| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
mrs mccracken from portadown travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
airtours/thomas cook
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2008 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff |  | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: After reading previous reports I was a bit dubious of this hotel but it wasn't as bad as expected. the food was okay plenty of choice but most lunchtimes/evenings it was much the same. The rooms were okay we had a superior room it was quite spacious but could have done with a lick of paint etc. The swimming pool was okay, quite small and at busy times got a bit overcrowded but the main concern was people dive bombing and jumping in when really the pool was not big enough for this. The location was excellent right near all the shops and not to far from the beach. In all as said before not as bad as antisipated but would not really go back have been to better places.
Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
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julie from sheffield travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
thomas cook
on a family holiday.
There were 4 adults and 3 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2007 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: booked this holiday for the october half term,thought there would be loads of families how wrong can you be.this hotel is full of elderly spanish people and they are the most miserable and ignorant people i have ever met.My kids aged 8 and 5 would get shoved out of the way while we we're trying to get in the lifts,eventually learned to play them at there own game!!Hotel itself is rather dated and rooms are just about adequate,ours didn't have a balcony but this was no problem at this time of year,would think it would get quite stuffy in the summer months.maids came in everyday can't fault them.didn't like the pool area,different levels and can't see your kids when they are in the pool(also undercover and very cold,I never ventured in!)The food in the restaurant was ok,but really struggled trying to get somewhere to sit,but beauty of all inclusive was the drinks are on tap in the restaurant.Bar staff were quite friendly but 1 drink per card and only allowed 2 cards per customer,queues could get quite long but not really a problem(again height of summer think it would be a problem)Entertainment was fairly good but the shows didn't start till about 10pm.Kids club was really poor,although they had good equipment the kids rep didn't speak english had to communicate in sign language!location wasn't bad,but on a busy main road with a school opposite and the bell going off all through the day.about a 5 minute walk down to levante beach past loads of shops etc.the beauty of this hotel is that it is part of the magic group and you can hop onto the free bus which takes you to all the hotels in the chain where you can use your all inclusive too(monika fantastic!).All in all glad we were only there for 1 week,enjoyed the break but wouldn't go back.
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GEOFF AND JULIE from CARLISLE travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
ONTHEBEACH
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2007 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: This hotel is in the old town not the new town.
Location on the main busy one way street into Benidorm.
The room we were allocated was beyond "tired" The hotel rooms are very basic. The fridge had not been defrosted for a while, a few cracked tiles in the bathroom
The all inclusive food was excellent all the time. The drinks very watered down,
the pool on the roof, although open did not look clean and the sauna was out of action.
The pool on the roof was undercover and no chairs round the pool for you to watch your children there is a bar on the roof top and a Jacuzzi for 4 people the depth goes from 3ft to 8ft in the pool
Also you cannot sunbathe near the pool so you cannot keep an eye on the little ones as the sun terrace is higher up again on a different level. You might want to take a spare towel with you to wipe clean the sunbeds.The poolside bar service is non- existent and empty cups and plastic glasses are only collected at the end of the day.
Yes the pool is no good for little kids, and the entertainment could do with up-dating, but you can always go to the sister hotels, that is the beauty of the Magic Hotels! Take advantage of the free bus and go and look at the other hotels and spend a day at them eating and drinking, The maids always left our room clean and tidy, but then again, I don’t like to live in a pig sty, so don’t leave it like one!!!! They were always friendly to us, but then again, we are friendly people! I love the location; the beaches are fantastic and so clean.
If you are nice to the Spaniards, they are nice back! It is so simple!!BUT SOME
Spanish people most arrogant people I have ever had the misfortune to meet all ways pushing for meals and lifts (don’t be afraid to push back) kids could not get on pc cause old biddies always taking the chairs to sit down whilst the lifts came
The other resorts we visited on the all inclusive deal where the Monika holidays and the Excalibur which where a much better package with lovely pools and loads for the children to do take the bus
Superb Levante beach a 400m stroll down the hill but gets busy early with the Spanish who disappear just after midday
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S Harper from Birmingham travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Direct Holidays
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 3 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: When we arrived at this hotel at 14.00 on a Saturday afternoon we felt like turning around and getting back on the coach. The hotel was very run down and it was complete chaos in the reception area , it took us 2 hours just to check in.
The rooms were very basic and not very clean and in need of some repair. The wardrobe doors fell down on my 3 year old grandaughter and the repair man just shrugged his shoulders and said in broken english HOTEL RUBBISH.
We stayed all inclusive but it took you half an hour at the bar to get a drink because they did not have enough staff. If you dont like very noisy children DONT go to this hotel because the kids run wild.
Another bad point is the pool is on the roof (8 floors ) and the lifts are hardly working and not suitable for young children so we spent 40 euros on sunbeds down the beach every day.
The entertainment is the worst I have ever seen absolutely diabolical.
