# Off to Son Antem on Friday



## MALC9990 (Jun 17, 2013)

It's June and so it's Son Antem time again. Two weeks of hot sun and Sangria plus some grills and a bit of sight seeing. There will be twelve of us in 3 Villas for two weeks this year - much Cava will be consumed.


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## Pompey Family (Jun 17, 2013)

Enjoy and try and bring some sun back to the South Coast please.


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## cwtkm3 (Jun 17, 2013)

Thought I'd chime in too!

We're off to Playa Andaluza on Sat followed by week 2 at MMBR. Can't wait. Just hubbie and me, leaving the kids at home!

Interestingly enough I tried to do do a request first with PA so we could have both weeks at MMBR - didn't happen although I pulled the request about 6 weeks ago.  I'm now pleased to be visiting both home resorts even though we have to move.

Mal - I am trying to convince my husband that we need to start using a BA Amex card to take advantage of Avios but he feels very strongly about having to pay so much in taxes (although I never hear him complaining when we're in business).  Do you think the £150 fee is worth it?  Are you always successful in achieving your business flight plus companion?  I can't see us putting out weeks into MRP anymore due to such heavy maintenance costs. Thanks for any input.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 17, 2013)

cwtkm3 said:


> Thought I'd chime in too!
> 
> We're off to Playa Andaluza on Sat followed by week 2 at MMBR. Can't wait. Just hubbie and me, leaving the kids at home!
> 
> ...



BA AVIOS are only of real value if you use them for premium class travel - in Business or First. The worst thing to do is to use them for Economy seats since the taxes are nearly always the major part of the fare - thanks to our governments misguided tax policies regarding air travel. APD plus BA's Fuel surcharge make it not cost effective to use AVIOS for economy seats and premium economy seats are very scarce for AVIOS anyway.

The BA Premium AMEX card is worth the annual fee of £150 providing you have the flexibility to travel when and where seats are available to use the voucher. It can only be used on BA flights (not code shares) and to maximise the benefit we always use ours in F and plan well in advance - you need to be ready to book the outward flight as soon as the availability shows up for your desired destination(s) at 355 days ahead when BA release seat availability. Keep looking online at BA.COM every morning. If you are tied to school holidays then the whole thing can get very difficult.

Since you can use AVIOS and a 2-4-1 voucher to book one way - I always book the outbound as soon as I see the flight available and then when I see the return availability appear I book the return by calling BA and amending the reservation to add the return flight. This incurs a change fee but it is worth it to get the flights.

Around that time I will be booking my TS weeks - usually we use our 2-4-1 to go to Phuket Beach Club and I search for BA flights to Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. I can then add regional flights to Phuket once I have my BA flights secured and my TS weeks booked.

If F or CW availability is not there I book WT+ and then continue searching for CW or F seats right up to the departure dates and if better seats appear on flights that suit I can amend the booking and pay the associated costs.

For 2014 I first secured the outbound flight to HKG in F and then the return a month later in WT+. About a month later I amended the return to F when F seats appeared. So for 2014 we have F returns to HKG with BA and will fly from HKG to Phuket with Thai Air. 

Cost of taxes and fuel surcharge for the return to Hong Kong with BA in F was about £1300 + 180,000 AVIOS. This is a major saving over the cost of F tickets and still much cheaper than paying for CW or WT+. WT seats would be about that price.

So for me it is worth the £150 pa for the card - so much so that I recommended one for my wife and we have two cards and get two voucher per year.

I usually pay my MFs with mine.

You also have to pay any fees to BA with the AMEX card also.


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## Pompey Family (Jun 17, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> Cost of taxes and fuel surcharge for the return to Hong Kong with BA in F was about £1300 + 180,000 AVIOS. This is a major saving over the cost of F tickets and still much cheaper than paying for CW or WT+. WT seats would be about that price.



Wow!  That's a fantastic price unfortunately having two young kids we're tied to school holidays plus we'd probably not be able to accumulate enough points for all of us to fly first.  That's probably the reason I've seen kids sitting alone in economy whilst their parents are in business/first.  I must admit that we've spoilt our kids by travelling business to Europe and they've got used to the BA lounge but this year we're flying Virgin Upper Class to Chicago so they're going to hate going back to economy.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 17, 2013)

Pompey Family said:


> Wow!  That's a fantastic price unfortunately having two young kids we're tied to school holidays plus we'd probably not be able to accumulate enough points for all of us to fly first.  That's probably the reason I've seen kids sitting alone in economy whilst their parents are in business/first.  I must admit that we've spoilt our kids by travelling business to Europe and they've got used to the BA lounge but this year we're flying Virgin Upper Class to Chicago so they're going to hate going back to economy.



Once you introduce more than two people into the equation things get very difficult very quickly, add school holidays into that equation and the possibilities for success get real hard.

We've given up paying for BA Club Europe. What you get for what you pay is so poor - we now fly Easyjet to Majorca - I really do not want to have to travel all the way to London City to fly off on Holiday and with a Friday Check-in date that is what BA offer and really early in the morning as well - so we will have a midday departure from Gatwick, with valet parking and a glass of champagne at the sea food bar - take our own food on the plane and enjoy the flight.


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## Cmore (Jun 17, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> It's June and so it's Son Antem time again. Two weeks of hot sun and Sangria plus some grills and a bit of sight seeing. There will be twelve of us in 3 Villas for two weeks this year - much Cava will be consumed.



Have a great time, and update us on the situation with the new hotel management.  I always appreciate reading your informative responses to various postings.  Especially your knowledge of Phuket, etc.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 17, 2013)

Cmore said:


> Have a great time, and update us on the situation with the new hotel management.  I always appreciate reading your informative responses to various postings.  Especially your knowledge of Phuket, etc.



A thorough inspection of the hotel is high on the agenda. I am even thinking of playing the "potential paying guest card" and asking the front desk manager to show me a room and some of the facilities. We usually aim to have a few drinks in the hotel bar on a few evening and general tour around the hotel will give me some idea of how things are.

I'm looking forward to this visit as there will be many people there who we know well. Over the years we have found that these last two weeks of the Gold Season are really popular with the same group of owners that we have met and all become great friends. So much so that I have already booked a lunch on Sunday 30th June for 12. This will be special as it is our 40th wedding anniversary. 10 years ago we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary at Son Antem in the Hotel and purchased our first two weeks Marriott TS as a gift to ourselves. No danger of that happening this time !!:hysterical:!!

I will report back during our stay and try loading some pictures but I'll only have my iPad with me so that will be a challenge.


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## bazzap (Jun 17, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> Once you introduce more than two people into the equation things get very difficult very quickly, add school holidays into that equation and the possibilities for success get real hard.
> 
> We've given up paying for BA Club Europe. What you get for what you pay is so poor - we now fly Easyjet to Majorca - I really do not want to have to travel all the way to London City to fly off on Holiday and with a Friday Check-in date that is what BA offer and really early in the morning as well - so we will have a midday departure from Gatwick, with valet parking and a glass of champagne at the sea food bar - take our own food on the plane and enjoy the flight.


The other advantage for me now with Easyjet in Europe is pre-booking the extra legroom for a small premium to guarantee avoiding the contortion exercises with my long legs!
I agree the cost and convenience makes this an easy decision compared to using BA.
In  fact, the only times any of the major national airlines offer us a real  benefit for European business class flights is when they are on the  first hop of a long haul route and you get the full comfort and service  that comes with it.


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## Pompey Family (Jun 18, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> We've given up paying for BA Club Europe. What you get for what you pay is so poor - we now fly Easyjet to Majorca - I really do not want to have to travel all the way to London City to fly off on Holiday and with a Friday Check-in date that is what BA offer and really early in the morning as well - so we will have a midday departure from Gatwick, with valet parking and a glass of champagne at the sea food bar - take our own food on the plane and enjoy the flight.



