After reading tripadvisor.com's reviews on this hotel, and having experienced Cala Galdana from a previous visit to Menorca, I was very much looking forward to spending a week at the resort.

This large hotel dominates the bay, enjoys fantastic views over the beach and sea, and this initial impression is a real highlight when you first occupy your room. The holiday was good, and simply looking out from the balcony was a joy in itself. This said, my opinions of the hotel are certainly not as encouraging as that of some of the previous reviewers ; Rooms are small, clean - but not what I would regard as 4 star and some major advice, avoid the 7th floor - most of the rooms are directly underneath the restaurant which when open makes your room noisey from the tiled floors above. I agree that the staff in the main are very friendly, my 5 year old befriended both the waiters and the cleaning staff - but I am amazed that anybody could regard this hotel as kid friendly, the kids club doesnt run into October, and the poor level of evening entertainment is not in the least focussed towards them. Food wise, all I can say is the buffet was like Scooby Doo scenery, same dishes repeated as you cruise the counters from top to bottom - daily changes were made, but after two days we decided to eat out at considerable additional expense. Finally the pool area, although very nice, was quite frankly tiny. I have seen some other reviewers defend this, saying why use a pool when there is such a great beach in front - I agree, however be aware that the bay is very 'jellyfish' friendly, and if they come during your stay, this makes a retreat to the pool a necessity.

I dont want to be overly negative, the hotel was adequate in my view, but maybe my expectations are too high ; however the resort of Cala Galdana can do no wrong in my eyes, it is a fantastic location - I'll just be staying elsewhere when I go next, I'll leave the monolithic hotel to those who enjoy the mediocre buffet !

Top Tip - enjoy dinner out in the restaurant that is set on a rock into the bay ; fantastic service and a great night out.

Just spent a great week at the Sol Gavilanes with my partner and 20 month old daughter.

The hotel was outstanding. Very clean and friendly staff who are always'happy to help'. The rooms are a decent size and have all the amenties you will need for your stay. They are cleaned regularly.

The resturant is ,again, clean and tidy and the choice of food is amazing - you cannot help to find your favourite dish there. The staff are helpful and made a real fuss over our daughter and we wanted for nothing.

The bar is situated at the top of the hotel and there is a terrance there for you to enjoy while having your favourite tipple.

the hotel backs onto the beach which, again, is clean and tiday. The hiring of sin beds and paparsols is a bit pricey( 8 euro each and 5 euro) so maybe invest in a couple of lilo's for your beach time. The sea is calm and inviting.

Night time is quiet time with a few bars and resturants so if you want party time then this is not the place for you. If itis rest and relaxation you are after then this is just the ticket.

People we spoke to come back year after year and you can see why. We will be coming back again next year.

I stayed at this hotel for 2 weeks with my husband and 11 month old daughter and had a great holiday. The hotel was perfectly situated to the beach which was perfect for children - the beach being soft sand and the sea clear, calm and very gently shelving. The loungers and parasols are expensive to hire but most people just buy lilos and parasols, which are cheap enough to buy. Our room was on the 2nd floor and we had a fantastic view of the beautiful bay. We have previously been to both Tobago and Antigua and have got the say the beach/sea is certainly as good as the Caribbean, the only difference being that the sea was a little cooler than the Caribbean and the beach busier. We felt that we had chosen the ideal time to go and on talking to a local shopkeeper she said that July/August was extremely busy and too hot for children. The resort itself was ideal for families and a short walk from the hotel.

I cannot fault the hotel and found the staff friendly - my daughter certainly enjoyed being made a fuss of by the restaurant staff! I suppose the food was a little repetitive but we still enjoyed it all the same. We were even able to hire a babywalker from reception which was great as our daughter is at the 'pre-walking' stage and we were worried about her falling on the tiled floor so this was a huge help (30 euros for 2 weeks).

The supermarkets stocked everything that we might have needed for the baby: nappies, wipes, toiletries etc, but the hotel supermarket was slightly more expensive than those in the resort.

I think it says it all when I say that we are already looking forward to booking up again for the same time next year!

This was our fourth visit to the lovely isle of Menorca and our second 2 week stay at the Sol Gavilanes in Cala Galdana.

An excellent location with the back door of the hotel straight out on to the beach.

Good sized, clean rooms with towels and bedding changed regularly with a mix of entertainment (if you want to see it) during the evening outside on the Terrace.

The rather military style timing for meals was OK although the food choice was not scintilating. Good prompt service at meal times but with few smiles! Maybe it was too near the end of the season. Avis hire car rep based in hotel not totally organised so do make sure your arrangements are all confirmed before you go.

All in all, a hotel worth recommending (and clean) and you can also use the internet for 3 euro per hour.