Mallorca recommendation

[overthinkersanonnymus]

Please could you lovely lot give me some recommendations for a holiday in Mallorca?

Ideally two bedroom apartments near palma airport but quite "luxury" maybe even 5*. I am really open to hotels though as well, either self catering and all inclusive.

It's been a long time since I've been on holiday and would like something a bit special.

Thank you!

How close to Palma do you need to be? Do you have children?

if no kids and you can be about an hour away, I’ve been here and it was absolutely wonderful https://www.hoposa.es/hotels/costa-dor

Don't worry too much about the distance to the airport. You will presumably be having a private transfer (a taxi from the rank outside the terminal is actually easier and no more expensive than booking somewhere) and nowhere is more than an hour away. For many nice places (like Hoposa, in the PP) that's more like 30 minutes.

If you don't need to be right on the sea then there are lots of lovely agroturismo places inland. At the 5* end the sky is the limit, with several places in the €1000/night range.

Look at Porto Soller, or Deia. If money is mo object

Look at Porto Soller or Deia on the west coast. I just looked at Son Bunyola, Ruchard Bransons resirt, but it is £12,000 for a week.

As a couple, I would look at harbourside in Palma City. There are some lovely hotels on the front.

Quirky family run hotel Bon Sol in Ses Illetas, I love it, it's not flash but lovely old school charm about 20 mins out of palma.

Watching this with interest as taking teens who want a little bit of life but also appreciate old world charm!

Like PP said nowhere is that far. Pollensa is lovely but I have heard great things about Soller.

Portals Hills in Portals Nous is very swish!

I was looking at this myself - is the area nice?.. seems close to Magaluf....

Illa D'Or in Puerto Pollensa.

www.hotelillador.com/

I like the harbour area, though the melia harbour bay was my dps favourite as right on the beach (he swims, I prefer yachts!)

Airport transfers are easy and not that expensive. We got a taxi to Port Soller, stayed there twice now (we never go back to places) and love it. Great bay, lovely walking, nice restaurants.

For me Deia is over rated, the beach is this tiny rocky cove with the town just kind of perched there with nothing really in it (maybe we missed something as we only walked through). Don't get me wrong the countryside is beautiful but Deia just felt a bit nowhere, we preferred Valldemossa but there's no beach just a beautiful town.
We did really like Port de Soller, we've been to Pollenca but didn't like it as much, felt more Brits abroad even out of season. With P de S you can get the tram up to Soller which is really nice as well.
Can't help on hotels though as we stayed as cheaply as we could.

"I was looking at this myself - is the area nice?.. seems close to Magaluf...."

Nowhere near maguf, nice quiet area , not loads around there is nice beach round corner , but easy bus into palma

is there much to do at Port de Soller and does it have a beach?

that hotel in Pollensa Pink suggested looks lovely

@KaliforniaDreamz I wouldn't say the beach was the best beach in Mallorca, but it does have one and loads of people use it.

There's a great range of restaurants. It's a fairly big town.

We used it as mostly a base for walking, there's a range of hiking trails straight from there, and the bus service round Mallorca is excellent. You can get the tram into Soller, which is sweet or on into Palma on the train, which is a lovely journey.

I really cannot decide where to book! want it to be pretty /close to sea /old world authentic looking but some life for teens to find/

have been a few ties and stayed inland in amazing villas but want to walk to places this time...

sorry for hijacking

Id agree with this Right by palm walk

Very few places by the sea in Majorca are old world/authentic looking. Modern mass tourism was invented there when Club Med opened in Alcudia around 1950, and it's been mostly concrete since, although at least the buildings aren't as high as on the Spanish mainland).

Also, the places with pretty unspoiled harbour areas either don't have much in the way of nightlife (because that would require development licences and investment by major hotel groups looking for a return) or don't have much of a beach. So you will probably have to compromise on something. (That said, start with Puerto Soller or Puerto Pollensa!)

And also, despite occasional pearl-clutching pieces in the Guardian, Magaluf is not some ghastly dystopian gangland hell-hole. The south end of the town has a lot of 4 and 5 hotels and very few lads out on the lash. Yes, it's a bit more Blackpool than Southwold, a bit more Southend than Sidmouth, but if you avoid the strip after 9pm it's perfectly OK for a holiday. And the beach is great. They built a resort there for a reason. #Justice4Magaluf

@KaliforniaDreamz Illetas isn't near magaluf - quite a few towns over

@samarrange completely agree RE magaluf and palmanova by extension - it's gone through an enormous amount of investment since around covid I would say. The beaches are fantastic as a result! Very clear water, not too busy even in the height of summer. Our friends who live there and have been all over the island always say magaluf is the best beach.

Wow that is interesting thank you. love me a Mallorca chat.

Thank you. I think I can compromise on walking to beach as long as I can see the sea. (my lot prefer a pool anyway but I need some visual access to sea to unwind). I want access to water ports for youngest and access to bars for older teens. I want it to look pretty for my sanity. young people having fun doesn't put me off as long as the buildings aren't ugly ha

Illetas isn't really a seaside resort. It's an outer suburb of Palma that happens to be next to the sea. There are a couple of bars and restaurants, and two small-ish beaches, one of which has a beach club on it (you can go to the beach for free, but the club owns the sun loungers). Most of the hotels have sea views but there isn't a lot to do for kids/teens within easy walking distance. On the other hand Palma is just a €2 bus ride away.

In my experience, what parents want from a holiday (peace and quiet, local architecture, sea views, sundowners, romantic dinners) is very often the opposite of what the kids want (water slides, beach antics, pedalos, flirting depending on age, letting their hair down generally). It's up to you how much you emphasise what you want versus what they would like. But there are no pueblos with people strumming guitars outside traditional cafes that are also 300 metres from a waterpark.

More concretely, Puerto Soller or Puerto Pollensa will probably fit your bill. Maybe choose a hotel that organises stuff for kids/teens, or book a couple of water excursions.