I agree, BA business class to Spain is poor.  We mainly fly to Rome as we can't get enough of it and because it's still a business oriented route the flight times are good and they fly from Heathrow.

Travelling to Spain or France I just use Flybe from Southampton.  Being only 20 minutes to the airport and with such a short flight I can put up with the tight legroom and no food.  There is a lounge at Southampton but I've never used it and can't imagine it being worth paying the extra for.

The one airline I refuse to travel with is Ryanair.  Did it once and vowed never to repeat it.


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## bazzap (Jun 18, 2013)

I can only imagine we have been very lucky, but the two times we have flown with Ryanair (because they were the only airline offering the routes to France we needed) flights were on time and we managed to get the emergency exit seats both ways.
Perhaps we should try Southampton again? Last time we flew Flybe from there to Rennes to visit my sister it was extortiaty expensive for such a short flight and the car parking cost even more than Heathrow!


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## JonP (Jun 18, 2013)

We are off to Son Antem four weeks on Sunday for our much anticipated annual two week visit.  Like Malc, we have meet up with many owners who always visit the same two weeks.  I will certainly miss our late night tipple at the hotel bar!  It is a wonderful resort and I hope MVCI will use the hotel management change to their advantage by delivering an even better experience for owners.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 18, 2013)

JonP said:


> We are off to Son Antem four weeks on Sunday for our much anticipated annual two week visit.  Like Malc, we have meet up with many owners who always visit the same two weeks.  I will certainly miss our late night tipple at the hotel bar!  It is a wonderful resort and I hope MVCI will use the hotel management change to their advantage by delivering an even better experience for owners.



Late night drinks at La Finca will probably be our option rather than the hotel. Perhaps now there might be some action on the old farmhouse next door to develop it as a restaurant/bar. Just needs a lot of finance.

Watch this thread for some feedback as of next week.


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## Pompey Family (Jun 18, 2013)

bazzap said:


> I can only imagine we have been very lucky, but the two times we have flown with Ryanair (because they were the only airline offering the routes to France we needed) flights were on time and we managed to get the emergency exit seats both ways.
> Perhaps we should try Southampton again? Last time we flew Flybe from there to Rennes to visit my sister it was extortiaty expensive for such a short flight and the car parking cost even more than Heathrow!



We flew Ryanair to Mallorca but having never flown with them before we were unaware of the 'first come first served' approach to seating.  Consequently we were pretty much last on board and none of the solo passengers were willing to move from their window seat to allow our two children (3 & 5 at the time) to sit next to one of their parents.  Ultimately the cabin crew had to demand a couple of selfish and disgruntled passengers to move.  I then can't face the whole sell, sell, sell approach throughout the flight.

You're right about parking at Southampton, a horrendous rip off.  We usually get a taxi or my dad drives us but I would never park my car there.  We've flown to Paris for £70 and flights to Malaga this Easter were just over £100 each.  Not as cheap as Easyjet but factor in transport costs and hassle getting to a more distant airport I'm happy to pay the extra.


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## heatherw (Jun 18, 2013)

Hey Malc,
Enjoy your trip, I am very envious! We love going there but as an experiment we have cashed for vacation points this year. Not sure how we will use them yet though.

Also  I was very interested in your Avios info - we have, for the first time, used Avios to book a premium economy flight back from LA ( our trip to newport is in sep) - unfortunately didn't have enough mile/points for first class, so used the rest for car hire. These miles have been accumlating since forever from old credit cards.

How many airmiles do you get with the BA Amex when spending?
Heather


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## MALC9990 (Jun 18, 2013)

heatherw said:


> Hey Malc,
> Enjoy your trip, I am very envious! We love going there but as an experiment we have cashed for vacation points this year. Not sure how we will use them yet though.
> 
> Also  I was very interested in your Avios info - we have, for the first time, used Avios to book a premium economy flight back from LA ( our trip to newport is in sep) - unfortunately didn't have enough mile/points for first class, so used the rest for car hire. These miles have been accumlating since forever from old credit cards.
> ...



The AVIOS from spend on the BA premium Amex is only 3 per Pound spent with BA and 1.5 per pound spent elsewhere. So not amazing but still a help. The most significant benefit is the voucher for spending £10,000 in the year.

However if you do want one - I can recommend you and you will get 1000 Avios immediately and then a further 25,000 once you have spent £3000 in 3 months.

This current offer ends 31st July.

I also exchange a couple of my Son Antem Weeks for this year for DC points plus my silver Playa week and have used them for a trip to Frenchman's Cove and Crystal Shores later this year.


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## bazzap (Jun 18, 2013)

Pompey Family said:


> We flew Ryanair to Mallorca but having never flown with them before we were unaware of the 'first come first served' approach to seating.  Consequently we were pretty much last on board and none of the solo passengers were willing to move from their window seat to allow our two children (3 & 5 at the time) to sit next to one of their parents.  Ultimately the cabin crew had to demand a couple of selfish and disgruntled passengers to move.  I then can't face the whole sell, sell, sell approach throughout the flight.
> 
> You're right about parking at Southampton, a horrendous rip off.  We usually get a taxi or my dad drives us but I would never park my car there.  We've flown to Paris for £70 and flights to Malaga this Easter were just over £100 each.  Not as cheap as Easyjet but factor in transport costs and hassle getting to a more distant airport I'm happy to pay the extra.


Yes, I know exactly what you mean about Ryanair's "first come first served" seating policy.
At one stage, we thought a full scale battle was about to break out and it was quite a surprise to see some of the apparently calm, quiet people who became instant warriors in a frenzied attack for position!


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## cwtkm3 (Jun 20, 2013)

Mal - thanks very much for all your BA Amex card info.  I think it's the way for us to go as our kids are now 18, 18 and 21. So they're not going to be travelling with us so much and I think we'll be spending more vacation time in low season.  Also thanks for the Hong Kong tip - I never thought of getting flights from there to Phuket.  Have never been to Thailand and am desperate for it to become part of the DC programme so can go.  Do you think Bangkok is a must see?  Husband been once and not that fussed.  When is the best time to go - Jan or Feb I believe? 

Sounds a bit of a headache having to be so organised at 355 days out - I think they release the flights from midnight?  I recall once at Son Antem I was up in the early hour trying to get us reward Business BA to LAX and was successful.  Kids were not happy in economy but I told them they need to earn such luxuries!

As for Ryanair discussions in this thread - they're the worst airline I've dealt with. Whilst we're in Spain our daughter will be in Tenerife with a bunch of girls.  They got a good deal but she's just had to fork out an extra £40 per leg for 15kg hold luggage as they only allow 10kg to be wheeled onto the plane and it's def not enough plus their toiletries alone are more than 100mls and prob weigh at leas 2 kg!!

Well happy hols to everyone.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 20, 2013)

cwtkm3 said:


> Mal - thanks very much for all your BA Amex card info.  I think it's the way for us to go as our kids are now 18, 18 and 21. So they're not going to be travelling with us so much and I think we'll be spending more vacation time in low season.  Also thanks for the Hong Kong tip - I never thought of getting flights from there to Phuket.  Have never been to Thailand and am desperate for it to become part of the DC programme so can go.  Do you think Bangkok is a must see?  Husband been once and not that fussed.  When is the best time to go - Jan or Feb I believe?
> 
> Sounds a bit of a headache having to be so organised at 355 days out - I think they release the flights from midnight?  I recall once at Son Antem I was up in the early hour trying to get us reward Business BA to LAX and was successful.  Kids were not happy in economy but I told them they need to earn such luxuries!
> 
> ...



