Barcelo Ponent Playa

We have had a wonderful week here. The location is stunning and the hotel is well run, clean, with welcoming and attentive staff who can't do enough for you. The food is delicious. We will definitely visit again.

We stayed at this hotel in Cala d’Or for a special trip to celebrate our 6-year anniversary, and unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to our expectations, particularly considering we paid over €3,000 for our superior sea view room. Before arriving, I had emailed the hotel twice to request a small token in the room to acknowledge our anniversary. Nothing was there when we arrived, which I initially gave them the benefit of the doubt about. However, after having to email again to explain that I was disappointed, a bottle of champagne was eventually brought to our room the following day. While I appreciated the gesture, I felt it should have been taken care of without me having to ask for it a third time. It was also difficult to speak to reception directly as there were often very long queues. Another issue was the general condition of the hotel. Unfortunately, parts of it felt quite run down and in need of attention. There was paint coming away from the walls and the skirting boards looked worn. The carpets in the corridors leading to and from our room appeared very old and dirty, which didn’t give a particularly good first impression. We were also on the 4th floor and noticed a constant damp smell around the area of our room throughout our stay, which was very off-putting. Another major issue was that we experienced two power cuts during our stay. This meant having no air conditioning, no electricity and no use of the fridge. We were aware that works were taking place at the hotel, but having the power cut during our stay was very inconvenient and, given the amount we had paid, not something we expected. We also found the staff quite unhelpful when it came to arranging taxis. We were told that the hotel only had three taxis linked to it and that it was not possible to get one. This information was not explained to us when we arrived. Had we known in advance, we could have planned around it, but instead we were left trying to arrange our own transport. On one morning, we wanted to visit the local markets and were told by reception that “it is not possible to get a taxi.” We therefore had to figure out the bus ourselves, while already feeling under pressure as we had limited time. This was particularly frustrating when staying at a hotel of this price and standard. Unfortunately, the check-out experience was another major disappointment. The day before we were due to leave, we asked reception about a late check-out as our flight wasn’t until later that evening. We were told that a request had been put through and that we should come back to reception on the morning of check-out to confirm. We were therefore under the impression that there was a good possibility this would be arranged. However, when we returned the following morning, there had been another power cut, meaning the receptionist couldn’t access the system to check the request. We were simply told that a late check-out was not possible, with very little explanation and just a brief “sorry”. Given the circumstances, we found the way this was handled quite rude and dismissive. We were then told that we could use the showers in the courtesy area. However, the receptionist didn’t walk us over or properly explain how the courtesy rooms worked. We later discovered that there were courtesy rooms available for guests to use, but when we went to use them, they were all occupied. We were therefore left with no option to shower, as towels were also not provided in the shower area unless you had access to a courtesy room. What was particularly concerning was seeing another family who also appeared to be unsure about the shower arrangements. From what we witnessed, the staff did not seem to properly explain the courtesy room facilities or how they worked. In that situation, I could only imagine how much additional stress and difficulty this would have caused for a family. A little more communication, guidance and consideration from the staff would have made a huge difference. Overall, while there were certainly some positives to our stay, the number of inconveniences and, more importantly, the way some of the situations were handled made the experience disappointing. We understand that issues such as power cuts can sometimes be outside of a hotel's control, but communication, cleanliness, maintenance and customer service are within its control. For over €3,000 for a superior sea view room, we simply didn’t feel that the stay justified the price. This was supposed to be a special anniversary trip, and unfortunately, we left feeling that the overall condition of the hotel, the various issues during our stay and the level of service did not match what we expected from a hotel at this price point.

Extremely disappointing first day — nowhere near a 4-star guest experience

We checked into Barceló Ponent Beach on August 21, 2026, at around 3:00 p.m. Unfortunately, based on our first day, the experience has been extremely disappointing and well below what we would expect from a hotel marketed as four stars.

