First time abroad - just read bad report on apartments!!

WestieFan

All you experienced travellers out there............ help!!

After months of looking forward to our first family foreign holiday (been saving for years!), I have just read a review of the apartments I am going to. (I know, I should have done it before i booked but I didn't know about these review then). There are a few okay ones but the last two or three reviews are really bad, saying things like evidence of doors and windows being forced etc.

I am now really worried. Having never been on a package holiday before, I am not sure what to expect or what I should do if the apartments are really gross.

We are also arriving at about 2 am so maybe there won't be many people around. Any advice please? I really don't want this to be a bad experience.
:shocked:

cheekymole

where are you going and which apmts maybe somebody here has been and could put your mind at ease?

scheming_gypsy

There may be evidence of doors and windows being forced, possibly more than one report but those reports could have all been on the same room. Not just by somebody trying to rob them but somebody who's mate has got lucky and gone back to hers taking their key with them.
Even if it was forced to rob the room it could have been 2 / 3 / 4 years ago and not repaired.

budgetflyer

Look at the reviews objectively. Some people are never happy. Ive stayed in several places that had bad and good reviews. When I got there they were fine. Some people pay £99 pw. and expect the Dorchester.
Go with an open mind,enjoy yourself

hammy_the_hammer

i've seen reviews of hotels in spain where british people are moaning that there were spanish people staying there. i rest my case

pickledtink

I'd second that. Many people just don't adapt well to being somewhere other than home and in a situation where they have to share space with other people. Some of the negative reviews I've seen have been pretty unreasonable.
Take earplugs so when you want to sleep other peoples noise or music etc doesn't make it impossible. Keep your valueables in either your room safe or the hotel safe. There's always some option available. If you do have any problems you need to address with staff do it politely and pleasantly. It's not personally their fault and you are far likelier to get a room/apartment change or something fixed that way.
Have a great holiday!

pickledtink

hammy_the_hammer wrote:

i've seen reviews of hotels in spain where british people are moaning that there were spanish people staying there. i rest my case

We must read the same reviews. My favourite was the one ( in Spain) complaining that the hotel didn't have any proper British food and was catering for foreigners. No proper fry up for breakfast just croissants, eggs, ham and cheese! Tut tut....

pompeyrich

As already said, some people expect TOO much and then complain about any little thing.
I think, in general, not just regarding holidays, people are quick to complain if things go wrong, or arent what they expected and rightly so but if everything is fine they are less inclined to comment, which is a shame. If we have a good holiday, I always make a point of contacting the villa owner, tour operator or whoever to thank them for their part in our holiday and most seem really pleased to have some nice feedback.

WestieFan

Thanks for comments folks.

I was really pressing the panic button there but have calmed down since reading your posts. Still laughing at people complaining that Spain is full of foreigners! I just hope it was folk like that who were writing the review.

I know they are not the best apartments, we are on a strict budget, but clean and basic will do me. And, I will be happy if there are 'foreigners' around and 'foreign food' to sample, after all, that's why I'm going abroad, for goodness sake!

Woby_Tide

take any review with a pinch of salt, discard the best ones and the worst ones, look for the middle ground, if the consensus is positive you should be fine. You can get hours of entertainment afterwards reading what other people thought like above i.e. too many "foreigners", people not speaking english, too hot, no British food, road signs in a foreign language etc

Lady_E

pompeyrich wrote:

As already said, some people expect TOO much and then complain about any little thing.
I think, in general, not just regarding holidays, people are quick to complain if things go wrong, or arent what they expected and rightly so but if everything is fine they are less inclined to comment, which is a shame. If we have a good holiday, I always make a point of contacting the villa owner, tour operator or whoever to thank them for their part in our holiday and most seem really pleased to have some nice feedback.

We do this as well and it has paid off . Last time after coming back from Ireland ,we decided to book again for this year, we wrote and email complimenting the owners on their superb property/location and asking to book for this year , and we got a discount! We certainly didnt expect that , but they obviously took pride in their property and wanted us to enjoy it again .