Hipotels Hipocampo Palace

Overpriced and disappointing. Our suite overlooked the parking lot, so there was none of the peace and quiet I expected when booking this type of room.

The hotel itself is clean and modern, but the bed had only sheets and no blankets instead, and of a normal pillow, If you wanted a normal bkanket you can get in the cabinet and you had to make yourself.

When I called about our late arrival, I also asked for extra drinking water in the room. I was told that this was “a lot of water.” Yes, it was one large bottle, but the minibar was filled with cola and beer. Normally, when a guest requests extra water and is willing to pay for it, it should not be a problem.

Overall, there was very little hospitality, especially considering the price.

Wasn’t quite a 5-star experience. I had a good stay but it doesn’t quite meet the 5 star expectation. I would say it’s a good 4 star but no more.

There’s plenty to like. The staff are excellent — friendly, helpful and professional. The pool attendants are particularly good: efficient, friendly and always attentive. The pool area itself is spacious, with plenty of sunbeds, and the hotel is generally very clean. Breakfast is another strong point. There’s a very good selection, plenty of choice and even Cava, which is a great touch.

The room itself was spacious, comfortable and perfectly adequate, with plenty of room and everything needed for a pleasant stay. However, this is another area where the 5-star claim starts to fall apart. There were a few chipped walls, a loose toilet seat and some pretty poor joinery and finishing. The bathroom is also lacking some practical features — nowhere convenient to hang towels and no shelf in the shower for toiletries. There are also no irons in the rooms. I had to ring reception and wait for one to be brought up. I was then asked to ring reception once I’d finished with it because they didn’t have enough irons for all the rooms. I understand they have to manage limited equipment, but almost felt like I was being chased to return it. Then there’s the coffee. Three coffee pods in the room and that's it. Want more? Apparently you need to go down to reception and buy them. Again, a small thing, but it feels particularly penny-pinching for a hotel positioning itself at this level. Also, only one bottle of water provided in the room per stay. None of these individual issues ruined my stay, but collectively they are exactly the sort of details I would expect a genuine 5-star property to have thought about and got right. The location is also worth mentioning. It’s around 15 minutes’ walk into the main part of Cala Millor, with a relatively limited choice of restaurants immediately around the hotel. That said, there are multiple shops very close by, which is really handy for picking up water, snacks and other essentials. Overall, I enjoyed my stay, but I think the 5-star rating sets expectations that the hotel doesn’t quite meet. The staff, pool area, cleanliness and breakfast are all very good, and the room itself is spacious and comfortable. Unfortunately, the maintenance issues, basic bathroom oversights and little cost-cutting touches take away from the luxury experience. My verdict: a good 4-star hotel wearing a 5-star badge.