It wasnt all bad one good thing was the food it was very good , wide variety of choice and always hot.
I would never go to this hotel again and it should be a 2 star not a 3 star.
Final thing is 65% of other guests were Spanish but they were friendly enough.
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Miss Edwards from Merthyr Tydfil travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Booked Direct
on a couples holiday.
There were more than 6 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2007 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This review is is quite lengthy but it's worth reading it all.
Hello, Just thought I would add my experience of this hotel to let others know that it's not as bad as some of the other reviews make out. But what we must remember is that what pleases some people won't please others. I'll give my experience and you can make your own judgement.
I have been to this hotel twice in the last two months. We are a party of 20 people ages ranging from 15 months to 68 years. We went in November for my niece's 21st birthday and stayed for 5 nights. We had an excellent time. The standard double/twin rooms are a decent size. I was staying in one of these with my 3 year old and 16 months old. We had two buggy's in the room and the third bed was left made up permanently, so it proves the rooms are of a decent size. Mind you, a couple of members of our party did have a smaller room, so I think it's luck of the draw. There are other options to the rooms as well and I highly recommend paying a little extra for one of these rooms. My mother paid extra for a room with a lounge and also with a park view. She did pay a considerable amount more than the rest of us though, but believe me, it's definitely worth paying the extra for a park view. The rooms above the front of the hotel are very very very noisy at night. And if you bear in mind that we went in November and January and we found it noisy, just imagine how noisy it is in the height of the season. It wasn't just the night that was a problem with the noise though, directly opposite the front of the hotel there is a school and a siren sounded every morning at 9am. So if you like your lie in's then make sure you are at the back of the hotel.
The food was generally good. The breakfasts are excellent. You can have a full English breakfast but there was also lots of different things to choose from as well. There was always fresh fruit available. The food wasn't always very hot but there is a microwave available to heat it up. I'm a very very fussy eater but I quite enjoyed the food.
There was quite a lack of entertainment in the evening. but most of our party went to Town most nights and it costs around 6 euros max each way.
Now the lifts............... These are a major problem. They are very very slow and the lower the floor the longer they take to arrive. My mum was on the first floor when we went in November and the lifts could sometimes take 20 minutes to arrive. Because she has difficulties walking it was essential that we used the lifts. On our second visit in January though, she was on the 6th Floor and the lifts were much quicker. So I think the higher the floor you are on, the better the lift service. Might sound silly, but I definitely think it's right. I was on the 3rd floor each time and the lifts took as long on each visit.
I found the location of the hotel to be perfect. If you come of the hotel and turn left, carry on down the hill and you're just surrounded by shops. If you have children, you will just love this place as there are loads of baby boutiques and shoe shops. The beach is about 5 minutes away. Which is also turn left out of the hotel and follow down the hill. The beach is absolutely beautiful.
We visited a couple of the other Magic Hotels. We had food in the Villa De Benidorm (which is situation right in the centre of Benidorm and close to the beach). This again was a lovely hotel but if you are travelling in a large group, then the entertainment area wouldn't be big enough to accommodate you all.
As much as I have not been very positive about the Cristal Park Hotel I can honestly say that we all really enjoyed our stay and I would definitely return there again. I wouldn't go there for a main holiday but I would definitely go for a short break again.
Oh, the pool. The sun terrace is situated on the 7th floor. It's really lovely up there. Not sure whether it is big enough to accommodate all guests in the height of the season but it was definitely lovely during our January stay. The pool is very cold though and apparently it doesn't get any warmer in the summer either. I think some of the daytime activities take place on the roof terrace. There is also a bar and an absolutely fab jacuzzi. although, again, I don't think this would be big enough in the height of the season.
As for Benidorm itself. It's fabulous. We are going again in May but we're staying in the Les Dunes Commoredes which is directly on the promenade. My mum has stayed in these and they are apparently superb.
If you decide to go the Magic Cristal Park, I hope you have a wonderful time. We certainly did, even though I'm not sure whether you can tell from this quite negative report. I just wanted to be totally honest and to make you aware of a few things.
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terry bates from burton on trent travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
holiday city
on a couples holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We come to Benidorm every year for our winter break. We always book in the magic group hotels. They are great. Mostly we stay in the Cristal Park. We meet a lot of the regulars there every year. Great company.
The hotel does get a little noisy what do you expect in an all inc; hotel. We have found all the staff friendly and very helpful. Any problems an its soon put right. You read a lot of reports about hotels being dirty ect; its not the staff that makes the mess it the holiday makers.
Anyway you lot see you all in November 2007.
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Mrs Pauline mccallum from barnsley travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
airtours
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I am a disabled person travelling with my husband daughter and mum. The hotel was absolutely no good for the disabled it took us 25 mins to call a lift on the first floor. I had to go down to evening meal half an hour before we could eat just so i could get the lift.
