Atalaya Park - San Pedro
Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Chris and Amanda (55,56)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Summary: Recommended off-season.
Likes: The food, the professionalism of the staff, no sunbed hassle, no-cost fridge, no-cost room safe, activities and entertainment available
Dislikes: Noise, beds, 1970 bathroom, drinks prices
Tip: Book a hire car via Bravocarhire.com who use Niza cars based at the hotel (but expect to get stung for overpriced petrol on a full-empty basis) or use Car-jet.co.uk who use Crown in Puerto Banus and don't charge for petrol using a bring it back with the same amount basis). Do not hire when you arrive, you will pay twice as much.
Your reaction to this hotel will depend on when you go, how much you pay and which room you get.
Off-season, you will have space, peace, freshly-squeezed orange juice and instant attention from the waiters. In high season expect noise, a thousand guests, and cheap juice.
The vast increase in apartments and villas available to rent on the Costa has made it more difficult to fill large hotels than it was decades ago. The Atalaya Park has widened its offering from golf/beach to include a wide range of sporting activities (most of which are included at no extra cost). Whilst in real terms it is cheaper now than when I first stayed there 20 years ago, it is not inexpensive. If you are looking for a cheaper four star hotel in this area consider the El Paraiso which is on a hilltop about two miles directly inland from the Atalaya. If you are looking for a more select and better located hotel consider the Dinamar on the beach next to Puerto Banus.
This hotel is large. It consists of two buildings. Atalaya Sol a long low-built East-West building parallel to the sea with the restaurants, bars, suites and some rooms facing South and rooms facing North with a view of the carpark. The second block, Atalaya Torre is a narrow seven storey building set at 90 degrees from the first, with the majority of its 300-odd rooms facing East or West. The West-facing rooms above the third floor (there is an adjacent low building next door) have a panoramic view of the coast down to Gibraltar and across to Morocco. The East-facing rooms look out over the tennis courts and the carpark.
We had a West-facing fourth floor room, the room itself was nice and exactly as shown in the brochure photographs.
The mattresses were fairly new and very firm (good back support only for heavy people). There was a plastic vinyl mattress protector and acrylic blankets (I dreamt I was sleeping in a plastic bag on the floor).
The airconditioning was quiet and powerful though the thermostat (a 1960s General Electric design well past its youth) did not work so one had to get up in the middle of the night to turn it off after the room had cooled down. The bathroom had 1970 orange and white tiles, pink floor tiles, a chipped bath with rust around the plughole, a cracked toilet cistern and taps worn to brass from chrome.
I was surprised that the room turned out not to be "bug-proof" and I awoke with several bites to the head. (There is a lot of watered vegetation adjacent which attracts them).
Most nights from 21:30 to 24:00 we were assaulted by Kilowatts of music from an adjoining property which you could hear a mile away. In the morning we could hear rubbish trucks, mowers, leaf-blowers and church bells. So don't pay extra for a seaview.
In the Torre block, lateral sound-insulation is very good, but you do hear the footsteps of the people above rather loudly since they refurbished the floors from carpet to laminate.
Fortunately the corridors are still carpeted. (Some rooms in the Sol block have thin plasterboard walls).
At the weekends there were "Corporate Events", with a large influx of guests arriving on Friday mornings. The hotel set-up a restricted bar around the Torre pool and arranged loudspeakers all around the borders of the pool and thumping music ensued.
Finally the food, certain dishes achieved memorable brilliance and this was a highlight only slightly marred by the wine prices (25 Euros for a 5 Euro bottle of Vina Sol, 69.5 Euros for Champagne).
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Atalaya Park - San Pedro
Operator and Date: Booked Independently - July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Holt Family (45,46,10,13)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just been to Atalaya Park for 3rd time in 5 years. Same great range of facilities, with loads for children and active adults. Great plus is that the hotel grounds are big enough for everyone to get a sunbed with some space around them, and there are lots of beds still available at 11 o'clock.
Big buffet restaurant copes well with the number of guests eating there, although don't expect a relaxed dining experience during school hols. When the weather is right you can eat outside in the gardens overlooking the Med as the sun goes down -far more relaxed.
Whilst we still like the Atalaya Park, and so did most of the people we met there, the place is looking a bit tired. We've stayed in the larger suites previously which have been fine, but this year we were in standard interconnecting rooms, and they are certainly in need of a revamp, particularly in the bathrooms. Old plumbing and tiles - functional but that's it.
Finally, be aware that the hotel is on the beach, in a largely residential area, so it's a 10 minute walk to the shops and bars along the main road from San Pedro to Estepona. You'll likely need a car or taxi to go out any further, although the hotel runs a courtesy bus down to Puerto Banus a few times each day.
Summary, despite showing it's age a bit, this big hotel still caters very well for family summer hols, and we'd use it again, although we'd certainly try to get back into the suites or more recently refurbished rooms.
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Atalaya Park Golf Resort - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thompson
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Tina & Mark Maloney 34,32
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel probably has one of the nicest rooms we have stayed in with the bathroom being particulary impressive, all marble with power shower, bath, bidet, two sinks and weighing scales. Big colour tv with some english and sky channels too. There is a mini bar which is stocked daily and you can charge everything to your room, meals, drinks from the bars etc (They take an imprint of your credit card when checking in).
There are several pools with the main one being huge with a grassed area, also a poolside bar with drinks and lunch menu etc. There are plenty of sunbeds available, we went into Puerto banus most nights by taxi which meant we rarely surfaced unitl midday - still no problems getting a sunbed. there are plenty of activities during the day if you can be bothered.
They have a beach but it is rocky and not worth mentioning. Staff helpful and friendly, we were half board but they allow you to swap your evening meal for lunch if you want to. they do have several other restaurants in the hotel but we never tried them as the food and selection in main restaurant was so good. Evening entertainment is ok with disco for kids, then main entertainment with a lively piano bar until 2am.
The only down side to this hotel is the location. It really is in the middle of nowhere, it is also off a main dual carriage way so nowhere to go for a walk either. We knew this beforehand though, and got a taxi into Puerto banus most evenings at a cost of approx 10 euros each way.Taxis were readily available called by concierge at hotel and a 24hr taxi rank in peurto banus itself. There are some great designer shops which are open until 11pm and lots of nice reasonably prices restaurants to people watch from. We saw lots of celebs milling about, mainly footballers and soap stars, be warned though - drinks are expensive in Puerto Banus ! Approx 5/7 euros for a bottle of beer and approx 7/9 euros for a vodka and orange.
All said, we had a great time and are going back next year !
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Caledonia Aparthotel - San Pedro / Estepona
Operator and Date: april 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Paula essex 2 adults 1 child
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel. It is in a very new / developing area with building works in progress, but once inside the hotel, there is no sight or sound of this. The foyer and dining areas are beautiful and the room/suite one of the nicest I have ever stayed in, with a large lounge (kitchenette at one end), large double bedroom, large bathroom and balconey over looking the pool. This seems to be the standard layout of all rooms. The outdoor pool was also great.
