Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Community > Trip Reports
Reload this Page >

Slummin' it to Spain - BCN, PMI for some Park Hyatt, and MAD

Slummin' it to Spain - BCN, PMI for some Park Hyatt, and MAD

Old Mar 17, 2017, 6:16 pm
  #16  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 101
Any specific restaurants you'd recommend in Barcelona?
andy2016 is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2017, 3:19 pm
  #17  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Canterbury
Programs: BA Blue, IC Diamond Ambassador, Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 368
This TR has really brought my memories of Barcelona flooding back from the food to the wonderful architecture. Looking forward to the rest.
Spymon is offline  
Old Mar 22, 2017, 10:38 pm
  #18  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Originally Posted by mitellic
Great report!

What's with the place mats though? Did you go to restaurants that were part of the same chain three times in a row?
Yeah...2 difference places, twice each. What can I say, they were good and close to the hotel!

Originally Posted by offerendum
a very nice trip
Thank you, offerendum

Originally Posted by andy2016
Any specific restaurants you'd recommend in Barcelona?
I was happy with the tapas places I went to. Ciudad Condal and Cerveseria Catalana were the two that I frequented as mentioned above

Originally Posted by Spymon
This TR has really brought my memories of Barcelona flooding back from the food to the wonderful architecture. Looking forward to the rest.
Trying to get the next post up, but been busy with work! Hopefully this weekend I can scrounge together the Mallorcan installment
chongl is offline  
Old Mar 24, 2017, 7:51 am
  #19  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 343
I really enjoyed my time in BCN and this is bringing back nice memories. Great pictures and a great narrative! Thanks for sharing!
benjahman is offline  
Old Mar 24, 2017, 9:45 am
  #20  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: 6km East of EPAYE
Programs: UA Silver, AA Platinum, AS & DL GM Marriott TE, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,582
Absolutely awesome photos! Thank you for sharing ^
Madone59 is offline  
Old Mar 24, 2017, 4:54 pm
  #21  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
The next morning, it was a quick taxi ride to the airport and we were through security in no time. Since we were slumming it, sitting at the gate was the pasttime.





We were at the very far end of the concourse, and the gates were a floor above the rest...interesting setup



Skipping the pictures of regional economy, cause nobody cares, right? That's ok if you disagree, since this is the only picture I took of the flight



We landed in Mallorca where I picked up my rental from Sixt. It was a facelifted A3 wagon, diesel with 6MT so I could row my own gears as I prefer. First stop before driving across the island was Bellver Castle









A view towards Palma Cathedral









A door to nowhere





Continuing into the heart of the fortification





At least the view isn't too bad if you were trapped in here



The view from the top





Oh, I WAS planning to go to Rome this summer, but that all changed recently. Looking like back to Tokyo, then a separate trip to Maldives and London instead.









Afterwards, the next stop was Palma Cathedral, which took us longer than we would have liked. Using navigation, it routed us through some narrow streets with lots of foot traffic. It's a bit unnerving in an unfamiliar area. It took us around a few times before I spotted the underground parking meant for people like us



It was about 2PM by now, so we immediately sat down to get ripped off at Guiness House for a sandwich. But, at least this was our view for the time we spent there...



A forgettable sandwich



Heading towards the cathedral











Again, just simply stunning architecture





A cannon on display





Looking back towards the Med



More cathedral











Not sure why I took this...it ended up looking a lot worse than I was thinking. Maybe I just wanted to capture the bird?



Anyhow, we hopped in the car and drove for roughly an hour to Park Hyatt Mallorca. Now, it's not THAT far away, but the endless roundabouts that span every few miles of road meant lots of slowing down, speeding up, and repeating that made the trip much less fluid than I wanted. All those thoughts disappeared as soon as we arrived at this beautiful property.

We were checked in immediately. We were low on cash, so we exchanged some USD for Euros. However, they screwed up the exchange, significantly in my favor (they did an inverse). When I tried to tell them, the agent brought someone else over who confirmed that I was getting the right amount and thanked me for my honesty. I wasn't going to push it to make the situation uncomfortable, but I knew I shouldn't have received 110 Euro for my single Benjamin.

