Careful How you Book

This article in The Guardian is a timely reminder of the things to consider when you are searching for a holiday rental property online. Unfortunately there are always scam artists lurking on the web so do protect yourself and your hard earned holiday money.

Any good property owners that we know here in Spain provide you with a contact number and their own home address. It should always be easy to get in touch - for example we display our contact numbers on all our advertising, we have our own website, email address and you can also find us on twitter.

The article highlights the need for caution when paying for your holiday. Like many others we do ask for payment by cheque or bank transfer and have done so without a problem now for 5 years.

The lenght of time a property has been advertised is a good indicator of whether it is a genuine holiday rental. Rental sites usually show this and as they have a reputation to up-hold they will remove an owner quickly if there are any shenanigans For example you can see that we have been advertising on holiday-rentals since 2005 here.

Speaking to previous guests is also another good way to check out a potential holiday property. We are more than happy if potential guests ask if they can get in touch with previous guests and any legitimate owner should not have a problem with this.

Guest reviews are also really helpful. We have over 20 reviews on the holiday-rentals website that are verified via holiday-rentals. Reviews help you to know what to expect from your accommodation and confirm the level of service you should receive. The reviews also allow owners to reply, so looking for properties where owners have replied also gives an indication that rental is real and that the owner cares enough to reply.

If you'd like to talk about booking your holiday in Los Alcazares then do get in touch. If we don't have availability we can usually recommend another owner that we know and trust.

Air Display Murcia 5/6/10

Day One of the Airshow at Murcia (static display). Some images from the first day of the airshow where the airbase was open and we could visit the aircraft.

People who stay around the Mar Menor are very lucky with air displays as many of our guests will tell you. We often have impromptu air displays over the Mar Menor which are as good, or even better than the official shows.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Air Show 2010 - San Javier Murcia

On 6th June there will be an air show over the Mar Menor by the Patrulla Aguila, the Spanish version of the Red Arrows.  They are celebrating their 25th anniversary and as well as the air show their base, the Air Academy in Santiago de la Ribera will be hosting an open day on the 5th June.  This is great news as the European air show in San Javier was cancelled last year due to the credit crisis.  Guests to our apartment will have often seen an impromptu display by the Patrulla Aguila over the Mar Menor - they really are worth seeing.

Source: http://www.simplynetworking.es/calida-2985-65-10-open_day_and_airshow_at_the_academia_of.html

Virtual Walk along Los Alcazares promenade

Not only can you see Los Alcazares on Google Maps and take a look from above on Google Earth, you can now take a stroll down a section of the promenade here on Google Maps Street View. These images look like they were taken on a winter's afternoon...beautiful isn't it?
I'm constantly amazed by how technology moves forward, now you can walk around Los Alcazares and 'try before you stay.'

If you want to find out when you can walk down the promenade for real contact me now.

New Guides for our Guests

This week we've been to the tourist fair in Murcia, the second biggest such event outside of Madrid. It was fascinating and we've picked up lots of information for our guests which we will be building into the information pack which sits in our apartment.

We have also picked up an excellent guide to the 21 top quality golf courses here in Murcia. There is an overall description, details on each hole and of course contact details so that you can book in advance. This will remain in the apartment - it's a great resource for our golfing guests.

In addition there is also a guide which highlights the attractions in Murcia and Cartagena - it supplements our own information pack.

When you arrive at the property we do provide you with a map of Los Alcazares and answer any questions you have about local tourist attractions. I am also putting together a pre-holiday pack to send to you with your final booking confirmation - so that you can start planning your holidays in advance!

If there is any information you think you'd find useful to have before you arrive then please let me know, suggestions from our guests are always gratefully received.

Los Alcazares Beaches - Total Quality!

Los Alcazares is well known for its beautiful beaches therefore it comes as no surprise that they regularly win "Q" awards for quality. The Q status is awarded by the Institute of Quality Tourism in Spain and reviews areas such as water quality, safety, beach quality and all leisure facilities.

This year Los Alcazares not only won "Q" awards for its beaches - it received the accolade for every single one!! This means it is the only municipality in Spain to have Q awards for all of its beaches.

So if you are looking for the best beaches in Spain come and visit Los Alcazares.

Watch the video below to get a preview of the beaches in this wonderful location.

English Speaking TV & Radio Channels

We often get asked what English speaking TV & Radio Channels are available in the apartment. Below is the list of channels currently available. The standard BBC, ITV etc are all there.


TV
BBC 1,2,3,4
ITV1 1,2,3,4
Channel 4
More More
Channel 5
Eurosport 1&2
Teledeporte
Torresat Movies 1&2
Film 4
Movies 4 Men 1&2
Cinestar
Calle 13
Hollywood
MGM
XTRM
Showcase TV
Zone Thriller, Reality, Romantic, Horror
True Movies 1&2
Info. Channel
Biography Channel
National Geographical
Natura
History
Odisea
Sci-Fi
Viva TV
Sky & BBC News
BBC Parliament
BBC Alba
Fox
E4
Travel
Flava
Bliss
Scuzz
Flaunt
NME TV
Chartshow TV
The Vault
Disney Channel
Tiny Pop, +1
Kik!
Popgirl, +1
Pop!


Radio
BBC Radio 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
BBC Radio Scotland, Wales, Ulster, Asia WS, R.Cymtu, 1Xtra, N.Gael, London, Sweden
Exite FM
The Hits
RTE Radio
Torresat FM

(Please note: these channels can be changed by the supplier without notice)