Review date: 29 August 2006 - A HotelStreet visitor from Brussels, Belgium wrote:-

Review title: "Really Good"
Travel date: August 2006
Punta Prima was really a good place to go (eight days, we are from Belgium) and it is certainly more dedicated to families but we really enjoyed this place and the services. I cannot agree with some other comments about services and quality of food. Maybe it is ‘cultural' but the variety of the buffet (changed regularly) was enough to compose various meals for us and the children every day.

The attitude of the people there was really kind and available most of the time. Ok, I agree that sometimes we had to call someone because there was a rush of people but what is a minute, more or less, when you have the time? In another way some ‘customers' not really nice and particularly an English family that were really disgusting when eating (the table was like after a war) but the workers of Insotel never said a word about (I really did keep cool myself not to do it).

Anyway, Insotel Punta Prima is a good idea for families. We certainly will come back over there and a last word; if you feel really unhappy most of the time of your life, you will be not happy there, but probably never anywhere.

Review date: 11 August 2006 - A HotelStreet visitor from London wrote:-

Review title: "This Hotel Is not Worth The five Stars"
Travel date: July 2006
We went to this resort last year and I would agree with the comments of those last year. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad and we also went in the quiet time. We went back this year because of the swimming pools designed for small children (we have three, aged five months, two and six), which they loved. I can only say to those thinking of going, don't even think about it, the place is a terrible waste of money.

Here are the reasons;

The food is just downright boring and most of the time the wonderful salads are just the hot stuff from last night, cold and covered in mayonnaise. If you like queuing for anything that resembles hot, cooked food then its paradise, but as the resort is popular with our continental cousins who don't have the same views on queuing, then it all gets very depressing when you have been barged out of the way for the fifth time. Also if anything remotely tasty appears, you need to move quickly as it evaporates within minutes and is not seen again for the duration of the holiday.

The food hygiene standards are poor. I actually watched a chef, with no head covering, wipe sweat on his palm and then put his hand on some slices of bread that he then placed in a tray for people to use for sandwiches. It's no wonder that I had food poisoning on the fourth day there and this was not, as a patronising member of the staff said, because I was not used to the heat (it had been 35 degrees in the UK when we left).

The wine is just bottled vinegar. I think most Spanish would be ashamed.

This is not all inclusive as anything after 11 p.m. you have to pay for, for including water. Great when you have food poisoning.

The rooms are getting shabby and I guarantee you will have at least one thing that is broken or does not work properly.

Housekeeping is very tardy, taking aside the fantastic and friendly maid we made friends with called Carmen (the kids thought she was great, she was a student earning money before she went to uni in Barcelona). If you wanted anything, like an extra toilet roll due to food poisoning, you would have to make at least four calls to reception and then wait 24 hours.

The higher grade staff were just all infuriatingly bureaucratic. The waiters, maids and normal staff were generally OK, but get one who had any power and they were able to equal a Parisian maitre d' for downright awkwardness. Generally you get the feeling everything is a problem which is not what you expect from five stars.

Now on to Thomson. We discovered via another family that Thomson pay Insotel 2900 euros for ten nights in July for a family of two adults and two children sharing. The brochure brings this in at around £4,200. Taking aside the obvious first class airplane seats, I will come on to those in a minute, and the luxury coach transfer, this is a nice fat profit of around £1.5k. Now do you see why I said don't waste your money? Most of it is profit to Thompson and the agent. Also don't pay a premium for sitting together. Their interpretation of sitting together stretches the imagination. And don't think about changing when you get to the airport. It's your fault you pre booked and there is nothing they can do about it as it arranged 24 hours previously. Funny this is not a problem on easyjet. It seems when ever you get a problem with Thomson they seem to turn round and give you the impression it's your fault for having used a cheap? tour company like Thomson and you should sit down and stop moaning. As for the travel agent I think they are all like a rubber dinghy in desert - useless.

Well rant over, but I can honestly say that unless you get it as a bargain price for this resort, spend your money going somewhere half board where they give you a proper five star treatment.

Review date: 19 December 2006 - A HotelStreet visitor from Nottingham, England wrote:-

Review title: "Insotel Club Punta Prima"
Travel date: June 2006
Nice clean accommodation. Entertainment staff were fab with the children. Evening entertainment very good. Only down side to holiday was the food not very good!