Apartamentos Alta Galdana

We were lucky to get an apartment with a sea view, which was a real bonus. The place was extremely good value in April 23, though the rooms are worn in quite a few spots and could use a small refurbishment soon. The beds are the usual hard kind and not especially comfortable. Nights were cool in April, and even with the blankets and duvet provided, bed still felt chilly. Draughts came through the windows and doors, along with a few insects. That might be fine on a hot summer night, but less so in April when the wind was blowing over 50mph one evening. It felt a bit like camping under a fairly solid roof. There are lots and lots of steps around the site, so keep that in mind if you’re older and have mobility issues, or if you’ve got very young kids. The pool was cool to downright chilly. My daughter can swim anywhere, but even wearing a shorty wetsuit she didn’t want to stay in it for long and mostly used it as a paddling pool. Don’t expect to swim much unless you’re preparing for a cross channel swim soon. I understand the Spanish government has warned hotels not to overheat pools and to save energy, but in mid April, with outside temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius, it was much too cold to enjoy.

For the price, it’s a pretty big apartment, though the kitchenette is basic and that was fine. The bed was really comfortable. Shops and restaurants are across the road, and the beach is a five minute walk away. The reception ladies were always friendly and helpful. They sorted things out when I noticed there was no hairdryer, helped when we wanted to take the bus, and arranged an extension to our stay.

We came for a few days with our dog and left with a horrible, traumatic experience. Please read the whole review. The location itself was okay, with a children’s pool and a small restaurant, and there’s a good hiking trail. But the area felt a bit sketchy and like a ghost town. You really need a car to get around. Nobody was outside, everything was closed, and it felt like we were stuck in a tiny beach area with nothing to do. The rooms were dirty, with dirt on the floors and stains on the sheets, towels, and shower. As others have said, the cleaning was very superficial. Walking without socks felt gross. We came in early April and it was still a little cold at night, but the heaters provided were the cheapest things, just one small heater per room that barely worked. We were freezing all night. For what we paid, towels weren’t changed, furniture in one room fell apart, and the toasters, plates, and cutlery were dirty and scarce. The serious part was our noisy neighbors, who had children above us. They banged around, screamed and ran, and the husband started yelling violently at his wife. On our last night it got worse. He yelled at her violently, moved furniture, slammed doors, and used very harsh slurs. Eventually he physically abused her while the children were in the apartment. The woman left in distress, loudly yelling and begging for help on the staircase. We were all frightened and called the hotel’s emergency number. To our surprise, they said they couldn’t do anything, that we should have complained the first night, and that they couldn’t call police even with their documentation. They were absolutely useless. We felt unsafe and extremely frightened, and called the police because the wife had been yelling on previous nights too, and that night she was screaming for help. Police were notified and came as fast as possible. We didn’t want to see what was happening, and it was 23:00h with a flight the next day, so we packed quickly and ran out of the apartment before police arrived because of the situation. We had to find another place to stay in another town at midnight, in our pajamas and with our dog. I don’t know whether the apartment owners will agree with this review or whether it will be taken down, but we left traumatized after witnessing and being involved in a physical abuse case. We’ll never come back. The receptionists were borderline useless while a poor woman and two small kids’ lives and well-being were at stake. What kind of person shrugs and says, “That’s not my problem”? We left before police arrived, so we don’t know what happened next. They contacted the hotel to get their documentation and would act accordingly. I don’t know if this will be in the news in Menorca, but this happened on 04/04/24. I truly hope the victims got the support they needed. Our family is traumatized, and the memory will be hard to erase. Not one neighbor in the building reacted. Protecting this family was left entirely to us. Truly cold blooded humans. Please DO NOT come to this apartment and save your family’s sanity! Legal action will be pressed against the apartment company.

The views from the patios and balconies make the climb worthwhile. It’s near the resort centre, though up a steep hill, and some apartments are reached by very steep steps. There’s a free car park at the top, about 50 spaces by my rough estimate. If it’s full, you can park on the street outside the complex. The apartments are great value for money for self catering and had what we needed. The bed was comfy, the bath and shower were a decent size, and there was plenty of hot water. The full size fridge was useful, but cooking was limited to a hob, toaster and microwave, with no oven, grill or kettle. We boiled water in a small pan for tea, and would bring a travel kettle next time.