It started before we even entered the hotel. The access by car is poorly indicated. The very narrow entrance has a sign stating “only for taxi and bus access,” which caused us to turn around, only to later realize that this was apparently also the way hotel guests arriving by car are expected to access the entrance/drop-off area.

Parking was another surprise. The spaces around the hotel are protected by metal parking barriers and apparently must be reserved in advance, subject to availability. Since there was no clearly marked place for us to unload our luggage, we temporarily stopped near the entrance, unloaded, and went inside to check in. By the time we returned to our car, the hotel had very efficiently managed to leave a note on our windshield telling us we were parked in someone’s parking space. An interesting “welcome,” particularly considering how unclear the arrival arrangements are.

We then asked about hotel parking and were told there were no spaces available. The solution? Come back to reception around the 11:00 a.m. checkout time tomorrow and ask whether someone with a parking space has checked out. There is apparently no waiting list, so guests simply have to return to reception and ask again. For a four-star hotel, this is an extraordinarily poor system.

Check-in itself took well over 30 minutes. Other guests, including families with children, were politely complaining about the wait. Even the glasses provided beside the lobby welcome-water dispenser had all been used. When I asked for a clean glass, I was given paper cups. The cups themselves weren’t a problem; it was simply another detail in an arrival experience that felt disorganized and overwhelmed.

The elevators require another level of patience. There are three, but the waiting time can be considerable, and when one finally arrives, realistically about four people fit comfortably. Six people would mean standing practically like sardines.

The most disappointing issue, however, involved something my spouse had arranged as a surprise for me. He had prepaid directly through the hotel for a bottle of champagne and strawberries to be waiting in our room upon arrival. Neither was there.

When we called reception, instead of someone taking ownership of the mistake and fixing it, we were essentially told that there was nothing they could do at that moment and that we could come downstairs. My spouse later spoke with another employee at reception, who said the issue would be passed to the appropriate team. He was also asked to forward to the hotel the confirmation email he had received when he originally ordered and prepaid for the champagne and strawberries, which he did.

We then left the hotel to meet friends. When we returned later that evening, there was finally a bottle of champagne waiting in our room — but it was warm, and there were still no strawberries. Both items had been ordered and paid for in advance directly through the hotel.

This made the situation even more disappointing. The hotel had been informed of exactly what was missing, had been provided with the original confirmation of the prepaid order, and therefore had every opportunity to correct the mistake properly. Instead, the attempted recovery was incomplete: a warm bottle of champagne and no strawberries.

This is precisely where good hotels distinguish themselves. Mistakes happen, particularly during August and high season. But when a hotel makes a mistake involving a prepaid service intended for a special occasion, the appropriate response is to correct it properly. Instead, the attempted solution actually added to the disappointment.

Later, we called reception from our room because we could not open the safe after following the instructions. Nobody answered. At that point, we simply gave up and decided to deal with it in the morning.

The room’s air conditioning is another problem. We understand that Mallorca is hot in August, but there is barely any airflow coming from the A/C unit, making it difficult to get the room to a comfortable temperature.

What makes all of this particularly frustrating is that this is only our first night of a four-night stay.

We travel almost every month, both domestically and internationally, and stay in hotels across different categories. We therefore don’t expect perfection, nor do we complain about every small inconvenience. But the accumulation of problems here — confusing arrival access, the parking situation, chaotic check-in, inadequate elevators, an undelivered prepaid amenity, poor problem resolution, unanswered calls to reception, and inadequate room cooling — points to a much broader problem with the guest experience.

Ironically, after checking in we left the hotel and met friends at Marcelo’s, a very casual restaurant near the airport at around 5:00 p.m. The service and overall experience there were excellent. The contrast was remarkable.

Based solely on our first day, I cannot understand how the guest experience we have encountered at Barceló Ponent Beach corresponds to a four-star hotel.

We still have three nights remaining, and I genuinely hope the experience improves. I will update this review accordingly if it does. As things stand tonight, however, I would much rather be staying somewhere else.