Hand luggage only is never going to work for us and we have never flown Ryan Air and never will. At least with Easyjet they have a sensible hand luggage policy - apart from one item only - BA are even better with effectively two items one of which should be a laptop bag or handbag.

Hong Kong to Phuket there are 2 flights a day some days 3 - direct one every day with Thai Air and the 1 or 2 per day with Dragon Air. Dragon Air are owned by Cathay Pacific and so are an affiliate member of OneWorld Alliance. That means you earn Avios and Tier Points on paid flights on Dragon Air for BA FF members. Thai Air is however the cheaper option at present.

If you are going to be passing thru Bangkok then a few days stop over to see the sights is a must do. Also staying at any of the Marriotts in Bangkok is a great experience - Asian Marriotts are far better than most anywhere in the world.

Planning 355 days ahead just needs organisation and being prepared to be flexible abour just when and where you go. Getting award seats to Bangkok is usually difficult but Hog Kong seems easier.

Also remember that one of the best ways to use AVIOS is for upgrading a flight. If you purchase a WT+ ticket then as long as there is an award seat available in CW on the flight you can upgrade the seat(s) to CW for AVIOS and the additional taxes and fees. This can be done at the time you book or if you are prepared to gamble and choose a flight with no immediate availability for the upgrade - often award seats are released just a few days befor departure and you can then call BA and make the upgrade.

Doing this does not cost lots of AVIOS and you still earn AVIOS for the class of flight that you paid for. So buy WT+ and earn WT+ AVIOS and Tier Points and then use some AVIOS to upgrade to CW.

Now time to get some packing done for my hols !


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## Pompey Family (Jun 20, 2013)

cwtkm3 said:


> Do you think Bangkok is a must see?  Husband been once and not that fussed.  When is the best time to go - Jan or Feb I believe?
> 
> Sounds a bit of a headache having to be so organised at 355 days out - I think they release the flights from midnight?  I recall once at Son Antem I was up in the early hour trying to get us reward Business BA to LAX and was successful.  Kids were not happy in economy but I told them they need to earn such luxuries!



Ah so you're one of those who leave your kids in economy   I certainly couldn't comprehend doing it to mine but they're only 5 & 8 at the moment.  Maybe things will change when they reach their teens however I'd be worried that they'd be getting up to all sorts and annoying the other passengers.

As for Bangkok I'd definitely recommend a couple of days.  It depends on what you're after really, it's not for everyone but I think it's an amazing city and deserves a couple of days to take in the sights.  There are plenty of temples to visit and shopping at the high end mall or the low end MBK centre, spoilt for choice at the food centres and amazing restaurants.  There's a real buzz to the place and the Thai's are some of the most friendly people you'll meet.  I can't comment on the Marriott's in Bangkok but will agree with Malcolm that Asian hotels really do trump Western ones in general.  If you don't stay at a Marriott there are some really good quality hotels and aparthotels for very reasonable prices.

Jan and Feb are the right times to go.  I went in August for a friends wedding.  They both work in education so that was the only time they could go.  It was incredibly hot and humid, not so bad on the coast but stifling in Bangkok and is the middle of the monsoon season.

I flew Jet Air via Mumbai, a route that I wouldn't recommend.  The airline was fine, Mumbai airport was not!


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## MALC9990 (Jun 20, 2013)

For flights to BKK - EVA Air is fine especially in premium Economy and Business. EVA invented Premium Economy and was the first airline to introduce it. Their Business class seats are also excellent. Thai Air is also excellent but no premium economy. Both should be cheaper than BA.

Other options are Malaysian via Kuala Lumpur and then the usual suspects in the middle east with s stop over.

Cheap options are often Finnair via Helsinki, Austrian via Vienna.


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## bazzap (Jun 20, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> For flights to BKK - EVA Air is fine especially in premium Economy and Business. EVA invented Premium Economy and was the first airline to introduce it. Their Business class seats are also excellent. Thai Air is also excellent but no premium economy. Both should be cheaper than BA.
> 
> Other options are Malaysian via Kuala Lumpur and then the usual suspects in the middle east with s stop over.
> 
> Cheap options are often Finnair via Helsinki, Austrian via Vienna.


Hi Malcolm, did you see that Eva Air are now a Star Alliance member, so as well as being a fairly good cash option it is now also another possible option for using a Marriott Rewards travel package


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## MALC9990 (Jun 20, 2013)

bazzap said:


> Hi Malcolm, did you see that Eva Air are now a Star Alliance member, so as well as being a fairly good cash option it is now also another possible option for using a Marriott Rewards travel package



Yes - got my email from them today ! looks like it might be worth a return to them for BKK trips after I have out stayed my welcome at BA. Will do some research on who might give me a status match with BA Silver from the *A members.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 22, 2013)

*Arrival Report*

I promised a series of updates from our trip to Son Antem. This is the first. More to follow in the coming days.

We arrived Friday 21st. New reception in the Sales Centre has been set up well. A benefit is that we no longer have to fight for service with all the Hotel Guests. So attended to immediately. We got the exact choice of villa that we requested. In the area we wanted, at the end of a row of villas right next to the pool. So 10 out of 10 for the villa assignment staff.

One small disappointment is that whilst we are still able to use all the hotel facilities, we cannot charge anything to our villa account. So if we eat or drink in the hotel we have to pay cash, so no MR points for what we spend in the hotel. This will definite encourage us to use La Finca more this stay.

One benefit is that the WiFi service has improved. Gone are the vouchers with a code which were a one time use, now it is just a standard login using guest name and unit number. Also the speed seems to have improved. I must run a speed test.

Overall first night impression is that the villa experience and guest experience is just as good as it has always been. Just ordered a vase for flowers, champagne glasses and a grid for the BBQ and all delivered within 10 minutes. So we are set for a BBQ party tonight.

MORE INFO TO FOLLOW.


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## Pompey Family (Jun 22, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> Overall first night impression is that the villa experience and guest experience is just as good as it has always been. Just ordered a vase for flowers, champagne glasses and a grid for the BBQ and all delivered within 10 minutes. So we are set for a BBQ party tonight.
> 
> MORE INFO TO FOLLOW.



Fantastic, we do love Son Antem.  We're constantly trying to persuade friends to buy into Marriott timeshare but it's hard convincing them as timeshare has such terrible connotations with the British.  It'd be great to do what your doing and have several villas together with some friends, very envious.

Just so your don't start pining for home, it's Saturday morning and windy and raining.  End of June or beginning of October!


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## bazzap (Jun 22, 2013)

Pompey Family said:


> Fantastic, we do love Son Antem.  We're constantly trying to persuade friends to buy into Marriott timeshare but it's hard convincing them as timeshare has such terrible connotations with the British.  It'd be great to do what your doing and have several villas together with some friends, very envious.
> 
> Just so your don't start pining for home, it's Saturday morning and windy and raining.  End of June or beginning of October!


A very encouraging start. It is a shame you can no longer charge hotel bills to the villa, but if that is the only negative, I would be quite pleased especially with the better check in, wifi... And good news about the service you are getting so far.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 22, 2013)

Very quiet morning around our Pool next to our Villa. This might be a trend but too early to say. Good view of the 15th green on the East course. Weather very pleasant but some cloud. Temperature in the high 20's C.


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## bazzap (Jun 22, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> Very quiet morning around our Pool next to our Villa. This might be a trend but too early to say. Good view of the 15th green on the East course. Weather very pleasant but some cloud. Temperature in the high 20's C.


Perhaps a good chance to recover from last night's BBQ party and prepare for tonights?


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## MALC9990 (Jun 23, 2013)

Saturday evening in Son Antem.

