My Spain vacation was ruined by new all inclusive drink rules

A BRIT on holiday in Mallorca became “excited and angry” over new alcohol rules being enforced at Spanish resorts.

Officials have sparked outrage Enforcement of “six drinks a day” Rule for all-inclusive holidays and in resorts on islands like Ibiza and Mallorca.

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The new law affecting some hotels in the Balearic Islands means that holidaymakers are forced to pay extra if they want more than three free alcoholic drinks per meal.

Jason Walker, 42, who went on an all-inclusive trip Majorca Celebrating his cousin’s birthday earlier this week was left “angry” and “upset” by the rules.

He paid £240 for his three-day trip with tour operator Love Holiday, which he believed entitled him to as much food and drink as he wanted.

But when the security officer arrived on the beautiful Mediterranean island, he was stunned to find there were any Limits on his free drinking.

Spanish officials initially announced this January new law But it has hit hundreds of British holidaymakers who are now arriving on the islands.

Jason is urging holidaymakers flying to similar Spanish resorts in the summer to check their fine print, otherwise they’ll be hit with high drink costs without warning.

He said: “We didn’t find out until we checked in and only budgeted that much thinking all our food and drink would be covered. We were very upset and angry.

“We came as a family of eight to celebrate my cousin’s 40th birthday and while we still had a good time it added an extra cost to us.”

Local authorities in Spain introduced the alcohol ban in January this year, affecting certain holiday areas of the Balearic Islands, including Palma, Ibiza and Magaluf.

The new law – which says “alcoholic beverages will be limited to six a day” – is part of a package of measures aimed at tackling antisocial behaviour.

Jason said he understands the government is trying to curb foolish drinking but believes the new rules need to be advertised better.

He said: “I understand they are trying to curb alcohol abuse and rowdy behaviour, but I think it was done very sneakily – I wasn’t made aware of it and didn’t know about the law.

“We are also here as a family and all inclusive is great for families as you don’t have to worry about food and drink budget.”

Jason urged tour operators to give holidaymakers more information on how their trips could be affected by the draconian laws, saying they “shouldn’t be sold as all-inclusive”.

He added, “If you’re booking an all-inclusive holiday, I recommend you look at the fine print and see what’s actually included and what’s not because the rules have changed.”

A Love Holidays spokesman told Sun Online Travel: “We are sorry to hear that the customer was disappointed with their stay at Aluasun Torrenova Hotel.

“Unfortunately, the customer did not get in touch on this occasion to address the issue. Therefore, we did not have the opportunity to discuss the request with the customer.

“A decree from the Balearic Government limits alcoholic drinks to a maximum of six per person per day for the all-inclusive meal option.

“With this in mind, we list the drinks available to the customer on the hotel detail page under the heading ‘All Inclusive’.

“In this case, the hotel details indicate: – Selection of Spanish and international soft drinks. 3 alcoholic drinks per person (beer and wine) at lunch and dinner.

“We would always urge customers to read the details of their hotel to ensure they are happy with their purchase.”

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