Hipotels Hipocampo Palace & Spa

Hipotels Hipocampo Palace literally saved our holiday! We had had a week's cruise, followed by a week's stay in Majorca. The hotel we'd booked initially proved to be unsuitable for us, and we asked our travel agent about being able to change (if this hadn't been possible, we'd have come home, the first hotel being so untenable for us). They offered us a suite at Hipocampo Palace. Having never stayed in a 5 star hotel before, we expected that the staff may be a bit haughty, but everyone was so friendly - even before our arrival. I'd read in one review that men had to wear long trousers for the evening meal and I emailed the hotel to confirm this. They did so, and I just mentioned that we'd go shopping to buy my husband some since he hadn't brought any. But the hotel replied that my husband could borrow some trousers from them. Perfect! Then, on actual arrival, reception staff checked us in efficiently and offered us a welcome drink. The concierge, Miguel, (a first for us!) took our luggage and accompanied us to our suite, explaining all things about the hotel and our suite - both in Spanish (so I could practice) and English for my family. On the way to our room, an elderly lady recognised Miguel and blew him a friendly kiss. After settling into our room, we went to the pool bar for lunch. Great range of food and drink on the menu, at reasonable prices. (Of course, outside the hotel would be a little cheaper, but inside the hotel you have the convenience and the assurance of quality). Similarly, the buffet restaurant for the evening meal was great too: lovely food, great service. On our last night at the buffet restaurant, the hotel gave us a drink on the house! The pool and pool area are lovely. The pool is a good size and a really nice temperature. The pool area is grass, with an abundance of sunbeds and parasols which are very well spaced out. The evening entertainment was varied and great quality. The shows we saw were only on for an hour, but this suited us perfectly. We'd moved from our previous hotel because of the noise there... so Hipocampo Palace gave us the perfect balance of peace, relaxation and the right amount of things going on. Some reviews have mentioned that the hotel decor is dated. To us, the decor seemed traditional and opulent, but I can understand how the proposed refurbishments (which you can see on their website) will serve to enhance and modernise the aesthetics. It was our wedding anniversary on the last full day of our stay and the hotel arranged for flowers to be delivered to our room. They asked my husband how much he wanted to spend; he gave them a budget and the flowers that were delivered were excellent value for money. On our departure day, we gave the flowers to the Receptionist and her manageress - and they were very appreciative. I would not hesitate to recommend Hipocampo Palace to anyone looking for a luxury hotel with friendly staff, and my family and I look forward to staying there again some day.