Everything was very clean and new as the hotel only opened last October. I would recommend the half board option which we found great value. The food especially the dinners was delicious and very very plentiful (buffet) as my son proved, helping himself to ten courses! You do really need a car unless you intend to spend your holiday by the pool as it is a tricky walk to the beach and not served by public transport, but there are loads of interesting places within a short drive.....puerto banus, estepona, marbella, even gibraltar and ronda.
There are lots of good deals online for this hotel at the moment - I suggest you go this year, as when it gets more established and the surrounding work is finished it will certainly go up in price.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Rachel & Nik - Derbyshire 37, 38
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We arrived at the hotel after 1am after a 2 hour transfer and because it was after midnight everything was closed so no cold water available. Checking in was quick and we were soon in our room. The room was in need of updating, the paint was flaking off the doors and shabby furniture but very clean, no air con which we found out after had been offered to other people when booking but not to us.
The food in the hotel was of a very high standard, good range at breakfast time, and lots of choice at lunch time and dinner. Make sure you go between 7pm-8pm at night, or they start queing the length of the room.
Sun beds - what a nightmare, stated quite clearly that the pool was open from 8am in the morning, the pool attendent was like a little hitler, the more people came, the more he made everyone wait. The beds were stacked up and locked but by the time he eventually did unlock them, there was so many people waiting it was like a free for all. Poeople took whole stacks of beds and you definately needed a man to get one. Spoke to a lot of people who just didnt get one at all, lots of families were there 3-5 days and still had not got a bed. We went everyday at 7.45, and it started to become a coffee club, met some really nice people and we all waited together.
Entertainment at night was the usual, bingo and kiddies disco, followed by an act, some of which were quite good, but others not worth mentioning.
Hotel is on a main road, which is in repair both ways, so whether you walked into Peurto Banus or Sand Pedro you hit road walks. Didnt go to Pedro and this was no pavment at all.
Overall hotel was very nice, and very spanish but they do need to sort their sunbeds out as I would not recommend it for that reason.
Won't be going back.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: direct holidays july 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : midlands (59,56,36,31,11,6,5)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
we arrived at malaga at 8pm and didnt arrive at the hotel until midnight,yes it is a 2 hour drive and the last to be dropped off so make sure you have a drink to hand as the bar closes at 11.45 and there is no were to get a drink.our room was over in the new block by the childrens pool and is was worth upgrading your room as it was very big and had good air con,the standard rooms are very small.
i was worried about the food as my children are fussy but there was something every day they liked,the staff are very friendly and the cleaners clean every day,yes the spanish do come at week ends but they wasnt a problem they were very friendly just on holiday like us.the hotel is in the middle of no were and its not a resort,the beach is cobbles, its worth a trip to the water park and the crocadile park the kids loved it.i must mention the entertainers were great the kids had something to do every day around the complex and so did the adults as they had entertainers aswell, my kids loved anna,
we enjoyed our 2 week holiday at the cortijo blanco and were sad to come home to the british weather.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: First Choice-June 2007.
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : peter 47,49.
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Arrived after a 2hour transfer,looks pretty from outside,situated near a very busy rd,but cant hear traffic from inside complex.Booked in ok,quite quick,went all inclusive,so had wristband fitted,given map to show where roon is situated.After finding room(number 149),opened balcony windows,then realized was right above the main bar and stage,was bit worried about noise but thought we would be ok.
Room was shabby,no air con,coffee making facilities,shower head was hanging off the wall as was one walllight in our room.Complained to Rep and reception about the shower and this took 2 days to finally repair.
Food was ok,breakfast was fine,lunch and dinner got bit samey,but you get what youve paid for.Complex had a high ratio of spanish people staying there,they are pretty noisy,saw one family take an English couples towel from their sunbed when they were at lunch,so they could use the sunbed.
As our room was situated above the stage and bar,it was very noisy,although the bar closed at midnight,many people sat around the tables,shouting and screaming till the early hours.
Pools were cleaned every morning and were well used,kids have a small slash pool,there were lots of sunbeds,but many were broken,get up early to put your towel on a good one!.
The beach is terrible,dont bother,San Pedro ok,worth a walk to,but nothing to make you want to return to the town,had day trip to Gibraltar which was the highlight of the week,really enjoyed the day.
There are two bars,the main one gets quite busy at times,but the staff work hard all day and i never waited too long,the smaller bar opens at 5pm,went there few times for quiet drink,no complaints about the bars or staff.I wont be returning to the Cortijo Blanco,maybe we should have complained about our room situation,but dont think that would have made me enjoy my holiday anymore.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: First choice - 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Christine Hosey - Cornwall (45, 15)
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
There are many mixed reviews for this hotel, here is my opinion. The hotel was fine, but it was definately 3 star. I upgraded to a better room so cannot comment on the other rooms. My room was Ok, the cleaners worked hard but noise from other rooms was loud.
The food was ok for the first few days but got very boring and same-ish.
Therea re a lot of Spanish guests at the hotel, and even more at weekends, I got the impression they did not kike the English much!
The staff were ok, but not many smiley faces.
The hotel is a 15 minute walk from the town, along a very busy dual carraigeway! In fact, the hotel is on the dual carraigeway! There are a couple of tiny shops, bars and eating places near, but nothing else.
There was a paddling pool, a 'splash pool' which was for children (no-where near the other pools)and a main pool which was very deep, even the shallow end came up to my shoulders!
All in all it was a good holiday, but be aware that you are not in a resort at all!
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: FIRST CHOICE DECEMBER 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Teresa & Vince (55 & 57)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We went away for Christmas for the first time ever. What a disappointment.
Nice enough hotel but shabby. We paid extra for a superior room where the bathroom door was rotten with the door handle hanging off, the main door to the room would not lock properly and some of the furniture had definitely seen better days. If you wanted a remote control for the TV (only 2 english speaking channels) you had to pay 1 euro a day for the privelege. The food was not good at all. Veal every day or fatty pork, some fish, pasta and rice, either luke warm or cold, hard chips, overcooked veg (grey!) and everything steeped in garlic. The only really patable thing was the soup.
The gala dinner on Christmas day was awful. Thank God for the 2 bottles of wine on the table. It made the day bearable. Most of the english guests we spoke to all had stomach upsets, including us. We also had a "weirdo" staying in the hotel who was never traced making phone calls at random to english guests, usually in the middle of the night offering all sorts of things and also making threats. Whilst management were aware, nothing was ever sorted out about it. By New Years Eve when the hotel was full of Spanish people, non spanish guests were really left out in the cold. The only good thing was that the standard of the food improved greatly. I wonder why!!!
This was not a cheap holiday and really was not at all what we expected. It was an all inclusive break but we ate out most of the time. Maybe in the Summer months it is better but I definitely would not recommend this hotel for a Christmas break.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours September 2006.
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Pete plus 3, 55-65.
