Reisen

Posting this from the pool area at the PH. Will post a full review with pictures once I get back: we arrived last Saturday and depart this coming Saturday. Quick hits for now:

- The other posters were not exaggerating about the children. They are everywhere, and almost all very young. At breakfast yesterday I counted 7 of 11 other tables has children under age 6 or so.

-That said, the children have been very well behaved. No crying, running, etc. I've been impressed. They are way better behaved than my children would be.

- Our suite is gorgeous. I wouldn't change a thing about the inside. That said, it has absolutely no view. I'm not just talking about water views, I can't even see the mountains. Only other rooms. That's amazing for an 1800 Euro per night room. Who ever thought that was an ok design??? I asked three times, over the first three days, to be moved, but was told each time they were completely full, so I finally gave up and accepted I would only have views while eating.

- Others have posted about the stairs; you will be amazed. I have never seen a hotel so vertical. It is literally 6 flights of stairs from reception to our room. For those of you who have lived in apartments, think of a 6th floor walk up. The distance is very short, it's just the height that is an issue. Yes, you could take golf carts, but that would seem onorous every time you realize you forgot sunscreen in your room.

- Ive been very happy with the hotel staff; the reception employees all come from other top hotels. That said, there have been some issues, mainly around food service. We went to a local restaurant last night, and ran into other guests who waited 75 minutes at Tapas before giving up and leaving the hotel for dinner. F&B seems to be the one thing they are still really struggling with.

-The whole property is beautiful, including the pool area. I particularly like the outside areas at Tapas and Ballearic. But the pools are way too small, and specifically, too shallow. It's a great area for lounging, but the pools should literally be twice as large for a resort this size. The jacuzzi is indeed cold, but there is a sign warning about how hot it is, so I'm guessing it's either broken or just not turned on yet.

- There have been some infrastructure issues, which are understandable given how new the hotel is. The TVs haven't really worked since we've been here, including in the gym. The wifi has been very good, but did go down for much of yesterday (which was, of course, exactly when we needed it). There is a makeup mirror in our bathroom with an integrated light that either has a short, or is wired incorrectly. It shocks you anytime you touch the frame! Most of the fountains are turned on now, and they look great!

- The areas immediately adjacent to the hotel will be interesting. There are very high end houses immediately to the West. However, to the east (toward the beach), they clearly built the infrastructure for new development 10+ years ago, but abandoned it. Now, it looks like something out of "The Walking Dead". Weeds and trash everywhere. Sidewalks falling apart, half meter weeds in the road, and rusting light posts with the tops knocked off. At a bare minimum, PH should hire someone to kill the weeds and pick up the trash, given it is immediately adjacent to the hotel, and every guest that walks or bikes to the beach has to go through it. I'll take some pictures before I leave.

- Also speaking of issues outside the hotel, they are building a massive complex immediately adjacent to the south that will have tennis courts, an indoor pool, and other amenities. It isn't owned by PH, but supposedly guests will have access. The problem is, the architecture looks like it will be completely different. I'm worried they might clash...

- Lastly, much has been written about the location. It is a quick jog, bike, or shuttle ride to the beach (maybe 1km), but it is certainly not on it. Further it is oriented facing south rather than east (and thus not facing the ocean, either). They could have seemingly moved the hotel 100 yards west and reoriented it to get much better water views, but I suspect whoever owned the land wanted more money or something.

-One final issue to note. The wine pours here are atrocious, yet cocktails are enormous. If you order wine, expect it to look like the glass is almost empty when it arrives (maybe 4 ounces). The cocktails have lots of ice, but at least look impressive. I'll post comparison pictures in my full review.

- Really last thing. Tons of beautiful people here, both at the hotel, and on the beaches. It's been a while since I vacationed in the Med, but people here are about 10x more attractive than in Mexico or the Caribbean. Great eye candy.