The food was not very good we were all inclusive and eat out at lunch times there were no ice cream on hand.
The staff were not helpful at all the restaurant staff were really good. We had items stolen out of our room when we saw the staff they just said if i could give them receipts they would look into it.
The entertainment room was down 3 floors from my room on one occasion we were in the bar the lifts broke down and my husband had to take me through a fire exit push me up a hill at the side of the hotel then into the main reception. We had words with the manager all he could say was well you got your way back into the hotel!
As for the entertainment well I will leave it to your imagination but we might has well been back home sitting in a bar. I didn't like the fact that one of the bars on reception floor was Spanish clientèle only they had a game of bingo in the bar and I wouldn't play because you could win a holiday to go back to this hotel. With our luck we would have won. If you are disabled or able bodied I would not go back to this hotel.
So my answer would we visit this hotel again is a definite no
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mr turner from mid glamorgan travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
holiday nights
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Staff very unhelpful only 1 reception staff on. Air conditioning very very poor had to buy a fan.
Pool had no life guards and did not look very clean. To get snacks you had to go down 7 flights of stairs could not get food up by the pool. Lifts took for ever one lift only takes 4 people.
Entertainment not very good. We used lots of the other magic group Monika holidays excellent. We used the free bus which was like herding sheep you get pushed and shoved. The only good thing was the food which had plenty of choice.
Down side restaurant very hot so you had to rush your food to get out quick.
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Karen and Mark from Manchester travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Sun Seakers
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Just got back from 10 days here. The hotel was excellent.
I wasn't a huge fan of Benidorm as a holiday destination. Just not my kind of place. Anyway on arrival don't be as horrified as I was to discover that we seemed to have been dropped of in the middle of nowhere.. the shops and beach are no more than 5 minutes away.
The beach is absolutely jammed packed no room to turn over in.
The food was hot and varied and constant even at the last minute there was nothing left overish about it the dishes were kept full and hot until the very last guest left the dinning room. There was masses of choice hot or cold I always found something I liked fussy mare that I am.
We were initially allocated a room on the first floor which I couldn't have slept in as it was right above the main door so down we went to reception to ask about a move as it was around 10:30pm the receptionist asked us to come back in the morning. So when we went down there was no problems and a room on the 6th floor was allocated and it was FAB huge bright and had a massive balcony which turned out to be a blessing as there was a large crowd of young Spanish lads who felt they owned the place and took over a bit.
The pool and sun terrace are on the 7th and 8th floors. The pool is covered and very cold and unsupervised and the edging was very slippy so children do need someone watching them. The sun terrace was lovely plenty of beds but no shade at all but the seating area near the bar has a cover.
The entertainment was fine we only saw a couple of shows but the karaoke and disco was a scream as everyone took part.. the staff were always smiling and helpful no matter what time of day or night.
If you want a lie in you must stick the Do Not Disturb sign on the door otherwise you will get an early wake up. would I go back no but only because I wasn't fond of the resort.
I loved the bargains though!! Enjoy if you're heading that way soon..
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paul from portglasgow travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
flyglobspan
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I have been going to Crystal Park for the last 5 years and can honestly say I have never had a problem.
The staff at the hotel are really helpful, the staff that look after the kids are so good with them.
The food at the hotel is just out of this world there is something for every one even the kid were happy now thats something.
I could talk about everything in the hotel it was so good and that's why I hope to go back this year so see you in June.
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Elaine Bellamy from leven,fife,Scotland travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
flyglobespan
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel was kept spotless and the standard of food was of a very high, with choices in all courses. It was very busy and noisy in the dining room during peak times, but if we went at the beginning of opening times for meals, there was not the same noise and fighting for a table.
The staff were very efficient in the dining room, keeping the tables constantly cleared, but they were kept so busy they tended not to have much repoir with the guests. The receptionist were also very efficient and were helpful and friendly. The cleaning staff were also excellent.
The only down side to this hotel is that they are on a busy main road, which if like ourselves we are sound sleepers, it was not a problem.
The entertainment we did not use through the day, but found the evening entertainment by hotel standards quite good.
We would definitely stay at this hotel again and the added bonus was that you could use all the rest of the Amigos group hotels while out and about in the resort, which was a great bonus with our all inclusive.
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lesley from st austell/cornwall travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
sunsplash
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I really enjoyed my stay.
The staff were really friendly. The food was great. The maids did a really good job.
The location was good because it was close to the shops and beach.
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Nelson from Sheffield travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Apollo Direct
on a friends holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2006 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We got an all inclusive deal with Apollo and considering what we paid, we can't really complain but thought I'd put my review on anyway as I imagine that some people may pay a lot more than we did.
The cleanliness was about average and more a "lick" than a full clean, one change of bedding during the week and towels nearly every day. Bad smell of Diesel in Reception which was quite nauseating.