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
This was an allocated on arrival package holiday which we have used before and yes, we know after many years of packaged holidays that there is always an element of risk with this type of allocation.
We were 4 of about 16 left on the coach for the final drop off at our hotel and the rep from Airtours said "you lucky people have got all-inclusive at the fabulous 4 star Hotel Cortijo Blanco". Everyone sighed with relief as this sounded just what we wanted.
On arrival at 4am we all booked in and asked where we could get a bottle of water as we were sweating in the humidity that night and were told that the vending machines "were out of order" a phrase that came up regulary over the next week.No shops or bars were open in or around the hotel so no water until 0830 at breakfast.
Rooms:
There are 4 star air conditioned accomodation in the new-ish block and there are 2 star pre 1970 rooms that we were allocated,these have a smelling sewerage problem at various times of the day/night, decor is shocking with curtain rails and showers falling to pieces-- you need to open the curtains to allow natural light to overcome the insuffient electrics.
Hotel:
There is a serious problem with wasps and flies around the pool and central bar area, surley this cannot be the fault of the hotel? Well, yes it can because if they removed spilt and abandoned drinks from the tables and wiped tables and emptied rubbish bins more than early morning then wasps would go to another hotel.I wish I had!
Hotel food was cold and was left uncovered for up to 1 hour before serving, the flies just loved it, to be honest some people did enjoy the food and some did not.
Resort:
There are 3 ajacient pubs to the hotel which are reasonably priced but that is it!!!!!!!!
Porto Banus is 5 mins in a taxi (6.80 euros)well worth the trip every day.
Overall:
For a young family that wants to spend all day and night in the hotel it may only just be adequate but make sure that you get the newer rooms. Anyone else should stay well clear.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: First choice july2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Bruno Buftie 39, 36, 4,5,
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
No specific complaints: be very aware that the hotel and reps DO NOT entertain any reports of thefts from apartment balconies / verandas. This type of crime simmply DOES NOT HAPPEN in Costa del Sol resorts. Foolishly, we left new beach towels , swimwear , knickers and T -Shirts drying in the sun. After dinner, we went back to apartments to find them GONE! Rep didn`t want to know. Like everyone else lots of new gear bought specially for hols - only to be advised (off the record ) that loads of Gypsies / Romanies abound in the area and are opportunist thieves. Beware any poor looking people coming up to you , proferring roses for sale - all is a scam. Watch your pockets AT ALL TIMES when in the proximity of such people.And beware of losing new panties / bras and boxers - they seem to have a predilection for such items!
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: Independant - July 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Louise - Essex (30,32)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Great hotel, great area. Bar Cheers next door though was our saviour, run by Emma (an ex-holiday rep in the hotel for 3 years). She has an information book better than any present rep could provide, great beer, fan hire (half the rooms don't have air-con), a pool table half the price of the hotel and salsa classes!
Have already booked to go next year and e-mailed Emma to check that she's still there - she is - visit her - I ensure you that she will add to the quality of your stay!
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My travel june 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : David Gibson - Boldon 36,30
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
well to be honest its quite difficult to have a bad word to say about the hotel and facilities.Spotlessly clean, very pleasant staff, super accomodation, great food, its all there.
starting with the archtecture of the hotel which is andalucian style with beatifully kept grounds,shrubs, palms etc.
fabulous meals id slightly repetative after 5/6 days but thats no criticism really as the choice id excellent.
music goes off at midnight and after that you could hear a pin drop, despite being near a busy road.
The only down side is a 15 minute walk to get to san pedro and when you do there aint an awful lot there, however just 2 miles down the road is the fab port of puetro banus, millionaires yachts,ferrari's etc. a place to behold.
marbella,fuerengarola and estapona arent too far away either.
overall though i cant recommend this hotel enough, in fact im trying to book to go back in september, im sure you wont be dissapointed.
enjoy
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: February 2006
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Jane - Yorkshire (35, 14)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just returned from a 7 night all inclusive stay at Cortijo Blanco. After reading the previous reviews was quite apprehensive, however, the 7 night stay has been absolutely fantastic.
The complex was extremely clean, many spanish workers constantly cleaning the place. The food was excellent, with a variety of choices. The room was very clean, and the maids were working extremely hard. The only downfall was the noise of a dustbin lorry outside our balcony at 5am each morning woke me up! but i soon dropped off back to sleep!!!
I would definately recommend this place, and meet some extremely friendly holiday makers who also commented on this fantastic place
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: no agent-october,2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : jim barr-eastbourne
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Unlike other reviewers, I felt that the quality and variety of the food was top class. Breakfast offered about twenty different items including all the `normal`content--boiled eggs,fried eggs,scrambled eggs, bacon,sausages,fried bread,etc. The list goes on but for those inclined towards more healthy options then there were fruits and cereals aplenty as well as croissants and the cheeses and hams popular with German holiday makers.
Evening meals had the same abundance on offer but obviously of a more appropriate ilk eg fish,chicken,pork,paella rice,variety of vegetables,roast beef,traditional soups and a large variety of sweets.
Accommodation was simple but perfectly clean,spacious and cleaned by a hard-working staff of a helpful nature which seems to have almost disappeared in the U.K
The only downside for me was the over the top nature of the all too obvious English at play--perhaps to be expected in that the decent parents with well-behaved children do no take those children on holiday in term time so we only meet the selfish worst.
Finally, the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and even if you do not speak Spanish, try to at least use `por favor` and `gracias`
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours SEPTEMBER 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : steve &lynn
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just back from the cortijo blanco the first room we were allocated was terrible right above the bar plus shower head broken off and bath full of ants and very dark and not a good outlook from the windows plus car park in front.So we went to reception & said we want another room which they said would be available the next day after the cleaners had been in,so we did not unpack which ment staying in same cloths and no shower till next day anyway first thing the next morning we went to reception and got keys for another room to have a look at which was 1OO% BETTER above tennis courts in newer block.
A nice room with a lot bigger bathroom.If you go to this hotel make sure your rooms not next to or above the stage as you get music on day & night ask for a room in the newer blocks.Well now to the better points FOOD not bad really plenty fish chicken etc allthough glad we were only there for the week good service at bar for drinks two bars one they don't open till 5'0'clock pity good bar .I got sick of the lager and fancied a pint of beer so we went over road to a bar called cheers be warned first pint barmaid pulled had fly in it i asked if that was extra,the next pint & half we got looked cloudy but was terrible so we gave it to the plants outside pass on cheers.
As for eating out thers nowhere decent.I would say if your happy staying on complex it's fine for the money but nowhere within a short walk and no decent beach handy a week at this resort & hotel was enough.P.S GOOD LUCK.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : The Bakers - West London (43, 41, 13, 7)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We've used JMC in the passed but on that occasion they we're absolutely awful, so we were a little apprehensive at using them again.
