Bluesun Holiday Village Alan

First Neilson holiday for us and loved it! Premium tennis lessons with Gavin, 7 in our group (one missing) 2hrs in the morning then super drills in the afternoon with more tennis if you want it. Group was nice people of similar ability and I would recommend it if you like tennis, it does reduce access to other activities though. Neilson staff absolutely make the holiday very cheery and positive, Gavin our tennis coach was an excellent example. Soooo much to do, sooo much we didn't do in our week. Our accommodation was a beach side cabin overlooking the sea. Food was great, no reports of illness and resort spotless. Not much to do outside of the resort however we didn't have time anyway. A great holiday for us.

This is our second time at this Neilson resort and it was lovely to be back. Unlike the previous two reviews state there wasn’t a serious d&v issue. Yes we had a precautionary letter and yes a few people were ill but it lasted a day and 90% of people never got ill. Grossly over exaggerated by that guest. Also people do not wander in from the other resorts and have meals! This place has definitely been upgraded since 2017, our last visit. A new Olympic size pool, lots of cabin accommodation and a general refurb all round. Staff are friendly, food is on the whole good but could be a few more options especially on the dessert side. Lots of fresh fruit though and pastries are delicious! Not a lot to do after 8.00pm and if the weather is bad there is nowhere to have a drink as the main bar is a beach bar. Not great when it’s raining, there’s a storm or the Bora wind makes an appearance! I wasn’t there for the sport, that’s my husbands department, but the beach is great and the pool is lovely to sit round and sunbathe. The Temple Spa is great for treatments. Jane is very friendly and extremely good in her role there. A few suggestions: Food could be much hotter, especially vegetables, possibly why a small number of people got ill. There needs to be more evening entertainment and if it’s cancelled people need to be made aware. Needs an indoor bar for the rainy nights otherwise there is nowhere to go. Resort manager needs to be seen out and about mingling with guests: only saw ours twice in 10 days. Some of the pathways could do with more lighting at night especially between the two pools. On the whole a great resort with lots to do - could just do a little bit better in some areas.

This is our second time at this Neilson resort and it’s lovely to be back. Unlike the previous two reviews state there ISN’T a serious d&v issue. Yes we’ve had a precautionary letter and yes a few people have been ill but it’s lasted a day and 90% of people never got ill. Grossly over exaggerated by that guest. Also people do not wander in from the other resorts ! This place has definitely been upgraded since 2017 our last visit. A new Olympic size pool, lots of cabin accommodation, and a general refurb all round. Staff are friendly, food is on the whole good but could be a few more options especially on the dessert side. Not a lot to do after 8 most evenings and if the weather is bad there is nowhere to have a drink as the main bar is a beach bar. Not great when it’s raining! I’m not here for the sport, that’s my husband, but the beach is great and the pool is lovely to sit round and sunbathe. The Temple Spa is great for treatments. Jane is very friendly and extremely good in her role there. A few points : Food could be hotter, possibly why a small number of people got ill. Need to be more evening entertainment. Needs an undercover bar for the rainy nights. Manager needs to be seen out and about mingling with guests. On the whole a great resort with lots to do - could just be a little bit better.

Keep away. The hotel have a serious outbreak of sickness and diaria. The management have issued a letter stating that a few people have caught this. I know of at least 20, everyone I ask say they hall have not been affected, all have been unable to leave their rooms for 2 or 3 days. The management needs to take this seriously.

Have written more on Google review but the usual good Neilson fare: adequate room (in tower block) with comfortable beds, great tennis, sailing and MTB kit, good food, lovely hotel and Neilson staff. Any negatives? I think €135 for 10 ‘professional’ activity photos is a rip off, and the BBQ evening food wasn’t great but that aside we’d happily go again.