The food was varied on the hot side but the cold buffets were about the same every day but there was plenty of it. It was a fight for a table and at times it was extremely hot at times which was quite uncomfortable.
The worst part was the location, it was a short walk to the shopping areas and quite central, however, it was like living in the middle of brands hatch - the noise was awful, peeping, people shouting, the school across the road (if you like a lie in and your on the main road, forget it!)
The staff were always very nice and friendly in the bar, on Reception, pool area, rooftop but gave priority to the Spanish (and there were loads of them holidaying at this time)so at times, we felt like second class citizens.
We didn't do much of the entertainment, had a drink in the bar etc which was comfortable but the entertainment wasn't for us but looked quite varied if you want that kind of thing.
In all, it was a nice break, glad I hadn't booked it for my main 2 weeks holiday or I would have been disappointed.
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Mary from Dunfermline travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
direct holidays
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This hotel was very much geared towards the Spanish people over Xmas and new year.
There was very little entertainment at night and not everyone wants to go out to different hotels in the chain.
The food was good, something to suit everyone but getting a table was a battle.
Any entertainment was down in the basement, and the total no smoking ban in public places did not apply, with the result you were sitting in bad smoke.
The reception was always full of people sitting about.
I would not give this hotel 3 stars, have stayed in much better.
Room was cleaned half heartedly and balcony never swept in 2 weeks.
No we will not be going back to this hotel .
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John from Rugeley travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
TravelRepublic/Thomas Cook Airlines
on a couples holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Cristal Park Hotel is not a 'Posh' hotel, it's reputation is mainly based on it's food which is varied and excellent, and it's convenient location.
This year (2006) will be our fifth visit, this time in June, other times have been in September/October.
The hotel caters for a large number of Spanish holiday makers (about half of it's guests) and they are loud talkers!
They love dancing and one section of the entertainment facilities is used almost exclusely by them. The international entertainment facilities are situated on a lower floor large room with it's own bar, we found this room to be too well air conditioned and dark consequently we did not use it often, but when we did the entertainment acts were of a reasonable standard.
We did not have any children with us, but talking to parents who did they gave great praise to the varied childrens facilities available.
We found that the recption staff dealt with our queries promptly and courtously, minor defects and problems were dealt with by the maintance staff within a short time of being notified of a problem.
Staff serving in the resturant were very helpful and very quick to clear tables in what was a very hetic enviroment.
Queues frequently formed at coffee/tea making machines mainly by Spaniards who seemed to spend a lot of time sorting out their needs!
During our stays we had rooms overlooking the Town Hall (watched it being built on one occassion) also on two visits we were accommodated in rooms overlooking the main road.
Slept well no problems with noise - maybe the generous drink measures helped!
We used the free bus frequently, sometimes croweded, but always turned up. We visited most of the other hotels for food, drinks and entertainment and this added variety to our stay.
The rooftop pool was unheated and unsupervised which should have lead parents to supervise the behavour of their children, but seldom did.
Two of the other hotels in the group did have heated pools and two had lifeguards for the outdoor pools.
In the Cristal Park Hotel and most of the other hotels some of the bar staff were English and this was useful. Sometimes a small wait to be served, but no more than happens in many English pubs at busy times.
This is not a hotel for anyone who is looking for perfection, but for the average costs of a fortnights All Inclusive stay with inflight meals, transfers, in season, at about £550 per person it's not bad. We have paid twice that amount for just Half Board in Cyprus.
Hope to visit many times more.
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willy from wrexham travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
hays travel
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Stayed all inclusive,however we went out at night hence the average entertainment mark. Food was ok with a reasonable choice.
Have just booked again with the hotel direct for November so anyone going then ill see you there.
Entertainment was fine in the daytime (It depends what you want)but at night dont know (see above).
If you want peace and quiet dont come to Benidorm but if that does not put you off it is a great place with some fantastic local "ex pat" people who we have got to know over the years.
This will be our third time this year and I think our 6th with the "Amigos Hotels".
Viva Benidorm .
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martyn&wendy from oxford travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
freedom direct
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Well, where do I start? myself,my wife,9 year old son and 7 year old neice have just arrived back from the Crystal Park and I have to say I'venever been so happy to be back in my life! To say the staff is a joke is an understatement.
When we arrived at Alicante we travelled via coach and taxi to our allocated hotel "Monika Holidays".this process was nesessary because Magic Amigos does not provide any rep service at airport. After being dumped in busy streets of Benidorm by bus at 11 pm with 4 suitcases and 2 very young children we managed to get a taxi to Monika...great! untill we arrived at Monika and were told that all the paper work I had on me was invalid and I wasnt allocated there at all, and was actually supposed to be at the Crystal Park hotel in the old town.(which we had passed in bus 1 hour ago!)
