Whats going on in PP?

[Chemical Dave]

Dateline : Sat 16th May 2009

Imagine the scene. Early morning in Puerto Pollensa, the sun is low in the cloudless blue sky. The Pine Walk is quiet apart from the odd cyclist. The beach beds all lie empty awaiting the busy day ahead. A jogger run along the beach, the smell of freshly baked bread greets locals and visitors alike. Over in the square the church clock strikes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, people awake from their slumber looking forward to the new day, all is perfect with the world. On the eighth chime,....... all hell breaks loose in the centre of Puerto Pollensa!

The air is filled with pneumatic drills, hammering, sawing, scaffolding being erected/dismantled. Good Morning Vietnam!!. Building work has started for another day in the centre of PP at the side of, and behind the Daina hotel. The noise is so bad it can be heard along the Pine Walk. It will continue till 6 pm when the builders down tools, only stopping for a break for lunch. And as for Spanish Builders and Health and Safety! (don't get me started on that one).

The staff in hotels and shops don't know why the building work has not stopped as it should on 1st May and do their best to console angry residents and customers. It seems the local council, in their wisdom are letting the building work continue till mid June. I hope they realise the effect it is having on the tourist trade at this time of year. I have heard many people complaining saying that they won't be back. It may be this has been allowed to help the high unemployment in the Balearic's just now, but it is a false economy. Next year will see a further drop in tourism.

Well that's it, my rant is over. It is nearly 8pm, still very warm, quiet, and I am enjoying a sunny evening looking out over the Port. Hmmmmm Stay?, Little Italy?, Maxims? Decisions decisions.

 

[Sparky]

Hi Dave and to think the Hotel Daina were telling concerned customers by email that it would all stop on May1st, even though they knew in early April that it would not.
I can understand the council wanting to help the building trade out but the Port is struggling to fill the existing accomodation. Surely the tourist industry is a bigger earner for them than the building industry..
Perhaps the council should offer some sort of compensation to all those (by "all" i mean businesses, locals and tourists) affected by this bad decision.

 

[hystersister]

Horrified to read this just rung Thomas cook to check it out travelling out to Hotel Romantic on 30th May and do not want to be listening to building works on our "relaxing" holiday. Thomas Cook coming back to me not information on this building work with them can anyone reassure me? Feeling like changing my holiday destination if possible.

Thanks

Jayne

 

[Belladonna]

Pretty sure Hotel Romantic is a great deal further up the coast (towards Alcudia way) than the Daina if Im thinking of the right one, so you wouldnt be affected by their noise, but I may be thinking of a different hotel by the same name!?

 

[Sparky]

As Bella said the Hotel Romantic is a long way from the building works. You have nothing to worry about there, all is peaceful and quiet at that end of town.

 

[hystersister]

Thanks I hope you are right I am sure you are looking at map of hotels but don't fancy being restricted where you go due to building noise. This should not be permitted during holiday season as many people would be put off by one bad experience and not return again. Certainly marred the excitement of my holiday. Maybe won't be as bad as it sounds, hope not, eating lunch listening to the sounds of a pneumatic drill really does not appeal. Lunch in the old town I think

 

[Wacker2611]

Building work is always a pain in the neck, but really, this is in a very small localised area and is being got out of all proportion imo.

 

[binny]

Don't worry !

Please dont worry about the noise ect, the Hotel romantic is in a lovely location on the seafront, its a quiet area and about a fifteen minuet stroll from the pinewalk area.
I have stayed nearby at the Hobby Club and I am sure you will have no problems at all.

Enjoy your holiday.

 

[hystersister]

Thanks Wacker and Binny

You are both reassuring appreciate it I am sure all will be well. Thankfully it seems we are a fair distance from this building work so I will stop worrying and go back to looking forward to a week of eating, drinking, walking and sunshine (I hope) not necessarily in that order.

 

[Sparky]

Jayne, as i have already told you everything is great where you are staying. Pleeez stop worrying and enjoy what will be a fab holiday.

 

[kate1]

Yes, please don't worry - when we were out in April you couldn't really hear the building work from the beach, unless you were right next to it - certainly if you walk down towards the Tamarells beach bar or along the Pine Walk a little way towards the Illa d'Or it wasn't a problem at all. And it all seemed to stop for a couple of hours at lunchtime - it was very peaceful, even at neighbouring restaurants.