Just back from a week at Neilson’s Alana beach club in Croatia. First experience of a Neilson holiday and everyone enjoyed themselves so much we are very likely to be returning. Kids opted not to join in with kids clubs (a reflection of my kids, not the clubs, which appeared well attended and enjoyed from what we could see) but we were still able to do a lot of fun activities as a family and got really good coaching in tennis and sailing in particular. The rooms at the club are good enough (well air conditioned, clean, comfortable beds and decent showers) but the point at these club is that you barely spend any time at all in your room, so “good enough” is absolutely fine. Food was varied and good quality, drinks reasonably priced. Having two pools and the sea to swim in meant there was space for everyone and nobody was ever inconvenienced if there was a waterpolo match on the go or aqua-aerobics etc. The bike racks were well stocked and the guided group rides I joined were good fun. Tennis coaching was excellent. In the sailing side the weather pattern is that there is basically no wind in the morning but it gradually fills in from midday. This does tend to mean there is a peak in demand for boats about 2pm and on a couple of days we found ourselves joining a waiting list as the boats were basically 1 out 1 in. A bit frustrating as it would only require half a dozen more lasers to keep everyone happy. There were plenty of kayaks and SUPs, though, and we appreciated these particularly in the windless mornings. Surrounding countryside is beautiful and if we had stayed for longer I would definitely have done more exploring of the national park on foot or by bike, and signed up for the rock climbing trips. That’s all on the list for next time.

Just returned from a fantastic two weeks with two teens, on our first Neilson experience. From the moment we were collected from the airport by very capable and entertaining host, Mark, we were looked after to the highest standard. The hotel is perfect with amazing views of the mountains and food was always delicious with lots of choice. But activities just blew us away. Our teens reluctantly joined the TAG team and we barely saw them again! All the activities teams were outstanding, creating a really friendly fun atmosphere alongside really professional coaching. I did the green windsurfing course with fantastic instruction from Lou and Teegan, completely addicted by the end. Waterski team also do a fantastic job and I was up on skis in no time. I took an e-bike out twice, doing the two black rides, really appreciated the extra help in the heat and the hills, but views were totally worth it. I also hiked and climbed in Paklenica. I had thought climbing was included but for rock climbing you need to book. Recommend the cave hike. Also visited Zadar and Plitvice, hiring our own car. Also did volleyball, numerous fitness classes, open water swim and made use of lovely spa to recover. Super impressed with the whole experience- it will be hard to beat.

Brilliant holiday. Loads of activities pitched at every level. The equipment was good and the Neilson staff were brilliant. A special shout out to Pam on the tennis team. I hadn't played tennis for 20 years and the week of standard coaching really brought me on. My partner loved starting the day with the yoga with the other Pam. We did lots of activities but also had time to relax under the trees looking over the water and people watching. The accommodation/food ticked all our boxes. Inevitably there were some niggles - like one of the two lifts not working - but none which impacted on our overall enjoyment (but it needs sorting). We went for 10 days so had time to hire a car for a trip to the Lakes (gorgeous) although it may have been as cheap to do the trip, or get a group together to get a minibus. We did get a group of lovely people together to get a minibus to Zadar early one evening, which was great. Beautiful old town and an amazing 'sea organ' installation. There were plenty of restaurants in walking distance - the Al fresco meal provision in the hotel for non-inclusive nights was poor, but it was good to have change and go outside the hotel. Minor suggestions - please put the meal times on the planner. Make it clear that if you have waterbased classes on the morning, you can do the tennis coaching on an afternoon. We arrived midweek and this was not explained to us in the activity briefing. By the time we realised, it was too late. The paddle board introduction class seemed to be described as something like family paddle boarding. We assumed it was for parents and children, so missed it. We could not hear the instructions shouted at us from the boat whilst waterskiing. Maybe a megaphone (used as quietly as possible) for those who struggle.

We shared a twin room on the hotel block and are seasoned Neilson customers for context. Firstly, the hotel room block is very dated and only has a single working tiny lift for all 10 floors so it can take time to get to and from your room. The lift isn’t very clean either but generally, the other communal areas are. Our room had a spectacular spider web on the ceiling and the floor wasn’t mopped at all during the week. Food is the usual Neilson buffet style with a very good selection; possibly not as diverse as the Greek resorts but absolutely fine. Bar and waiting staff in the dining room are lovely, efficient and friendly people. Unusually , wine and beer are very reasonable here and mostly local which is a lovely change for anyone else familiar with the end of holiday Neilson bar bill shock. There is no real local town, just a long road with a few restaurants dotted about so limited opportunity to buy souvenirs or just stroll around. 6 of us clubbed together and got an Uber to and from Zadar which was a top tip. Cost around 200 EUR versus the 360 EUR it would have cost us if we’d gone with the organised trip. Zadar was a gorgeous city to visit and highly recommended with its Roman forum, lovely restaurants and narrow streets reminiscent of Rome. Lots of mosquitoes which have bitten us relentlessly but brilliant pharmacy just outside the gate. All in all, a nice week but there are better Neilson resorts.