Al Kazar

I don't know what everybody else thinks about it but I'm not very impressed that the Al Kazar is still under Polaris ownership

We will probably be waiting until at least 2015 for it to be half full looking at their track record

Graham

I agree fully, I am also one of Polaris worlds biggest critics(see any of my 200 plus posts). Unlike most Condado owners I dont play golf, I bought at Condado for the Oasis. I get chastised for critising the resort, however had Polaris decided to build the Oasis, rather than the Golf course, I am sure some of the golfers would be moaning.

I dont want to hear "10 year plan". I was never quoted 10 years when I reserved, and its 5 years since I reserved and I wouldnt say we are half way there.

However, in this post I am not going to slate Polaris, if you pay a visit to the Clover most nights its pretty quiet, try a wet Tuesday in January and I am amazed if they cover the wages bill. This is the problem, how can anybody open another bar in Al Kazar, when the custom isnt there.

There are simply not enough people on Condado at the moment to make Al Kazar a sucess, the logical thing to do would be to try and tempt people from the surrounding areas to come to Al Kazar. However it will be hard to persuade people of Camposol to travel 5 miles when they can get Pints for 2 Euros on their doorsteps. Also the next closest towns of Alhama and Mazarron are simply too far away.

It upsets me to see Mar Manor getting El Boulevard, with a choice of 5 bars and restaurants, however that area is far more densily populated, they are hoping locals from Torre Pacheco and Las Alcazares will frequent those establishments.

To sum up, I want to see more shops, bars, restaurants on Condado, but without the 20,000 proposed dwellings being built these places will never make a profit.

Graham says that it will be at least 2015 before its half full, I would agree with that. I cant see Al Kazar having all their units full by 2020. All this doesnt bode well for the Oasis (the reason I chose this resort).

I think Al Kazar is simply too big and a little drab, when Polaris spent millions on a golf course, why not put some windows on Al Kazar overlooking the course, also why is the place so tall, all the units are single story, yet all the walls are 50 foot tall?

I dont have any suggestions on how to improve things, but hope someone does. I must not be the only one who visits La Torre and wishes we had what they have (yes Yes I know its a couple of years older than condado),  its far prettier town centre.

I also think its madness to build a coffee shop/pro shop inside some ground floor penthouses, when Al Kazar is empty. Polaris should charge Olagolf a resonaible rent and everybody is happy, especially those in the penthouses above the coffee shop!

As a new member of this forum only recently completed on La Isla, I could not agree more to what Darren has said but I daresay this goes for nearly all of us who have purchased on PW.  Trying to stay positive but hopefully, things will improve.

I agree with you fully darren some people have bought on here for totally different reasons.

However i do think there is enough permanant residents to fill that bar in the quiet times but only if they dropped the price to camposol prices. Resident simply cant afford to pay €3 a pint or €4.95 per short and mixer.

I think if Polaris stopped being greedy and dropped the prices then it would make a hell of a difference.

I play football for Kennelys and the lads have said they would love to come and use polaris worlds establishments if they drop the prices.

At the end of the day Polaris are charging too much and its having a roll on effect on them trying to open other units or bars/restaurants

Thats my piece

Rob

The bar management appear to me to be doing nothing to attract customers.  I'm not a resident so this is only based on the comments I read and on the few weeks I get over. 

From memory the €3 price was only introduced after comments by residents.  And when I was over and played a few times for the golf society I didn't see anything being done for them although they always brought in a good crowd on a Wednesday and Friday. 

On top of that they seem unable to show key sports events.  I'm not advocating 24hr football but I am realistic enough to realise that many residents/visitors will be leaving the resort in the weekend to go to other pubs to watch games.  I'd rather be in a busy bar and put up with games in the background than an empty one.

They really need to rethink their approach if they want the bar to be a success.

Darren... I've got to agree with you regarding Al Kazar, I think it's bordering on being an eye sore and looks more like one of HM's prisons from the outside....!!  Even if the place was heaving with bars etc,  who wants to sit outside and be enclosed by brick walls..??

I'm also with you regarding La Torre, the whole place is so much easier on the eye from the entrance to the resort right through to the town centre and even the dwellings. I will probably also get told "go buy at La Torre then" . Quite simply, I would if it were feasible.

As was pointed out on previous thread the problem with the Al Kazar and PW in general is poor management. There is the white elephant which is the Al kazar sitting empty and not even one poster on any unit windows giving point of contact details. If these units were in the UK im pretty sure someone would have some contact info posted somewhere.As far as the bar and restaurant go ,again a total lack of management but as long as PW hold the keys to the units no-one else is likely to want or afford to open another bar or restaurant.In my view the best thing that could have happened was for PW to have folded completely and then the creditors/banks might have opened up the Al Kazar to the public using realistic rents and conditions.