As soon as we got through customs we made our way to the exit and
were greeted by Thomson Holidays
reps (strange no JMC rep in sight) nevertheless
we we're very pleased and pleasantly surprised to be offered a taxi
transfer fully paid for by JMC. Apparently, this was because we we're
one of only 4 families coming in that weekend that were staying at the
Cortijo Blanca.
Basically, do not worry about staying at this hotel, some of the write-ups do not do it any favours at all and I must say that when read some of the stories I was reluctant to go. But I stuck with it and I'm glad that we did.
Resort: The hotel is of course situated on the main highway that runs along the length of the Costa Del Sol and it is true what people say about it in that it is noisy and extremely dangerous to cross at any time of the day or night. San Pedro itself is somewhat disappointing, but there is a nice avenue that runs through the heart of the town that was appealing to us, with the usual bars and restaurants. So it is definitely worth a stroll into town even if only to burn off that breakfast.
Beach: The beach is about a 10-minute walk away. Walk straight through the Bodega bar in the hotel itself and turn sharp left. The road takes you all the way to the beach (if you can call it that) certainly not our idea of a nice beach to sun bath on. To the left there are rocks and to the right there is sand but it was not very well kept. It's a nice stroll but that was about it for us.
Hotel: What you'd expect from a 3 star Spanish hotel, generally clean and tidy. There are 3 pools all manned by lifeguards (very re-assuring if you have little one's with you). However, the pools are all on the COLD side so be prepared for a shudder or two as you jump in. The hotel entertainment was ok but the drag shows are dead boring! Basically, it's okay if you're all inclusive, but if not then go to the local bars just outside the hotel complex, one or two nice one's scattered about. The food at the hotel can be very boring but it's edible nevertheless (even our 7yr old Son found himself something he liked almost every night. There was only one evening out of 14 where we couldn't find something we liked to eat at the hotel, so not bad on the whole. We only had one problem with our room (number 1003) although we had air conditioning and no traffic noise whatsoever! We we're woken up at around 7am every single morning to the sound of staff noisily chatting away as they entered their staff room. We would also hear the maids with their cleaning trolleys - not particularly brilliant if you are like us and sleep in until around 8:30 to 9am every morning.
Rep: We went with JMC this year and the rep there did everything she could to make our holiday a good. The only things she did get wrong were the prices for car hire (via Avis) and the prices for the trip to the Aqua Park. Apart from that she did a fine job.
Day trips: We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to Gibraltar (went by car) Do make sure you park on the Spanish side and either walk or take a bus once the other side because the queues in and out can be horrendous. If you want to see the monkeys, use the local mini buses. You'll see them as you make you're way up to towards the cable car. It's well worth the money and less expensive than the cable car. We spent about 2.5 hours exploring the rock this way and we all had a brilliant time. Ronda and Mijas are both well worth exploring as well. Do take a walk to Puerto Bonas, it's about 2km from the hotel and if you walk in the morning it's not too bad. Didn't like Banalmadena very much, thought it was too built up and tacky.
We really enjoyed our holiday, maybe we'll return again in the near future. It will not be at San Pedro though.
Here is a summary of what we thought overall.
Location: 60%
Beach: 25%
Hotel: 75%
Food: 55%
Holiday overall: 95%
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice jul 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : miriam Belizidia-manchester ( 24, 25)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
we were a bit reluctant after reading the other reports on the hotel, but I can say that this holiday was one of the best that I have been on. Yes it was only three star but there was seriously nothing major that I could complain about. One of the only things that I felt could have been improved is the fact that our room was situated near the stage and it was really a struggle to get to our room at night when it was packed out.
The food was nice with a good choice and selection, but could get repetitve if there longer than a week. We were all inclusive, but did eat out a few times, not because the food wasnt nice but we enjoy eating out and seeing the local area.
I thought the entertainment was really good and couldnt fault it in any way.
The rooms were simple but very clean and maid service every day.
If you did want to venture ut at night you could stay local in the few bars near the hotel, go to puerto buneus or marbella so there was a good choice.
My bofriend and I would definately go back we had a brill time.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - July 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Heather Laverick - Middlesbrough (42,45)
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We went AOA with Airtours on all inclusive basis got cheap price Thank God, would hate to think i'd paid full price for this holiday. Food was cold and repetative (thank goodness for Buddy's Bar, hot food with great choice)
entertainement was poor apart from drag show and karaoke night.Rooms were very clean to be fair.When we were there, there was only handful of english people it was mainly spanish, french and german and entertainment seemed to focus around them they usually forgot what they were saying when it got to english translation. On second night there someone came into room and stole handbag with £300 in when we reported it at reception we were told to go to Marbella to report it not a sorry or we will look into it.
On the plus side we did meet some very nice people and weather was very hot which made the holiday more enjoyable. Puerto Banus and Gibralter are worth a visit just to see the yachts and the apes.Needless to say we wont be going back.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC July 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : JH and family, Hertfordshire (45,44,8)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I have used this site frequently, but have never before felt the need to comment in support of a hotel.
If you are going to the Cortijo Blanco this summer on All Inclusive, don't panic! It is very good.I was apprehensive after some of the reviews, but genuinely enjoyed it and thought it good value.
Okay, it is 3 star, but so are the prices, and as long as you request an air conditioned room (we got a free upgrade) then you will be fine.The reception manager is ANITA, who is ex-pat English and will try to help you out.
The complex is really, truly beautiful, full of authentic Spanish touches, and it felt very safe to let my daughter go from pool to soft drinks bar and back on her own. Kids' pool is fantastic, and both pools have a lifeguard/first aider all day long which is marvellous.
FOOD is actually of good quality but it's obviously not all English so don't complain if you don't like it.Fresh fish every day!Chips for breakfast!
STAFF are extremely helpful, especially in the bar, where they must think that all tourists do nothing but drink alcohol all day. If you do have any Spanish, even just 'Hola' or'Gracias', then do use it because it is really appreciated.
ENTERTAINMENT is the usual stuff, mini discos , bingo and cabaret, so make up your own mind, but the staff are very good with the children which is what I personally hope for.
DAY TRIPS Our JMC rep was not inspiring, and like previous reviewers, I would endorse using VIVA ANDALUCIA via the local shops (Paquita's). It is run by ex-pats David and Chris, and they really know their stuff at good prices.....
Fuengirola Market is a must for all your souvenirs in one morning.
SAN PEDRO is itself is not exciting but having read the brochures carefully,we did not expect to be.Right of the hotel front door, there is a small shop for souvenirs (decent prices actually) or (left of hotel) a Super Sol supermarket for all your duty free goods. This actually offers more choice and better prices than the airport.
We really did enjoy it, and constant sunshine and temperatures around 30 degrees never go amiss! Enjoy!
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice July 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Chris, Carole, Jonathan and Michael Purse 36,40,6, 17
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just returned from a weeks half board [That was our Second mistake]
At The Corjio Blanco Hotel in San Pedro in a very Sunny Spain. 35c to 40c
Traveling with First Choice. [That was our First and biggest mistake]
Flying from Gatwick early check in 04.30, parked the car in Courtlands car park [Highly recommended] Two minuites arrive at airport. Got there early able to check in stright away, going ok yep.