 

[BonysLad]

Building work is always a pain in the neck, but really, this is in a very small localised area and is being got out of all proportion imo.

Wacker, you're right but if you had been booked into the Daina Appts or even the townside of the Daina in May ( as friends of ours are this week) you would be entitled to believe that this work would be stopped by May 1st. My friend's young son ( they live in CSV ) was hammering outside of the house mid April and the police stopped to warn him he better not be doing it after May 1st !!!! Not sure why Pollenca council seem to adopt different standards but they are pretty adept at shooting themselves in the foot.

Am writing this on my terrace with my laptop looking at the crane which stopped moving about ten minutes ago but guys banging away on the structure.

Dave, Very good post.

Urge all of you when you visit to pop into the tourist information office , pick up the council questionnaire on how PP could be improved and tell 'em.

Your voice counts, believe me.

BonysLad

 

[joelise80]

Spent last week in PP and on Wednesday afternoon I was ready to go and remove the builders drill/saw/noisy thing by 4pm as it was driving me mad! It carriednon until 6ish. Then on Thursday they dug up the road near us (near the Guarda Civil/River) and put metal sheets down which clanged every time someone drove over them - yes even at 3 and 4 in the morning!!! It is the noisiest holiday we have ever had in PP, although we are returning in September when hopefully it will be a bit quieter.

 

[Wacker2611]

Wacker, you're right but if you had been booked into the Daina Appts or even the townside of the Daina in May ( as friends of ours are this week) you would be entitled to believe that this work would be stopped by May 1st. My friend's young son ( they live in CSV ) was hammering outside of the house mid April and the police stopped to warn him he better not be doing it after May 1st !!!! Not sure why Pollenca council seem to adopt different standards but they are pretty adept at shooting themselves in the foot.

Am writing this on my terrace with my laptop looking at the crane which stopped moving about ten minutes ago but guys banging away on the structure.

Dave, Very good post.

Urge all of you when you visit to pop into the tourist information office , pick up the council questionnaire on how PP could be improved and tell 'em.

Your voice counts, believe me.

BonysLad

Sorry, didn't mean to sound dismissive (I've read my post again and I could probably have worded it better tbh). I feel really sorry for anyone booked into the Daina or the apartments on the strength of an assurance of a cessation by 1 May, in fact I feel sorry for anyone who is disturbed by the work. But it is in a very small area and I just thought it was important to point out that it is highly unlikely to affect the enjoyment of your holiday (assuming that you're not staying on top of it, obviously).

 

[Bean Counter]

I agree - I certainly wouldn't want to be staying within sound of the building works.

But, Dave, I too thought your post was great. It really made me smile. I even read it out loud to my better half - who also laughed!

 

[Chemical Dave]

Apologies if I have worried anyone with this post but last week was particularly bad. We were in the Daina apartments and the builders were working literally 10 feet from our terrace. It was also particularly noisy as they were pouring cement and there was a constant stream of lorries all day. It seems to have quietened down a lot now.

We complained to the hotel and they have been great. They were very understanding and apologetic. We have been moved to the hotel with a side sea view room and breakfast thrown in.! So we are happy with this.

While the noise is still there at times, it is nowhere as bad as it was and is unlikely to be heard much outwith the immediate area.

Once the works are complete, I would say the views from the apartments and terraces will be compromised so it is unlikely we will use them again.

Adios

Dave

 

[BonysLad]

Sorry, didn't mean to sound dismissive (I've read my post again and I could probably have worded it better tbh). I feel really sorry for anyone booked into the Daina or the apartments on the strength of an assurance of a cessation by 1 May, in fact I feel sorry for anyone who is disturbed by the work. But it is in a very small area and I just thought it was important to point out that it is highly unlikely to affect the enjoyment of your holiday (assuming that you're not staying on top of it, obviously).

Wacker,

You weren't being dismissive , and not a pop at you but the Council really ought to get their act together. You are absolutely right to say that it won't affect 95 % of the people coming here. Just feel a wee bit sorry for the 5 % in May near the old Tango site.

BonysLad

 

[Chemical Dave]

Urge all of you when you visit to pop into the tourist information office , pick up the council questionnaire on how PP could be improved and tell 'em.

Your voice counts, believe me.

BonysLad

Thanks BL. I picked up one today from the tourist office and will complete it. I notice that they include an email address so I will send an electronic PDF of the form when I get back to the UK, with my comments.

Adios

Dave