After drinks in the garden with friends from the villa next door we departed to the Golf Club Restaurant as it was fixed price BBQ night with live music. The place was busy and the food very good as was the wine! Music was pleasant and not too loud and the singer was good.

Afterwards I did a brief tour of the public area of the hotel. Whilst they had live music also there seemed to be very few people around but it was now quite late. However the bar was deserted and over at La Finca it was busy, busy, busy with Flamenco evening. More traditional Spanish entertainment.

Hotel car park is half empty which is not a good sign for business with the new operators. Usually it would be full to overflowing at this time of year.


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## dioxide45 (Jun 23, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> Hotel car park is half empty which is not a good sign for business with the new operators. Usually it would be full to overflowing at this time of year.



Is the parking lot perhaps a nature of the new business model? I think I had heard that the new owners operate under a more tour operator model? Wouldn't that mean that more of their guests are bused in or come in via a shuttle than their own vehicle?


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## MALC9990 (Jun 23, 2013)

dioxide45 said:


> Is the parking lot perhaps a nature of the new business model? I think I had heard that the new owners operate under a more tour operator model? Wouldn't that mean that more of their guests are bused in or come in via a shuttle than their own vehicle?



True, but if you don't have a rental car here you are trapped with only the hotel restaurant for meals plus the golf club and the "La Finca" restaurant. Even the on site car rental company "SIXT" seems to have removed many of its cars from the car park!

Later this week we plan a day at the hotel to use the pool facilities and perhaps the Spa so I will be better able to judge the situation after that visit.


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## JonP (Jun 24, 2013)

Malc, I’m pleased to hear your initial experience has been positive.  Entertainment at the Golf Club Restaurant is something new; is this a regular event?

We arrive on an early flight and expect to be at the resort around 11.00/11.30am.  Are towels issued at check-in for early arrivals prior to having access to the villa and can the hotel pool be used?  Or do they suggest the spa pool?

I look forward to reading your next valued update.


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## Worcesterdee (Jun 24, 2013)

Malc, Pleased to hear that initial views are positive.  I haven't been to Son Antem for three years but are going back during the first two weeks of August.  I anticipated that we wouldn't be able to charge back to the Villa and the loss of MRP's is disappointing as we generally spend a lot at the bar, restaurant and Spa.

Apart from La Finca where else do people eat out.  We've used Reco de Randa, which is the hills North of Llucmajor and La Taberna de la Bóveda, a Tapas restaurant in Palma down near the Cathedral car park.  My favourite is Finca Son Sama just outside Llucmajor.  The last time we were there we also ate at the old mill which you pass on the way from the airport to Son Antem but I can't remember its name.

Keep the updates coming!


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## JonP (Jun 24, 2013)

The old mill restaurant is Sa Farinera.  Our favourite in Palma is Forn de Sant Joan.


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## ACP (Jun 24, 2013)

Loving all the posts from the UK - we went to Son Antem Dec 2011 and as others will all be too aware you need a car.  Had some friends with us and had a great time - the sun shone every day - but read the recent changes with interest.
Regarding airlines, I always try Virgin for long haul and BA for Europe.  Just used a two travel packages for trips to Aruba in Jan 2014 and Hilton Head in May - going Upper and Premium although have to have connecting flights in USA.

Off to Nice on Friday for a week in Monaco at Marriott so really looking forward to it - although I think the drink will be a little more expensive than Son Antem.

I tend to use the Marriott Rewards card for everything although you have to stay on top of the points allocation as they often transfer less than entitlement.

Anyway Wimbledon on TV, wine in hand - Have a great time Malc and enjoy yourself.
Andrew


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## bazzap (Jun 24, 2013)

ACP said:


> Loving all the posts from the UK - we went to Son Antem Dec 2011 and as others will all be too aware you need a car.  Had some friends with us and had a great time - the sun shone every day - but read the recent changes with interest.
> Regarding airlines, I always try Virgin for long haul and BA for Europe.  Just used a two travel packages for trips to Aruba in Jan 2014 and Hilton Head in May - going Upper and Premium although have to have connecting flights in USA.
> 
> Off to Nice on Friday for a week in Monaco at Marriott so really looking forward to it - although I think the drink will be a little more expensive than Son Antem.
> ...


I think mentioning Son Antem and Wimbledon in the same post will be a sad reminder for people in Majorca today after Rafa's loss! 
Sorry to see his knee injury playing up again.


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## JonP (Jun 24, 2013)

And unfortunately will have to miss the charity golf tournament he plays in at Son Antem at the end of July.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 25, 2013)

*Tuesday Morning at Son Antem*

Yesterday was spent off site sightseeing as the weather was unusual in being cloudy. At least it was warm and dry. A trip to Valdamossa for morning coffee and sightseeing followed by lunch at Port de Soller where it was sunny. When the wind direction comes in off the sea and over the mountains here the cloud forms and covers the rest of the island but the cost along the mountains is sunny.

Monday evening was the owners drinks reception which was very well attended - hundred plus people and many old friends were there. One was kind enough to come over and say thanks for the advice I gave him last year on resales. He had purchased a second Gold Holiday week thru Travel and Leisure Group and was very happy with the price he paid and the resulting elevation to being able to book his stay at Son Antem thirteen months out for 2014. Nice to see the guidance here on TUG spreading a little.

The GM gave a short update as to what was happening on the resort, mostly focused on the transfer of management of the hotel away from Marriott. Basically nothing has changed except as I reported earlier that any spend in the hotel no longer would be chargeable to the villa account so the loss of some MR point earning potential. 

I talked with a few more owners and all reported the same observation that the hotel was very quiet with few guests in evidence and all commented on how empty the car park at the hotel seemed. At 5pm on Monday I counted only 6 cars in the main car park. This number had increased later in the evening but it was still more than half empty and so far we have not seen a single tour bus arrive and deposit any guests just a few taxis.

Also had a comment from one owner who had used the hotel main pool on Sunday and he reported that apart from him and his wife, there only 8 other people at the pool for most of the day. This time last year we would have been fighting to get a bed by the pool by late morning!

We are off for dinner tonight at SA Farnera which is the traditional Majorcan BBQ restaurant close to the airport. Location is right by the highway so can be troubled by traffic noise but the grills are outstanding - all the cooking of the meat is done on a huge wood fire in the centre of the courtyard. 

La Finca continues to be excellent for onside dining, far better than what I have heard reported about the hotel. Also good for a late evening drink if you have been out for diner.

Last night we held a BBQ which was for 10. Our group has three adjacent villas so we used two grills and all sat on the terrace of the middle unit for dinner and drinks. Everyone contributed different meats and salads plus the all important bottles of wine. Wine prices here in Spain are considerable below those we are used to back home in the UK so we are able to drink excellent wine at reasonable prices - last night the 2009 Rioja was excellent - and  thanks to our resident wine buff it would still be drinkable in 10 years time but still it was very good. At 26 Euros for a double size bottle it was great value from the small local supermarket in Llucmajor.

So for all those owners who are concerned about the changes at the hotel affecting the resort, I would say not to be concerned from our brief experience so far. This may of course change once the peak summer season arrives in July and August but we never come here then anyway so I cannot say what it will be like. My guess is that it will obviously be be busy but will it be different to the past - probably not.

It is still hot and sunny and the pools are inviting and the gardens are well maintained. Service from the MVCI staff is still excellent. Every request has so far been met with prompt attention. A vase for flowers for the villa, a request for a sharp knife resulted in man arriving with an electric sharpener and he put a keen edge on all the kitchen knives as well as the small cleaver. Housekeeping still visit each day and make the beds, replace towels that we want replaced and provide more pool towels  - we started with 8 for 4 people and now we have 20. That should be more than enough. We put them through the washing machine each night after use. I must ask housekeeping to stop giving us more.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 25, 2013)

JonP said:


> The old mill restaurant is Sa Farinera.  Our favourite in Palma is Forn de Sant Joan.



