Minorca Blog

The biggest of Cala En Porter’s hotels has just opened after an extensive refurbishment - it’s good news for the village and for holidaymakers making their way to Menorca for their holidays.

The village has been out of favour with some of the tour operators, perhaps because it’s a little quiet for some, but the hotel will provide a great base for those wishing to visit the island and book their flights and accommodation seperately.

With views of the Mediterranean, the Azul is within an easy stroll of the resort’s amenities, including a choice of restaurants and bars, many with evening entertainment, but for those preferring a quiet week away they are catered for too.

The most recent reviews on tripadvisor from those who have been on their Menorca flights and stayed there have been glowing, and include comments such as this one from Switzerland:

We stayed 1 week in playa azul and took the hotel as a last minute offer for around 350Eur/pp including flight. For the price we paid, the hotel offered much more!

Overall we got much more then we paid for and we are really happy with Hotel Playa Azul.

And from a UK tourist who had their Menorca holidays recently:

Just got back from a week at this fab hotel, from the moment we walked through the hotel reception till the day we left it was brilliant, the staff especially the resturant and bar staff were very freindly and attentive - nothing was too much trouble, the food was first rate.

And as well as for independent travellers booking their trips online the good news for the hotel is that Thomas Cook are now offering it either seperately or as part of a package.

New photographs for Cala En Porter are due soon at yourmenorca.net and photos of the hotel are at social media like stumbleupon

CityAM ran a review of The Hilton recently…

THERE is so much more to Mallorca than sun, sea and the late-night drunken menace of us Brits in Magaluf. The largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, the 3,275 sq km atoll has mountains, lush vegetation and close to 100 sandy beaches, many of which are secluded because they are up to half an hour’s walk from the nearest road or can only be approached from the sea.

It is very easy to lose yourself among the white sands, clear waters and blue skies of Mallorca. And it is no surprise to hear that the Spanish royal family have a summer mansion here, or why artists as diverse as writer Robert Graves or painter Juan Miro made their homes there. Even today, the island retains its five-star pull. When I returned from a long weekend there last month, just a few seats ahead on my British Airways flight was Formula One world champion Jenson Button and two pals, all looking suitably relaxed.

A DIFFERENT SORT OF HOTEL
The standout of my stay was the hotel. Instead of the tall unmemorable steel and glass Hiltons we are used to seeing in major cities, the Hilton Sa Torre Mallorca, a half hour’s drive from the island’s capital Palma, was once a 14th century fort, which was later converted into a manor house.

The hotel group spent two years renovating the 55,000 sq metre site, which opened in 2006. Among its highlights, the three-storey hotel boasts a beautiful courtyard, its own gothic chapel, a windmill, two outdoor pools (one for families, one for adults), several tennis courts and a full-sized grass football pitch.

Another nice touch is that all 41 rooms are unique. This is a boutique hotel that has had the resources of a multinational thrown at it and it is well worth the trip.

If you have arranged other accommodation, the Hilton’s new restaurant, Zaranda, is still worth a visit. The group has poached young chef Fernando Arellano to run it. He won a Michelin star at Zaranda in Madrid, and the hotel group wants him to do the same here. Arellano managed to convince 14 of his staff to join him in Mallorca, including his dishwasher. This either says a lot about Arellano’s cooking or the attraction of the island.

Fernando serves an adventurous menu that ranges from broth of roasted turnips with bone marrow and tagliatelli to sautéed lamb’s sweetbread, and his selection of produce and its preparation is first rate throughout.

BIODYNAMIC WINE
The island also has around 40 working vineyards. I visited one of the oldest, Jaume Mesquida, which began in 1945. Today it is run by the fourth generation of Mesquidas, Barbara and her younger brother, also called Jaume, who are mid-sized producers with 25 hectares of land and who ship 200,000 bottles of red, white and rose wines a year. Barbara is an infectious advocate of the wine trade and explains that three years ago the vineyard switched to a biodynamic system, an organic method of farming that uses few pesticides, lets weeds grow between the vines, and does not use machines during the two-month harvest because they believe the heavy pickers damage the fertility of the earth. Barbara, 30, says: “It’s not good to spoil this land with pesticides for bigger crops that will only last for a few years. I want to pass this land on to the next generation. That is important.”

And sitting in the afternoon sun at a table under the vines, eating paella and drinking her dark fruity rose, Rosat de Rosa, it was hard not to believe she was on to something. To read the full article click here

For more Majorca hotels visit yourmajorca.net

Good news for those thinking of having a Majorca holiday this year - prices are lower than last year according to Euro weekly News, who say:

SPENDING the night in a Palma de Mallorca hotel is 12 per cent cheaper than at the same time last year, Trivago reports. Despite the drop, in February 2010 the average price for a hotel room in Palma stands at 107 euros a night, remaining the most expensive in Spain, beating Madrid 99 euros (third most expensive) and Barcelona hotels at 102 euros (second most expensive).

More notably was the 18 per cent drop in prices recorded in the northern Spain city of San Sebastian, where a hotel room will set you back 93 euros on average.

By comparison, in the lower end of the spectrum, the cheapest in Spain are Leon and Logroño (62 euros), Santiago (66 euros) and Murcia (67 euros).

