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Holidays

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

Original poster

simply travel

104 replies

Bridge1001 · 13/10/2005 09:22

has anyone noticed the demise of simply travel? I went to Periyali Villas in Zakynthos last year and was impressed with the service and quality - especially the kids club. Now TUI (thomsons) have ruined it! cheap brochures, theyv'e dropped lots of properties, especially the child friendly places, web site is terrible....they want us all to go on Thomson SuperFamily holidays which are not my cup of tea...any advise o reasonably priced med holidays which are good for kids? not big unfriendly hotels full of shaven heads, lager drinking louts?

OP posts:
MissChief · 10/11/2005 13:29

yeah - simply were the same for mousses - 2 bed villas but apparently can sleep 6 so charge you extra accordingly

cod · 10/11/2005 13:31

Message withdrawn

Willow2 · 10/11/2005 14:31

Think we only had to pay a slight under occupancy for the two bed villas at Mousses - if we had to pay anything - as there is no way you would call it accommodation for six. The two big villas that are linked to Mousses are for six though - is that what you are on about?

CountessDracula · 10/11/2005 14:53

Willow I told them I wouldn't pay the over occ supp and they went off and talked to a supervisor and halved it.

cod · 10/11/2005 14:59

Message withdrawn

CountessDracula · 10/11/2005 15:08

always worth a go

COD are you trying to book one of the bigger villas at Mousses? I think that one of the bedrooms is not accessible via the house, has a seperate entrance - Willow2 will be able to confirm this i guess. Seem to remember the people we knew who were in them saying this

Willow2 · 10/11/2005 16:55

That's right - one bedroom is self-contained.

Just looked at the Mousses information re supplements - there are only four beds (two singles and a double) but they say the little villas sleep 5 and charge an under occupancy. That is ridiculous - the only way you could sleep five in there was if they rammed an extra bed into the twin room or someone slept on the very basic sofa (which is actually just a foam cushion and nowhere near wide enough to sleep on.) I'm going to phone simply to find out what is going on.

cod · 10/11/2005 17:11

Message withdrawn

Willow2 · 10/11/2005 17:45

How good is he at not rolling out of bed? Nice tile floor for him to land on if he does.

Willow2 · 10/11/2005 17:47

Also, that would mean that you had a three year old sleeping in the open plan ground floor - better to try to squeeze another bed in the twin room, which is what a family had done this summer, but think one of them might have been in a cot.

cod · 10/11/2005 17:52

Message withdrawn

Willow2 · 10/11/2005 19:12

If you go to here and scroll through the pictures you will see an interior shot. You can just see the sofa on the right - it's essentially a stone oblong with foam cushion on. Fine for sitting on, not sure about sleeping on though. At other end of the room is the kitchen are and the downstairs bathroom. You would have to be very, very quiet each evening if you wanted him to stay asleep! But, for all that, it is a lovely place to go to - particularly if you don't have to stay mute each night.

Willow2 · 10/11/2005 19:13

kitchen area, even.

cod · 10/11/2005 19:18

Message withdrawn

CountessDracula · 10/11/2005 23:13

It is fine, I had a bad back one night and it was much more comfy than the bed! You take the back cushion off and it is comfy.

The second bedroom has loads of room for a cot or third weeny bed

Willow2 · 11/11/2005 12:24

Yeah, beds aren't exactly soft. That said, still think it's a cheek that they count it as a fifth bed and charge under occupancy accordingly (and kids don't count towards headcount). The new pricing system is just weird though - surely gives better impression if start by basing it on occupancy of four and if you want to make use of the sofa you pay a lesser rate per person? What has changed for the better is that kids get bigger discounts than before, which is good.

SarahCambs · 02/12/2005 18:06

Hi - I am new to Mumsnet but am interested in booking a holiday to Mousses in Lefkas next summer, but from what I can see from Thomsons website the appartments have very dodgy looking stairs with no bannisters, and open out into the living area. Can anyone confirm / advise on this? Thanks

janinlondon · 05/12/2005 10:19

SC - the website video is misleading. They have bannisters now.

SarahCambs · 08/12/2005 13:48

Thanks JaninLondon! We are probably going to book our summer holiday there this year, but am thinking it might be "too" hot in July or Aug with a 1 year old and a 5 year old perhaps.

whiffy · 08/12/2005 14:35

I was in Mousses this September. Info for SarahCambs is that some of the villas have stairgates fitted so you should ask for one of these. We didn't have them but our friends (I think in No 4) did (they hadn't asked for them specifically).
BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT beware! We all came back determined to book again for early next year but when we tried to book we found out two things which have made us swear never to book Simply again. Firstly sometimes they charge you more for a child in your group than for an adult and when I complained they breezily said they were fully aware of it and you can just pretend everyone is an adult instead of listing the kids as kids (so if you do book, check both options when calculating price on the web). Secondly THEY HAVE FIRED SIMON . It seems that to save money all the Greek Island reps will be replaced by a 24 hr answering service located in the UK. Simon was the best holiday rep I have ever met and I am so shocked that this has happened - he worked with them for 8 years I think. I lost his web address so haven't been able to find out the lowdown on what happened but this has made me & my fellow holidaymakers soo mad! If anyone knows what has happened to him or has his web address pls let me know.

janinlondon · 08/12/2005 15:56

I can't believe they got rid of Simon?!!! He was the fab guy who was actually MAKING stairgates for the people who needed them! Really really bad move ST.

SRM · 14/12/2005 13:29

I can't believe it about Simon, he was fantastic! We've been to Mousses twice and loved it. This year we are taking our chances with Simply in Crete with the Aloni apartments - has anyone been there? They have moved the creche there for this year. Simply have gone really downhill, but I can't find anyone else who does the small apartment round pool and creche bit. The other really annoying thing about Simply is they are no longer doing earlybooking discounts! I much prefered Mousses to Periyali, mainly because the location is so much nicer and would really recommend it.

whiffy · 05/01/2006 10:10

Long delay in replying - xmas got in the way. This year we're trying italian holiday run by parentsneedpampering.com having seen fab reviews in Gaurdian and Telegraph. Good review also on babygoes2.com. No idea what it's like but woman who runs it seems fab so am hopeful will be a good alternative to Mousses. Has creche & restaurant & self catering. Also next to a safari/theme park. Fingers crossed.

elliott · 05/01/2006 10:27

looked at that website and the holiday looks wonderful - but b*** expensive! How much do you think you'll end up paying with all the extras? (if you don't mind me asking...)

desperatehousewife · 05/01/2006 10:50

sorry for hijack - but you might know the answer to this - kids clubs very often are for age 4 up. Mine will be 3.7 when we go away - can I get away with this and fib or will i have to show his passport?!