After some unsatisfactory words and a swift drink ,back onto busy streets with luggage and young kids to await another taxi. Arrived at Crystal Park at 12.30 am.on arrival at Crystal Park we where greeted by a receptionist who asked me "what my problem was"..I informed him we where staying there and our situation,showed paper work e.t.c.can we have our room key please. After a look through his records he presented us with room key..great!
Nope..awfull. When we got to our room we had a shock..the first thing we noticed was how damp it smelled and the wiring on the aircon unit bare and exposed. Then we noticed the 1 double bed in the shoe box sized room, so back down to reception we went,extremely ****** off at this stage with wife and son in tears.
After another hour or so of arguments with reception and a security guard who didnt speak a work of english and didnt know the hotel ,at all, gave me a ,completely lost,guided tour of the hotel to find a replacement room ,we where finally at our place of rest.2.30 am!!
That was the start off our relaxing holiday!
Every british person we spoke to about this whilst there had also been mucked about with there rooms and day by day we witnessed more and more distressed families arriving.
There is nowhere in the hotel where you can find peace and quiet,the aircon in the entire hotel is insufficient. The entertainment was rubbish and always well behind schedule(if you could stand the heat in the sweaty basement to actually see it out)and if the barstaff spent as much time in pulling pints e.t.c. as they did trying to chat up everyones missus' then the queues wouldnt be so long.
The one plus side of this experience was the food. It was well prepared with plenty of choice and the restaurant was the only place in the hotel where the aircon worked properly. Although you had to get there at the right time or you would be queueing for ages to get in. The drinks in the restaurant ,on the other hand,where a joke. Half of them didnt work and the ones that did there would be (can u guess?)another queue.
Paraffin smell in reception and in tiny,noisy seating arrangement outside front of hotel.
The covered pool on the roof is more of a teenage bomb practice pool and many a teenage scrap was witnessed in the roof jacuzzi,and if you fancy experiencing a white knuckle ride juring your stay there,why not try Crystal Parks very own ride..THE LIFTS! Never been so scared in my life. If you could get in them that is, without people barging you out of the way to get to them.
I am stating all of this to you because I feel as if ,after our ordeal ,that I have an obligation to help people who want a peaceful holiday with their kids,and to be able to come home refreshed.
Benidorm in itself is a beautiful place and the beaches and water park e.t.c. are fantastic.
Such a shame after a great day out exploring it we had to travel back there.
Another word of advise would be if you would like to see the other hotels (Monika and Excaliber are great for kids)then catch a cab. The shuttle bus is sweaty and very distressing.
I hope this is of use to you.
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Craig from Stoke-on-Trent travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
alpharooms
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Have just returned from this hotel having spent 1 night their because of a mistake with alpharooms.
This is our second time we have stayed here and nothing has changed that much. We were on floor 5 this time and had a balcony plus what I thought was quite a big room. Typical get a good room when we are only staying 1 night.
Food I thought was quite reasonable although the wife did not agree (picky eater) plenty of choice on kids even went back for seconds loads of salads meats fish deserts etc..
The location is not all that good for me as I would rather be in the new town although there was entertainment on at night that was not that bad.
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martin from glasgow travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
airtours
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel is situated right in the middle of two very busy roads with noisy scooters and boy racers zooming around 24/7.
We had a room on the first floor looking onto the road and not once got a full nights sleep.
The food was good the first week but on the second week they turned off the drinks dispensers in all but one part off the dining room leading to queing for drinks.
The staff were helpful and friendly.The decor of the hotel is more 1980s than present day and could be doing with a lick of paint.
The pool is on the 7th floor and is no good for the early riser as they dont open the door until 10 oclock and there is almost no shade on the roof terrace.
The entertainment was diabolical with nothing for kids to do at night except run around with other kids up and down the lifts.
Will definitely not be going back to this hotel.
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Arlene McArthur from Larkhall travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Flyglobespan
on a singles holiday.
There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Fab Hotel
We were on the fourth floor and had a very clean and spacious room. The balcony wasn't the best as we only got the sun in the morning and the view was pretty poor but all in all the room was fine
The food in this hotel is terrific and I would really recommend all inclusive.
The lifts leave a lot to be desired and were a bit scary.
The hotel has a queer set up with the indoor pool on the 7th floor and the sun terrace on the 8th floor.
I would definately recommend this hotel to anyone.
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Mrs S Wheelton from Grimsby travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Aspro
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We did not pick this hotel we were moved to this one because ours was overbooked.
This is without doubt one of the best hotels for food we have ever stayed in anywhere. The choice and variety for even two picky kids was unbelievable. The staff worked extremely hard to ensure food was constantly being cooked and replaced, and the waitresses worked tirelessly to ensure clean tables were available.
The hotel is in the old part of town, next to a very busy road, which is always in constant use all day and night which makes it quite noisy.
The bedrooms are very basic and beds are not as comfy as they could be.
Hotel staff and reps were very helpful and polite.
Included in our stay was a trip to a medieval night. Best night of holiday. A Must.
