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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Tell me about first choice holiday villages, please

41 replies

stovies · 03/02/2011 14:36

They look great on paper but wondering what they are really like. They are actually quite expensive, at least by my standards, to go in school holidays so wondering if they are worth the money. I've just been quoted 6.5k for 4 of us to go in Aug to the one in Rhodes. It just seems a lot.

I've been on tripadvisor and the reviews seem very mixed. Though some of them have far better reviews than others.

The stuff for the kids is the main attraction but wondering if its anything special.

So, has anyone been? If so to which one and would you recommend them? TIA

OP posts:
ash6605 · 10/02/2011 10:14

stovies-we go to the Majorca one every year,we are going again at Easter it will be our 6th visit.anything specifice you want to ask i'd gladly help

stovies · 10/02/2011 11:24

Wow, thanks, Ash!

Ok, firstly please reassure me that it's not too tacky etc. Also that both the rooms and the pool are clean. I don't mind it being a bit dated but would like it to be clean with no wires etc hanging out.

Next; is there lots for the kids to do? Mine are 7, 5 and 3. The pool is a big thing for us. Is it a good pool?

What is the food like? I'm not looking for it to be fabulous, just hot and healthy.

Also, can I ask why do you keep going back to the same one? Is it simply because it's fantastic? (which would be great!) Have you thought about trying the others?

I must admit to finding the Mallorcan one the most appealling especially with the short flight so all good reports welcome. Thanks so much.

OP posts:
loobylou67 · 11/02/2011 13:13

Went to Sharm one the year it opened, didn't like it at all.
Restaurant was more like a canteen, warm drinks, not as clean as it should have been, lots of teething problems with it being new.
Children being allowed to run around, scream and swear without parents saying anything. Some children and their parents were also very rude when speaking to Egyptian staff. Not sure if all Villages are the same but we definitely wouldn't go back to any of them.

longwalk · 13/02/2011 21:18

Friend went to the one in Mallorca last September with her 2yr old and thought it was super! She is very hard to please, usually.

choppychopster · 13/02/2011 21:47

Sorry, DH and I hated the one in Mallorca when we went in 2009.

The kids activities were fab, but there just wasn't anywhere quiet to relax. We'd hoped to be able to chill out a bit while DD was in the kids club, but we were constantly being harassed to join in shit music quizzes based on a NOW compilation from 2002 by reps who liked the sound of their own voices a wee bit too much. Don't get me wrong, we expected kids running around and daft shows but it was constant noise.

We went self catering rather than AI but ate at the hotel a few times and found the food pretty crap. Lots of choice (and lots of chips!) but not done very well. Most people there were on All Inclusive and I have to report that there plenty drinking from mid morning complaining that the beer was watered down. TBH I found the atmosphere very Brits abroad.

TheGoddessBlossom · 13/02/2011 21:55

We went to sharm one two years in a row. Mainly be ause of the rooms - kids den suite, boys had their own room with bunk beds and tv/playstation! Our room was amazing, huge, balcony, lovely bathroom, marble everything. Very clean.

Complex was massive, 4 pools, they were all freezing though, beach a bit of a disappointment. Food was great. Kids clubs were great. We just got sick of running the gauntlet with 800 other people at meal time.

We do the other end of the spectrum now. Villa on our own. Grin

BettyDouglas · 14/02/2011 11:52

The one in Cyprus always seems to have good reviews.

hogwartshero · 23/11/2014 19:48

they are amazing! I have been to both the Kos village and the Cyprus one. I preferred the Cyprus village (Aliathon) but the Kos was beautiful and picture perfect, although the Cyprus village is the place I am returning to later on this year! They are definitely worth the money, although Rhodes is extremely expensive and you can go to the updated Menorca village.