On to the room...we were driven by buggy and shown the amenities.

Front entrance is on the far left



2nd bathroom in the distance, where the entrance is



The far end of the room, with a dining table and exit to a patio



Bedroom with a rise up TV





Bathroom with heated floor



Outside on the patio



And looking towards some of the other rooms



A sign



Me snapping some pictures



Looking over the pool and dining areas





Down in the pool area where it was too cold for any kind of water activity





Dinner was at Tapas Bar, one of the restaurants on site



Cheese plate. I think we tried the blue bufala (not a cheese person but the guy said it wasn't kill you strong so we said ok), Manchego cured dehesa de los llano which was world's best cheese in 2012, and the last one was the cured organic cheese washed in beer. Pretty good all in all. Just need to taste more and develop my palate going forward



Then a ham tasting plate...lighter one is aged 14 months whereas the darker, leaner one is aged 48 months



Starter was the grilled scallop with smoked butter



Main was the ribeye with padron peppers and some potatoes. Unfortunately, the steak was a let down. It looks delicious, but it was rather tough. I've had plenty of USDA choice steaks that were juicier and more tender. Even worse was that I was really looking forward to a big slab of meat after a few days of small tapas dishes too





Full menu here for those interested: https://mallorca.park.hyatt.com/cont...nu-English.pdf

A bonus walk around video of the room

chongl is offline  
Old Mar 24, 2017, 4:57 pm
  #22  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Originally Posted by benjahman
I really enjoyed my time in BCN and this is bringing back nice memories. Great pictures and a great narrative! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading, benjahman

Originally Posted by Madone59
Absolutely awesome photos! Thank you for sharing ^
Not quite as epic as your RTW, Madone59, but it'll do
chongl is offline  
Old Mar 24, 2017, 8:43 pm
  #23  
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SNA; LAX; KUL
Posts: 430
Originally Posted by chongl
Thanks for reading, benjahman



Not quite as epic as your RTW, Madone59, but it'll do
The quality of the pictures are amazing!
miuk is offline  
Old Mar 26, 2017, 6:55 am
  #24  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Four Seasons 5+ BadgeSPG 5+ Badge
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,491
Enjoyed my trip to Mallorca. Next time I think I will try the PH.
offerendum is offline  
Old Mar 26, 2017, 8:17 am
  #25  
Formerly known as Stephenk19
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Munich, Germany
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 409
Nice report and pictures! We head to Barcelona in a few weeks, looking forward to seeing the same sites.
Steve_19 is offline  
Old Mar 28, 2017, 8:18 pm
  #26  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 849
Nice trip report! What time of year did you visit? I'm thinking about a visit around Thanksgiving, but not sure if there will be anything to do since it will probably be cold? I know you rented a car. Is a car rental a must?
cruisingmickey is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2017, 10:02 am
  #27  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
With a good night of rest, we walked just a few minutes to the breakfast area. Starting with the buffet selection, where a local sausage is the specialty.





On to the other buffet offerings. Of course there were also eggs and bacon and potatoes on offer, but I seem to have skipped those items in the photo op





Lots of cured meats, but not quite PH Vienna selection overall





There was something amazingly delicious about the apple pie crumble



We were also able to order off of the menu. I went with the Mallorcan toast as suggested by our server, whereas the wife went with the spicy avocado eggs







With stomachs full, we got changed and called down to the front desk to bring our car out front. About 1-2 km from the resort was Claper des Gegants, which have the remains of a prehistoric site from about 3000 years ago. You make short hike next to one of the golf courses before you arrive at the ruins.



I think this is the right way





Finally some more signage





Just a bunch of rocks, but you can see some dividing walls of the settlement. Pretty cool stuff







The next stop I had on my list was Cuevas de Art. This was much cooler than I had expected, and pictures simply don't do the cave justice. Countless stalactites and stalagmites line each chamber, and some are given names based on their shapes. We ended up having a private tour since we were the only ones that were there at the particular time slot. I'll just let the pictures do the talking here.