We are off to Palma today for a quick trip to some of the sights - will get to Forn St Joan for lunch and then Sa Farinera on the way back for dinner. It was the feast of St. Joan here at the weekend 
- much celebrating by the locals and a big fiesta over the weekend. St. Joan does not refer to St. Joan of Arc but in fact is the Spanish way of saying St John the Baptist. Another small piece of data from Google !


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## taffy19 (Jun 25, 2013)

Your vacation sounds very nice as well as the resort.  Enjoy.   

Have you ever visited the other resort that isn't far away?  Do you have a preference and what area is better for sight seeing?  Have a great time!


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## MALC9990 (Jun 25, 2013)

iconnections said:


> Your vacation sounds very nice as well as the resort.  Enjoy.
> 
> Have you ever visited the other resort that isn't far away?  Do you have a preference and what area is better for sight seeing?  Have a great time!



I think you are mistaking Son Antem for one of the two MVCI resorts near Marbella. Son Antem is in Mallorca which is off the coast of Spain up near Barcelona. 

The resort is very nice and well designed with all the units being 2 floor town houses built in blocks of 8. Very house has its own garden and a charcoal grill in the garden along with a couple of sun loungers and a table and chairs on the terrace for outdoor eating.

Our garden has views over the 15th green of the East golf course.


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## JonP (Jun 25, 2013)

I wouldn’t expect the hotel to have a high occupancy this year due to the timing of the take-over.  I would imagine a lot of Marriott loyal guests, reward stays and repeat visitors have cancelled.  Iberostar would have missed the vast majority of ‘package holiday’ bookings as these are normally at least 6 months in advance, however there may well be a late rush with bargain offers!  

When Iberostar first accepted bookings at Son Antem only periods of 5 nights or more where offered; it is now possible to book single nights.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 25, 2013)

JonP said:


> I wouldn’t expect the hotel to have a high occupancy this year due to the timing of the take-over.  I would imagine a lot of Marriott loyal guests, reward stays and repeat visitors have cancelled.  Iberostar would have missed the vast majority of ‘package holiday’ bookings as these are normally at least 6 months in advance, however there may well be a late rush with bargain offers!
> 
> When Iberostar first accepted bookings at Son Antem only periods of 5 nights or more where offered; it is now possible to book single nights.



I agree, very much early days yet. In fact today I have noticed that one of the two car parks at the hotel is closed off. A sign say that it is reserved for the next 3 weeks for Toyota. So I would guess from previous experience that Toyota Europe are running a dealer promotional event for a new car over the next 3 weeks which will bring in dealers from across Europe to stay at the hotel for a few nights and get to try out the new car. This was probably booked under the Marriott brand but it will be more business.


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## Pompey Family (Jun 25, 2013)

ACP said:


> Regarding airlines, I always try Virgin for long haul and BA for Europe.  Just used a two travel packages for trips to Aruba in Jan 2014 and Hilton Head in May - going Upper and Premium although have to have connecting flights in USA.



Andrew,

What route did you go for in the end for Hilton Head?  I'm having a bit of a nightmare as every search gives me US Airways via Charlotte and I really don't want to fly with them again as they're such a poor airline.  The problem is Charlotte is the main hub for HH and it's difficult to find a decent airline to get there without at least two stops.

The other option we have is to exchange into Newport Coast Villa's for the same period (April).  I know Newport Coast in April is not going to be as nice as HH but it's somewhere we've always wanted to go and we can get direct flights with Virgin or BA.  Decisions, decisions!


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## MALC9990 (Jun 25, 2013)

Pompey Family said:


> Andrew,
> 
> What route did you go for in the end for Hilton Head?  I'm having a bit of a nightmare as every search gives me US Airways via Charlotte and I really don't want to fly with them again as they're such a poor airline.  The problem is Charlotte is the main hub for HH and it's difficult to find a decent airline to get there without at least two stops.
> 
> The other option we have is to exchange into Newport Coast Villa's for the same period (April).  I know Newport Coast in April is not going to be as nice as HH but it's somewhere we've always wanted to go and we can get direct flights with Virgin or BA.  Decisions, decisions!



We are off to HHI in Sept. Flying into Atlanta with BA from Heathrow then driving to HHI after a night in a Marriott near the airport.


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## JonP (Jun 25, 2013)

Malc....are the golf courses busy and are they and the Spa still branded as Marriott?  

Thanks for all your feedback....its greatly appreciated.


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## taffy19 (Jun 25, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> I think you are mistaking Son Antem for one of the two MVCI resorts near Marbella. Son Antem is in Mallorca which is off the coast of Spain up near Barcelona.
> 
> The resort is very nice and well designed with all the units being 2 floor town houses built in blocks of 8. Very house has its own garden and a charcoal grill in the garden along with a couple of sun loungers and a table and chairs on the terrace for outdoor eating.
> 
> Our garden has views over the 15th green of the East golf course.


i was wondering why you went to Palma for the day and wasn't even aware that Marriott has a timeshare resort over there.  Thanks for your response.


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## Pompey Family (Jun 25, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> We are off to HHI in Sept. Flying into Atlanta with BA from Heathrow then driving to HHI after a night in a Marriott near the airport.



I considered that option but I don't relish the prospect of a 4 hour drive.


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## bazzap (Jun 25, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> True, but if you don't have a rental car here you are trapped with only the hotel restaurant for meals plus the golf club and the "La Finca" restaurant. Even the on site car rental company "SIXT" seems to have removed many of its cars from the car park!
> 
> Later this week we plan a day at the hotel to use the pool facilities and perhaps the Spa so I will be better able to judge the situation after that visit.


Hi Malcolm
Do you know if Sixt still offer the MVC homeowner car hire discount?
(I assume they still have their desk in the hotel and was not sure if they had tied up with Iberostar now)
I thought I would keep my options open with a Sixt card alongside my Hertz card, as I have started looking for a people carrier for 6 people for our trip in September and the costs seem noticeably hire than hiring 2 smaller cars which seems a little crazy and certainly less convenient.
If anyone else has experience of this in Majorca, I would welcome any thoughts.
Many thanks


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## MALC9990 (Jun 25, 2013)

JonP said:


> Malc....are the golf courses busy and are they and the Spa still branded as Marriott?
> 
> Thanks for all your feedback....its greatly appreciated.



Golf courses and Spa are both owned and operated by Marriott Vacation Club as is the Marketplace. These can all be charged to the villa account. Thus they accrue for MR points. Golf courses both seem very quiet this week.


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## MALC9990 (Jun 25, 2013)

bazzap said:


> Hi Malcolm
> Do you know if Sixt still offer the MVC homeowner car hire discount?
> (I assume they still have their desk in the hotel and was not sure if they had tied up with Iberostar now)
> I thought I would keep my options open with a Sixt card alongside my Hertz card, as I have started looking for a people carrier for 6 people for our trip in September and the costs seem noticeably hire than hiring 2 smaller cars which seems a little crazy and certainly less convenient.
> ...



There is still a SIXT desk in the hotel but a lot fewer SIXT cars in the car park. There are some signs up in the new check in area for the vacation club for SIXT discounts. However I found that Holiday Autos were offering the best rates even beating Hertz with a Marriott Rewards discount.


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## bazzap (Jun 25, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> There is still a SIXT desk in the hotel but a lot fewer SIXT cars in the car park. There are some signs up in the new check in area for the vacation club for SIXT discounts. However I found that Holiday Autos were offering the best rates even beating Hertz with a Marriott Rewards discount.


