Holiday Palace

What People are saying

Terrible ... definitely not 4 star!

AnonymousEssex on 02/01/2018 11:30

Firstly I will mention a couple of good things .. the room was spacious and clean, all the staff were very helpful and friendly, That's about it!

We realised this was a family hotel, but the noisy children were unbearable, parents should control them a bit more or the hotel should at least have somewhere to escape it. Children were running everywhere, even one on a skateboard thing in the bar and restaurant, climbing on furniture - would they do this at home?

The restaurant was a dreadful experience - more like a canteen where people go because they need to eat rather than a pleasant meal, they don't even serve the drinks to the table. Food was average at best.

Weather was great while we were there but there is nowhere nice to sit outside, just a caged in courtyard area (which was actually the smoking area) overlooking the play area. If the hotel is going to offer winter holidays they really need to provide the facilities. We didn't bother with the spa because you had to wear a swimming hat, I have never visited a spa and had to do this before!

its a real trek from the hotel to get anywhere. However, we did go to Fungerola each day and spent as much time there away from the hotel as possible.

We definitely wouldn't return. We glanced into the Polynesia and this looked a little better, however you aren't allowed to use the facilities there even though we were all inclusive at the complex

THIS IS NOT A RESORT

londonmann on 27/12/2017 16:28

It is a hotel within a complex , but is totally independent of the other hotels . You can visit the other hotels but you do have to pay for drinks even if you are on an all inclusive basis . The only place you can be all inclusive is in the hotel where you are staying . We were here on an all inclusive basis and was led to believe (from the television programme) that it had 14 bars and numerous restaurants. It has, but you are not allowed to use them. We are staying at the holiday Palace hotel. Our check in was horrendous. We arrived at the security gate and the man informed us that the hotel was just up the hill. We had to drag our bags halfway up a mountain !!! . There is a courtesy bus but the security guard did not have the courtacy to tell us. I arrived at reception furious only to get a shrug. We checked into the room which by the way was extremely clean and very nice. We then went to the only bar for a drink , only to find that it doubles as a kids club . At this point I tried to check out , only to be informed that if you book through booking.com you have to deal directly with them. Whilst here I sent a couple of emails to head office but the replies were terse. The hotels only restaurant , reminds me of a cafeteria and the same as the bar has no atmosphere whatsoever , but the food was very good. We were here for xmas but there was no Christmas Dinner not even a sign of a Turkey. The hotel is situated on a hill on its own. There is nowhere to walk to from the hotel unless you get a cab into benalmadina (15 euros each way). God knows what you would do if you have kids ? I am aware that this is a totally different place in the summer. Maybe that is what they should stick to ? On a positive note the bar staff are extremely friendly. We got to know them quite well as there was nothing else to do.

4Star? Not in English Stars!!!!

Colin R on 26/12/2017 11:07

Currently here and its not that good.
If you are expecting an equilvent to a 4star English hotel you will sorely disappointed.
First impression after turning from reception is it looks like a shopping centre.
Rooms are very very tired and in desperate need of decoration and rejuvenating.
The mini golf is unplayable. Bits of tree everywhere, bricks broken, thebgteen carpet pulled up. Kids playground will keep them occupied for 10 minutes. Fancy a game of pool? Not a problem but its €2 a game and the tables are very old and the rubber in the cushions disappeared in the last millenium.
Fancu a walk to the beach? You'll be fine so long as you have the skills of a mountain goat to get up and down the hill to the hotel. There is a courtesy bus down to the main road but if you coke back after that stoos its a nloody long walk uo the hill.
Transfer drop off is at the Hotel Polynesia which is a couple of hundred yards away, but be warned its a up hill walk to the Holiday Palace, could be arduous if hot and have young kids.
The food in the hotel is cooked. But once you've been to breakfast , lunch & dinner once you will have seen it all. Yes its very repetitive. If your kids dont like burger, hot dog and chips then they will be very hungry. Drinks you have to queue up in the dining room bar for. Its nit thay bust here at the moment, we would hate tonsee it when it is as thendining room is not large so could be a lot of waiting to get a meal. The bar is the same.
Indoor pool is also small, €15 towel deposit, and €3 for a swimming cap. Which must be worn by everyone that enters the pool.
Yes we understand it's out of season but the kids are bored sh*!less. A lotnof other families also saying the same.
We've read a lot of comments on how friendly all the staff are; only met 1 on reception who this applies too, the rest give the impression we are an inconvience to them.
Is it a bad hotel? No not bad but it's not brilliant.
Is it designed for kids? Certainly NOT at this time of year, maybe be better in the sumner but the pools do seem small a hotel of this size.
Would we return at a different time of year? No. It's too far , about 4 mile, to the nearest town.

Nice hotel but...

oprina1 on 21/11/2017 20:17

...not at all convenient for either Benalmadina or Fuengirola. There is a free bus from the hotel, which takes you to the main road where you can catch another bus (M120) but the free bus only runs a service between 10.00-18.00 with about an hour break for lunch.
The rooms are clean and the beds are very comfy, but we had breakfast included and maybe we are fussy, but it was over-cooked and bland. I ended up having a bowl of fruit every day,as the eggs were like bullets and the bacon could have been used as a deadly weapon!
The indoor pool looked very inviting but I was not prepared to pay €15 for the pleasure of.
The evening entertainment was not to our taste, mainly because there was no atmosphere, although the performers seemed very resilient when faced with such a sterile environment; not easy I imagine, to perform to your best.
There were pool tables, but these were in terrible condition and cost €2.00 a pop!
To conclude, we wouldn't be likely to revisit a 'Holiday World' hotel. The area had many good aspects but the 'captive audience' feel put us off completely.

Very clean!

Samantha S on 18/11/2017 11:50

So my self and my partner came to this hotel as it was a cheap get away within winter, the price was fantastic and definitely a bargain after seening the prices that other people have paid.
Rooms are clean and also cleaned daily, large balcony. We have was all inclusive but still had a kitchen which was handy.
The food wasn’t great not much variety and was getting bored of the same thing to the point where I could tell you what we was going to be having. Also regarding drinks at dinner we was offered drinks the first 2 nights to though that we was waited on the third night we had to ask the waiter said you get up for your own drinks which is fine that doesn’t bother us but then there was never anyone at the bar and couple of occasions we had a meal with no drinks or we felt bad asking for drinks.
The bar is brilliant fast service there, Entertainment was poor, but I don’t know if thats because I work Entertainment by the hotel could do so much more for the entertainment side of things.
The location of the hotel is really far from everything and need taxi or bus to get in to the centre of it all
Hotel is based on the top of the hill which the hotel offer a shuttle bus up and down between the times of 10:45am - 6pm which is fantastic but as for night time if you was the day money and bus you had a dark long walk but the hill where as it would be a £15 taxi otherwise.
Friendly stall , clean rooms, great facilities, toilets clean, snack bar and service was brilliant
Would go again!