Meliá Palma Bay

Clean, modern, nice location to stay away from the crowds but close to the city

Average service

Very clean and modern Staff very very pleasant Lovely breakfast room Rooftop pool lovely and not overcrowded

It is a bit out of the way for the shops but near the beach and great for airport bus

Big rooms with sensible facilities. Stuff that works. That goes a long way in my book. We took the "level" option and I would recommend it. It provides a general feelgood factor and we always delighted in returning to our free kitchen. In fact the one problem we had was when we returned to find it all cleared away at half nine which resulted in a small disagreement. Know the times. Handy location. Not too far to ger into town and bus stops outside the door. V close to Portoxil which has some really really good restaurants.

The design is elegant but perhaps a little impersonal. While the soundproofing is pretty good, it's difficult to excel in an environment which is dominated by hard wood and voids. The Aircon is adequate but not generous. I didn't find it problematic but I would have preferred that we could have put it down a little more. The bedding is a bit of a hollofill extravaganza. Vast bed with immensely soft synthetic base and numerous bouncy pillows. It's the kind of thing my wife loves but not me. None of this is very serious - more a matter of taste - but something to bear in mind.

Location is the hotel's biggest asset — right in the city centre, a short walk from the sea and from a beautiful promenade that's a pleasure to stroll along. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés all around, so you don't need a car to get to just about anything. The gym is genuinely good and well equipped, above average for a hotel in this category, and the reception staff were friendly and welcoming throughout our stay.

The room itself, on the other hand, was disappointing. It's dated and doesn't live up to the impression the hotel gives off in the lobby. We found ants in the room, and the cleaning standard was poor — it was clear the daily service amounted to making the beds and not much more. On top of that, they only provide two bath towels, which simply isn't enough. Rating: 3/5