Thanks, I will check out Holiday Autos too, especially as I recall Sue gets a retired Travel Industry employee discount with them.


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## Worcesterdee (Jun 25, 2013)

JonP said:


> The old mill restaurant is Sa Farinera.  Our favourite in Palma is Forn de Sant Joan.



That was it thanks


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## Worcesterdee (Jun 25, 2013)

Sixt still offer a discount I emailed them a couple of days ago for a quote but they haven't got back to me.


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## bazzap (Jun 26, 2013)

Worcesterdee said:


> Sixt still offer a discount I emailed them a couple of days ago for a quote but they haven't got back to me.


This is the latest update from MVC on the Sixt partnership. The level of discount is not especially appealing, although their prices are worth checking out anyway alongside the Hertz discount prices and as Malcolm has found Holiday Autos prices with or without any discount. [FONT=&quot]
Sixt  is still a Marriott’s car hire partner. They still have a desk at the  hotel which you can use. If you need to book a car with them you can use  a direct link www.sixt.com/MCSA-Mallorca and you get up to 15% discount as a MVW owner.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]If you wish to contact them directly you can call the desk in the hotel : +34 971 100 400 or +34 971 129 073 or the airport +34 971 260 268.[/FONT]


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## MALC9990 (Jun 26, 2013)

*Wednesday's update*

Trip to the airport today as our guests have departed on a marathon journey home to Queensland via Frankfurt, Dubai and Sydney about 40 hours traveling til they get home on Friday.

The whole resort is still very quiet. On my regular exercise route intake in all the various venues, golf courses, hotel, spa etc. spa pool was deserted at 5pm and the golf course was still very quiet. The car park blocked for the Toyota event for the next 3 weeks is now occupied by a set of very smart new Toyotas of various models - all are Belgian registered and so  I guess this is an event organized for Belgian Toyota dealers and customers.

For those Son Antem owners here on TUG, last night we were at SA Farinara and the steaks are as good as ever and the waiters as much fun as ever. Very busy and definitely needed the reservation. Steaks cooked on a huge wood fired BBQ Grill.

Since our visit last year the marketplace has been remodeled and it is an improvement but it is still no larger. The space previously occupied next to the marketplace which was the hairdresser is now a office for thegolf club - that was supposed to be the space for an enlarged marketplace. Unfortunately the prices are still outrageous when compared with the local supermarket.


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## Worcesterdee (Jun 26, 2013)

Thanks for the update Malc. I'm looking forward to when our 13 year old is a bit older and we can take advantage of visiting before term time ends.  I expect it to be slightly busier when we visit in August.


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## ACP (Jun 26, 2013)

Pompey Family said:


> Andrew,
> 
> What route did you go for in the end for Hilton Head?  I'm having a bit of a nightmare as every search gives me US Airways via Charlotte and I really don't want to fly with them again as they're such a poor airline.  The problem is Charlotte is the main hub for HH and it's difficult to find a decent airline to get there without at least two stops.
> 
> The other option we have is to exchange into Newport Coast Villa's for the same period (April).  I know Newport Coast in April is not going to be as nice as HH but it's somewhere we've always wanted to go and we can get direct flights with Virgin or BA.  Decisions, decisions!



Sorry for the delay in responding.  We decided to fly to Orlando, it's about 4-5 hours to Hilton Head but we will be stopping in Jacksonville for one night on route - there are a lot of great Marriott there.  A lot has been said about flying to/from Charlotte but a 2 - 2 1/2  hour drive and stop over will get us really fresh for H.Head.  I always like to book flights early, very early so rather than risk not being able to fly back from Orlando on points (Upper which I know is not practical when you have young children as well) Virgin got us flights back via Washington - which again I know is a long way, but we plan to hop on a plane (about $150) and spend a day  - hopefully Barack will have time to speak to a Welshman for a few hours.
Atlanta is an option but Virgin don't fly there and BA had no flights with points anyway.

Hope this helps


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## akeithj (Jul 2, 2013)

Hi Malc,

We are due to arrive at Son Antem on Saturday so would be interested to learn of your findings. Are there any significant changes, has the hotel remained the same etc


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## MALC9990 (Jul 2, 2013)

We have been having such a great time that there has been a break in my postings about Son Antem. Now into the last few days and so these are a few more thoughts.

Overall we feel that the change in Management of the hotel has not impacted our stay at all. The different check in was a benefit since we did not have to compete with hotel guests for attention.

We have however not even tried to use any of the hotel services such as bar, restaurant, pool etc. la Finca is still very popular but compared with restaurants outside it is a little over priced.

Service from the MVCI Resort staff has been exemplary - as if they were going the extra mile to ensure that owners and guests are happy despite the change at the hotel.

Will others notice any change - well perhaps if you use the hotel more than we do but nothing seems to have affected our stay.


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## akeithj (Jul 3, 2013)

Thank you Malc, that's good to know.


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## MALC9990 (Jul 4, 2013)

Probably my last post from here this year. Some pool talk today was about theimpact on MFs of the split. Seems that the hotel management are refusing to ontibuteto the security of the site. They claim it is not needed. This will impact the MFs from next year. Also MVCI have hired 16 staff to cover the front desk 24x7.

So we will await our MF bills to see what theimactwill be.

At this weeks owners reception the GM was asked if the 
hotel pool was available to MVCI guests. His reply was 
yes, for the moment.


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## bazzap (Jul 4, 2013)

MALC9990 said:


> Probably my last post from here this year. Some pool talk today was about theimpact on MFs of the split. Seems that the hotel management are refusing to ontibuteto the security of the site. They claim it is not needed. This will impact the MFs from next year. Also MVCI have hired 16 staff to cover the front desk 24x7.
> 
> So we will await our MF bills to see what theimactwill be.
> 
> ...


So it has been only a couple of months since Rance Ryan Regional Vice President wrote to us all to say                                  
_"At this time, we anticipate that Club Son Antem  Owner's and guests will also continue enjoying use of the hotel's pool  and publicly accessible amenities, including food and beverage areas."_
for the GM to change the message re "_enjoying use of the hotel's pool_" to
"_for the moment_"
I  guess though that if this access does stop, MVC would no longer have to  pay towards the hotel pool operation and maintenance and could offset  this against any increased security costs resulting from the hotel not  contributing towards these, so no need for any increase in MFs?


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## Worcesterdee (Jul 9, 2013)

bazzap said:


> So it has been only a couple of months since Rance Ryan Regional Vice President wrote to us all to say
> _"At this time, we anticipate that Club Son Antem  Owner's and guests will also continue enjoying use of the hotel's pool  and publicly accessible amenities, including food and beverage areas."_
> for the GM to change the message re "_enjoying use of the hotel's pool_" to
> "_for the moment_"
> I  guess though that if this access does stop, MVC would no longer have to  pay towards the hotel pool operation and maintenance and could offset  this against any increased security costs resulting from the hotel not  contributing towards these, so no need for any increase in MFs?



Are the Golf Courses and Spa not owned by MVCI.  If so surely a levy on hotel guests booking either could cover some an increase in MF due to extra staff and payments towards security caused by the hotel management decisions.


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## bazzap (Jul 10, 2013)

Worcesterdee said:


> Are the Golf Courses and Spa not owned by MVCI.  If so surely a levy on hotel guests booking either could cover some an increase in MF due to extra staff and payments towards security caused by the hotel management decisions.


I suspect the hotel already contributes towards the Golf Courses and Spa costs, but as you say it certainly should and it would be good to have confirmation of this.