Full review with pictures, beach recommendations, local restaurant recommendations, and car rental info to come. This is not a resort you visit to hang by the pool all day (too small), but the beaches are world class.

Reisen

Oh yeah, one last thing since I remembered it came up below; AC has not been an issue. Close the doors to the bathroom and the rest of the suite, and the bedroom gets downright chilly at night.

Cohall

We've been here since Saturday, and are leaving first thing in the morning. In general, I agree with the vast majority of your review.

The technology issues have been annoying. Wifi has been pretty mediocre for us, especially in our room.

The hotel itself is gorgeous, as is the suite. (I worked with the room manager in advance and did get one with a great view).

This management is clearly targeting a family oriented offering, and it shows. The 'adults only' pool is anything but. There have been several families and children in it every day, and the adults only rule is not enforced at all. In fact, the staff actively encourages children to be there, bringing them treats and gummy bears etc. Earlier in the week, when 6 kids were in the adult pool screaming, we asked one of the attendants if we were at the no kids pool. He said yes, and we gave him a look like WTH? He just smiled and walked away. Most of the kids have been well behaved, but a few earlier this week were quite obnoxious. Saying they have an adults only pool is patently false lie, and should be removed from their marketing material.

The children running and screaming in the courtyard between Tapas and Asia during dinner were a real annoyance the first couple of nights we were here, and again, zero intervention by staff. No other resort of this supposed quality, nor any other PH I've been to, would ever allow such behavior near dining guests trying to have a romantic dinner. The past few nights we haven't noticed an issue.

The service has been hit and miss, but miss more often than not.

The construction adjacent to the hotel is both an eyesore and extremely loud during the day, especially near the pool.

So, while the hotel is beautiful, and if you can do C&P with DSU, an outright bargain, I would struggle to recommend a trip here until they get a decent amount of things worked out.

If you're planning a romantic getaway here, think again. Between the kids, the service, and the construction, this place is anything but romantic unless you're In your room or up before the kids and noise.

I too will try and post a full review and photos when I get back.

Ps, the caves de Arta, just a 5 minute drive away, are well worth a visit. The caves and tour are great, and you get the bonus of some amazing coastal views of Canyamel and the surrounding area. Quite stunning, actually.

Pps, having a rental car here is a requirement, IMO. As Reisen says, you're going to want to leave the hotel for beaches and dinners at a minimum.

Paet

Dear all,

Please bear in mind the following:
- the hotel is located in Spain - where kids enjoy much freedom (more than compared to other cultures)
- the hotel is located in one of the "German" areas of Mallorca and for this reason was/is marketed at tour operators (full/half board packages, etc.) with high discounts. Therefore there might be some people out of this vacationers group that normally do not spend their vacations at Hyatt/5* properties and nkw enjoy the once in a lifetime experience
- Spanish life is louder than e.g. in German or the US - there is no way this is not reflected in the resorts atmosphere

Cohall

I've been lucky enough to travel all over the world. It's not appropriate in any country or region to have wine spilled on you by out of control children or to have dodge soccer balls while having a several-hundred Euro meal at a restaurant aiming for a Michelin star.

And I'm pretty sure that Spanish life being "louder" doesn't mean their construction equipment operates at a higher volume than other parts of the world. The adjacent construction is an eyesore and obnoxiously loud from the pool, and the Hotel should warn guests of this on their website until the project is complete.

There seems to be a lot of excuses being made for this hotel. I'm not quite sure why it gets such a pass from this crowd. Many of the issues noted are not due to it's newness, but rather a fundamental problem in how it's being operated.

RTW1

If you go to a resort during the school holidays... expect to see lots of children. This has nothing to do with the resort itself. If you don't like that simply don't go during the school holidays.... staying now would be a good time.

peter42

I agree with the construction noise, but not with the rest.

I had wine/beverages/coffee spilled over me in any kind of restaurants by waiters/other guests/FAs etc - it just happens.