Flight on time things are great. Take off about 15 min late less than Two hours in Spain RESULT.
Get on transfer coach should take an hour to an hour and a half, NO. Wait at airport on coach for nearly an hour, [thank god for air con] Those people who may or may not, have got lost, get on coach, were off.
THREE hours yes Three hours later we get to the hotel.
Arrive given our two rooms of which none have air con and situated above the entertainment stage, which might not be a bad thing if you have not got a five soon to be six year old child.
I will leave this complaint here and send it to First most likley last Choice. lol
The Hotel is great for all inclusive, shame we did not have it.
Beer 1.30 euros for a half pint as all of the soft drinks, so could get expensive, if you can, go all inc.
Good kids club, mini discos for them etc bookable tennis court. [free]
Bingo every night 1.50 euros per game to win cash prize amount depends on how many play.
Entertainment a bit hit and miss we found but not all bad, three nights was fantastic.
Food was ok you could always find something you like, as with other reviews there are always chips, chips and more chips.
Beach, how they get 800 meters away I dont know it's a good 10 to 15 minuite walk away and not that good.
Pools, are fine but if you want a sunbed best get up early and leave your towels on them like everyone else. Some people would be 4 to 5 hours before they took there place on them, really did become a pain the sunbed thing and a lot are damaged or broken. These started to be taken around 8am onwards, but there were some free in the afternoon.
Great supermarket two minuites from hotel, out of hotel turn left on to the main and I mean main road you cant miss it, sells everything.
Two places to eat if you are half board Buddies, turn right out of hotel on your right, turn left and there is Peters and Roses restaurant, think thats what it's called, both are ok. We found Buddies to be great and really good food at a good price.
Rooms Without air con warning half the hotel is like this, plain, hot and no fridge but did have TV.
With air con nicer rooms again no fridge but with TV The first two rooms and the second two rooms we had both the bathrooms were realy nice.
If you want a pool holiday and everything within a bus ride [1 euro] this is as good a place as anywere you could find.
Hope this review helps, all in all a great place to stay if your not a beach person.
On a warning note First Choice rep got all the information we asked her wrong, ask yourself to be sure, you cant beat local knowledge, reception a good place to start with very nice helpful staff.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Joe And Mary and 3 kids 34,39,4,2,6 mths Gwent
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
We went on A.O.A and ended up in this hotel. On the Outside it looked quite pretty. We arrived at the same time as about 50 other guests so it took some time to get booked in. They gave us a map of where our rooms were you need to be a SAS commando to read it though. No trolleys to put your luggage on and you have to go through the complex lugging your cases down steps and so forth.
Even though we had 3 small children our room was on the first floor overlooking the tennis courts. The rooms are very basic and NO AIR CONDITIONING. The furniture is cheap and nasty and no coffee making facilities. So every day was a struggle pulling the pram up and down the stairs. I complainted to the receptionist and they did'nt seem to care as they were too busy. There were lights missing and the tv was'nt working and we had 3 beds and a cot in the room so it was VERY cramped. You had to go outside to change your mind LOL
Went for dinner and it was like standing in line for school dinners and it was very busy as the food went very quickly and people were waiting for more food to come out. Very good variety if you like chips and rice... The tables were'nt cleared as they seemed to be very understaffed. We had to clear the tables ourselves.
There is a supermarket next door and sells good bottles of wine very cheap.
Also there is a chinese about 5 mins walk which was quite nice.
The weather was very hot in the 40's and the flies bite like hell.
I will never be going back to the Costa Del Sol again. I went A.O.A to Sorrento and was spoilt as we go very lucky.
In the brochure it tells you this is a 3 star. to be honest i would say it's a good 2*
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Chris Baker - South Staffs ( 61,40,40,11 and 8)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Our room was at the back of the hotel in the quieter end which suited us fine,as at night we could leave the noise of the entertainment and sleep in peace.The room was very nice, abeit basic.As with all holidays when you have children there is never enough draw or wardrobe space,but the staff were very accomodating,supplying extra hangers etc....
It made a nice change to have a hotel which didnt overshadow the pools area.The 'Andalucian' style of the buildings were very pleasing to the eye,albeit some of the single rooms had bars on the windows.Our mother went with us and the bars on the balcony made it feel abit like being in a zoo,but on asking for a room change there wasnt a problem.
The food was great at weekends as the place was full to the brim with Spanish people.It appeared that before the hotel was taken over by its current owner,the previous owner( who I cant mention for being sued for libel) had put an ad in the paper inviting all and sundry cheap weekends there to boost the takings.So basically it was like the Spanish version of going on a 'Sun' holiday.Hence the food was great at weekends,then went rather repetative during the week,however in saying that,there was plenty to be had of it and all edible..something to suit everyones taste.I understand the 'Sun' Holidays had to be honoured by the new owners.Yes there were some Nesbits there,but on the whole it made a nice friendly atmosphere.The staff,whilst speaking English and German loved it when you made an attempt to speak Spanish...so just try it.The main Receptionist/Manager is an English lady named Anita who is brilliant.Nothing was to much trouble.
The entertainment was really good for the grade of hotel.The hotel run kids club was excellent.Our kids went missing with them for most of the day...not the normal 2 hours that you usually get.All in all, a brilliant holiday resort and hotel.The only gripe,if I have one is that you have to wear a wrist band 24/7, to prove you are a guest.They are uncomfortable so beware when you have the nightly shower,as the wristband has a sharp clip together point which can be painful when comes to lathering up the old shower gel!!!!!
Trips......
1. We purchased tickets for the Waterpark from the rep which was great as you just went straight to the head of the queue when getting in.Well worth it in that respect although beware of the Waterpark at Mijas.It appears cheap to get in ,but once in,you have to pay for most of everything...and I mean everything.To prevent queuing you could hire a rubber ring.The sunbeds you had to pay for,so most people lay on the grass.The rides were good,better suited for younger children.Ive never seen so many lifeguards on duty,so dont worry about your kids going off by themselves.
2.We found it far cheaper to hire a car from the hotel lobby than from the rep.They bought the car to you with no extra charge,whilst with Avis you had to go to them or pay a delivery charge. We saved about 50 Euros doing it the other way.We went to Gibralter..about an hour away...which was really good albeit there was a long queue to get in as passport control is very slow.Park on the first multistory on the left which takes you straight into the main shopping area and High St.Everyone speaks English.
A trip on the cable car is a must and beware on reaching the top as youre where the monkeys are.If you have any type of plastic bag,they are attracted to these.Despite the warning signs, much to our amusement, the monkeys attacked a German familys bags and ended up sharing out some pastys and sandwhiches between them, much to the horror of their previous owners.When you enter the cable car at the bottom, someone takes a photo of you and at the top its there for you to buy.A word of advice.... dont buy these ones unless you want a tacky border or a toy monkey on your shoulder...ask if you can have one done with the 'Rock of Gibralter' in the background.We did and the Photographer at the top in the shop was more than happy to oblige.Excellent value photo.For the kids out there, my son bought a Pokemon game for his Gameboy Advance that you cant get in the UK, or so he told me.
