"We stayed at Grupotel Mallorca Mar as part of a TUI cruise and stay package, travelling as a young couple. Unfortunately, we were extremely disappointed with our experience and feel that this hotel was not suitable for the type of holiday we had booked.
Hotel atmosphere and suitability
The hotel appeared to be very heavily geared towards families with young children. There were frequently screaming children running around and causing chaos, which made it difficult to enjoy a relaxing holiday as a couple. We were not made aware of this when booking through TUI, and given that our package was sold as a cruise and stay for a couple, we feel this hotel should never have been recommended to us without making the family-focused nature of the resort clear.
We also found the hotel very limited for adults. There was essentially no evening entertainment, and after around 10pm the atmosphere was extremely quiet, with little more than the sound of crickets. This was not what we expected from the holiday we had booked.
Bar service
Some of the bar staff were particularly disappointing. On one occasion, a member of staff was rude and uninterested, making sarcastic comments and complaining to colleagues in Spanish about having to make a drink approximately 25 minutes before the advertised closing time because the blender had already been cleaned.
The bar is advertised as being open until midnight, so guests should reasonably be able to order drinks until that time. It was very clear from the staff's attitude that they were unhappy about having to provide service before the advertised closing time. If the bar is open until midnight, it should remain fully operational until midnight rather than effectively beginning to close much earlier.
À la carte restaurant
Another disappointment was the hotel's à la carte restaurant. We were told that it was open three nights a week, from Monday to Wednesday. Following the hotel's recommendation, we booked early in our stay to make sure we secured a reservation, and we received confirmation of our Wednesday booking.
However, on Tuesday we were informed that the restaurant was understaffed and would therefore be closed on Wednesday. This meant that our confirmed reservation was cancelled.
We spoke to our TUI advisor to see whether the booking could be rescheduled, but we were told that this was not possible because the restaurant was already fully booked on the other available nights. As a result, we were left without any reservation at all, despite the à la carte restaurant being part of what was included in our package.
This was particularly frustrating as we had followed the hotel's advice, booked early and received confirmation, only for the reservation to be cancelled due to staffing issues with no suitable alternative being offered.
Experience with TUI
We spoke with a TUI advisor on several occasions to explain the issues we were experiencing. Although they were sympathetic, we did not feel that they were particularly helpful.
We were asked whether we would like to relocate to another hotel, but when we asked what alternative hotels were available, there seemed to be reluctance to provide us with any options. We were also advised that relocating would involve additional costs, which was not a realistic option considering the amount we had already paid for the package.
During one of these conversations, the TUI representatives also spoke to each other in German directly in front of us while discussing the situation. Regardless of what was being said, this came across as uncomfortable and rude when we were standing there as the customers involved in the conversation.
Room issues
The room itself was lovely and was one of the more positive aspects of our stay. However, there was a serious ant problem. Ants entered both the bedroom and sitting room, and we were unable to establish where they were coming from. This was particularly unpleasant and not something we would expect from a hotel of this standard.
The air conditioning was also disappointing. It worked reasonably well in the sitting room but was noticeably less effective in the bedroom, making it difficult to keep the sleeping area comfortable.
Breakfast and transfer confusion
Our final morning was another frustrating experience. The evening before our departure, we went to reception to confirm our transfer details. Our transfer was scheduled for 7:30am the following morning, and we specifically asked about breakfast.
We were told by reception that we could arrive at the buffet at 7:00am, knock on the door, and staff would allow us in to have breakfast before leaving for the airport.
However, the following morning we were given completely different information and were told that the buffet would not open until 7:30am. We were therefore refused breakfast and had to leave hungry to catch our transfer. Another couple in the same situation was also told that breakfast was unavailable and was refused entry.
This was particularly frustrating because we had specifically checked the arrangements with reception the night before and had been given clear instructions that breakfast would be available.
Overall
There were some positives, particularly the lovely room, but unfortunately these were outweighed by the issues we experienced. The hotel felt much more suitable for families than for a couple looking for a relaxing holiday, and this should have been made much clearer by TUI when the package was booked.
The poor bar service, lack of adult evening entertainment, cancellation of our confirmed à la carte reservation, ant problem, inadequate bedroom air conditioning, contradictory information about breakfast and disappointing handling of our concerns by TUI all contributed to what was ultimately a very disappointing holiday.
For couples looking for a relaxing break, we would not recommend this hotel based on our experience. We strongly feel that TUI should do more to ensure that hotels are appropriately matched to the type of holiday and travellers booking their packages. When paying a significant amount for a cruise and stay package, we expected the hotel and service to meet a much higher standard."
