Our Balearic Island Adventure
The boy and I decided to hot foot it to the beautiful Balearic Island of Majorca/Mallorca for a week of sunshine and adventure. A holiday was well overdue and it was after all his birthday. So where better to spend it then on this beautiful and diverse island.
Majorca is just 1hour and 50 minutes by airplane from our home on the south coast of England and we can use our local airport which makes travelling a breeze. It is in fact quicker for us to get to Majorca then it is central London. And when flights are reasonable, it can often be cheaper too! I booked our flights directly with Ryanair as these appeared the cheapest. However, a huge “spell-check” lesson later an an incorrectly spelt boarding pass, I learnt that it may have been cheaper to look at other options. Especially when one intends to “check” baggage. I mean, who doesn’t check bag?! I thought hand luggage as your actual luggage was just an urban myth!
Anyway, I digress. Just be sure you check all your options before booking. If you’d like to book your flights and accommodation separately, check out sights such as:
Expedia
Travel Republic ( my personal fave)
Booking.com
Trivago
There are of course loads of other reputable sites through which to book your hols, just do a little research to ensure that you are getting yourself not only the best deal, but the most reliable one too.
We are Melia hotel fans and tend to book most of our continental european holidays with this group. I always book direct too. Melia reward loyalty with points and also offer upgrades, discounts and bonus points for special occasions like birthdays.
Melia have different types of hotel experiences depending on what you are looking for. They have their Melia hotels which are usually 4 or 5 star hotels that offer exceptional quality and customer service. You quickly become familiar with the Melia brand and can be confident that wherever you stay with them in the world, this level of service and decor is what you will get. They also have their ME by Melia brand. These hotels tend to be slightly more concept driven, trendy, sleek and modern. They describe themselves as “..meticulously designed for the contemporary guest” and are seen as an extension of the modern “Lifestyle”. Having stayed at the ME Mallorca last year, I have to agree with this description and can’t recommend these hotels enough.
Their flagship hotels are Gran Melia and these are 5 star and more. These hotels are high end and leave nothing to chance. The decor and service at the Gran Melia hotels are impeccable and leave a lasting impression on their guests. The Gran Melia Palacio De Isora is where we stayed in 2014, it was literally paradise.
We’ve been lucky enough to have stayed at all of the different Melia Hotel types and all have left a lasting and positive impression on us both.
This time around we booked at the newly established Melia Antillas Calvia Beach. The hotel was opened in May 2016 having been renovated during the past 10 months. It is presently a 4 star hotel but is applying for it’s 5th star shortly.
Arriving at the Hotel
We arrived shortly after 10:30 and were directed to our exclusive check in area. Melia tend to offer 2 levels to their hotel experience. Essentially they offer a boutique hotel experience within their already beautiful hotel. You are able to book to stay on The Level which essentially entitles you to access privileged areas and services for the exclusive use of level customers. You have your own private reception, lounge, restaurant, pool, sun terrace, concierge and rooms specifically designed with this type of customers expectations in mind. You are essentially, made to feel like a celebrity! And it’s wonderful.
The staff are welcoming and professional in equal measure. We were made to feel comfortable,offered complimentary refreshments and refreshing towels. Both were most welcome in the heat.
We were then told about the service on The Level, what to expect and that no request was too great for the discerning staff. We were directed to our room, which after a small and minor confusion, turned out to be a lovely upgrade to a junior suite. We were pleased!
Our Junior Suite
The suites are furnished in a very pale pallet of white, light wood and muted “Greige”- grey and beige. Its a very cooling and soothing pallet for the weary or sun kissed traveller seeking respite. Glass is used as much as possible to create space and reflect light. Soft furnishings in leather and cool cotton create an understated elegance in the finish. The suite is modern, minimal and stylish.
The suites all have a bath tub, ours looked out over Calvia Bay, you can watch the sun rise and set, whichever takes your fancy, but I’d recommend both! There’s also ample dressing room space. We both brought a suitcase in the end (after taking out what felt like majority shares in Ryanair!!) but there was plenty of room for all our clothes. A must on holiday.
We had a double sink which is always a good idea!
We (the royal we) gobbled down the macaroons, which incidentally are the best I have tasted outside of Laudree. Sated and weary from our short journey, we snuggled into the crisp cotton sheets on the generous and comfortable kingsize bed. My pillows were so comfortable, but fear not, one size does not fit all and for this reason, Melia offer their guests a “Pillow Menu”, so you can choose which ever one suits your inner Goldilocks.
I slept well, although the room was much too warm. It turned out that our air-conditioning was faulty, the hotel has only been open a few short weeks and there are, it would appear some issues with the new air-conditioning units.
I woke up to the sun rising over Calvia Bay and was grateful with every ounce of my being for this experience.
Sunrise is always so beautiful and full of promise, but being in a foreign place seems to excite and build that promise so much more. I knew it would be a fun day ahead….and it was.
More Balearic Adventures to come so keep popping back. See you soon.
Amellia Mae