And yes people in Spain tend to speak out louder and tend to give more room to children.

As another poster said, if you do not like to interact with children, do not go to a resort during the holiday season.

dukie570

There is a big difference between seeing lots of children and having them uncontrolled in areas where it absolutely shouldn't happen at a resort like this one.

Ducatibiker

Some people made similar comments on other forum so I would agree with you. Especially your comments about the adult pool and the restaurant. Current rate is 500 euros a night so hardly the rate I would pay to have construction next door and lack of service. I will wait when the rate is 250 euros, included the one hour drive from the airport.

Cohall

You continue to come into this thread and defend a hotel you've never even been to, and discredit/dismiss those who have actual real-world experience staying at the resort. I don't quite understand your motivation.

I never said I didn't expect to see children, nor do I have any problem with children (in fact, I quite like most of them). You seem to have a problem differentiating between the presence of children, and kids that are completely out of control from morning to night, with no parental or management intervention.

When I'm in the supposed adults-only pool of hotel charging these rates, nobody should expect to have 6 kids next to you screaming and have a full bowl of cereal dumped into the pool right next to your head while the attendants look on. And yes, that actually happened, and is just one anecdote of a myriad of issues here.


I never said I don't like to interact with children. It's amazing how words and emotions tend to get mixed up in this conversation.

59Impala

I agree, if they publish an "adults only pool", they have to enforce this, irrespective of if the country is children-friendly or not.
the HR Scottsdale and Indian Wells have adult pools, and that is a selling argument for me. I expect to have peace and quiet, even in peak seasons. my kids are all grown up and I currently do not want this noise.
I must admit though, that adults are sometime not better, especially over Labro Day weekend... (experience in Indian Wells - ouch... that's a day I for sure will avoid in the future)

tsg20

footastic, we would love to see your restaurant recommendations as well, either posted or by PM, thanks!

stvr

A few local tidbits for those curious:

Enjoyed Cafe Parisien in Arta, which is a fun town to walk around in. The cafe has a nice patio, a bit bohemian.

The walkable urban core of Cala Ratjada, while a bit touristy, had a bunch of budget food options, including Chinese, Japanese, etc.

The tourist information office at Canyamel was really top notch. It's about a fifteen minute walk from the hotel.

Restaurante Es Cruce had decent, inexpensive Mallorcan food. If you want a laugh, read about the owner's corruption charges online. (basically a fried fish for free roadwork scheme)

Alcudia was quite charming. Roman ruins, its old city wall.

Past that, the drive to Cap Formentor was quite stunning.

Obiekang

I really appreciate all the reviews and experience shared about this property. We are planning to stay at PH Mallorca over Christmas. 230 Euro per night looks like a good deal for PH, so we might pass C+P option, and use DSU since they have plenty of availability from Dec 23rd- Dec 28th. Just wondering if anyone stayed here over winter time, we are having a short vacation here for five days, looking for some laid back experience before celebrating the New Year in Barcelona.
I'm still confused about the car rental, is Hertz the only reliable company here? It costs 300+ Euro for 5 days (we are paying under age fees which seems unavoidable). A lot of cars in Europe are manual, but we will have to go with auto since our driving experiences are mostly in the US

notquiteaff

I just came back from Mallorca. Had a BMW X1 with automatic transmission from Avis. No problems. Avis Preferred meant that I could just walk in the garage at PMI and go to the Preferred desk and pick up the keys. Was 211 EUR for six days (no underage fee for me). Hertz seems to have similar rates for what looked like a smaller/lower end car. If you are not used to stick shift, would definitely recommend automatic. There are many scenic narrow roads where you don't want to have to focus on shifting gears.

Re the kids discussed above - we stayed at a different resort near Alcudia and since the summer holidays in Germany were over, there were mostly (older) adults and some young couples with toddlers/infants. No problems. I would have expected a very different scene during school breaks.

Hope you have checked out the average temps for Mallorca for December.