No probs.
Kath x

Glad to hear that they've finally doing something with the harbour area - I hope they've done the railing further up from the harbour - they were so badly rusted they were hanging on by just a whisper and have been for several years now I hated walking along there with the kids for fear they'd fall against it.

The pedestrianised area sounds fantastic - I take it it starts from Crazy Corner/Pireo (just trying to visualise how it may look)?

We were in Cala Bona at the Alicia in February - our second visit adn returning next February. Glad to hear that the harbour works are almost finished. In February it was difficult to walk along that part as the works were extensive to say the least. Look forward to seeing it next year.

I don't know what problems you are having in booking the Alica but during the summer months it is only available through Portland Holidays. During the winter months you can book direct through Protur Hotels which is what we do and it is also very cheap then.

When we were there in February the hotel had only just re-opened following some refurbishment during December and January. It does seem that the hotel is close next December and January as well. The Alica was the only hotel open in February so consequently not much else was open either!! . Just a couple of minimarkets and a few small shops. It didn't bother us as the hotel offers all that you need. The hotel was also only a quarter full.

The management of the Alica changed last year which did change things a little - the previous manager had been there for a long time. Also the entertainment was not a patch on the previous March - primarily because Christine (from Belgium) was no longer there - a sad loss. Matt did his best but he was not Christine. The food was still good - breakfast being the best but there was always a good choice at dinner although not many carveries which we had had the previous year.

Obviously when the management changes in a hotel it does take a little while to get things back to normal and any changes are hopefully for the better. This is a hotel that gets many repeat bookings so time will tell. In our mind it is still the best hotel in Cala Bona - the views from the front rooms (where most of them are) is amazing.

Pippa

Hi supermum

I bet you are there now, sorry but I have not been able to access this site since my last post, don't know why. I didn't mean to worry you and would have told you so if I could have, it is still a very nice hotel, though there a few issues, but if you have never been before you wont even notice.
Have a great holiday, and say buenos noches to the bar manager Juan for me.

Garry

Hi pippa

As I stated in my previous post, I have not been able to acces the site for a few weeks, not just from my home computer, but from work as well (fuming ). I never had any intention of upsetting anyone such as supermum, and could not reply.

I totally agree that the loss of Kristina is a blow, I know only too well how hard she worked (got some great video footage of her being thrown into the pool one night), did you ever witness her bingo? It was totally hilarious, better than any bingo here, or anywhere else! And I live in Blackpool!!!

Matt is a great kid (I have got to know him quite well, he is actually one of my sources of info), he has now left the Alicia, and is working at the Bonamar, just a short stroll towards Cala Millor, and doing ok (I met up with him in May).

The other great blow, is the fact that the Alicia, will not this year be staging any of the really top acts, that are on the island. If you have ever seen acts such as, Tina Turner (Joy), Abba again, some tremendous magic acts, and such like, sadly they won't be there this year, there just isn't the funding.

It is still a fabulous hotel and they now have an a la carte restaurant, looks very nice (we had a sneaky peek). though not tried it yet.

Garry

Hi all

anybody know of the whereabouts of Joaquin Garcia, and his wife (a Geordie girl), who used to have the "Bar La Musica", situated at the back of the Smugglers bar, on the back street, in Cala Bona?

I know it has been demolished and there is a new development being built in its place (I was there in May). Any help would be appreciated here, as I am trying to find out for a very good friend, who knew them really well, and want to get in touch.

Garry

Pippa,

further to your previous post :-

Yes this WAS the best hotel, maybe on the island, but they have lost too much. The two best receptionists have gone(opened a boutique in Palma), the two best waiters have gone (one has gone back to mainland Spain, with his young family(Fernando), the other has gone truck-driving(Miguel)), the two best entertainers (Kristina, the Belgian one, has gone who knows where, I will find out!!), Matt as I have said is now at the Bonamar, there is still Juan and Angel on the bar, but they can only do so much (great guys by the way).

The other main problem is the fact that the last manager was also a director of the protur company, in fact they are two brothers, the previous manager(a director), has now retired, so they appointed a new manager. Where the previous manager had on open cheque book for entertainment, the current one does not!

It turns out that where last year, they were spending about five to six thousand euros a week on entertainment, this year they will be lucky to spend three. Consequently the entertainment is not as good, as you would expect, they are not going to get the top acts, when we were there in May, they had some Russian tumblers, three quiz nights, and a poor singer. A far cry from the entertainment over the last three years that we have been there (and we are Protur club members!).

We will probably go back one day, but when you see a really good hotel go into decline it is sad, and I do understand you have to make money, but you have to draw the line, at what point do you save money, and at what point do you make money. You do not make money by making big cuts, you do not cut your nose off to spite your face, sadly this appears what the Alicia is doing.

They need a direction

Garry

Tisonlymoi

Yeah it really is superb, from Shauns crazy cuts, all the way to the end of the harbour, loads of stainless steel, looks really good. The kids would be very safe, believe me, and it is fantastic.

