Thomson Superfamily Holidays- any experience ?

[Kayleigh]

Have seen this brochure and think it would be a good holiday for us with two boys age 3 and 5 as they would be in same kids club this year.
This is so different to any holiday we have previously been on but we are on a tight budget this year and i think a week in a hotel with a pool and beach would be brilliant even if it is a bit Butlinsy (apologies to those of you who like Butlins).

Does anyone have any experiences good or bad ?

Hi kayleigh, we went on a Thomson Superfamily last yr to Menorca.
It was our first Holiday with Dd who was 3 and a bit. Poor ds has had to wait since she was born until his next foreign holiday as I couldn't face getting on a plane with a baby but I figured 3 would be fine and I was right.
We had a brilliant time and our going on a another superfamily this yr.
Yes the entertainment is cheesy but the kids love it. There was a disco every night for the kids dancing to cheesy songs bingo for the older kids. DD loved it and there was lots of sports and competions during the day for my older boy 11.
We went to the talayots in cala n forcat and I would defo recomend it.
Menorca is ideal for families and feels v safe.
For loads more info go to holidays uncovered .com.
You can look up every superfamily hotel in the bochure and see tens of reports on them and the resorts. This will help you make the right choice.
I wouldn't book a holiday without checking this site after discovering it.
We are thinking of the bonaire or the playa mar both in majorca for this yr.
I really can't decide.As the bonaire has an excellent rating but I really like the sound of puerto pollensa as a resort.
We would have gone back to talayots without hesitation as it was perfect for us but we like to try diffent places but are defo sticking with superfamily with the kids.
Hope this helps. Where were you thinking of giong?

charlize, thank so much for this. I will definitely check out the site. We may see you there !!

We have been to Puerto Pollensa when ds1 was about a year old. It is a lovely resort, very pretty. Loads of bars and restaurants, very child friendly. We called it "buggy city" as everybody seemed to have small children ! It is very flat, so ideal if you have kids in buggies or little ones walking. Lovely beach too.

sorry meant to ask what cala n forcat was like in general ? we hadn't picked anywhere specific out yet but now I have a recommendation I will look properly.

A freind did one and said never again. She said the kids club was awful (she is a trained nanny and childminder) and that the swimming pool where they went was on the top of the hotel, so difficult to get to, and not safe with little ones. This was a while ago, so they might have improved. Can't remember where she went.

We loved cala n forcat, but it does depend on your taste. Of all the resorts in menorca, cala forcat is the liveliest and even that is not what you would call booming.
It is ideal for families, no groups at all of women or men, only families, and it is quite small but packed with excellent restaurants, but they do do chips with everything for kids but as mine are really fussy i was g;lad of this.
The beach is not v good more of a rocky cove but dd hates the beach and sand so we tend to avoid anyway.
There are quite a few bouncy castle tye amusments in the town and a waterpark.
Your boys will love these, and I know some people will think that a bit blackpool but if we were 3 yrs old what would we rather do?
I highly rate thomsons as a holiday firm and thought the kids club was excellent.
They kept the kids 3-5 in a wonderful air conditioned play room playing games painting singing etc...
I much prefer this to when I have seen other holiday firms childrens clubs, which seem to parade big groups of small children around the hotel grounds in the midday sun.
I prefer to know my dd is safe and sound in a playroom than marching around iykwim.
You will find loads of info from the site I gave you. and if calan forcat isn't for you Iam sure you will find a superfamily else where to suite.
It depends what you are after.
Perhaps I will see you in the bonaire next July.

Like Charlize, we were in Talayots in Menorca this year with Thomson Superfamily.

Lots of good points- kids club was great- my dd of 9 loved it and 23 mo could go to the drop-in playroom with a soft play area strictly for wee ones.

Bang opposite is a well stocked shop. We were upgraded to a 2 bed apt, just up from the main pool. The apt was nice altho' I wouldn't have wanted to sleep on the bed-settee. Nice patio outside.

We ate out and had loads of lovely meals- did you go to the bbq one just down from the hotel charlize? Lots of the bars had huge soft play which my ch really loved.

Night time ent at the hotel not my cup of tea- lots of game shows from the telly which I hadn't heard of. But the kids hour was good, lots of silly dances and games.

We have been on many Thomson ones before, and tbh, this was not my favourite, but still very good. Check out what you were looking for- many Thomsons will meet your requirements but not need to be s/family.

Holidays uncovered does give loads of opinions, and I have used it to book for this year- we are going with club med .

we went to hotel presidente in portinatx ibiza in 2002 and it was our first holiday as a family (dd was nearly 2) and we LOVED IT.DEFINETLY check it out we would go there again

chatee, did Portinax have a good beach ?

I can totally recommend the First Choice equivalent though!!!!!!! Brilliant.
Check out the 'Playa Garden, Majorca' on their website. It is a 4* hotel and is totally great for families of all ages, right on the beach and has great service and foof and ents!!!
The website is very easy to use.

kayleigh,
portinatx has three of the best and safest(for children)beaches in ibiza, they are is the main beach at the bottom of the hill from the hotel-absolutely gorgeous and the other two are slightly smaller but equally as nice, one about 5 mins walk the other is the far end of portinatx about 10-15 mins walk, just past the shops so handy for getting cheaper drinks/sandwiches as well.
i read some of the comments on the website recommended earlier-very varied but we would definetly go again.BUT then i continued reading about all the different superfamily hotels in the brochure and they all get a variety of comments...
there has been an earlier thread about thomson superfamily holidays(from 2002 i think)as i can remember posting when i got back it must be archived

Thanks for your advice Ladies. We are definitely going to do this type of holiday now and I will have a look at the Going Places brochure as an alternative Quackers, to compare prices/facilities.