Giant stairway is actually the exit





Looking towards the sea







There is a small locked gate to the left of the giant stairway that is the entrance. This hallway leads to the first main area



And the first chamber in all its glory. We were stunned and motionless as our eyes took it all in













The tallest formation more than 60 feet high, but not quite reaching the ceiling yet. It grows at a rate of approximately 2cm every 100 years







This area was dubbed the Gates of Hell







Some lighting effects



The upside down sheep on the upper left







This one was the mammoth or elephant?





A new formation beginning







Some close ups





One last shot exiting



Surprisingly, we had more places to see on our agenda. The initial thought of just relaxing at the resort went out the window somehow and we were back in the car driving towards another castle



Might as well advertise!



Entrance was just a few Euros







The outer fortification walls











Juxtaposition of past and present



Defensive tower









Water tank





Another vantage of the tower







A bell



More walls







A church was onsite







Church on the left





More of the perimeter







Archaeological excavations are still ongoing



You can see more dividing walls similar to Claper des Gegants





And walking back to the car







Flowers



And back to paradise



I'll pickup the next post with dinner at Tapas Bar again
chongl is offline  
Old Apr 7, 2017, 10:06 am
  #28  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
Originally Posted by offerendum
Enjoyed my trip to Mallorca. Next time I think I will try the PH.
You won't be disappointed, @offerendum PH was a fantastic property. I hardly saw anyone wandering the grounds, but I'm sure I was there during low season. Many of the restaurants weren't open, which is why we ended up sticking to the resort both nights

Originally Posted by Steve_19
Nice report and pictures! We head to Barcelona in a few weeks, looking forward to seeing the same sites.
Thank you, @Steve_19 Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Originally Posted by cruisingmickey
Nice trip report! What time of year did you visit? I'm thinking about a visit around Thanksgiving, but not sure if there will be anything to do since it will probably be cold? I know you rented a car. Is a car rental a must?
@cruisingmickey we were there the last week of February. It wasn't too cold...50s to 60s during the daytime when we were there. For Mallorca, you would want to rent a car if you're staying on the east side of the island, where PH is, in my opinion.
chongl is offline  
Old Apr 8, 2017, 2:21 am
  #29  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
SPG 5+ BadgeFour Seasons 5+ Badge
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,491
Yeah, there is so much to see..... Brings back memories^
offerendum is offline  
Old Apr 13, 2017, 9:57 pm
  #30  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: United Silver, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 988
That night, we called around for reservations but found out many restaurants were closed as it was low season. Rather than deal with driving and finding parking, we just went to Tapas Bar again for dinner.

Some of the ham we had the previous night, as well as some sausage





We had a pick of the sobrasada de porc negre, camaiot, and chorizo, and all were delicious



Steak tartare



Tuna tartare



Oxtail cannelloni made with cheese cream and foie gras. We forgot to disclose a peanut allergy, but the chef was awesome enough to fire up a second serving just for my wife. We were completely content with the original dish since it was our fault for not being upfront, but like I said, the staff were more than accommodating



Farm egg with potato cream and Iberian ham



Lastly, some croquettes to finish it off



Dessert of creamy chocolate with coffee foam



We retired to our room afterwards for the last night at this beautiful resort. I do hope we have time during a better season to come back and explore some more.

The next morning, we checked out and hopped in the car back towards PMI. We had to do a little luggage rearranging since one of the bags was overweight. Once we were within 1 kilo, the desk agent was content and handed us our boarding passes.

At one of the run down Priority Pass lounges, but still better than waiting at the gate







At the gate waiting for the flight to Madrid



Another hour or so of flight later, we landed in Madrid and took a taxi to the AC Carlton Madrid. It was a barebones room in contrast to the PH, but comfy enough to kick back and relax in.



I still don't get why so many bathrooms have partial glass that lets water splash all over the floor



Not having eaten lunch, we found a local spot to fill our stomachs





Steak medallions





Time to explore!







Plaza Mayor







Chocolateria San Gines for some churros





And then back to Plaza Mayor for some people watching.

A disgusting costume



Some more wandering





A band



Taking a roundabout way back to our hotel















Thru Parque del Retiro





Sun setting







And we called it a night!
chongl is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.