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## MALC9990 (Jul 10, 2013)

Worcesterdee said:


> Are the Golf Courses and Spa not owned by MVCI.  If so surely a levy on hotel guests booking either could cover some an increase in MF due to extra staff and payments towards security caused by the hotel management decisions.



Yes indeed the golf and spa are owned and operated by MVCI and hotel guests pay the fees to use both. They also do not get the owners' discount as a Son Antem owner would, at least for Golf green fees - I'm not a spa person!

The reciprocal rights for MVCI guests to use the pool and hotel restaurant and bars continues but the inability to sign expenditure to your villa account is a pain since one would now need to carry cash or a credit card around.

The whole resort seemed very quiet. - possibly the calm before the British and continental school holidays storm:rofl: however the villas were very high percentage occupation but hotel seemed deadly quiet until the Toyota event started with a couple of dozen Belgian registered demo cars in one closed off car park. These all disappeared each day and returned each evening. On the days we took a look at the hotel pool there we literally only a handful of people enjoying the sun and the pool bar was not serving food either.

The hotel restaurant is still offering a discount to MVCI guests but so do many other better restaurants outside the resort so unless you are intending to drink to excess the dining options outside are definitely more attractive.

The big concern I have is that there has been for a long time rumors of friction between MVCI operations management and the original property owner who also owns the company that owns the hotel property. That company decided to drop Marriott as the hotel management and operator and also the property owner also owns the derelict farmhouse that sits right in the middle of the property. MVCI have been trying to acquire that and the adjacent property that is now occupied by the very popular "La Finca" bar and restaurant. The owners will not sell to MVCI preferring to let the derelict building remain home to the pigeons.

The reasons behind all this are a mystery to owners and perhaps one day if I do get elected to the Advisory Board of Directors I might discover the background to this.

The new hotel management need to show that they can be successful, one way to do this is to offer generous discounts and terms to the captive MVCI owner base. Discounts in the restaurant should continue, offer the equivalent rates for hotel rooms that we were getting thru the MOD code etc. encourage us in and we will come and spend! Especially if they reduce the price of San Miguel!!!

If it is true that the hotel does not see the need to contribute to site security then MVCI is probably stuck with the cost but there are clear security issues at the hotel. On one occasion, I walked from our villa around the back of the 18th green across the lawns of the hotel at the rear, in through the restaurant terrace and could just as easily walked to the stairs and up to the first floor bedrooms, in fact we walked out the front entrance of the hotel and we were not challenged once - so access to he hotel interior is very open.

Security in the villas has definitely improved in the last 12 months. Now all the windows have secure metal shutters rather than the rather flimsy decorative wooden shutters as in the past and some of the smaller easy to access windows have permanent metal security louvres on the outside.


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## bazzap (Jul 13, 2013)

It seems like bookings for the hotel through the peak summer season continue to be very low.
Iberostar are offering 50% off, with availability in all the normally busy July, August... weeks 
http://www.voyage-prive.co.uk/fiche-produit/details/5900
As this web page, may need a member sign in, I have included below a sample extract
*Iberostar Son Antem Resort & Spa******

*Mallorca - Spain*

*Offer 1*

                                 50 %             Up to £308 "From" price incl taxes                / Per person *                                           
              (normally £620)          
*5 nights in a Double Golf View Room*
Breakfast
Free entrance to the spa 
Free bottle of wine 
Flights not included                       

                                                                  Show offer details                        





 *Departure date & price :*
 

 *Adults*
 *Children* (2-11 years)
 *Infants* (< 2 years)
 












Slide show


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## MALC9990 (Jul 13, 2013)

Make it look nice indeed - especially the pictures of the MVCI Spa and Pool !!!! Seems that the bookings from the old client base dried up. I might even be tempted by the discount if it were not for the existing commitments we have. 

The pictures of the restaurant and pool bar and grill are just as we saw them when we walked by - empty !


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## bazzap (Jul 13, 2013)

Yes, indeed.
I had to smile though, when I read in the description
"The hotel is a pebble’s throw from the best beaches in Majorca"
(perhaps Marriott had also described it that way?)
I have yet to find a beach less than about 10 miles away.
That is quite some pebble throw!!!


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## JonP (Aug 6, 2013)

*Just returned*

We have just returned from our annual 2 week summer visit to Son Antem.

The check-in was satisfactory but during check-out it was extremely busy.  In my opinion, the new reception area in the sales building is limited and cramped.  This is a problem when a number of families are present.  There are three terminals and all very close which makes conversation with the clerks very difficult. 

I am pleased to report the standard of service delivered was excellent.  All out requests were fulfilled immediately and nothing was too much trouble.  All the staff from maintenance, cleaners, receptionists and ground staff was exceptionally polite and appeared to be enjoying their work.

The villa was in excellent order throughout and the new beds where really good.  All the sunbeds have been replaced (long overdue) at the villas and around the pools to the same type as at Playa Andaluza.  I was a bit disappointed with the replacement garden table and chairs which was of a poor quality.  The pools were in excellent order and very clean; I just hope they don’t introduce the salt water pools which are to be trialled.  The herb gardens are a nice and interesting addition.

The condition of the golf courses where typically average but it is considered off- season.  However, there was a notable improvement in both the service and quality of food at La Vista Verde.

We visited the hotel one evening (around 10:00); it appeared very quiet with only four tables being occupied for dinner and the bar was empty.  The whole atmosphere at the hotel has changed and was very disappointing.  We used the pool bar on our arrival day and the offerings were poor.   We used the restaurant for breakfast on one occasion, it was rather hectic and the staff appeared very harassed.  The offerings were ok, however some of the ‘fresh’ bread was frozen!   We were advised that 20% discount to villa guests had been agreed with the new operator, Iberostar.  This was a joke, the base price was €20 so with discount €16, yet in the hotel they advertised breakfast for €15.   They have a screen in the lobby advertising extras for hotel guests, from another bed to internet access, the charges were extortionate!  

We dined at the Finca on three occasions and used it for a night cap (previously we would have used the hotel) when dining off site.  It was very busy every evening.

In general, the change of hotel operator did not impact on our stay other than the checking in/out process and already looking forward to our return!

On an operational note, I understand that the cost allocation for the common areas between Iberostar and MVCI is still under discussion and not finalized.   Iberostar has to pay for their Spa guests and MVCI are proposing a fix rate and a fee per entry.


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## bazzap (Aug 6, 2013)

I am pleased to hear that overall you enjoyed your latest stay.
We have a 3 weeks stay there coming up in under a month now and we are really looking forward to our return.
Let's hope it does not take too long for the remaining issues you highlight to be resolved and MVC/Iberostar agreements to be concluded.


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## bazzap (Sep 8, 2013)

This is just our first day back at Son Antem, but I have to say that our early experience has been very pleasing.
It certainly helped that we received our villa preference and that we were able to move straight in having arrived very early.
Our worries about the impact of Iberostar taking over the hotel have not been reflected in anything we have yet seen. 
Check in at the MVC Information Centre is a great improvement.
All the staff have been particularly friendly, welcoming and helpful.
The villa is in very good condition.
The gardens are looking great - probably helped by the rain!
Our Platinum Elite Arrival gift of 500 MR Points was ready for us.
A welcoming bottle of wine came from the Marketing team...
A further Platinum reward welcoming bottle of wine was delivered to our villa soon afterwards.
Can it get any better?
We would certainly enjoy 3 more weeks of this.


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## bazzap (Sep 10, 2013)

A couple of days in now and normal great weather has returned.
I guess the villas have high occupancy, as all the parking bays seem to be occupied and there were at a rough count well over 100 people at the Owners Party last night!
However, other than that you would never know. The most I have counted at our nearest villa pool is 10 people and often it has been just the 2 of us.
As for the hotel, we had a walk around yesterday afternoon when we did a top up shop at the Marketplace. We hardly saw anyone and the hotel pool was deserted.
It is certainly a very relaxing place just now.