3. Rhonda...in the hills....lovely town with a bullring and fantastic views.The main street has cafes for a relaxing sit down.Nice shops with decent souvenirs at decent prices.They wont rip you off.
4. Marbella is next door to Puerto Banus and we went by car during the early evening to walk along the beach.Ive never seen a place so clean in all my life.Dont go in the day whatever you do as the variety of shops is immense... no good for the old wallet, however,if you want designer gear..then this is the place for you.Puerto Banus is just as nice,but on a smaller scale and for the boat enthusiasts,the harbour is to die for.
5. Market Day at San Pedro.The hotel has a guest outing which says on the board...20 minutes walk...Lets try 45 minutes shall we.In the searing heat not the best thing to do with the kids, best take a taxi for a few euros.Good market though.My daughter had her hair completely braided and there are numerous ladies on stalls doing it,so have a walk round first.Be prepared to barter.I know its not in the English nature to do so,but its worth it.The fresh fruit is dirt cheap.I bought a kilo of cherries for about £1.50.Ladies,beware of the pickpockets.There were 2 well dressed women who attempted to steal from a fellow tourists handbag.Very sleekly done,but failed when noticed by my wife who went to the rescue.
I became ill during the second week and the hotel were excellent calling out a Dr who treated me.Spoke great English.If you have the misfortune to be admitted into a hospital like me, make sure youre admitted to a private clinic.All the staff spoke English and the treatment was immediate.At the public hospitals,they dont speak English and you dont know when youll be seen.( albeit the same could be said for a foreign tourist who visits a hospital in England).Your holiday insurance is a must have and mine certainly paid off when I had to have an emergency op and an extra weeks stay.As long as you obtain receipts for all your treatment you will be able to claim it back.
Putting my stay in hospital aside, the Cortijo Blanco was very good and Id certainly go again.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: independant june 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : peter pauline chris (57,42,15, scotland)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
just returned from cortijo blanco,hotel setup very good, we had room 1124,which was very quiet,food was good although very repetetive,entertainment not bad if you have kids under 12,12 to 17,year olds not alot on except 5 a side football once a week on a tuesday(market day at fuengirola very hot (leave hubby at home) bar staff good
be careful if you have a hired car parking spaces at hotel very limited if you park round about hotel you will be towed away(108 euros a time)we witnessed this several times(we parked in the supermarket car park)
all in all we had a good holiday and we would like to thank maureen,peter,danny and jess,from liverpool for their company and also the birthday card for chris
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - May 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Laura Baylis - London (19,19)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Well I have just got back from here and i thought it was great, the entertainment could have been better but for older people it was very good. The barmen were great, lovely and very friendly as were all staff,dont think the cleaners liked us much ha. I had a lovely time, it rained the last couple of days but the weather was generally very hot and lovely, the pool was great, very big and there were always sunbeds available.
The food was pretty much repetitive but it was nice food had alot of choice. Puerto Banus is amazing it has lots of designer shops aswell as small boutiques, the yachts there are amazing and have many restaurants and bars. The beach there is also very nice.
I would recommend this to anyone of any age. We paid a bargain price and was well worth the money.xxxxx
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - April 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Pat Gallon (group of 50 age range 30-75)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Spent a week at this hotel 23/4 - 30/4/05
Our room overlooked the tennis court/swimming pool, very quiet. However some of the party had groundfloor rooms overlooking the main pool and had extra visitors in the rooms at night (cockroaches). One of our party asked to move rooms and this was done immediately without any fuss.
Food was ok but sometimes strange combinations (but hey thats what holidays are all about).
Entertainment was dire. Best part was the male bingo caller who is hilarious.
Staff were very helpful and friendly.
If you are thinking of going on any excursions go and see David at the shop next door to the hotel. He runs Viva Andalucia day trips. He is English and the trips are cheaper than the Reps will do. If a lage group of you want to book a trip with him he may well give a discount, you only have to ask.
Marbella on the bus costs 1 Euro, but beware if going to the market on Monday this is outside Marbella and will involve another bus or a taxi (cost of taxi approx 4 Euros). If you come back on the bus then you must go pat the hotel to the next bus stop, cross the road safely and wlk back to hotel. On no circumstances try and cross road outside hotel you will likely kill yourself as road is main Avia Mediterraneo and very very busy. A taxi back from Marbella market costs approx 12-14 Euros.
Take a walk to Puerto Banus (approx 20-30 mins stroll} go down to the harbour and dream.
This hotel is ideally suited for families (especially on an All-Inclusive deal as we all were) and is idaelly situated for a golfing break as plenty of golf courses near by.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Going Places) Going Places april 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : tony rose buxton derbyshire 27 + 40
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
had a great one week holiday all inclusive for next to nothing. food was great and always somthing for every one yes the entertainment wasent up to much but there where plenty of people so you could make your own if sociable anough.
this hotel is situated near a very busy road which is a nightmare to cross and not for the faint harted.
there is no night life close by for those who have come to party and bars in the next town are very dear about 6 euros a pint but the hotel bars are open til midnight.
this is the place to come if you just want to relax by the pool get a tan and have a quiet drink.
there are two pools which are very clean but when we went very cold. one indoor bar and one outdoor bar. he retaraunt is self service and half hour after that shuts the snack bar opens. rooms are cleaned to a high standard as is the whole complex. a genuinly enjoyable holiday made better by the company we me.
so i to terry & babra and hetti and sherlock not forgetting (pencil pete)
ps.only whent on one trip and booked it from the bar across the road whent on th gibralter rock the boat we whent round the rok and saw the monkeys which was fun and then on the boat looking for dolphins which was amazing to see but could of made trip 1 - 2 hours longer to fit in some shopping as went at 8 and where back by 4
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: Private March 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Tom Green Liverpool
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Very surprised at some of the comments but I suppose everyone is different. We were on an organised trip with an under 7s football team, and we found the hotel to be perfect for our needs . We were all inclusive which gave us greater flexibility especially when it came to childrens eating times, the snack bar (toasties,hot dogs,salads etc.)also allowed people to miss out on the odd meal.
The hotel is set out in courtyards surrounded by the rooms and the enclosed layout gave the parents greater peace of mind about the children.
We had no complaints whatsoever about the rooms and th service was good (except for one dodgy barman in the inside bar who I`m sure had found a cent and lost a Euro)
The entertainment was quite basic, also the bar closes at midnight but there is a good bar next door (Buddies) which will serve till 2or3 in the morning.
