"We've just spent a week at Binmar from 25 August til 1 September. We booked a all inclusive package deal with Jet2.
This is our first all inclusive with children and our first in 13 years.
The resort itself is well laid out. Very clean and tidy with staff out multiple times a day cleaning.
All staff were so friendly and a big shout out to:
The reception staff who got us checked in smoothly and me and extra key when I buy accident left it in the room.
The bar staff who served us so well with all our drinks and always had a smile on their faces.
To the catering staff who were cooking in heat and providing us with so many meals with such an amazing range of options.
To the staff working in the restaurants who kept the restaurants clean, tidy and well stocked! We appreciate all the hard work you out on throughout the day!
To the housekeeping team who kept us stocked up with toilet rolls, fresh towns and bedding.
To the maintenance teams who kept the resort clean tidy and looking it's best as well as cleaning the pools and pool areas. You all were working away keeping the site going as we all enjoyed our stay!
The entertainment team who provided shows each evening, fun games throughout the day for both adults and children!
Each and every member of staff going above and beyond the resort wouldn't run as smoothly as it does.
A big shout out to Yoma at the bar who was always so friendly, helpful and chatty.
Another big shout out to Ruben who is part of the entertainment team and full of so much energy getting stuck in and getting everyone involved especially when doing the pool mat! His enthusiasm and passion to getting everyone joining in!
Rooms:
The apartments consist of a lounge with kitchenette and dining table. A sofa that turns into two single beds. A bathroom and a bedroom.
Two wardrobes. Two beside tablets. Lots of hanging areas and storage.
The kitchenette has a microwave, single hob, fridge and kettle.
Bathroom has a hairdryer. The downside is the shower needs to run for 10 minutes before warm water comes through.
The beds are comfortable and bedding all provided.
The Aircon unit is ideal for hot days and can be placed in a timer.
House keeping were fantastic. They helped keep the apartment going stocking us up with fresh towels, soaps and toilet rolls.
The only thing missing was washing up liquid to clean cups! The rooms could do with a bit of a update.
We had a a ground floor apartment backing into the main pool. It was a great location. The balcony has a gate and sectioned off so you can keep children in.The only warning is when it rains it's very sandy so try and remember to bring in swimwear and towels we forgot one night and everything was red and sandy.
There is also a table and chairs provided which when we first arrived was inside the apartment.
Food:
There were two buffet restaurants for most our stay. One by the main bar and one by reception.
In the evening both restaurants had a different themed night each evening but you can still get other food all the time round.
The one reception does snacks during the day for all inclusive.
Every day it was different but you can easily make a lunch up. For example there was salads, meats , sandwiches, chips , battered fish, chicken burgers, burgers, hot dog, rolls ect.
The reception one from 31 August no longer did breakfast and dinner and only done snacks. I'm not sure if this is a permanent change or seasonal as we move into September.
The bar one we only ate at a few times but again has such a range of food available. The best meal I had was roast dinner on the Sunday lunchtime it was amazing!
There's wine on tap , plus hot drinks, fruit drinks, water and fizzy at both places.
You can easily have different food every day without it getting a same old same old. Likewise if you want the same thing or have fussy eaters there will also be stuff they can have same and same again. The range of food is just crazy.
Breakfast are just like a premier inn breakfast. If your familiar with nines lunch and dinner is like that.
Evenings themes were Asian, American, Italian, Spanish, Mediterranean
The food was always delicious, fresh and full of flavour. We always ate when they had just opened.
A big thank you to the chefs cooking and the staff cleaning and keeping the areas tidy clean and well stocked.
Bars:
Bars wise you have a main bar next to the children's splash bar they do wine, cocktails, spirits, hot drinks, fruit juices, water, fizzy and ice pops all inclusive. Plus ciders and other drinks which are extra.
The bar by the pool doesn't do wine or cocktails it only does spiders, water, fizzy, fruit juices and hot drinks.
Ice cream at the bars are extra but you can get ice cream scoops at an additional cost. (You can also get ice cream at the buffet restaurants and pots of ice cream at the snack restaurant).
Activities and Entertainment:
Entertainment they have lots on offer from shows to bingo to children activities. The highlight was the Michael Jackson evening it was spectacular!
