The hotel and the staff you cannot fault. All superb. Go all inclusive. Weather in May/June 2008 was abismal and this hotel doesn't really hold a lot in store for kids when it's raining. Go in summer and there'll be less blood sucking mozzies. If you go when it's raining, you'll be applying anthisan for a year.

If you're thinking of going AI, go to an Iberostar, and this place it the beez kneez

Me, my husband and 9 year old just returned from a 10 night stay and it was absolutely brilliant!

We arrived at 9.30pm (we had a missing case as flew with Monarch on way out via a Thomas Cook booking and have since been told they lose at least 1 case on every flight so beware if you fly with them!!!!). On arrival we were immediatley given wrist bands (all inclusive) so we could go and have some dinner before the restaurant closed. They looked after our remaining case for us (a lot better than Monarch did!) and then after eating we filled out forms and got our key etc.

The room was very nice, lovely swan shapes made from towels in the bathroom!

My husband got up at 7.30 every morning to put our towels out, I have seen other reviews here complaining about this practise but I don't know why because if you stay at a mainly british hotel you have the same problem, only at this hotel you didn't have to lie next to a lager lout. The hotel had many nationalities staying, mostly german, but quite a few British people as well and our child met loads of english children to play with and also foreign kids, just because they didn't speak the same language it didn't stop them playing in the pool together. If you want to stay with just English people then don't go to this hotel, however this was not a problem to us and in fact I think we had a better holiday for it.

The main pool was quite shallow and great for children, if you want to swim there is a deeper one also.

The food was fantastic with so much to choose from you couldn't eat everything. The main restaurant opened at breakfast, lunch and dinner. At lunch there was also the pool bar (which we favoured for lunch) and at dinner there was a barbecue every night except for a Saturday - as well as the main restaurant.

All staff were brilliant, very friendly people. The bar staff gave kids free drinks even if they were not AI. The entertainment staff were excellent, putting on a show most nights and there were also outside shows. All shows were of a high quality, look out for the sketch shows, very funny!!

In my opinion, don't take any notice of the reviews moaning about one thing or another, we all like different things. If you want a relaxing holiday, then this hotel will be for you. They also offer a full programme of day and night time entertainment but don't ram it down your throats! For us brits who have a fascination with Bingo, they do this every afternoon by the pool at 4pm.

We will definitely be returning next year, I can't see the point in trying somewhere else and maybe regretting it when this place was so good. My husband has usually had enough after 1 week but on our last night he said he wished we were there for 2 weeks, and that went for me and our daughter.

The only downside was Thomas Cook and the missing case (which did eventually turn up). Their attitude was not good but I won't dwell on that, just try to book with an alternative agent or direct with the hotel which is what we will do for next year.

Do not go here if you're after some kind of Brit only holidaycamp drinkfest. Others in Alcudia would no doubt suit you better.

If you seriously do not like a great variation of food, which caters for just about everyones tastes - then go self-catering. I'm amazed that anyone could not find a decent meal to suit even the most fussiest unadventurous palate, we always feel spoilt for choice. Everyone is different and obviously have different expectations but we have stayed here 3 times now at different seasonal times and are about to return for our 4th visit. Fortunately for us we do not recognise some of the reviews especially in regard to the staff catering more for one nationality than any other. This is most definitely not our experience, as we have received nothing but polite and helpful responses from the staff from the moment we arrive throughout the duration of our stay. We even had a bottle of wine left in our room on arrival (as did our daughter and her partner when they joined us for the second week). When the gentleman on reception knew we had family arriving for the 2nd week he went out of his way to make sure they had a room as close to ours (next door as it turned out).

The nice thing about this hotel is the good mix of nationalities and how they are all equally catered for although I do understand one of the comments about the list of languages the entertainment team have to trawl through each time in order to do this! But at least they do make every attempt to make sure everyone understands.

Hire the beach towels (small returnable deposit) to save packing your own. Look forward to a great, clean hotel in well-maintained grounds, good choice of food, right on the wonderful safe sandy beach and plenty of nightime entertainment across the road in Alcudia. 2 swimming pools - larger one for families and a quieter pool nearby.