All in all a fantastic trip only marred by the fact that the clutch went on 2 of our minibuses which we had hired through Do You Spain.com using Crown car hire and we were only offered the chance to hire more vehicles at dearer rates with the possibilities of refunds if no fault of our own were proved (taking into account that both drivers drive for a living) we are still waiting any refund, in fact one person whose van broke down 30 minutes or so after hiring the vehicle has had extra money taken out of his account. BE CAREFUL when hiring cars especially off the Internet
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - March 05
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Pearl Shipley - 49, 53
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The hotel is not really near the town. The rooms are quite nice. We went all inclusive. The food was really bad, cheap cuts of meat, no variety and hardly any choice. We went there the previous year and the food was okay then, but it has really went downhill. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Its a shame they have cut down the budget on the food.
We would never go there again, not unless I wanted to lose a few stone in weight!
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours march 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Linda & steve - Fife (50)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We were on a AOA all inclusive and ended up here , we were put into the old Pablo Andeluza along a side street (with new tiles proclaiming to be the cortijo blanco) there were bars on the room windows NO emergency action or escape plans in rooms NO fire exits to be seen only 1 route up to 1st & 2nd floors when asked about this rep replied he had not done his health and safety tour yet ???
make your own mind up !!!!
If you are put here ask for a room change a younger couple did and ended up with a TV & a Balcony right above the outside stage.Dont know if that was a good move or not
Food............... was very average, coffee & juice machines in main dining area ran out daily
Entertainment..... WHAT!! entertainment best part of whole weeks shows was the Karaoke ( well done Amerillo man kev)and the man who called out the bingo numbers
Rooms.......clean,tidy, had CAST IRON BARS on windows fire risk or what!!
Beach ..... A 10 min walk down side road look out for some nice buildings on the way down do not be put off by first views head towards San Pedro end. Bus or walk 15-20 mins along to Peurto Banus Beautiful place.
The town of San Pedro is very pleasant and is a few minutes walk away but closes at 2.00pm for siesta until 5 ish.
Taking a trip to Gib then go for the shopping trip and hire a taxi/minibus either at main bus stop or the Trafalga cemetry at corner below the cable car the lad who took us round knew every answer to every question about the rock
would go back again to this area but mabey around Fengirola/torromolios end
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: alpharooms - March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Alex & Charlie - York (27, 31,)
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We booked in for 3 nights in March 2005 as a bit of a stop gap between destinations. The price was good and the pictures/info looked OK. This hotel was NOT a nice place to stay.
The location is terrible, it is situated far too near the busy main road and the beach is just a bombsite with sand. There are no shops worth visiting or decent bars/restaurants. The actual complex setting is rather nice, all coutyards and garden/pool areas, but you feel like everyone is watching you as most people seemed to be overlooking communal areas from their rooms.
Our room on the second floor was overlooking a volleyball/playground area which was very ugly and the so called balcony was basically a ledge with bars around it, they had squashed a tacky plastic chair on that was impossible to sit on, so the whole thing was a waste of time. The bed was a 3/4 size double which are ok if you are kids or very small people, but we are both 5'8+ and it was very tight at night. The headboard and curtains both had fag burns in them and the light shades were hanging off the walls. Furniture had been battered and was a bit pointless. Bathroom was clean but tiny. Overall the room was very dark and dingy, in need of a major re-furb - i would rate it 1 to 2*.
We were on Half board basis, but every meal we went for had a massive queue, this is not our idea of a holiday, it felt more like being back at school. The choice was rubbish. We ate out out every day. We had our hire car thank goodness, so we could easily get around to other resorts and explore them, but that was when you could get the car out of the hotel car park. We got blocked in twice in 3 days! It really is infuriating, especially when you have plans and you end up waiting around in the car park for a good hour. You are better to park on one of the side roads.
The reception staff were very nice and quite helpful, but the hotel is not equipped for the amount of guests and the type of guests that frequent it leave a lot to be desired. It seemed to appeal to the 'eat and drink as much as you can' crowd, who generaaly had no respect towards the hotel or the other guests.
We would definitely not be returning to the Hotel Cortijo Blanco, it was not to a 3 star standard and needs serious redevelopment. Would not recommend to anyone
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Helen & Steven - Derbyshire (39, 38)
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hotel next to motorway. Had to cross this after using bus service back, not a pleasant experience even when using crossing points.
Rooms - Ill fitting doors, let in a draft (although we did manage to get a plug in radiator which we kept on all week).
Bar - Very smokey atmosphere.
Bar Toilet - Used blood soaked toilet paper stacked up in corner, remained there for a whole day, despite numerous complaints.
Entertainment - Very poor unless you like bingo. No music/disco! Best act was the drag queens, quite amusing.
Beach - Littered, bottles, paper etc.
Food - Boring, soggy, no thought went into preparation or presentation ( cauliflower covered in batter, fish every day. Chips at every meal (probably the best thing on the menu actually). Alot of food was cooked in garlic, even at breakfast. Milk for drinks was vile. Many of the plates were chipped and didn't quite look clean.
Trips - Puerto Banus is a good place to see. The old town in Marbella is nice and there's a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlour on the sea front ... mmm.
Gibraltar was ok for a day, but the trip to Morroco was a very long day. We were led round 'by the nose', taken to places set up to try to sell us carpets, spices, leather etc, were not allowed to browse or have any free time.
Would not go back to this hotel although it did look much better when the sun came out.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : chris 45 alison nearly 40
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I like others worried that the holiday was a bad idea after reading reports,, how wrong i was..
ok so the hotel is a 3 star just but from what we paid i am no knocking it.
linen etc changed every day and as my misses said its clean and smells fresh when the maid has been.
went all in inclusive over easter and you are last of and last on the coach advantage being you can see all the other resorts and review what you think of them.
drinks seemed weaker but heh they gotta make a living, we had room by stage 146 lovely sit with your drink and watch the entertainment on balcony.
entertainment moved out side during the week and was much improved for that.
nice walk through bodega bar to outside seat area left to beach right and left to super sol supermarket cartons of wine silly prices very localy suported,oh gallon of water pennies, the main road we never heard in hotel only the sirens a number of times DO NOT CROSS IT as its very swift at times others stoped,,
we enjoyed the walk to peurto banus and went there twice free beach parking fills up very quickly as we walked the half hour 40 mins did,nt bother us..
all in all we only paid a few hundred and i am a fussy eater and did not starve same with the wife.
sum up some people been going there up to 33 times and others many many we like to explore new places so may one day return go and enjoy smile and you have a better holiday..allso thanks to pat and barry for making it a good holiday,,
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: Private - 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : 47,41,14,5,3
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have been visiting the Cortijo Blanco 4-5 times a year since 1996
The staff are fantastic (make the effort to be polite and see the result)!
Many people return here year after year and we now regularly meet French, Belgian,german and even a few English friends each time we visit.
We always travel independently it is cheaper than the tour operators.
Avoid the summer holidays when the British are there in force with Parents & thier children behaving equally badly.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice -October 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Somerset (49,40,40,14)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading some reviews on this site we felt we had to redress the balance. The Cortijo Blanco is a great hotel the staff are friendly the food is excellent always hot and varied and the place itself is spotless. the entertainment is ok but dont miss the bingo, Hilarious.Drinks are served in glasses in the evening plastic glasses are used during the day for safety,queues were minimal.
