Globales Palmanova Palace

Had a great week away for my mum’s birthday. The best part was the hard work and dedication of the animation team- Andrea, Jessica, Julienne. The bar staff are so hard working- Luna, Gonzales, Cissi. Everyone works so hard so recommend.

I am not somebody who complains easily, but this is genuinely one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed at, and our whole family was relieved to leave. Booked through TUI as a 4-star all-inclusive for a group of 8 including three children. Mis-sold on multiple fronts. Children's facilities There aren't any. The hotel was advertised with a kids' club. TUI have since admitted in writing that this was an error on their website, and confirmed no kids' club exists at this hotel or the sister hotel next door. The hotel's own website promises "a jam-packed entertainment schedule the whole family will enjoy." The weekly activities board is entirely adult pursuits, stretching, pilates, aquagym, darts, boules. Not one children's activity across the whole week. My 4-year-old had nothing to do for seven days. This is not a family hotel, whatever it was sold as. Pool The main pool is the smallest I have ever seen at an all-inclusive hotel. On one occasion the animation team ran water polo, taking up the entire shallow end, and asked the children to get out of the pool to make room. The only children's water facility is a rooftop splash pool that is 50cm deep and often full of adults. The advertised al fresco pool bar is permanently closed, cobwebbed and abandoned. Reception confirmed this when asked. Food Hit and miss at best, and rarely hot, nearly always lukewarm. Out of seven days there were perhaps two where the food was decent. The buffet regularly featured things like dogfish, unlabelled paella, and lamb stew full of bones with no labelling to warn you. My 4-year-old ate virtually nothing the entire holiday as the food simply didn't cater to young children. My 10-year-old survived largely on chips and bread and butter. Not what you expect from a 4-star all-inclusive. Drinks and bar Limited. White rum only, no spiced or honey rum. The token system for drinks is a faff. The ice cream fridge was padlocked for most of the week, finally stocked on the last day, and the ice creams are not included in the all-inclusive. You pay extortionate prices per item. The advertised al fresco pool bar is closed. Drinks at the bar generally were limited in range. Entertainment Non-existent during the day. In the evenings it starts at 20:30, fine if you don't have young children, but too late for a 4-year-old. The quiz host was one of the most grating I have ever come across. He called losing teams losers and asked guests to honk like donkeys to answer questions. Possibly fine for drunk adults on a lads' holiday, not remotely appropriate when you're there with children. The rest of the entertainment was music and a pre-show, the same every night. Rooms Basic and cramped for three people. Air conditioning worked but never got as cold as we'd have liked, particularly at the end of May. At check-in we had cleanliness issues including a cockroach and rooms that had not been properly prepared before arrival. Staff A genuine mixed bag. The restaurant staff were lovely, warm and attentive throughout the week, and the bar staff were fine. Reception, however, were consistently rude and unhelpful. When I asked about local markets nearby I was told there weren't any. I found several easily with a quick online search. During a formal complaint process they were deflective and obstructive at every turn. Location The one genuinely positive thing. Shops, bars and restaurants are within easy walking distance. Worth knowing though that the beach is a 13-minute walk, around 1km, not the "250 metres" advertised by TUI. Overall I do not complain lightly, and this review has been difficult to write because of how much I was looking forward to this holiday. But every member of our family was glad to leave, and I would not wish this experience on another family who books here expecting what is advertised. Look elsewhere if you are travelling with children.

Andrea in animation was really brilliant, really makes a big effort getting everyone involved in all activities, he's speaks many languages which is rare, he really made a big difference to our holiday, this young guy was fantastic

All was great, I totally recommend

Cool expérience with my friends, good animation