There are pool activities such as water football, volley ball, aqua aerobics and walking across the mat.
They also have a kids club which we didn't use and multi sport pitch and play park.
Shop:
There is a super market on site which is fantastically priced. The lady on the till was always happy smiley and friendly.
There's food, drinks, snacks, inflatable, swimwear, toys ect.
There are also so many shops a couple of minute walk from the site.
Pools:
Sunbeds are locked up until about 9.15am. I can't think of anything worse then run for sunbeds we didn't and managed to get sunbeds every day. There are signs everywhere about not putting towels down to reserve the beds but theses were ignored.
There are 3 pools. The pools are open 10am til 7pm. Personally we could have done with them opening at 9am the children had breakfast and were ready and keen to get in the water. Some days the netting was removed early and we were in the pool about 9:30am that's at your own risk with no lifeguard on duty.
Main one with a children pool on the side. The pool was warm despite not being heated and has a bar.
Splash pool is next to the main bar. Again warm in August.
The quiet pool is further along and has no bar. But has a big pool and a smaller children's pool. Again was lovely and warm in August.
All have sun beds around them and chairs. They have a lifeguard at each of them between 10 and 7pm.
You can take inflatable, sinkers ect or buy them from the shop on site.
The pools are well cared for cleaned daily and around the pools are cleaned multiple times.
Waterpark:
We included the water park as part of our package. The water park is about a 10 minute walk from the resort and a really easy walk.
The water park is smaller than we expected but still kept the children entertained.
There's a under 12 area with smaller slides and shallow.
A big pool that is different depths.
A jacuzzi style pool. Two slides within that pool. And another smaller area fenced off.
There are 4 big slides with ages restrictions. My 9 year old was a good head over the restrictions. Two slides you can just go down. One slide is a single ring and another is a double ring.
Sometimes you need to wait for rings but it moves quickly.
Locally:
Locally around the hotel there are many supermarkets and shops, lots of restaurants and some great beach cove areas. It's definitely worth exploring the area. Jet 2 also had excursions available to go on too.
There's a beach just put the back on the site to the left. It's rocky going down and it's a very small cove. The cove is gorgeous and so perfectly blue. There is sunbeds to hire plus a little cafe to buy drinks ect at.
There lots of places to watch the sunset from which is spectacular. We also went to Pont d’en Gi another cove but this is not accessible to access water and was very rocky and it's just a viewing place. Id recommend wearing trainers and be careful as it's just sheer drops but the view is breathtaking.
Negatives:
One downside which again is nothing on the hotel but the first few days each pool was closed at different points all day due to people pooing in the pool. Swim nappies are a must or going to the toilet it was really frustrating it was 31 degrees and pools closed off. This happened 4/7 days. The resort did all they could to clean the pools and get them opened as quickly as possible this also included at one point emptying the main pool and refilling it.
Another downside was Children being left in the splash park whilst parents were on sunbeds at other pools. We had a small group for children aged around 7-9 going around smacking and clawing other children using the cxxt word and other foul language. The parent left them with older children in charge who only encouraged it. Toddlers use this pool and don't need to hear it. Thankfully they seemed to have left on the Thursday and it was a much more pleasant stay.
However bar the very small minority 99% of everyone else we interacted with were all lovely friendly and had good banter.
The last downside was people laying towels on sunbeds at each pool so they could go between each pool when they wanted which meant some sun beds sat empty all day with towels on. If people just took the towels off and moved along as they wanted to move then sunbeds would be free for people who were actually using the area. Also many families put towels down and disappeared to the aqua park and off resort for the day returning using the sunbed for a hour before going.
It's also worth noting a small handful would come down to the pools to claim a sunbed as early as 6.30am! Most days they don't unchain the beds until 9.30am -10am so many had a 3 hour wait. It's really unnecessary so don't worry if you see people doing that we went for breakfast sometimes walked to the beach came back and still managed to get sunbeds in a good position.
Over all though the stay was amazing we loved it. The food was great, the apartment clean and tidy. Friendly staff who made sure everyone was enjoying their trip. A great range of activities and facilities on site and lots to do locally.
Unfortunately on our return flight my youngest child became very sick and ended up needing hospital support on landing they think he has gastroenteritis picked up whilst away but is under going more tests."
