Mark Warner, Ria Park Garden Hotel, Portugal.
Discussion
As a family and even split up we have quite often taken holidays at Mark Warner, Lakitira, Kos and have always been impressed with the facilities, the childcare, the sailing and just found the cost of drinks a bit hard to bare but all in all I would recommend.
Now the ex missus has taken the kids to one of Mark Warner's new for this year locations in Portugal and from her tearful phone calls I can only ascertain that she has spent a lot of money on what can only be described as a cheapo Thomas Cook, allocated on arrival type holiday.
They have a tiny apartment, boys in the bedroom and my daughter and her mum in the lounge. The fantastic beach is only accessible by a shuttle bus so small that you quite often have to wait for it to come back.
The kid's beach club has too many kids, so they can't use the bus to get to the beach. The food is awful, the only bar is tiny and the hotel is also catering to people with other holiday firms.
The Mark Warner resort manager is nowhere to be seen plus the hotel is not supplying water to the kids at their dinner time, you have to buy a litre bottle at 5, yes 5 Euros
The Greek Mark Warner charged only one Euro for water which I still thought a rip off as I was buying it at a supermarket for 20 cents.
Oh! plus all the stuff that is on the doorstep of the hotel is a very expensive cab ride away, including the supermarket.
As I said I would expect this if I had bought a cheap holiday but I thought that the expense of a MW holiday meant that you were getting something a lot better.
Anyone else been there and thought the same?
Cheers.
Now the ex missus has taken the kids to one of Mark Warner's new for this year locations in Portugal and from her tearful phone calls I can only ascertain that she has spent a lot of money on what can only be described as a cheapo Thomas Cook, allocated on arrival type holiday.
They have a tiny apartment, boys in the bedroom and my daughter and her mum in the lounge. The fantastic beach is only accessible by a shuttle bus so small that you quite often have to wait for it to come back.
The kid's beach club has too many kids, so they can't use the bus to get to the beach. The food is awful, the only bar is tiny and the hotel is also catering to people with other holiday firms.
The Mark Warner resort manager is nowhere to be seen plus the hotel is not supplying water to the kids at their dinner time, you have to buy a litre bottle at 5, yes 5 Euros
The Greek Mark Warner charged only one Euro for water which I still thought a rip off as I was buying it at a supermarket for 20 cents.
Oh! plus all the stuff that is on the doorstep of the hotel is a very expensive cab ride away, including the supermarket.
As I said I would expect this if I had bought a cheap holiday but I thought that the expense of a MW holiday meant that you were getting something a lot better.
Anyone else been there and thought the same?
Cheers.
I was there last week with my wife and 2 kids and had a great time. Thought it was very nice. Have been to Lakitira 3 times over the last 2 years and fancied a change.
Review I wrote for elsewhere:
BA flight from Heathrow T5 . No delays, no flights at stupid o'clock, no having to go to Gatwick
Very short transfer to the resort (<20 minutes)
Hotel staff and MW staff all efficient and friendly. Kids club up to usual MW standard and the kids loved going to it and to the evening film club
The resort is pretty small an never felt busy even though it was full. It's very green with lots of palm trees and little open space. The pool is an ok size but could have been a bit bigger (there is a 2nd pool the other side of the tennis courts but no bar there and it's where the kids club take all the kids so we avoided it) It does mean that when all the kids are at the club the main pool is nice and quiet.
There were only 7 young kids (under 6) there. Most other children were teenagers, but there weren't that many of those either and they were always off with the club so hardly ever saw them.
Buffet breakfast and dinner was ok but a bit samey. Fine for 7 days but any longer and we would have been going into Val do Lobo for dinner. Loads of food though and different stuff each night.
Lunch was from the pool bar if you didn't leave the resort and was from a very limited menu, some of which was ok, some not so nice.
Kids high tea was ordered from the same lunchtime kids menu (choice of about 8 things, none of which came with veg and all came with chips). Way too much food for little ones (8 fish fingers for a 3 year old!!). Fortunately the staff were excellent and would make things that weren't on the menu and would provide some veg if asked.
Towels were provided at the pool and beach which was handy and the beach was a large and sandy and the sea shallow (although the waves were too big for the kids when it was windy). Some decent places to eat at the beach for lunch too.
Vale do Lobo itself was less than 10 minutes away by taxi (which only cost €12) where there is loads of places to eat and drink.
Oh, and unless they have put the water up since last week, it was €3.80 for a 1 litre bottle and not €5. Or €1.20 if you buy it from the shop at the beach...
Oh and the family rooms are massive.
Big double room for the kids at the front, nice big bathroom, then the main room has got a big double bed and separate seating area with table and chairs and a telly as well as a decent sized balcony.
Oh and I only booked a couple of weeks before I went and it wasn't expensive. No more than a Thomas Cook affair
Review I wrote for elsewhere:
BA flight from Heathrow T5 . No delays, no flights at stupid o'clock, no having to go to Gatwick
Very short transfer to the resort (<20 minutes)
Hotel staff and MW staff all efficient and friendly. Kids club up to usual MW standard and the kids loved going to it and to the evening film club
The resort is pretty small an never felt busy even though it was full. It's very green with lots of palm trees and little open space. The pool is an ok size but could have been a bit bigger (there is a 2nd pool the other side of the tennis courts but no bar there and it's where the kids club take all the kids so we avoided it) It does mean that when all the kids are at the club the main pool is nice and quiet.