Nevertheless, the average price for a room in Spain increased by four per cent, now at 84 euros a night on average. When compared to other European countries, Spain remains among the cheapest along with Portugal (76) euros and eastern European destinations like Hungary (67 euros) and Poland (64 euros).

The most expensive hotel stay in Europe is Switzerland, with an average room price of 163 euros. For more European news click through to Euro weekly News here

For Majorca hotels visit http://www.yourmajorca.net

The Aberdeen Press & Journal’s Ellen Branagh recently recounted a visit to Majorca in the paper, and among other things had this to say:

ANYBODY with memories of youthful nights spent partying in resorts such as Magaluf and Palma Nova might be surprised to find that Majorca has undergone a dramatic change of image in recent years.

This wild child of an island in the Balearics has grown into a sedate maiden aunt symbolised by the elegant streets and squares of its capital, Palma – which with budget flights from numerous UK airports, is easy to reach for an off-peak break.

The Majorca weather alone, so much brighter and milder than here, can send spirits soaring in winter.

The Spanish city is also small and compact enough to explore on foot or by bike. Its old walls remain in place, topped by the occasional windmill, and the splendid historic quarter, from its imposing Gothic cathedral to Arab baths, art museums and Gaudi-inspired buildings, will keep any culture vulture interested.

If glamour and sophistication are more your thing, wander up the Passeig del Born – Palma’s answer to Barcelona’s Las Ramblas – where designer shops have muscled their way in, or gaze in awe at the yachts moored in the port as you enjoy lunch in a waterfront restaurant.

Perhaps Palma’s shops are so good because cruise ships arrive so frequently. All the top names, including Zara and Mango, are found in the retail-drome of Porto Pi Centro, and there’s a great choice of leather goods and other fashion wear in Avinguda Jamme III.

All these shops were within easy walking distance of my hotel, an oasis in the heart of the city just a few minutes’ walk from the cathedral.

The Hotel Dalt Murada is a former 16th-century manor house, one of the Reis de Mallorca hotel group – an association of independently owned hotels ranging from city boutique hotels to farm complexes and rural manor houses.

Restored nearly six years ago, the Dalt Murada has been in the owner’s family for several generations. It definitely has its own “wow factor”. Boasting three double rooms and five suites decorated with antique Majorcan furniture and art, it oozes history and culture.

Our penthouse suite was no exception. A private terrace overlooking the cathedral often tempted us from the cool, airy lounge area, while the bedroom was almost filled with an imposing four-poster bed.

The piece de resistance was a double Jacuzzi in the bathroom – perfect for enjoying a glass of cava during a break from sightseeing.

Bike tours are big in Palma, with people enjoying them as an easy way to see the sights. But it’s just as easy to arm yourself with a Majorca map for a stroll around the myriad streets and alleys, enjoying the sunshine as you go.

The cathedral area is beautifully kept, and it’s well worth going inside to see the sheer size of the building and its cloisters. You are never lost for a museum to visit in Palma – they seem to fill every corner. And if you fancy venturing farther afield for some culture, then Bellver Castle, just outside the city, is easily reached by bus.

Read more: http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1458907?UserKey=#ixzz0gNeNMPFM

The Daily Telegraph in the UK ran a good article recently about a hotel in Soller - here’s an extract:

CA’S XORC

LOCATION
In the hills above Sóller, with panoramic views of the Tramuntana landscape. Ten minutes’ drive from Sóller or 45 minutes’ walk through olive and orange groves.

CHARACTER
Heavenly 250-year-old olive mill, consisting of two adjoining fincas, lovingly restored as a hotel. Majorcan and Moroccan shabby-chic furnishings blend well together. There are quiet corners in which to sit and muse both inside and out. Glorious gardens, orange and lemon trees, dovecot, herb garden for the kitchen and a pool.

ROOMS
Twelve attractive and airy bedrooms; No 3 has a large private terrace, a romantic four-poster draped with floaty white muslin and a log-burning stove for cooler nights. The two interior bedrooms, however, miss out on the view.

FOOD
Chef Gulliermo Moya Igarza produces classic and classy Majorcan dishes. The dégustation menu (€65/£56) consists of six sensational courses such as ravioli of oxtail, lobster with saffron risotto and a sweet pastry stuffed with pumpkin mousse and cinnamon ice-cream.

WE LIKE
The magical walk from the hotel to Deià (two hours). Dinner on the terrace beneath an ancient gnarled olive tree watching the sunset over the Mediterranean. Falling asleep listening to croaking frogs and waking up to the tinkling bells of sheep in the olive groves.

NOT SO KEEN
The bath towels are too small and it needs more sun loungers round the pool. There are also occasional hospitality events, though the hotel and gardens are just large enough for these not to be too disturbing.

WHY SOLLER

Sóller is surrounded by lush orange, lemon and olive groves and framed by the ruggedly beautiful Tramuntana Mountains. Louis XIV had oranges sent to him from this “Golden Valley’”. The old town is a close-knit maze of spotless narrow streets centred round the shady square, with tapas bars to while a way the evening. The wooden tram takes visitors down to Sóller port, where the locally caught prawns are the dish to order on the quayside; or have lunch at the chic Hotel L’Avenida

To read the full article and for photographs visit The Daily Telegraph by clicking here

For details of Majorca holidays and Majorca hotels visit yourmajorca.net

Alcudia Pollensa

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