Beware of any trips that advertise a 'short health presentation'. If the price makes it look almost too good to be true - it will likely be because it is!

Recommend trips to go on: The coach trip through the winding mountainous roads of Sa Calobra (look it up on youtube or think: "Italian Job") which includes a train ride through the mountains and a boat trip. Lots of bus services to various locations on the island if you like to get out and about without hiring a car and driving. Boat trip to Formentor. Relax on beach at destination - take a picnic NOT a shopping trip.

Can hardly wait for next weekend to come round for visit no. 4. Tried others in between our stays at this particular resort and hotel but this has definitely been the best (for us). I hope that anyone else who decides to go to Iberostar Ciudad Blanca enjoys it as much as we do - sorry for those who have not shared the same experience!

Negative: If you can book a private taxi transfer from the airport to the hotel - go for it rather than the shuttle / coachservice, which takes twice as long. Everyone else gets dropped off before your stop.

OK – ignoring getting there and finding that the intermediary had not booked the hotel properly and there were no rooms available and we had to stay at their sister hotel (Alcudia Park) for one night – here’s my unbiased view.

Iberostar - You’re great. I haven’t found out who made the mistakes, but the front desk were excellent at sorting us out with a room at Alcudia Park and getting us into the hotel first thing the following morning. ‘Kicking off’ would have done nothing other than upsetting my young family so stayed calm and they did the best they could. It also allowed us to see the Alcudia Park, which was on my short list, and although good we much preferred the prettier and greener setting of the Ciudad. Also the rooms (we stayed in an apartment) were much larger and with two bed settees as opposed to a pull out at the Alcudia Park and beach much better. Pools at Alcudia were better.

We stayed 10 nights AI – great value for money.

Food – Lunch - Brilliant – Iberostar always seem to put on a much wider selection of food at a lunch time and although most hotels (along with Iberostar) offer food in the main restaurant as well, staying by the pool and just picking up when you want is a better way. It also means everyone can eat when they feel like it.

Dinner – Main restaurant with usual massive selections and also an outside BBQ - which had theme nights (Mexican/Italian). We ate outside 8/10 nights from choice as again we could just get what we wanted and when. A plate of King prawns followed by some excellent chipped beef in red wine gravy, which was simply a first class simple dish. Then a plate of cheese and biscuits from the main restaurant to finish most nights. The main restaurant had some really good special dishes including a sea food night, with lobster, oysters, everything you could want.

Pools – Main pool quite small for a big hotel and shallow – no good for swimming really but great for little ones. Mine now being 8&11 - we opted for the smaller but deeper pool most days which was also less crowded. We found sun beds every day, but did have trouble finding them in the shade after 09:00. Other families (of all nationalities) happily gave up unused ones if they saw us looking and we didn’t have any problems.

Beach – Superb, Safe, Warm, lovely sand, excellent for making sand sculptures. My issue – Only small waves – My son and I love waves for body surfing etc,

Entertainment – during day – laid back and join in what you want –
Night time – Animation and professional shows – some good/some indifferent – but boy do those guys work hard.
Kids entertainment was good both during the day and at the kids disco with loads joining in.

Points to note –
In our block everyone going home left their leftover inflatables etc. in a corner – we picked up rings and an airbed, spades - basically anything – we also left a couple of beach balls which were picked up within10 mins.

As with all my write ups – please do not go to an AI and complain about the food being the same – 80% is – just choose a dish each night that you like and have a meal of it. If you eat 20 things every night it serves you right if you get bored.

Within a 15-20 min walk were go-carts, a water park, the port, loads of shops.
We went horse riding at Cian Picafort - cost about £50 for four of us for an hour – good fun.
Airport – 40 mins in a taxi
Loads of sea sports on the beach – some pricey
Loads of food available outside – but Majorca is not cheap
Hotel is a blend of German, UK, Dutch, French, Scandinavian, etc, - it works out fine except for having everything announced in 5 languages every night.

Overall – Do NOT repeat NOT go unless you have kids – if you do – you’ll struggle to have a better time.