Hotel Son Caliu Spa Oasis

A twenty minute taxi ride from Palma, Son Caliu is a quiet backwater at the edge of Palma Nova. No noisy venues but several bars and eating places and some local supermarkets.

A coach cannot park outside the entrance to the hotel - so you will be dropped just around the corner - you will also find that when being picked up the coach will be around the corner too. A taxi could drop you off at the entrance - but not a large coach.

We only stayed in a standard room. The balcony looked out towards the fir and olive covered hills. Although the road can be quite busy there was no noise from it once the window was closed. The door to the balcony was a 'tilt and tur'n double glazed one. On the first day I must not have closed it properly as the rather strong wind gust we had on that day caused it to come half off its hinges! The camarera sorted it all out for us (although even she did not find it easy!) .... she showed me how to make sure it was fully in place when closed. The bed was comfortable, and the linen was of a high standard and towels fluffy. The shower was a walk-in one, water being hot and the pressure being high. We asked for a non-slip mat as my husband has been known to slip over. The liquid soap provided in the dispenser was of good quality - hand lotion was also provided. The housekeeping staff were friendly and efficient. The fridge was really just for the 'in room bar' - not big enough for water bottles - but enough room for a couple of cans of pop.

The place screams class, quality and comfort - but quietly .

The reception desk staff are helpful, friendly and polite. You immediately get a sense of being in good hands. The entrance hall is spacious, light and airy with white marble flooring - very clean and cool looking - there is plenty of seating - comfortable and varied in type. Straight ahead of you is reception. Turning left as you enter, a window framed walkway takes you to the dining room, TV bar and piano lounge and glass doors that open onto the terrace, which leads down to the pool area and a secluded beach. Turning right takes you to comfortable seating areas, card tables and a reading room, the entrance to the spa and a stairway and elevator up to the rooms - again bordered with floor to ceiling windows to the outside.

There are two lifts to the rooms - small, but very stable and quick. They are positioned opposite the entrance to the Spa. We were on the top floor (floor 5) - lovely view.

The dining room is well laid out - has comfortable seating and a view of the gardens and the sea. The food is of great variety and high standard - each night of the week the cuisine is themed to a different country. You 'help yourself' to how much and whatever you fancy. Both breakfast and dinner gave an excellent selection - I particularly liked having honey with my after breakfast pastry from a large section of honeycomb.

The wine list is varied and there is an opportunity to try local wines - which we did, and found to be of very good standard. You can get wine by the glass - or have a half bottle - but we usually bought a full bottle. You do not have to finish your bottle off on one night - they label it up with your room number and you can finish it the next night.

The dining room is entered via the piano lounge. In the evening from 9 pm until 10-30 pm there is live entertainment. This tended to be low key, jazz, swing, and popular ballads - perfect for a relaxing evening. No loud, pushy acts - no loud push reps - and thankfully no 'Bingo' or the like.

The dining room and piano lounge both open onto the terrace - on warm days you can eat breakfast and dinner out there - but food is available to order all day from the bar that is situated on the terrace. The waiters and bar staff are courteous and friendly, very smart and efficient - and I can recommend the cocktails - not cheap but of a very high standard. The seating is comfortable and scattered with cushions - no plastic hard chairs here! A pool with a rotating granite ball is surrounded by flowers and two magnificent marble lions lead you down to the gardens.

Beyond the terrace are the hotel gardens. They are lovely - grassed areas and wooden walkways, with brightly coloured flowers and many mature trees and shrubs to enjoy - all well maintained. Large globes are scattered around - and these light up during the evening. Sun beds are scattered across the area from the bar terrace down to the pool.

The pool is of a good depth (about 4') and a good size (about 25 m in length). The pool is well maintained and a poolman is on duty all day - distributing towels and acting as a life guard. There is a toilet block - and the washrooms are kept scrupulously clean.

Steps from the pool area give access to a small sandy beach and well maintained dock area. these are fringed with a couple of restaurants and bars.... and there are so many birds! A local restaurant owner feeds them twice a day.... scores of sparrows, blackbirds and a couple of seagulls - but sparrows rule! The sound of birdsong is everywhere.... and we never saw a mosquito....

The hotel complex has a beautiful Spa and as a guest you are given a robe and slippers on arrival that you can use to access the facility. Towels are provided and a gentle sound of oriental music and trickling water create a restful atmosphere. A water dispenser allows you to have a drink and there is a well maintained toilet facility next to the poolroom.

Guests are quiet in this area - speaking in low voices and respecting everyone's desire for peace and quiet. It also has its own garden area for relaxing in - equipped with sun beds and covered alcove beds for when the sun is really strong. Children under 16 are not allowed in the pool unless supervised by an adult - and only between 10 am and noon and 2 pm to 4 pm.

The Spa Pool is surrounded by curtained beds, and many guests simply go into the pool area to relax on them. It is of a depth that is deep enough to swim, but allows you to stand at any point in the pool. Water jets that can be used to massage you are positioned around the pool edge - you have control of whether you want to switch them on. A chair to lower wheelchair bound guests into the pool is also fitted. There are two open showers for you to wash off any sun cream before you enter the pool and to rinse off the pool water when you finish your swim. There is no clock!

When we holidayed in March the local shops had not opened for the season - so we had to go further afield to buy drinks for the room. About a quarter of an hour's stroll from the hotel there is a very large Lidl store. From there you can get a 6 litre bottle of mineral water for under a euro! Cans of pop are also very cheap there... so you can have plenty of drinking water in your room even when the local shops are not open.