Hotel part of Magic chain used Monika Hotel best pool on the island in our opinion. Tried Fenicia & Magic Rock, used free bus service to all.
Excellent holiday kids want to go back now.
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Nellie from Glasgow travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Globespan
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Booked this hotel last minute so wasn,t sure what to expect.
The hotel public areas were clean and well maintained,the rooms could have done with a lick of paint but otherwise clean and plenty of hot water,mini fridge and kettle.
We were on first floor at main road -nightmare with noise cars,mopeds and boyracers 24/7 even after a few shandys it was impossible to sleep.
The food was excellent being a chef myself I could not really fault it,great choice and plenty of it, and I consider myself a very fussy eater.
The hotel is in an ideal location central to everything. This hotel is part of the Amigos group so you can use all of there other hotels with a free shuttle bus. We took advantage of the free medieval night which was great fun. We had no children with us but still enjoyed it. Again we found all the staff freindly and helpful.
Well the entertainment what can I say it was so bad it was funny. Maybe ok for kids and spanish oaps but there's 4 bars open in the evening so just move about them and have a laugh and if you really get fed up head in to one of the bars with karaoke, comedians etc.
All in all we had a great holiday good value for money.
Would we go again- only if we could get inward facing room.
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sinclair from greenock travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
discount holidays
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2005 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We are just back from an Easter break to Cristal Park Hotel, we booked it last minute so it was allocation on arrival.
As soon as we got there at 11am we were told we had to wait till 2pm till our room was ready so we were not too happy about that, anyway we just went and got a drink.
Then when eventually getting our room we find out we are right above a busy main road, all we heard all day and night were car horns parping.
The rooms were smelly, and small, the covers smelled of smoke.
But worst of all the lifts are a disgrace, they are in bad need of repair, very unsafe, apparently someone got stuck at one point, we just used the stairs to be safe.
Another downfall was the only pool was on the roof, which is great for couples but not for children.
We were All Inclusive the food was the same every day, we also found that the snacks were just leftovers from the breakfast or dinner and their bread rolls were always brick hard.
We will not be going back.
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Jackie Thorne from Milford Haven travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
internet booking
on a singles holiday.
There were 3 adults and 3 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: All public areas and bars in this hotel are well kept and in good conditions. Bedrooms are a bit tatty but clean. Plenty of hot water for showering and rooms were kept warm which is a bonus in winter time.
I had no problem with the staff at all, we changed rooms and requested more pillows etc without any fuss at all. Reception staff were helpfull as were the bar and cleaning staff.
Any comments about staff rudeness should be ignored I found that as long as you greated them with a smile and please and thank you the same was returned (simple realy!).
Location of the hotel was great, right in the centre with plenty of decent shops (not tacky!) and lots of little bars(not english theme pubs).
You could always find something decent to eat.
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Angela from Stockton on Tees travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Direct Holidays
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Our second visit to the Cristal Park this year, the first time the children had been. We had a fantastic time again.
When we arrived reception didn't seem to have any record of us. They asked to see our tickets so I gave them the booking record, they still were none the wiser. They made a call and then gave us the key to a room a few minutes later. They gave us a master suite. If you read my post below you would see that I don't really like the master suites as they look into another room but as we only paid for a standard room this time I didn't complain and it was quite nice having the kids in a separate area :)
I found it much busier than when we were there 5 months ago.
The one problem I found was the lifts. There are four lifts near reception, there seemed to be a daily problem with at least one of the lifts, I didn't take any chances and stuck to the stairs (we were on the 3rd floor!)
The kids spent some time with the entertainment staff and they were excellent, especially with our 8 year old son.
We would definately return to the Cristal Park Hotel.
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sarah from birmingham travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We stayed at the Cristal Park in September 04. The hotel and rooms were very clean. Breakfast was very good but lunch time and evening meals were satisfactory but repetive. Drinks selection was very good. Overall this is a nice hotel but it is better suited for couples/families.
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natalie conway from waterlooville travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
first choice
on a family holiday.
There were 6 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: i stayed in the cristal park hotel and it was fantastic. i would definantly go back to benidorm and stay in that hotel again. i would like to give that hotel 10/10 because it was lovely, the food was brillaint and the staff were very nice.
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Gillian from Durham travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Sunset
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We had a fantastic time this year in Benidorm. The Amigos group are a brilliant idea. We visited quite a few of the other hotels,and found ours the best for food and the Monika had the best pool. The kids club in the Cristal Park was on practically constantly, 10.30-1.30, 3.00-6.30 and 9.00-12.00,the kids even had the option of going for lunch with the kids club reps, my 8 year old doesn't normally go to kids club but changed his mind this year when he had alook around. The drinks selection was also great, as well as the normal spirits, there was cider,cocktails and sparkling wine. The entertainment in the hotel wasn't brilliant but there was some good shows on and with a few bars to choose from it wasn't a problem. The only negative thing I could say about this hotel is the lack of balconies. The location wasn't too bad but would have preferred to be nearer the new town, although it only cost about 3 euros in a taxi.
