent. I didn't think there were travel agents any more

I watched some sort of consumer programme this week and they compared the cost of the exact same holiday - all inclusive, somewhere in the Med, family of 4 in the school hols, for booking via jet2holidays, a big tour operator (First Choice I think) and via a travel agent. The travel agent was cheapest and the big tour operator most expensive. It was something like £3200 for the travel agent, £3500 with jet2holidays and £4k with First Choice. So that sounds like a good reason to use a travel agent.

There's a small independent chain locally. I've never used them, not sure why, might have to give them a look next time we're thinking of a holiday.

DH and I went to Croatia in the early 1980s when it was Yugoslavia. Most of the tourists were German. We had to share a table in every restaurant we went to which meant our evening meals were spent with German couples. Zwei Bieren is the full extent of my German and one night DH was reduced in desperation to conversing with our table companions in Latin.

Older people use them. My MiL is 82 and wouldn't feel comfortable booking online. She just about manages email. She also likes to be able to pop in and ask questions.

The other people who use them are the cash rich/time poor who want someone else to do all the hard work. There are chains catering to this group with a more high end offering.

I don’t understand the confusion re travel agents. You simply go in, say I want somewhere hot with gorgeous beaches, art and ruins, village setting, no more than 4 hours flight time, I want to fly from Gatwick only. The hotel has to have a kids club and evening entertainment and a heated pool and spa. Then sit back and listen to the options they find for you. How is that not a million times easier than finding it yourself?

@BarbaraofSeville I saw that programme was not surprised. Was looking for a special short break anniversary, did my head in online. We happened to be passing an independent travel agent called in and found something great. I always used to use our local one, then she retired. I am going back to a travel agent for our next trip.

@lljkkwe went to Mar Senses in Peurto Pollensa a few years back and were the only Brit’s lol. It was a fab place though.

I like the Germans they are polite, friendly and keep themselves to themselves in general. They find us hard to understand as we have strong Scottish accents. I absolutely hate ‘making friends’ on holiday and just want to be me and DH whereas my friend makes it a mission to meet as many new people as possible.

And the Brits wonder why they’re not liked abroad

Exactly PasstheCherryCoke

OP ... you are on holiday abroad!
Next time book a hotel in the town 10 miles down the road! Maybe it's booked up with Germans but you know, when you step outside, everything will be British!

Oh I love Mallorca. Any chance you can hire a car and go to places you feel.more comfortable? We went to the German area last time and yes it was tacky but no more tacky than the English areas. It was more fun than the English areas though.

one night DH was reduced in desperation to conversing with our table companions in Latin.

Love it! 😂

Not really relevant, but I lived in Germany for most of my childhood and I really, really miss it. I would love to be in a hotel full of Germans. Stag parties not so much, admittedly!

Ylvamoon OP doesn’t want British people/ stuff, she presumably expected her holiday to be spanish rather than German, which isn’t too much of a stretch since she went to Spain....

I think if you used a travel agent then part of what you pay them for is their expert knowledge and ability to find a holiday that suits your brief. So I have some sympathy if it isn't what you expected.

The issue is that they've sent you to a tacky place (if indeed they have) rather than that it's one popular with Germans.

I feel your pain OP. I went to Amsterdam once. Full of Dutch people.

I work in the travel industry (not an agent but alongside them and was an agent until last year). Contrary to the thoughts of many PP, high street agents are doing well on the whole. The huge multiples who are also tour operaters are struggling but independents are booming, lots of small chains expanding and new shops opening.
It’s true that you can’t be an expert in everywhere but most independents have a wealth of experience, have been on endless fam trips and their own holidays, had feedback from hundreds of customers and have access to the same stuff you can get as DIY but with protection. There are so many tour operators out there that only sell through trade so I’d always recommend trying your local independent as well as pricing it yourself.

We were on Soller for the last 3 days, lots of Germans there and found a brilliant cake shop with German style cakes.

There also seemed to be mostly Scandinavians and Irish people in Soller and Puerto Soller when we went there, but it seems to be the sort of place where most people will either just be there for the day or have booked independently, rather than on a package, so you'd probably see a mix of nationalities.

I went to Amsterdam once. Full of Dutch people
And they all speak English

you used a travel agent then part of what you pay them for is their expert knowledge and ability to find a holiday that suits your brief

I wondered if this was also about the budget you had. Maybe that's all that you could stretch to?

My sister was a travel agent many moons ago and she always said that it was a great sign if there were loads of Germans in your hotel, because you could tell it was a good one - they had exacting standards of cleanliness and high expectations as to the food on offer.

What a load of crap Bishop 🤣 germans abroad are very similar to Brits abroad, no idea why people are trying to make out they’re superior somehow

When you went to the travel agents did you stick your hand in a pot and pull out a ticket?????

It was just what I was told @Passthecherrycoke, I've no strong opinion on Germans generally. I'm also fairly relaxed about my hotel companions when on hols, so long as there's plentiful supplies of food and drink I'm quite content. :-)