Failing Pontins once jetted Brits out to Spain for 'Pontinental' holiday camp
Pontins has announced the immediate closure of its Southport holiday park, leaving many Brits nostalgic for their childhood holidays.
The once-popular resort, which opened in 1970, was part of an empire that included 30 sites at its peak. Now there are just three left, with one of those closed to the general public for at least a year. While Pontins is now solely associated with the British seaside, there was a time when its loyal customers were offered a taste of life beyond these sometimes drizzly shores. Pontins once had a hotel on the Costa del Sol named 'Hotel Pontinental', the Liverpool Echo reported.
The cheap and cheerful travel firm offered two-week holidays for just £55, which is the equivalent £719 now. It opened in 1970 and for many, it was their first taste of a holiday abroad.
Pages from a 1972 brochure of the Hotel Pontinental offer a glimpse into what was on offer at the time. It also provides insight into what life was like two years after it first opened its doors.
Did you ever have a Pontins holiday abroad? Let us know in the comments section below or by emailing [email protected]
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The 'Hotel Pontinental' opened in 1970 in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol (Photo courtesy of oldcolorimages.com . Pontins/Britannia Hotels)The brochure reads: "Continental breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared by a first class chef and menus are carefully chosen, meals being served in the spacious dining room which also overlooks the sea. A la carte service and a good selection of wines are available as required at extra charge.
"The hotel terrace, gardens and beach are naturally the focal point during the day and it is possible to seabathe throughout the year. Pedallos can be hired and, weather permitting, water skiing is available nearby for enthusiasts and beginners during most months."
Children were well looked after at the hotel, where they had their "own well equipped playground and paddling pool right on the beach" and "a nanny keeping watch on the younger ones during specified periods".
The hotel also had a massive swimming pool and guests could have fun playing tennis or crazy golf. The hotel was open all year round, with public lounges, a cocktail bar, a dining room and reception area, as well as a cinema. Guests could also join coach tours organised by the hotel.
Pictures in the brochure show what life was like at Hotel Pontinental over 50 years ago, from guests having fun on the beach to an aerial view of the site and inside different rooms and dining areas.
The holidays were flogged from £55 (Photo courtesy of oldcolorimages.com. Pontins/Britannia Hotels)Holidays from Gatwick Airport were offered between March and October 1972, with the basic price shown in pounds - not long after decimalisation was introduced - and covering a two week holiday on the Costa del Sol. To fly on March 24, 1972, it cost £55 for adults (12 and over), while children aged seven to 11 cost £45 and those aged three to six costing £35.
In August - the school holidays - prices were increased. For the week starting August 6, it was £79 for an adult, £69 for children aged seven to 11 and £59 for children aged three to six. Pontins once also owned other hotels and holiday camps abroad, including in Cala Mequida in Majorca and Pineta Beach in Sardinia.
For many years, lots of families went to one of the Pontins hotel sites for a sunny break. In the '70s, a sister hotel was built and operated next door. But by the 1980s, the Hotels Pontinental in Torremolinos as guests knew it were no more. By 1984, an advertisement in the Nottingham Recorder said the former Pontinental hotel has become the Beach Club Hotel in Torremolinos.
Today, the first hotel appears to Marconfort Beach Club Hotel and the sister building, Hotel Puente Real. But many will still remember the days of a Pontins holiday overseas.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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