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Kylie Mansell from Newcastle travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Sunset- Thomas Cook
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I went to this hotel dreading my stay after reading the comments on some of these sites. I had a great holiday here and will certainly be returning.
The staff are great and make you welcome especially the bar staff, they are fab. You dont have to queue at any of the 5 bars for any longer than 3 minutes.
The entertainment is great for all ages with different entertainment for different ages in the bars. The medieval night was a big disappointment and i wouldn't go back to that night.
The rooms are big with everything you'd need included, TV and coffee making facilities. The food is great a wide variety avaliable which suits all ages. The pool is great it's also covered.
The hotel also has a gym and a whirl pool. The entertainers are great with all ages not only children. Teenage girls are usually hard to please and me as a teenage girl loved this hotel!
I Will certainly be Visiting this hotel next year without a doubt.
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Mrs Dickie from GLENROTHES FIFE travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
airtours
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We really enjoyed our second holiday at the cristal park hotel. Staff are friendly, hotel clean, day entertainment okay, but we don't go to sit around the hotel all day. Evening entertainment good for mthe kids, Max and co. are excellent taught all the kids all the dance moves to loads of songs. Overall a very enjoyable stay.
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Angela from Stockton on Tees travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We didn't originally book to stay at this hotel. As the Tropicana Gardens was still being refurbished and we were only informed a couple of weeks beforehand by First Choice, we accepted the stay at Cristal Park.
We were the first stop on the coach and went straight to reception where we were immediately given our room keys and had our photo cards done.
We had paid extra for a master suite and thought that we may get a balcony(we didn't!). The room itself was great, well it was actually two rooms and is perfect for when the kids are with us rather than sharing a room. The problem was when I went to open the curtains I found myself looking directly at a room opposite.
We complained to the rep as we like to sleep with the curtains and windows open and I don't think the old couple opposite would have been too pleased!!! We were told that all the master suites are in the same position, which we didn't want, so we were offered a standard room which overlooked L'Aigüera Park, which apparently costs extra. We were very pleased with that.
The hotel was always clean and the maid came in daily to clean and change towels (if left in the bath).
There was always plenty of food available and there was a variety of things, hot and cold.
The location is okay, a little further away from where we have been previously but we enjoyed it. Everything that you could want is close by.
I can't fault the staff, they were always friendly and polite.
We didn't bother with the entertainment as we went out in the evening but there was a board near the entrance which was filled with details of the weeks entertainment.
We had a great week, so much so that we are booked to go back in October with the kids.
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Davy Hendry from Stranraer travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Airtours
on a singles holiday.
There were 2 adults and more than 6 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: This hotel is first class,have stayed here previously am going back in Nov.and again in May 2005. The last time I took granddaughter and she had a great time,the food,it is all buffet and is the best selection you could ask for.Airtours also give a one day pass for terra mittica theme park for guests staying at CP, this for three is worth £90 so take this on board when you are looking to book this hotel
Plenty here for kids ,big kids and all and you can use all the hotels in the group with transport provided by their own bus service
Davy
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christopher macklam from nottingham travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
my travel
on a family holiday.
There were 1 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The stay in this hotel is wonderful the staff speak very good english the entertainment is brilliant especially when the entertainers teach the children dance moves. hotel location is a problem if you have the rooms facing the school yard because its a wake up call every morning when you here the siren. cleanliness isnt a problem and the hotel food could be better but over all it was fine. I loved this hotel that is why i came with my mum a second time.
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ANTHONY SYKES from LIVERPOOL travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
DIRECT HOLIDAYS
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: the brochure pic showed trees, we overlooked the town hall built two years ago, no balconies, they are glassed in, only the premier suites have balconies,we were lucky we had one, overlooking the town hall in the so called park, if you are unlucky, you get a room overlooking the school in the rear road, and then bikers chases up and down all night. the hotel is old, four lifts, never available, resteraunt in basement but but is good and good selection, staff rather short on manners, mainly on the reception area, all the maids were super, located immediately behind the town hall, which is new. pool is very small on roof and covered over, the jucuzzi, is ouside on roof and can only be used in fine weather, only takes three/four adults if small. views all around of concrete tower blocks posing as hotels, very little greenery, and as it is only february, the noise from the cafe across the park was appalling up until 2 am each day.
the all incl is a bit of a farce, queued for 15 mins for a tea,coffee or alcohol or mineral water, only one bar open and usally only one staff on, would not go back again anyway to this group which are part of the magic set of hotels.
