To not expect a resort described as family orientated tp be given awful reviews in Trip Advisor.

[happyclapper]

After much deliberation I have just booked our first family holiday abroad. This is a real stretch for us and I have now seen some dreadful reviews on Trip Advisor. It's an AI in Play D'en Bossa called Club Bahamas.
some of the reviews are great some awful.
The most worrying ones saying what an awful place the resort is unless you are a clubber.
That is not the impression given in the broucher.
I was sooo excited and now I just feel like canceling.
Can anyone give me some reassurance?

YABU

What do you think awful resorts should do - say "everyone thinks we're shit" on their own website?

That said, you have to read between the lines on TripAdvisor.

Who is the person writing the review? Do they seem like the sort of person who would enjoy the same kind of holiday as you? What is it specifically that they are complaining about? Is that actually something that would bother you? Are they expecting too much for the money? Did they just expect a different type of resort to the one they got?

I went to the Dominican and had an amazing time.

Got home to rave about everything on trip advisor to find some shockingly bad reviews as well as good ones

Honestly there is just no pleasing some people. I wouldn't worry TOO much

Why would you read the reviews after you booked? Either look before, so you can use the info in choosing, or don't look at all, because there is nothing you can do about it now.

never look on trip advisor after booking!

i've never been to the place you're going, so can't reassure you i'm afraid, but wherever you pick you will find some bad reviews, not everyone will love it.

I am sure you'll have a lovely time

having googled, I am going to say that Ibiza doesn't exactly conjour up "family friendly" to me.. my first thought WOULD be clubbing, esp when you pick somewhere called Club Bahamas.

BUT, that doesn't mean there won't be all sorts of non-clubby stuff around does it?
if you basically want a hotel, pool, beach am sure it'll be lovely.

Pinch of salt for tripadvisor, there is just no pleasing some people.

I have a look but go on the average. Also don't just read the bad reviews, it can skew your perceptions.

Trip advisor is very varied - just looked and it's rated 4 out of 37 hotels so must be fine!

Have to agree never Trip Advisor after booking We go to Ibiza on our family holidays and have done for four years. We have 3dds (6,4 and a baby), we've never stayed in your particular resort but have driven through it - doesn't look particularly ravey .

We've had brilliant times in Ibiza, great for the kids, fantastic weather, gorgeous restaurants, beaches etc. Honestly couldn't recommend it enough. You'll be fine.

Ibiza is a beautiful island, I envy you! If I recall, Playa D'en Bossa has a water park - it's small but perfectly formed!

We have never done a package holiday and AI would be my idea of hell, but if you can get out & about to see other parts of the island you will have a lovely time - I guess you can "escape" even if you are on a package/AI?

Plays den Bossa is fine for a family holiday. There is only one club there, however it is a rather big one (space) I can't see it being that much of a problem tbh.

Check out the first review on this page.

"I know it has always been a mixed nationality hotel but there are very few British there now." Its an outrage

TA is great...been using it for years and I'm actually a destination expert...but you have to take everything with a pinch of salt.

Some people are natural born whingers and will complain about anything and everything. Use TA to look for things to do with the kids and daytrips, good places to eat etc. Don't pay too much attention to hotel reviews, especially after you have booked!

I did look on TA 1st and saw some bad ones but they seemed to be out weighed buy the good ones but am now just obsessing about the really negative ones.
I have been to Ibiza before before kids and found it lovely and always wanted to go back with my family. Has an undesreved bad reputation but haven't bveen to this particular resort. Choose the hotel as it seems to have wonderful entertainment which TA does confirm.
Am just very nervous about spending so much money and it being awful.

I don't pay much heed to tripadvisor unless the same things are cropping up (ie: dirtiness)
Some of the reviews of places I know well are ridiculous. (Works both ways- great reviews for absolute dives and horrid reviews for luxury spas.)

When are you going? Playa D'Embossa IS a very clubbey part of the island in high season but dont despair. The beach is lovely and it is in a great location for exploring the island if you fancy it.

I love Ibiza.

I've read TA reviews where people have complained that they crawled under the bed and found dust bunnies that were (shock horror) still there the next day. Who DOES something like that?
Also one who said they saw a hair grip on the floor & it was still there a couple of days later. Well bloody pick it up & bin it yourself then!

We used a resort in Canaries last year that got mixed reviews on Trip Advisor. TBH there was an element of truth in a few of the bad reviews, but they were
silly things that you couldn't expect to be better at that price range. The good points were pretty spot on
The holiday will be what you make of it, have fun

As Ninja says, its not as straightforward as good reviews/bad reviews. You have to work out whether you'd have the same priorities/concerns as the person writing the review and then decide its relevance to your preferences.

Someone could write a glowing review; "fantastic evening entertainment, no johnny foreigners and plenty of recognisable grub on the buffet, 5*, LOVED it" and yet that would fill me with horror.

Thanks for your words of reason and for the inside call BlueIvy and ibbb. We will explore the island but was hoping resort was somewhere we could wander in and out of so we don't feel imprisoned by being AI. but sounds like it might not be what I hoped.
Do feel bit more positive now. Thanks

Good point Angelswings. You have to weigh up whether the things people are complaining about are worth paying extra to avoid by going somewhere more expensive.

I thought the clubby part of Ibiza was San Antonio and the town is more clubby than San An Bay. Ibiza Town used to be popular with the gay scene - so I am told, I have only ever been to the old town and thought that was beautiful.

As far as I am aware Playe D'en Bossa is a smaller and more family orientated resort, although I have no 1st hand experience myself.

I am sure it will be fine.

With reviews alot of people moan when something bad has happend, few choose to comment when they get what they expected as there is nothing out of the ordinary iykwim.

Pack your glow sticks just in case.

I have heard of people now using trip advisor to blackmail restaurants and hotels, eg saying at the end, that was great but if you don't give us a discount we will write a lousy review.

So I now ignore it.

My DH booked our first foreign family holiday as a last minute surprise last year and I immediately jumped on trip advisor to check it out. I was horrified by some of the reviews, started dreading the holiday which just took the shine off the gesture (poor DH).

It was all fine when we got there, I agree with other posters. There's no pleasing some people and trip advisor reviews are often extremes.

I made sure to post a very reasonable review on my return!