"Caramelo
An accurate review from a couple (both mid 30s), 10 night stay, bed and breakfast.
I’ll be arrogant here and say that you should ignore all the negative reviews… They’re not factually accurate, and are overly critical.
I’m going to get the negatives out the way because there weren’t that many:
* No toaster in the restaurant.
* Allowing smoking around the pool is unpleasant.
* Allowing drinks in the pool isn’t great when people spill beer in there.
* The drinks from the bar are expensive.
Now for the many positives.
We arrived at around 9pm to an incredibly warm welcome from the reception staff. Check in was quick, simple and we were provided with all relevant information about breakfast (08:00 - 10:30).
The room key is on a chip which they tie around your wrist. I thought I would hate this, but it really is super convenient not having to carry a key card around. If it gets a bit dirty or if you accidentally tighten it, they replace it for free.
The room:
We got to the room (floor 4, room 432) and were pleasantly surprised. We had read the reviews and weren’t expecting much, however it was clean, tidy and lovely and cool (air conditioning is included).
The balcony was a decent size (able to sit out there comfortably).
Not enough hangers for clothes (but we planned for this and took our own).
Shower pressure is wonderful (I miss it).
Lots of the reviews mention the thin walls and noise complaints but I think a lot of the comments are based on chance. We had quiet neighbours and whilst you can hear footsteps in the corridor, it wasn’t that bad and didn’t wake us. I think it depends who happens to be around you. We were lucky. Ear plugs are provided but we didn’t need to use them.
Finally the housekeeping service. Absolutely outstanding. They clean and replace towels daily (if you want, you can choose to not have it by leaving the card on the door). A couple of times, when leaving the room, I’d opted not to have a clean but they happened to be in the corridor and asked if I wanted fresh towels. Wonderful staff and a credit to the hotel.
The pool area.
We really liked the pool area. The sunbeds are so comfortable (thick cushions) and whilst there aren’t enough for everybody, as long as you’re around the pool by 10am you’ll be fine. We reserved beds with our towels at about 9am then went for breakfast and only once did the towels disappear (the lifeguard moved them into a big blue bag) because we’d put our towels on a bed he wanted his mates to have… after that we just stuck with the beds we knew and didn’t have a problem.
Breakfast:
A huge selection to choose from including sausages, bacon, baked beans and hash browns. They did freshly made pancakes and crepes daily. Then your usual continental stuff. Lots of juices and water as well as sweet treats. I cannot fault the food whatsoever.
The area:
Ok so this is where the personal opinion stuff comes into play. Playa de Palma is about 90% German tourists. The restaurants, bars and surrounding areas cater for the Germans. Main menus are usually in German, but they also offer Spanish and English if you ask.
In August, the resort is packed with German Hen and Stag dos, however, they tend to stay in one area and once you’ve passed it all, it’s a nice and quiet environment.
Palma City is a €2 bus journey and they run very frequently. It takes about 20 minutes to get there and the bus stop is opposite the hotel. The city itself is amazing and very clean. A lovely day trip if you can make it.
Overall I would definitely stay at the Caramelo again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the hotel to anybody.
A huge thank you to the staff for a very pleasant holiday."
