“A very good hotel”

We last visited this hotel almost 14 years ago with our daughter just before she got married so it holds special memories for us. We are not those who return year after year to the same hotel preferring to leave our memories intact. However, when we were thinking about possibly returning to Maj... more

We last visited this hotel almost 14 years ago with our daughter just before she got married so it holds special memories for us. We are not those who return year after year to the same hotel preferring to leave our memories intact. However, when we were thinking about possibly returning to Majorca during May 2024, and intending to base ourselves on the north of the island, returning to the Grupotel Maritimo became a strong consideration. Despite both of us now being 70 we still like to travel independently and hire a car in some countries! We booked a side sea view room at a premium and also half board and felt confident in our choice. On arrival it was obvious that the reception area, as you would expect after 14 years, had undergone what we thought was a recent refurbishment. It looked very smart with sofas and many iconic Mallorca rocking chairs one of which I would have loved to have brought home in my suitcase. The first impression was excellent, clean, cared for, fresh smelling and a good welcome by the reception staff. Our room on the 4th floor was ready despite us checking in before the allocated time. However we were extremely hungry having been travelling since 5 a.m. Having been told that the snack bar was still open we headed to the terrace over looking one of the two outdoor adult pools to have a late lunch. Toasted cheese and ham sandwiches accompanied by chips and a salad quickly arrived. The portions were huge, we could easily have shared one meal, the price was reasonable and the food was superb. The cost of drinks at the bar were very reasonable and almost always bettered those outside of the hotel for price and quality. What stood out was the attentive but not intrusive, friendly manner of the bar staff - I have failed to mention that we also had two beers! - their pleasantness and interaction became a positive of our holiday. The evening entertainment takes place in the bar area but its not something we usually watch. Our bedroom was clean, bright and attractive. The bathroom was large with a walk in shower. Again both rooms appeared to have undergone a recent refurbishment. The room’s position wasn’t the greatest as it was right by the lifts and it was smaller than we expected. Also one side of the fitted wardrobe was difficult to access, due to a bed side table, limiting storage. There were no easy chairs to sit on inside the room, there wasn’t the room, just plastic balcony furniture. This might be a problem as the hotel opens in February each year. We did have a dining type chair at a vanity bench but if this was pulled out you couldn’t walk around the beds. We were not bothered by guests entering or leaving the lifts this appears to be a hotel where guests are considerate and make little noise in the corridors. The meal times are generous and should accommodate everyone. The dining room is very well managed. You are allocated a table on arrival and it is yours, for both breakfast and evening meal, for your entire holiday. This removes the pressure of searching for a table each meal time. We sensed that the table allocation was carried out with consideration to the guests. During our stay many guests were travelling by themselves. Close to our table at least four unaccompanied guests had been placed in close proximity. Our waiter, Rafa, was very attentive and offered suggestions for places to visit when we asked. As with most hotels it was buffet service. The range of food on offer, at both meals, was impressive and the quality was excellent. It was well cooked, hot, vegetarians were catered for, the serving dishes were refreshed constantly, the chefs monitored the food displays and meats and fish were cooked to order on the griddle. Most evenings had a theme but it did not dominate the entire range of food unlike some hotel buffets we have experienced. The themes were interesting and slightly different. One evening was cheese, another soup if I remember correctly. This hotel has a strong management presence. Most days the Director could be seen eating or visiting the dining room. This holiday was a first for me. As my diet is largely vegetarian based I usually struggle in Spain as this type of diet isn’t the norm. I usually exist on salads which can get boring. However this holiday I was spoilt for choice. Nearly always there was a vegetarian soup, a choice of 3 or 4 meat free main dishes, plenty of vegetables, pasta, rice and accompanying sauces. This hotel is for all ages. When we stayed guests ranged from a three month old to those older than us. Many guests return year on year. If I was a sole female traveller I believe I would feel very safe at this hotel and also included. There is a small children’s pool and two deeper adult pools. The two adult pools are not heated, I do not know about the children’s pool but I doubt it. They are well tended and the water is tested most days. Sun parasols shared between two sun beds are fixed into the ground with sufficient spacing and shade despite the canopy angle not being able to be adjusted. The staff are excellent many of whom have worked at the hotel for more than ten years, one since the hotel opened. There is a good atmosphere within the hotel. We had two wet afternoons and immediately two stands full of umbrellas were placed by the entrance doors of the hotel for guests to use. There were ramps as well as steps to every external area. The grounds were well tended. No hotel is perfect and it must be stressed that the negatives I’m going to mention would not put us off staying at this hotel in the future. As I said at the start we paid a supplement for a side sea view room. We would not do so again. Its balcony got absolutely no sun during the hours we were awake. Our room was directly over the kitchen area and bike storage unit. Throughout the night a constant droning noise could be heard either from the extraction vents or refrigerated area. It disrupted our sleep. Also most nights we were bitten by mosquitos. Our bed sheets were never changed throughout our eight night stay. We searched the room for a “please change the bedding” sign without success. The bottom sheets were of a very poor quality and quite frankly needed to be replaced due to bobbling covering a large area. However do not let our negatives distract you from considering this hotel - it is a good establishment, well run, with a strong management presence and the food is excellent.

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