Now the decision is whether to book early or wait and try and get a cheaper last minute booking.
Friends of our did 2 weeks superfamily last july, booking in January, which cost them £1200. When there they met a family who booked the EXACT same holiday as them the week before departure and paid £600.

Anyone any experience of late bookings good or bad ?

Hi kayleigh, I think the family who booked the week before were just lucky tp get that hotel.
They would have had an allocated on arrival booking which means they could end up anywhere.
If you want to choose then I would book as soon as poss, but saying that last yr we didn't book until 8 weeks before for the second week in july, although our first choice hotel was fully booked we got lucky with the talayot and there was only a few places left for a day flight.(No way would I do night flight with a toddler).
1200 seems v cheap for 2 weeks we paid that for 1 week last yr.
Looking at the current prices on the website Iam getting a price of 2300 for 2 adults and 2 kids for july 2 weeks in the bonaire.

Sammac I think you are talking about l'ancora next door to talayot, I used to go there a few times for lunch on my own whilst dd snoozed in her buggy and ds and dh were busy with giant jenga
Did you know sammac that a lot of the apatments have been refurbished at the talayot?
We actually changed half way through our holiday into one of the new ones ot was soooo much nicer, all marble and bib comfy beds with ceiling fans in the bedrooms and brand spanking new kitchens.
THe old apatments were a bit dire. But the newwere gorgeous.
Kayleigh if you go to the talayot ask for one of there new rooms, we stayed in c block.
The brochure just shows the old ones so people don't realise there are new ones unless they have been before.

Btw What did you think of holidays uncovered website?

charlize, I agree that they probably were lucky. But i think there were a lot of last minute holidays around last year. Not sure if this year will be the same.
I can see the sense in booking early, and I do love the anticipation of knowing when & where I'm going. But I can also see the financial sense in getting a cheap holiday. But I'd be very disappointed if we waited till just before we wanted to go and then couldn't get anything. And knowing my luck .... . Will have to discuss again with dh.

The holidays uncovered website is good. But there can be a lot of conflicting reports which can make it confusing. I guess one mans Barbados is another mans Bognor. IYSWIM !

Yeah I know what you mean on the conflicting reports
Where I found it useful was finding out the distance to the shops and restaurants, How modern rooms were etc.
As for last minute, why don't you go in the travel agents now and ask on the likely hood on getting a cheap superfamily deal a couple of weeks before.
If you don't mind which country they should have something then.
Although I think if you purchase a 3 or 4 deal then it might not be a superfamily, it could be any 4* in that particular country.
I was surprised when you said in your first post that you were interested in superfamily cos you were on a budget I haven't found it particulary cheap, especially self catering but all the little extras for the kids definitley make it worth the money.
My 11 yr old is practically begging to go back yet when we took him to Alcudia pins with airtours he hated it. There was nothing for him to do and the hotel was way to overcrowded I would never do airtours again.

people who were on holiday at the same time as us had booked a late deal and they were not entitled to use the facilities of the children's club and creche....check this out with travel agent/tour operator if it's a major factor in your holiday...
we also pre-booked the creche place for dd in the uk rather than just chancing a place on arrival in resort....yes they did have creche offers on in resort but they honoured them for pre-booked places as well(got an extra session!)
good luck let us know what you decide
ps that holidays uncovered website i found interesting....

The Playa Garden with First Choice is next to the Alcudia Pins and is a different world!!! The pins is overcrowded and a bit cheap, whereas the Playa Garden is beatiful and has lots of space and it's own bit of the beach with beds and straw parasols.
Good luck with your search!!

Just a word on Portinatx, we went on a family holiday there in 1981, and dh and I went back to Ibiza a couple of years ago and visited, the bit we had stayed in hadn't changed at all and was still really sweet with a lovely, safe beach. Would def consider going there with dd for a holiday in the future.

We stayed in (and visited again) the smallest, quietest beach, but don't know what it's called I'm afraid - didn't check out the rest of it so can't vouch for it I'm afraid.

kayleigh, i work for thomas cook at the moment, if you give me the dates etc ill gladly get a price for you- ill even give you a "friend and family discount"!
defo steer clear of the alcudia pins, i worked there as a rep for airtours and the s**t we got from the customers every day was depressing, its not a good complex at all, however the "bouganvilla park" at sa coma, majorca is a really good complex, we took our ds1 there when he was 2 and had a great family holiday.
if you need any more advice just let me know!

tiredemma, that is so lovely of you.
I will get back to you when i have had time to sit down with the brochure and have a discussion with dh.
Thank you.

Tiredemma, could you give me a quote too. Have two boys who will be 4 and 6 in the Summer and was also looking at the Superfamily holidays. Not too fussy about where we go - so long as it's near a beach and has some local amenitites. Will travel anytime between 30/6 - 14/8. Thanks

Yes but superfamily isn't Thomas Cook its Thomsons!

Sorry my mistake, Just realised Thomas cook probably do thomson holidays.

this is really sad to admit that husband buys the sun newspaper but there is an article in todays edition on the hotel presidente, in portinatx ibiza.
it shows the two main beaches in the photo and the hotel presidente(both a close up of the pool facilities and a long distance shot on the beach pic!)
ps..you can read the sun on the www

After much discussion we booked today with Airtours through Going Places. It is a lovely aparthotel in Cala Galdana, Menorca. We are doing a weeks half board in June and I cannot wait !!
And Charlize, I checked the holidays-uncovered website and it gave some great feedback. What a brilliant site, thanks.