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## bazzap (Sep 12, 2013)

We had a meeting with the GM today.
Apparently Vacation Club ownership is running just over 95% this week, but the Iberostar hotel still has very low occupancy (having been almost empty for the first 2 months after taking over management from Marriott)
He says relationships and weekly meetings with hotel GM are good and productive.
This will be crucial for all of us as owners.
I have never seen so many gardeners working here, the landscaping is very impressive and along with the villa refurbishment and consistent housekeeping standards we are really pleased with what we have seen.
We are still worried about the potential MF impact for 2014 though.


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## cplaar (Oct 25, 2013)

We were staying this week at Son Antem and we found that the resort is in excellent shape.
S we occupied a villa in the 300row, one of the first built, it was nicely painted, inside out. Service is very friendly and fast. Landscaping is very much up to date. At the owners meeting on monday we got a first hint that maintenance fee will rise slightly for 2014. 
In the Spa, gym, mini market, no changes of the hotel ownership are noticed. We have not used the hotel's facilities this week. Seems to be very calm up there though. Villa occupancy is good as it is off season now.

We are very pleased with our yearly vacation here in sunny Mallorca!


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## Toots2 (May 15, 2014)

*2 Weeks Son Antem(owners) - it is better then ever!*

We are owners of 4 weeks in Son Anthem 2 3BR, 2 2Br. since 2006. We have been at the Son Antem resort basically every other year. In the last 36 months we have been at Park City, Lake Tahoe, Custom House, Hyatt Napels and Sheraton Avon (Co.) last two through exchange. I guess this qualifies for some comparison experience?
By far the Sheraton in Avon was the worst experience, although the skiing was superb. Park City (autumn) and Lake Tahoe (Jan/Feb) were very good, as well as Hyatt (Sept.). But let's face it: Son Antem are townhouses, not apartments! No dealing with forced valet parking (Lake Tahoe), your own parking spot in front of your home - no 'searching' for where I parked my car yesterday(Park City). Custom House was excellent, but rather tiny.

Since the change in Son Antem where the hotel has been under Iberostar management, the villas are in superb condition : the gardens have been redone since we were here in 2011. And the new gardens are just magnificent. The villa's have been partially redone and are in super condition - metal doors and windows etc. just outstanding. In the 3BR villa there is an excess supply of kitchenware, just name it and it is there - if something is broken, call the service desk and in 1 hour it is replaced - excellent service, doesn't it? And, just to ask all of you: where do you get a free tidy-up of your villa (or apartment) _every_ day?  As owners we of course pay this through the MF - but exchange guests get this for free, right? Also, in the spa area, the formerly locked-off part, only accessible by paying extra, is now accessible to owners. Looks like not all of them realize this (we were basically always alone) - but it features a sauna, larger hot-air room and quiet area - great stuff! This is just a great resort and there is a reason why 80-90% of the owners occupy the villa's each year. 

When it comes to restaurants, on-site, this situation is worse then before. The Finca is overpriced and awful: loud (acoustics is a misery), expensive and disastrous food (mushrooms thrived in fat) price for 2: 1 shared appetizer, 2 pizza's and a good bottle of wine is 75€....:hysterical: you can get this for 25€ in the surroundings (Lluchmajor, Porreres).. so take out your car and drive 15 minutes - and manage your drinking. By the way, a great place for food is Son Julia, on the road to Lluchmajor.. a bit more expensive then the Finca but sooooo much better! We did not try the Iberostar restaurant (34€ per person for dinner buffet) as Son Julia was only 42€ and we knew from the past it was better. Just as comparison: the same bottle of wine in Son Julia was 10% cheaper then in the Finca! But really good prices are in the small, local restaurants. And everybody there speaks enough English to get you your food.
Last point about the Vista Verde Restaurant: bad service, no good food and still expensive. Just don't eat there until they do some change of management and refurbishing. Its acoustics are a misery. It is the only place where your spending adds to Marriott Reward points - but that doesn't compensate for the food quality.
All in all, since the villa's and the hotel are under different management, the villa's have improved significantly. Dining on-site became more difficult, but the kitchens are so well equipped and the local markets and food stores are so moderately to low priced that it is a great opportunity to help your spouse, cook together and enjoy. If you nevertheless are in for eating-out, pick one of the small local restaurants normally located around the village center / church-square and enjoy your vacation.
And don't forget: in Son Antem you get a townhouse for where in most other places you get an apartment down some corridor on some floor in some large building!  I am just baffled with the DC points you get for a week in Son Antem and what you need to pay for a week in Lake Tahoe or Park City. The relation is just out of whack imho.  Both of which were great places to stay, but not quite the same class of Son Antem.


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## Pompey Family (May 16, 2014)

Good to hear about the improvements, we're still waiting to see whether Marriott will exercise their ROFR for the two gold holiday weeks we've recently purchased so fingers crossed.

I'm not bothered about the restaurants, I tend to do cook most of our meals when we're away and I'm much happier paying supermarket prices for a bottle of wine.


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## bazzap (May 16, 2014)

Good luck and have a great time.
We too are looking forward to our next visit in September.
We have been very pleasantly surprised by the improvements after our concerns about Iberostar taking over management of the hotel.
And for those who don't know the resort, having individual BBQs for each villa makes the restaurant issue a less important one.


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## Pompey Family (May 16, 2014)

bazzap said:


> And for those who don't know the resort, having individual BBQs for each villa makes the restaurant issue a less important one.



And buying a kilo of prawns for a handful of euros from the local supermarket makes that BBQ even more attractive! I didn't think much of their meat selection but the seafood counter was something else.


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## bazzap (May 16, 2014)

Pompey Family said:


> And buying a kilo of prawns for a handful of euros from the local supermarket makes that BBQ even more attractive! I didn't think much of their meat selection but the seafood counter was something else.


Indeed.
Lately, we tend to use the large Carrefour near the airport only when we can't find what we want elsewhere.
We sometimes use the Lidl and Eroski in Campos.
Mostly now though we just use the local Hiper Centro in Llucmajor and the stalls in the square there on market days.
We have been able to find a good selection of meat, but as you say the seafood choice is excellent and really good value.
Actually, we thought costs generally in Majorca seemed to be more affordable last year and with the £:€ rate improving even more recently it is looking good for this year.


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## Pompey Family (May 17, 2014)

bazzap said:


> Indeed.
> Lately, we tend to use the large Carrefour near the airport only when we can't find what we want elsewhere.
> We sometimes use the Lidl and Eroski in Campos.
> Mostly now though we just use the local Hiper Centro in Llucmajor and the stalls in the square there on market days.
> ...



I've only shopped at the Hiper Centro, does the Carrefour offer a better selection of meat?


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## bazzap (May 17, 2014)

Pompey Family said:


> I've only shopped at the Hiper Centro, does the Carrefour offer a better selection of meat?


Carrefour definitely has a wider selection of meat. 
I am not sure whether I would judge the quality as better, but for the extra choice we tend to use it once per stay.
In Llucmajor, as well as the market stalls, there is a Carniceria Butchers near the centre which might be worth a try.


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## Pompey Family (May 18, 2014)

bazzap said:


> Carrefour definitely has a wider selection of meat.
> I am not sure whether I would judge the quality as better, but for the extra choice we tend to use it once per stay.
> In Llucmajor, as well as the market stalls, there is a Carniceria Butchers near the centre which might be worth a try.



Thanks, I'll look out for the butchers.


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