"My husband and I had an extremely disappointing stay at the AC Hotel in central Palma. My husband is a Lifetime Titanium Elite Marriott Bonvoy member, and we stay within the Marriott portfolio almost exclusively whenever possible. We chose this hotel primarily for its location—which is genuinely very good—but unfortunately, that was one of the only positives of our stay.
The biggest issue was the service. The front desk staff were consistently unwelcoming, poorly informed, and at times outright rude. There appeared to be only one person staffing reception at any given time, resulting in an almost constant line. Worse, we repeatedly received contradictory information from different staff members.
One example involved the daily food and beverage credit we were offered as a loyalty status benefit. We were told we received a $10-per-person-per-day credit. However, the hotel restaurant/bar was closed Saturday and Sunday, making it impossible to use the credit on those days. Staff specifically told us that we could combine the unused credits and use them on Monday evening before our departure. When we did exactly that, the hotel initially refused to honor what we had been told, insisting the credit could only be used day by day. It took approximately 30 minutes to resolve something that should have been straightforward; their own F&B hours precluded us from being able to use these as we wanted! (The breakfast buffet did not look appetizing and was a ridiculous 20 Euro pp - not an enticing option for us to use what is supposed to be a reward)
Even more concerning was the response when I believed my bag might have gone missing around the time of check-in. I asked the front desk manager for help determining whether it had been left at reception. His response was dismissive and remarkably lacking in concern. At one point he told me he would not check; later he said he had checked and it wasn’t there. When I asked whether I could look in the relevant area myself, he refused.
I then asked whether the hotel’s security footage could be reviewed. Rather than showing any urgency or concern about a guest potentially having a bag stolen on hotel property, I was told that nothing could be done until a technician returned because the technician did not work over the weekend. I couldn’t get any meaningful estimate of when the footage might actually be reviewed. The manager also repeatedly emphasized that Spanish law meant I would not be permitted to see the footage myself. Regardless of the hotel’s legal obligations around CCTV access, the manner in which the situation was handled was astonishingly unhelpful and unsympathetic.
There were significant issues with the room as well. The bathroom did not feel properly clean, with visible staining on the shower floor, and we encountered what appeared to be water bugs multiple times during our stay. The gym is also extremely small—so cramped that there is barely sufficient room to comfortably use the dumbbells provided.
Finally, there was essentially no recognition of my husband’s Lifetime Titanium Elite status. We certainly don’t expect special treatment everywhere we go, but a simple acknowledgment and thank-you for his loyalty is something we’ve consistently experienced across the Marriott portfolio. Here, there was nothing. Combined with the generally dismissive service, it made this property feel particularly disconnected from the Marriott hospitality standards we’ve experienced elsewhere.
For frequent Marriott guests, this was especially disappointing. We have stayed at Marriott properties around the world and are extremely loyal to the brand, which makes an experience like this stand out for all the wrong reasons.
The location is good. Unfortunately, based on the service, cleanliness, inconsistent information, and overall experience, we would not stay at this property again and cannot recommend it."