Garry

hi garry

firstly let me say that i also agree that matt is a great guy !!! i should know i have just returned from the bonamar on saturday !!!
secondly yes they have cut costs on the entertainment at the protour hotels but the first week we was out there the alicia DID have the abba tribute band playing !!!!
on our last night which was friday the bonamar had the super supreems playing which are 3 sisters from south africa and the hotel rocked from the minute they came on stage to the minute they finished !!!

why not try watching the guys doing there "grease night" or "magic music nights" FANTASTIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we will be returning next year to the bonamar great hotel !!!!

lou x

Lou

I totally agree,

what they do is superb, especially with the budget they have, nothing!!!!!!!

Yes I have seen the Grease night, and the Magic Music night, they work sooooooooo hard.
I am so glad you have seen the Abba tribute band, aren't they good? Bet you thought you were watching the real thing??

Garry

Hi Garry

It sounds FAB (the pedestrianised harbour) and I can't wait to see it (only 25 more sleeps till I do).

hi tis

the harbour is great and very pretty !

they have a carousel there which is lovely and the cala bona hotel has loads of tables and chairs to sit on and to have one of their lovely cocktails !!!

great way to watch the world go by !!!!

lou x

Hi Lou

Carousel as in a horsie going up and down as it goes round type of carousel?

Oooooooooh - sounds ACE. I want to be there NOWWWWWWWW! I really can't wait to see it all - don't suppose you took any piccies?????

If not I'll just have to contain myself for 25 days - you just know the minute we get to the apartments we'll be going straight out for me to have a look at the harbour don't you!

Garry, when I was in Cala Bona in May I saw the owners of La Musica virtually every day on the harbour area more often having a drink on the terrace of the Cala Bona Hotel. everyone was stopping and having a word with them, I bet the staff at the hotel know there wherabouts, I did hear they had retired with the money from the land sale. Wish I was going back to Cala Bona instead of Santa Ponsa in 50 sleeps!

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the info about the Alicia. Yes, we did witness Kristina and the bingo in March 2005 - absolutely hilarious!!

We have booked to go back February 2007 - will be interesting to see what entertainment there is then bearing in mind the hotel only re-opens a couple of days previosuly after being closed for December.January.

Because we only go in the winter months we don't see any of the big acts. Having said that though last year there was a superb singer - can't remember his name - wore a white suit and had long hair - he was really great - wasn't there this year though. This year we had the Russian act (they were actually very good) a couple of singing drag queens - not our cup of tea at all - too much getting the audience involved and very near the knuckle at times - we wondered why several people made a quick exit as soon as they came on - we too made a fairly hasty exit as soon as we could. I felt that this type of entertainment was more for the likes of hotels in say Palma Nova/Magaluf and didn't do the Protur name justice. Each to their own though I suppose.

I am glad to see that the Alicia is still getting mostly good reviews - at least the food standard doesn't seem to have suffered too much.

So Matt has now gone to the Bonamar - that hotel gets good reviews too - do you have any experience of it?

Pippa

According to my mum Kristina has gone to the Atalanya (?), if that is the correct spelling. Mum and her friend have been going to Cala Bona for the past 15 years and would never holiday anywhere else. They have stayed at the Bonamar most of those years, but have also stayed at the Alicia 3 times. They are wanting to go back to the Bonamar next year, but apparently the price difference between the Bonamar and Alicia for next year mean that they may have to go back to the Alicia - over £350 difference in price for the both of them for the end of May/beginning of June, which are the 2 weeks they always go.

hi claire (tis)

sorry haven't got ant photos of the harbour due to first night forgot the camera and second night the batteries for digital camera ran out !! typical isn't it !!!

yes it is a horse carousel ( not real horses !!!! )

jillc

kristina is not at the atalaya hotel !!!
there are 2 entertainers at the atalaya hotel ihan and antonia although they are both leaving in a couple of weeks time to go back to germany !!!

pippa

i have just returned from 2 weeks at the bonamar if i can help you !!!!

lou x

Hi calabonagirl

Thanks for that I will pass on the info, but I will also make enquiries when we go back to Cala Bona in September, I will ask at the Cala Bona, there are enough english speaking people there, I might even try a little spanish, who knows.

Garry

Hi pippa

the only experience I have of the Bonamar is that we had a couple of days there in May, which is where we met Matt again (we had heard that he may have been working there), he managed to get me involved in a couple of games there too, as I recall. Though I think that was only so we could have a chat, about what had been going on with the Alicia, and him, and Kristina.

I simply cannot fault the food at the Alicia, it is superb, as is everything about the place, though we could not get in there in May this year, and went to the Cala Bona, bad mistake!!

We have previously stayed at the Cala Bona, and thought it was great, then we went to the Alicia, what a difference.

One small point though, the drag queens, if you had stayed to watch the whole act, it wasn't that crude, we found them really funny, not in the least bit offensive (and we have seen them twice now), but the transformation at the end is just out of this world. Once the wigs come off, along with the dresses, and then the makeup, before your very eyes, they are transformed into very ordinary looking blokes. It is a bit scary, but I suppose not to everyones taste.

Garry