PICTURE: ISTOCK
MYSTERY SHOPPER
The target
Leamington Spa,
Warwickshire
Wanted
A family holiday
to Portugal
A family of four
with two school-age
children are looking
for a bargain summer
holiday to Portugal.
They would like fourstar
accommodation
on a complex with lots
of activities, and allinclusive
if possible.
The budget is about
£3,000. How interesting
that all agencies
suggested the same
two properties.
g See Destinations, pages
49-54, for more on holidays
to Portugal
34 | Travel Weekly | January 29 2010
Carrick Travel
92 Warwick Street
66%
The agent seemed
to genuinely want to
help and made me
feel very comfortable.
The branch itself was immaculate.
The only brochure the agent had was
Classic Collection, but she didn’t
show it to me, saying it would be
over my budget. She said they were
waiting for new brochures to arrive.
After a computer search, she came
up with a quote that was £1,287 over
5TOP
TIPS
Tip 1
Thomson
6 The Parade
The Algarve region of
Portugal is ideal for families
because the coast has
several blue flag beaches,
including Barril, Manta Rota
and Altura. The beaches
have lifeguards, showers,
places to hire sports
equipment and beach bars.
Tip 2
65%
Most of the waterparks in
the region open from April
to October. These include
Aquashow in Quarteira,
home to the biggest
watercoaster in Europe.
Zoomarine combines
entertainment with
Overall, the experience
was disappointing.
The agent covered
nearly everything that was required,
but lacked enthusiasm. She said she
thought the type of holiday I was
looking for would be difficult to find in
Portugal and advised me to consider
other destinations. Knowing there
were options from other visits, I asked
her to carry on searching Portugal.
One of the options she came up
my budget for a Cosmos holiday,
staying at Clube Humbria. Having
found cheaper holidays at the other
agencies, I didn’t understand why she
couldn’t find something in budget.
She said she would keep an eye
out for something else and gave the
impression these holidays might
become available later. She had
good customer service and product
knowledge, but didn’t get a higher
score as she failed to meet my budget.
Midlands Co-op Travel
Royal Priors Shopping Centre
87%
This was a good
experience – the
agent was very
professional at all times.
She greeted me, asking if I was
‘looking for anything in particular’.
The consultant listened to my needs
and worked efficiently. She came
across as trustworthy and genuine
and communicated well. She took
details of all the children’s ages,
required destination, accommodation
The Algarve’s
coastline has several
blue flag beaches
education. Just outside
Albufeira, it has a dolphin
interaction programme
and aquarium.
Tip 3
The travel agents
recommended hotels in
with was a Holiday Village, saying she
had been to one in another country
and had had a fantastic time. The
lowest price she could get for this was
£3,402. She also suggested another
hotel called Clube Humbria, which
came out closer to budget at £3,119 for
14 nights. The consultant was friendly
enough and patient; however, it felt
as though she was going through the
motions. Her uniform also looked a
little tired.
and budget. She quoted £3,029
staying at the Aparthotel Paraiso de
Albufeira, travelling with Thomas
Cook, bringing the price down by
taking off the in-flight meal and extra
luggage allowance. Although she
didn’t attempt to close the sale, she
informed me the price included a free
child’s space and it may go quickly.
She didn’t attempt to add on products
such as insurance, but this was to
keep the price down.
Albufeira, which is one of
the most popular tourist
destinations in the Algarve.
However, it’s worth
highlighting that there
is a charming traditional
town centre, but the
nightlife is busy.
Tip 4
There are excellent regional
departures from the UK to
Faro, which is a flight time
of about two hours and
45 minutes.
Tip 5
For more information on
hotels in the Algarve visit
www.gazetteers.com
www.travelweekly.co.uk
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