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rachelst from bradford travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
imperial/independently
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2004 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Found this to be a really nice hotel, the staff were friendly & helpful despite a limited amount of English being spoke. The restaurant was very clean and the waiting staff very efficient. The only problem we had was 10 to 15 minute queues at the bar. The location was great only a few minutes walk from the old town and main shopping area not too great though if you want the busy bar area in the newer area of Benidorm as it is a good 15- 20 minute walk across or 4 euro taxi ride. It was nice to be able to eat and drink in the other hotels in the magic amigos group using the amigos card. There was also a free bus 4 times a day between the hotels in the group.
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MRS S HUME from EDINBURGH travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
sunset
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2003 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We went to this hotel having heard bad reports just before going.We found these reports unfounded.The hotel was great.The food was excellent.The staff were very riendly and helpfull(apart from the receptionists).The entertainment was good,more family orientated than for young couples and singles.The free trip to medieval night was excellent.I sat next to 2 people in their late teens who had been "dragged" along by their family and they loved it.
The only downside to this hotel is the pool being on the roof.We usually like to sunbathe near the pool and this wasn't possible as it is covered and on the roof.
The hotel rooms didn't have balconies and there wouldn't have been a view if they did,We asked for a quiet room and our room overlooked the other wing of the hotel but was not on the road so we didn't have any problems with noise from traffic
Overall we had a great holiday at the Cristal Park and if we went back to Benidorm we would use this hotel again
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Adam from Manchester travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
Imperial Travel
on a singles holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2003 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I stayed here with 2 other people in my party, and my mum, sister and my neice stayed at the Monika Apartments (which is a sister hotel), both parties were on a allocation on arrival.
The hotel was nice, the rooms where spacious, and cleaned everyday.
The food however has to be the best food I have ever had in any all inclusive hotel ive ever stayed, either in 3 star or 4, and I'm a fussy eater. There was so much choice and everything was hot. Even the snack bar was good, I can still remember getting pizza, as snack bars generally always consist of chips burgers and hot dogs, but not here. I cant remember eating anything twice, it was just really good. I actually think its the hotels best asset.
The location is not bad, there is a internet cafe just down the road in a coffee bar, which I spent loads on time in. The only downside to my holiday, which wasnt the hotels fault in any way, is I didnt actually like benidorm. My parents took me to Benidorm when I was 3 years old, some 23 years ago, I cant remember much but my mum said its completely changed. I did find benidorm boring as it was out of season, which isnt actually Benidorms fault, but thats how I felt.
Every member of staff was really helpful, they checked us in really quickly, as that hotel lobby can get quite busy, as its not the biggest in the world. The only members of staff I had any problems with where the bar staff. The reason being was due to my neice, and my party being and odd number. We were only allowed to get 2 drinks at once, even when the bar wasnt busy. My neice was only 2 at the time, and obviously she cant get her own drinks, but they still made my sister go back again to get a the extra drink (meaning, for herself, my mum and my neice). The same applied to my party, as there was 3 of us, they always made you go back. I always thought this was just petty, because it even happened when there was no one queing behind you. At the Monika apartments this didnt happen, they allowed you to get 3 drinks there for some reason? but this could of been down to this Monika being virtually empty.
I actually don't remember seeing or experiencing any of the entertainment in this hotel, so I cant comment and thats the reason why I gave a 3. My sister did tell me though that the entertainment in her hotel was an old man which a keyboard, and she saw him more than once in her hotel, and she wasnt impressed. As for the Cristal park, I cant honestly can't comment.
Would I go back? Yes I think I would, but I wouldnt go back untill everything in the resort was open.
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margaret chalmers from belfast travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
direct holidays
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2002 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: i went here expecting so much more,as i have been on all inclusive holidays before,the food was absolutely terrible,raw food was laid out alongside the cooked,there was supposed to be snacks outside of meal times but all there was,was the hardened leftovers from dinner.the staff went out of their way to be ignorant at all times.the picture in the brochure showed gardens and trees out the back of the hotel,but the photo must have been taken years ago as there is nothing but concrete and workmen as far as the eye can see.there was supposed to be intertainment every night,this was partially true if you were gay or braindead as what little there was in poor taste at best.if you dont like someone i think it should be recommended to them(ultimate sickener)
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MRS K DICKIE from GLENROTHES FIFE travelled to Cristal Park Hotel with
JMC
on a family holiday.
There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2002 |
rated the Cristal Park Hotel as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Our family stayed for a week in this hotel and had a great time , so much so we staying there again in a weeks time. the staff were pleasant and friendly, the hotel was clean, rooms could do with a facelift but we did go to spend time in our rooms so this was fine.
the food was good and plentiful something for everyone i would say as a mother of a fussy child. having read some of the reports on some sites i suggest that some people should really just stay at home because they nothing but complain, eg complaining that the spanish actually have the nerve to spanish and not very good english how awful. trying to learn a few words of language of the country you are in is half of the fun. my ten year old daughter is now able to ask the basics in three languages.
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