I think the concern with Al Kazar is that we are unlikely to see any improvement in the short term. I was impressed with the speed of development from my first visit in March 09 when the building work commenced to seeing the finished article in September, albeit we had to wait a while then for the restaurant

Having been back a few times since, there is no sign of any improvement or signs that any of the empty units will be filled

The most disappointing thing for me on the last visit was that the lake which is the best feature, isnt lit up at night. Presume this is another cost saving measure

I have to agree with most of the comments regarding Al Kazar and its future developement. While we were over at CdA last month we heard that several interested parties have aproached Polaris with views to setting up various enterprises from hairdressers/beauty salons to clothes and craft shops. Unfortunately PW have turned down all requests from 'outside agents' which dissapointed but didn't completely surprise me.

I guess the key to getting PW on side is to put business in there that doesn't compete with what's already available, that won't exactly promote healthy competition, but at least some of those empty units will be occupied.

WW 

I must say that I agree with most of what was said on this post , I am also one of the people who do not play golf  but bought because of the open space that the course created in the center of the phase one build which gives a less cluttered  feeling to the overall resort. 

I can't help feeling that the reason the AL KASAR is so drab looking is because the commercial " jewel in the crown  " was meant to be the Town Center which would have been open to the public which would have brought more customers , and to outside buisnesses which would have brought lower prices. The only thing that will afford anyone to build this town will be the end of the recession , bearing in mind that the last recession in the 80s lasted up to 10 years I think that we are going to spend a lot of time organiseing barbeques and garden parties which would promote better relations with the people who matter, our neighbours.

Regards Ken and Fiona

Now in the past I have been told that Polaris do monitor this forum for the various resorts that concern them so I live in hope that they pleeeease take notice of this thread.  I have just returned from Condado and don't get me wrong I love it and get depressed when I have to come home to the UK but whilst I was there visited the ridiculously expensive clover bar (point one!).  There were a few people in the bar which is great but what have they put behind the bar??  when it first opened they were smartly dressed in Polaris tops and smart clothes and now we have flipsy flopsy bar maids dressed in a mixture of outfits.  One was dressed in cycling shorts and a t-shirt that looked like it had been spray painted!!! the music which was crap and selected by the flipy flopsy's was too loud you couldn't even hold a conversation and every time the bar maid (if that is the correct title!!) went behind the bar she constantly kept dimming the lights it was virtually bloody dark so not only couldn't you hold a conversation you couldn't bloody see anyone!!  Now I know you blokes will jump on this thread saying you like the flipsy flopsy's but this is an upmarket resort so we are told and the bar should be a gold mine and attract many customers everynight not the few that go in now.  I am not a football fan by any stretch of the imagination but not to show the english football that would bring in the custom is just ridiculous. 

I'm not so sure about the previous comment about Kennely's boys coming to drink in the bar if the prices were reduced I've only been there twice and both times its kicked off and they started scrapping in front of kids and everyone ......... don't want that thanks

Hi Jackie

We dont like the flipsy flopsies either! You are dead on with their antics - it is like their own club where the music is selected by them for them.

Every Friday without fail when we are about to make the golf presentation at 7pm, they dim the lights so we cant see each other and turn their rubbish music up.

Every week we then have to ask for it turning off while we make the presentation. Usually the best they can manage is turning it down a bit. Also they usually ignore customers while they chat to their boyfriends at the end of the bar.

Can't wait for the temporary clubhouse so we can leave them to it.

On a lighter note where did you get you metal flower arrangement on your patio wall? It has been much admired. The only place I can remember seeing similar was in the craft shops of Guadalest.

Barry & Sue

Hi Barry

Glad to hear I am not the only one that got naffed off with the flipsy flopsy's!!! 

Believe it or not the wall art is from B & M Bargains in the UK, its amazing what you can fit in hand luggage with a little bend here and there!!!!!

We ( the presidents ) have sent numerous complaints to Polaris World regarding the Clover.  The first, back in January received a reply simply saying that our complaints had been passed on to the manager, but all subsiquent requests for a response have been ignored.   

Ho Hum.

Phil

Ah but....... is the manager one of the flipsy flopsy's ?????  might explain why they are binning the complaints    please keep on at them on our behalf persistance may just be the key!!

what exactly is a flipsy flopsy ?

flipsy flopsy - dolly dimple - dolly daydream ????

Hi Jackie,

Totally agreed these flipsy flopsies as you call them need replaced.

I'd vote for keeping the barmaids if they could only serve drinks at a rate faster than one every ten minutes.  I wouldn't be one to complain about painted on outfits but they have to be able to pull a pint.  Get more than two people wanting a drink and there's a queue at the bat for half an hour.  Maybe they could replace one with a decent barman/woman as a compromise.

And they pour Guinness like its lager...all in one go and no settling. 

The bubble head blonde flipsy flopsy is the manager and she sets the worst example of the lot of them!

How do they manage to serve a completely flat pint and remove the bubbles when it all comes out of the same kegs?

Barry & Sue