Yes there is a busy road outside but once inside you dont notice it at all.I would advise that you book the superior rooms or the rooms with air conditioning as these are in a much better location on the site and in much better condition.The reps trips are very costly but just outside the hotel is David and his wife who sell trips to all the same places for a fraction of the cost. You must go to Mijas as it is beautiful the views are fantastic. Gibraltar is a good trip also but not as cheap as its made out to be.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Emma Webb - Southend - 26
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Wonderful holiday. Bar Cheers next to the hotel is a must!
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Pete & Janine Renshaw - Derbyshire (37, 28)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The hotel is situated on a busy dual carriage way, but dont let this put you off, you can hear very little road noise inside the complex. There are 2 bars in the complex, all the bar staff were very friendly and polite, we never had to queue for drinks. The food was plain and monotonous, chips at all meals including breakfast and most food cooked in garlic.
This hotel is a suntrap.Entertainment was ok, the thursday night quiz was a farce, they did not even know some answers themselves!!
A visit to Peurto Banus is a must, the harbour is always full of expensive boats and if you are very lucky you may see some celebrities, you can either take the local bus, it cost 0.95Euro each way or walk down, it takes about 30mins.
San Pedro is still a typical Spanish town and so does not really cater for tourist, on Thursday there is a massive outdoor market, be advised this market is outdoor and has no shade, take plenty of drinking water.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours may 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : barney and liz waldron---south shields[51--44]
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
hotel is great bars good ,food good.not a grate lot to do .buddies bar no good. bar cheers good, clean good food, good beer grate staff
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: Viva/Discount - late April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Bob 47 Beryl 43
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We could not fault the Hotel. The meals were excellant with free wine at dinner.
We were booked as Half Board {our choice} and were offered an up grade for 24e per couple, around £16 per day we chose not too and did'nt feel we missed out at all. Others in the group thought it was well worth it
The main Swimming pool was surrounded by 9 am so it was difficult to find space.. better to use it in the afternoon, but you could use some of the others
The beach is a pleasant 10 min stroll away but it is a shale and rough sand mix not unpleasant but not the British style sandcastle friendly sand.
There seemed to be NO public toilets "Servicos" available but it seems common practice to walk into any bar and use their facilities. Beware on the beach there is one bar approx the middle of the beach that was shut at the weekends but that may be a seasonal thing.
The town of San Pedro is very pleasant and is a few minutes walk away but closes at 2.00pm for seista until 5 ish.
Please cross at the lights/crossing points the main road is DEADLY {they don't drive .. they aim}
There was'nt obvious things to do locally so it pays to ask advice on excursions. People who went on the Tunisa tour {55e}were disappointed as the place was very dirty and they could only shop where the guide took them .. they could not browse.
for info there is a supermarket {SunSol} very nearby.. walk to the main road turnleft walk 50 yards or so you can't miss it.
Other details of places to go have been covered in other reveiws but please pop into Buddies Bar {right next door to the hotel} beware the way they measure.. they don't understand stop..woa.. nada. and great pizzas
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Mar 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Louise (2,21,27,28,44,56)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Accomodation good, although had a cockroache in one of our rooms every night.
Meals very good although repetative, drinks good and plenty get more choice than mentioned in brochure.
Staff very friendly and good with kids, although the entertainment staff leave alot to be desired.
Entertainment was very poor especially at night.
Transfer from airport very long (nearly as long as flight!).
Hotel is situated on VERY busy road although we did not have a problem with noise as we were situated at back of complex, but do not attempt to cross!!
Had good time as we went for brothers 21st but would not go again.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Feb 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : Dawn Reeves - Shropshire (42, 40)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
The first room we were allocated we were unhappy with because of its location - too many people walking past (no. 30).I also saw my first cockroach in this room. We were moved two days later to room 174 - heaven after this.
Food was OK - typical of 3star. The bar staff do not wave their tip jar at you (all inclusive). We quite liked the low rise of the rooms.
I would recommend to anyone for a value holiday.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Heather Inverarity
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We had aready been here before about 4 years ago. it was brilliant then so we desided to come again not realising that it had been took over the activitys were totally cr*p compared to last time(my archery was never on :-( along with the night time entertainment new sterio system cant sleep at night for the noise cant see entertainment bananna tree blocking our veiw
bed was comfy (mine anyway) my ma got a camp bed which was broken food was same all meals chips even for breakfast always chips and pasta all kinds tho spagetti kind and alsorts even ravaoli used hamburgers and then we would have meat balls for dinner cold ones obviously they were the hamburgers we had had.
the rooms were ok for a while i got up during the night walked in the bathroom and felt somthing on my foot obviously i screamed the place down ill be suprised if the rooms next door didint here me flemmin disgusting things huge fast ugly bugs yeuk there were about nine we killed then when your not suppost to we had a three year old with us with them going about was disgusting she woulding go to the bathroom by herself
maid were ok not enough pillows though snack bar was a pathetic excuse for a restraunt drinks were ok if you didint drink boose pools were great expecially for kids
all in all im not going back im glad to be home in my own bed
if anything id go back to rexene resort in turkey brilliant food brilliant entertainment brillant staff brilliant shops only there werent many day time activitys but its the best hols ive been on.
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: diiscount holidays 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : howes 50 48 15
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
good hotel all inclusive if want to relax as everything there no need to go off complex really good holiday plenty to do there food brilliant rooms were spotless nothing too much trouble for staff
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Hotel Cortijo Blanco - San Pedro
Operator and Date: 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Melissa Coulson - Co. Durham (24, 24)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hotel located away from everything, gret for families with childern but not for anyone over 18!! Food not too good, best option is Chips and the snack bar. Hotel bar closes at exactly 12 so make sure you have water to drink in your room as no where is open. Cleaners are excellent!
Have to be up at 8 to stand any chance of a sunbed and even then you have to que. Entertainment mainly for Children. Transfer from airport is 1 hour 30mins aprox.
Would not go back or recommend to anyone I know.
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Gardinia Park - San Pedro
Operator and Date: (MyTravel Direct) My Travel-oct 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : lauren crimmins
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Gardinia park is one of the best hollidays i have ever been on i went all inclusive and It is a great place if you are looking for enterteinment and fun.i really enjoied it my self.It was a lovley place in the night as you can walk along the beach wich is a cross the road from the hotel.There are a lot of shops,pubs,and a lot a places to eat.There would allways be a voriaty of choice of choice of food and snaks during the day.The staff were very helpfull and friendley and dont mind how many drinks you had.
The hotel was allways SPOTLESS all the time and allways being cleaned.And the pool was cleaned every day.There was enterteinment in the night up to around 11:30
i really enjoied it and i hope to go back there next year i would recomend you to go to gardinia park it is great!!