Tell me about first choice holiday villages, please
hogwartshero · 23/11/2014 19:49

they are amazing! I have been to both the Kos village and the Cyprus one. I preferred the Cyprus village (Aliathon) but the Kos was beautiful and picture perfect, although the Cyprus village is the place I am returning to later on this year! They are definitely worth the money, although Rhodes is extremely expensive and you can go to the updated Menorca village.

christmashope · 25/11/2014 19:26

I loved the Tenerife holiday village would highly
Recommend it

atticusclaw · 25/11/2014 19:36

Do not pay £6.5k to go to a holiday village. You could do florida and disney for that with a bit of careful planning. We did this year.

We've been to Sharm twice. The first time was out of season. It was fine, the pools are quite nice, the rooms were fine the food was quite nice (although nothing to rave about). We paid £2,500 for four of us.

The second time we went to exactly the same hotel during school holidays. It cost about £3k. It was awful. Right from the minute we got onto the bus at the airport. Lots of embarrassingly awful, drunk and obnoxious brits. Kids club in the evening had turned from a nice little dance and kids games to music so loud and the place so jam packed that DS1 cried and didn't want to go again. Kids were literally pushing each other over it was so packed and the parents were all pushing their children forward and stomping on other children to do it. Difficult to get served at the bars due to everyone being drunk and the pools were very busy. Massive queues for ice cream. Zip wires are really nothing special. I would never go again and would definitely say there are far nicer places to spend your £6.5k

My sister went to Mallorca and gave very similar reviews.

atticusclaw · 25/11/2014 19:37

If you really want that sort of thing I'd recommend Club Magic Life. Far more up market.

Chardonnay73 · 25/11/2014 19:49

We have been to Cyprus, Egypt and Rhodes.

LOVED Cyprus, I actually cried getting on the coach going home Blush, but this was in 2011 so it may have changed since then.

I was really sceptical tbh, we had always done villa holidays, but it was clear the kids (7 and 4) were getting bored.

On the first morning (our room overlooked the pool) we opened our curtains to find everyone in the pool doing aqua aerobics to Oy Yay Me Canto by Gloria Estefan.... I wanted to pack up and go but by day 3 we were in there and loving it!

Its like a bubble, you don't need to leave the resort, (we didn't) and the kids absolutely loved it, therefore we were happy.

Next year we went to Sharm. The hotel was beautiful, but we felt the food and clientele let it down, lots of brits drinking as much as they could all day long, but the chap who was in charge of the evening entertainment was amazing, and he totally made it. (I fb stalked him to see where he was the next year but he has left First choice) I wouldnt go back there.

Went to Rhodes in 2013. Stayed in the deluxe bit = heaven for adults bit the kids got bored round the pool so ended up spending a lot of time in the activity areas anyway. Food was absolutely amazing, could not fault it - set the bar for all other hotels catering.
The disappointment was the room. We had a family suite, which was sold as a 'divided' room with separate sleeping areas. In reality it was one big room with a screen up that didn't go as far as the ceiling. Might as well have stopped in one room with 2 double beds, would have been much cheaper.

This year we are going to the Voyage in Belek, Turkey with some friends who have been there 3 years running. She is v high maintenance and loves it so I'm guessing it must be up to scratch!! eg if the kids want an ice cream there are fridges full of Magnums/Cornettos, not the crappy scoop of cheap ice cream you get in HV. It's costing a fortune, but I don't mind if I'm paying £1K more than I paid in HV to get total luxury guaranteed!!

Hope that helped!

bryonyelf · 02/12/2014 19:20

I second club magic life. Much preferred their fuerteventura hotel to holiday village Tenerife.

ScrambledEggAndToast · 02/12/2014 19:50

Holiday Village Manar in Tunisia is fab. Went there in August and loved it. The resort is right on the beach so although it was hot you got the lovely breeze from the sea to cool you down. There are around 5 pools including one with a swim up bar. Loads of stuff for kids and entertainment every night including flown in British acts twice a week. I loved every minute of our stay plus Tunisia is very cheap so day trips were very reasonable.

ilovepowerhoop · 02/12/2014 19:55

We have been to the Tunisia one twice and still think it is the nicest. Went to the Tenerife one this year but wasnt as good. Also been to Turkey (was ill just after we got back) and Egypt (just remember it being super hot!)

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