First Choice www.firstchoice.co.uk Review

Overall Rating

Food was good and plentiful. Good position for beach. Hotel was clean and grounds pleasant.

Weddings took first place. When I arrived with 3 of my grandchildren aged 6, 14 and 15 well after midnight I was allocated a temporary room for 3 of us just for the one night. I had booked 2 rooms, a single for my 15 year old grandson and a family 3 bedded room for the rest of us. But it was not available until the following day. Obviuously they had allocated our rooms to members of a wedding party. We had nothing to eat or drink on arrival and could not unpack as we were moving the next morning.
My 6 year old grandaughter received a bill from Adams Beach Hotel after the 1st week saying that she had gone over her limit of 200 pounds, however, as I pointed out to them I had booked 2 rooms and I, the grandmother, not my 6 year old grand daughter was the lead contact and was entitled to a credit of 400 pounds because I was paying for 2 rooms. The last straw came on the last day, we were being picked up at 10 pm by the Thomson coach. Naturally we went into dinner on the last evening only to be told that we would have to pay for our dinner. Neeedless to say we did not stay in the Hotel for our meal - turned left out of the hotel and found a very good restaurant for dinner. I had presumed that as I had booked half board and we were not leaving the hotel until 10 pm we were entitled to dinner. Plus the fact that we had absolutely nothing upon our arrival - not even offered a glass of water !!! The booking was made in AUGUST 2006. On arrival in Adams Beach Hotel at 01.00hrs in the morning with 3 tired children I was informed that the hotel was full (ALBEIT I HAD BOOKED ALMOST ONE YEAR EARLIER) and we had been allocated alternative rooms for one night. (I can only assume that a wedding had been booked and they decided to use our rooms!) OK, I went along with that as it was late, but when we went up to the rooms there were only two beds in the room to be occupied by me and my 2 grandchildren. The room for my eldest grandson was OK and it was adjacent. I had to return to reception and ask for a third bed to be put into my room which was done eventually. Naturally, we were told not to unpack as we would be moving the next day to alternative accommodation! HOWEVER, once we were moved to our supposedly correct/prebooked accommodation, once again the room for my eldest grandson adjacent to mine was fine, but my room still only had twin beds whereas I needed 3. I went to reception and asked them to put in another bed and remove 2 armchairs and coffee table otherwise we would not be able to move in the room. The third bed was installed but instead of removing the furniture in the bedroom the furniture on the balcony was removed!! Eventually I removed the excess bedroom furniture to the balcony myself. All in all, this was not a bargain holiday so I expected greater attention to detail in view of the price I paid. This was not the end of the saga. I did not see the First Choice rep (all 3 children too tired and could not wake up on first morning) and never found her/him later in the week when I was there. I was fairly happy with location and facilities at hotel.
HOWEVER, after staying five days at the hotel I found a letter pushed under the door of my room addressed to Miss Rose C. Entwistle (my 6 year old granddaughter) - asking her to contact Reception at her earliest convenience! It emerged that they wanted paying for meals etc. charged to my room/s. Apparently there is a limit of pounds 200 per room. For a start I was paying for 2 rooms and my granddaughter was NOT responsible for payment of charges incurred at the hotel. FINALLY, on our departure (pick up from the hotel at 10 p.m.) I was told that I was not entitled to an evening meal which surprised me very much. I had upgraded from bed and breakfast to half board and assumed that the last dinner would have been included. All in all, I am very disillusioned with First Choice holidays " in the past I have dealt mainly with Thomson and been very satisfied but after this episode will be thinkiong again. I am afraid your company needs to address some of these problems. I understand that I was not the only one to have been made to accept alternative accommodation on arrival..

Doubt I would book with the company again. Especially as I did noeven receive an apology.