There were only 7 young kids (under 6) there. Most other children were teenagers, but there weren't that many of those either and they were always off with the club so hardly ever saw them.
Buffet breakfast and dinner was ok but a bit samey. Fine for 7 days but any longer and we would have been going into Val do Lobo for dinner. Loads of food though and different stuff each night.
Lunch was from the pool bar if you didn't leave the resort and was from a very limited menu, some of which was ok, some not so nice.
Kids high tea was ordered from the same lunchtime kids menu (choice of about 8 things, none of which came with veg and all came with chips). Way too much food for little ones (8 fish fingers for a 3 year old!!). Fortunately the staff were excellent and would make things that weren't on the menu and would provide some veg if asked.
Towels were provided at the pool and beach which was handy and the beach was a large and sandy and the sea shallow (although the waves were too big for the kids when it was windy). Some decent places to eat at the beach for lunch too.
Vale do Lobo itself was less than 10 minutes away by taxi (which only cost €12) where there is loads of places to eat and drink.
Oh, and unless they have put the water up since last week, it was €3.80 for a 1 litre bottle and not €5. Or €1.20 if you buy it from the shop at the beach...
Oh and the family rooms are massive.
Big double room for the kids at the front, nice big bathroom, then the main room has got a big double bed and separate seating area with table and chairs and a telly as well as a decent sized balcony.
Oh and I only booked a couple of weeks before I went and it wasn't expensive. No more than a Thomas Cook affair
Edited by furtive on Tuesday 16th August 17:25
Can't believe its the same place that I am getting reports from. Apparently all the guests are up in arms, especially with the lack of being able to get to the beach (Too many people, little shuttle bus) and the kids clubs can't get the kids to the beach.
Supposed to be a beach holiday.
Got a video of the pool and it's filthy and full of dead flies. OK I'm not actually there but the ex says that Lakitira is a million times better and was the same money but she to fancied a change.
Thing is it sounds like you got a bargain yet she and the others have paid top dollar for what they describe as a Thomas Cook holiday.
Maybe the place is a lot busier this week and the hotel can't cope.
Cheers for your input though.
Supposed to be a beach holiday.
Got a video of the pool and it's filthy and full of dead flies. OK I'm not actually there but the ex says that Lakitira is a million times better and was the same money but she to fancied a change.
Thing is it sounds like you got a bargain yet she and the others have paid top dollar for what they describe as a Thomas Cook holiday.
Maybe the place is a lot busier this week and the hotel can't cope.
Cheers for your input though.
Its not a long walk to the beach from there - the beach is Vale Do Garrao and it where there are a few restaurants probably the most famous of which is Julias. OK walking back would be a bit tough uphill but its not far. You would need transport to get to Vale Do Lobo Praca from there though. Thats good for the kids at night and some OK restaurants. Nothing is cheap in that area, if you want cheaper then go to Vilamoura/Quateria/Albuferia. Some fantastic restaurants in and around the 'Golden Triangle' area though but again you need a car or a Taxi as you can't walk to them. They would have been better off hiring a villa/apartment with its own pool and hiring a car, probably cheaper as well!!!!
I know this area very well as we have a villa walking distance from the ria. Park hotel, the beach is certainly close enough to walk to, and as previously mentionEd there are several nice places to each right on the beach. Not really surprised about the cost of mineral water in the hotel if you consider a 2 bed apartment close by will set you back 250k. Your ex chosen the most expensive area on the algarve. Would have been better off renting a villa and a car and stayed on the dunes douradas complex on the opposite side of the road.
D'oh! Women are pathetic. She should have stayed married to me.
Just looked at Google Maps and the beach looks to be less than 1km south, 10 mins slow walk. Val de Lobo is a mile to the west, 15 mins fast paced walk.
At Lakitira, I would walk the 3 miles in searing heat to Kardemena and sit at a cafe and have a large cold cheap beer then fill a large backpack with more beer and water and walk back whilst the missus drank expensive cocktails tanning herself by the pool.
I wonder why we split up
Just looked at Google Maps and the beach looks to be less than 1km south, 10 mins slow walk. Val de Lobo is a mile to the west, 15 mins fast paced walk.
At Lakitira, I would walk the 3 miles in searing heat to Kardemena and sit at a cafe and have a large cold cheap beer then fill a large backpack with more beer and water and walk back whilst the missus drank expensive cocktails tanning herself by the pool.
I wonder why we split up
Edited by croyde on Tuesday 16th August 22:59
I don't think the have provided wine for years.
Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention was that Tiff was on my flight - he checked in next to me at Heathrow with his wife and kids. They were staying at the Sheraton Mark Warner resort though.
And less noteworthy, I saw Ant or Dec in a bar in Vale do Lobo.
Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention was that Tiff was on my flight - he checked in next to me at Heathrow with his wife and kids. They were staying at the Sheraton Mark Warner resort though.
And less noteworthy, I saw Ant or Dec in a bar in Vale do Lobo.
croyde said:
They stopped the booze the year before we started going. Some b
ks about people not liking the local stuff (Greece).
Wouldn't bother me especially as they were charging 25 Euro for the nastiest red.
Seem to have gradually phase it out, I am sure it was in some resorts and not others as at two seasons ago. They also seem to be moving towards bigger resorts which IMO will remove the personal service that was a key factor in their holidays in the past.ks about people not liking the local stuff (Greece).Wouldn't bother me especially as they were charging 25 Euro for the nastiest red.
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