Js Palma Stay

Absolutely fabulous break. So chilled during the day, everything we wanted then into the spa which was so super relaxing. The food was excellent, great choices and different each day/night. My biggest thanks goes to the staff, from reception to maids to the amazing restaurant team. Honestly, the service was brilliant, the friendly and attentive waiting staff do such a great job morning, noon and evening, and always have a smile! Thank you so much everyone, you are all fab, and .we will be back 💕💕

We recently stayed at JS Palma Stay in Can Pastilla, Majora, and once again it exceeded all expectations. Although we had a small issue with our rooms on arrival, Eva at reception handled everything with genuine care and professionalism. She was absolutely fantastic and made sure we were fully looked after — thank you, Eva.

The hotel grounds are stunning, with palm trees, green spaces, and two lovely outdoor pools, plus a peaceful rooftop Jacuzzi. Everything is spotless and beautifully maintained.

The staff are the true highlight. Every time you walk through reception you’re greeted with a smile and a warm hola. They remember you, treat you like old friends, and create a welcoming atmosphere from the very first day.

The restaurant team is outstanding. The dining area is always immaculate, and the buffet offers a wide variety of beautifully presented dishes. Freshly cooked meats and fish are prepared by chefs who greet you warmly and clearly take pride in their work. Breakfast is equally impressive, with options for every preference — healthy choices, indulgent treats, fresh fruit, breads, omelettes, and desserts.

We used the gym daily and enjoyed the spa and indoor lane pools, all of which were clean, modern, and relaxing.

This was our second visit, and we’re already planning our third. JS Palma Stay combines beautiful facilities with exceptional hospitality — highly recommended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Facilities are there, but the warmth, atmosphere and customer care are missing

We are currently on our 3rd day of a 4-night stay at JS Playa Stay, in rooms 212 and 213. Unfortunately, although the hotel provides the facilities you would expect, our overall experience has been disappointing.

We visit Mallorca around four times a year and are familiar with the area. We usually stay at THB El Cid at the other end of the resort and, in our opinion, it is far superior. The difference isn’t necessarily about the facilities themselves it’s about the attitude, atmosphere and customer care.

At JS Playa, everything feels very functional. The facilities are there because they need to be, but there is little sense of warmth, kindness or genuine desire to make guests feel welcome.

The rooms

Rooms 212 and 213 are very small, even for a couple. The bathrooms are compact, with the shower particularly cramped and very dark as there is no light inside it. The shower itself isn’t particularly powerful either.

There is also far too much furniture for the size of the rooms, two single beds, a small wall-mounted TV, fridge, stool, chair and foldable luggage stand. There is a kettle, but no tea, coffee, cups or other provisions.

Our balconies are surrounded by tall trees, offering no view at all and blocking out much of the natural light. Despite the light décor, the rooms feel quite gloomy.

We asked whether there were any brighter rooms with sunnier balconies available. We were simply told that there would be an additional upgrade charge.

I fully understand that upgrades can come at a cost, but having worked in a customer-led environment myself for many years, I didn’t feel this was handled particularly well. Given the circumstances, I would have expected a little more empathy or an attempt to find a solution rather than simply being presented with an additional charge.

The TV is another small issue. We don’t come on holiday to sit in our room watching television all day, but when you’re getting ready in the morning or relaxing before going out, it’s nice to be able to hear what’s happening in the world. Unfortunately, we couldn’t access any English channels. I contacted reception and was told the English channels were between 50 and 65, but they simply didn’t work for us.

None of these issues individually would ruin a holiday, but the accumulation of them certainly affects the overall experience.

Breakfast

Breakfast is one of the better aspects of the stay. The breakfast room is airy, there is a good selection and we’ve never had difficulty finding a table. Breakfast is served from 08:00–10:30.

This morning there was a harpist playing, which was a pleasant and relaxing start to the day.

The staff are mixed, some are friendly, while others can be quite surly.

The pool area our BIGGEST disappointment

This is by far our biggest issue.

We are on a summer holiday, and the main purpose of choosing a hotel with a pool is to sunbathe, relax and swim. We are now on day three of four and we have NOT managed to sit poolside once.

The loungers are crammed tightly around the pool, the pool doesn’t open until 10:00am, while guests are apparently reserving beds from around 06:30am.

The photograph accompanying this review was taken at 09:25am and shows numerous beds already “reserved” with nobody sitting on them.

This morning I decided that if I couldn’t beat them, I’d join them. I got up early, went for a walk and, on returning, put our towels on a couple of beds. I then went back to the room to shower and came down for breakfast.

When we returned, somebody else was using the beds.

I went to reception and was told that the pool doesn’t open until 10:00am and that our belongings had been removed , leaving us with no beds.

And this is the important point: even if you do join the early-morning towel reservation system, there is still no guarantee that you will actually get a sunbed.

If the hotel doesn’t want guests reserving beds before the pool opens, that’s perfectly reasonable. But then the rule needs to be clear and consistently enforced. At present, it simply doesn’t seem to work.

There is a terrace area with a small jacuzzi-type pool, but you have to go up and down steps to get a drink or use the toilets, which is inconvenient. A temporary/pop-up bar during busy periods would be a useful addition.

The hotel appealed to us because we were travelling with younger adult children and the pool bar sounded like a nice feature. Unfortunately, the reality is that enjoying the pool area is extremely difficult.

Spa, bar and atmosphere

There is a complimentary spa and bar prices are reasonable, which are positives.

However, the hotel lacks atmosphere. There are singers on a couple of evenings a week, although we didn’t actually see them. During our stay, we haven’t felt particularly encouraged to spend our evenings at the hotel, so we’ve gone out each evening to eat instead.

A hotel doesn’t need to provide constant entertainment, but there should be some sense of warmth and atmosphere that makes you want to stay and enjoy the facilities. We haven’t really experienced that here.

Pool towels

Pool towels are available with a €10 deposit per towel.

The first towels we received were thick, branded and felt luxurious. Unfortunately, the second set were old, thin and around half the size.

Again, it’s a small thing, but it adds to the feeling of inconsistency.

Customer service

This is where I feel the hotel falls short most noticeably.

I have found some of the reception staff to be quite rude and unhelpful. We have approached them politely, but on several occasions we have been talked over rather than listened to, there is a lot of eye rolling and lack of smiles from most!

Having worked in a customer-led environment for many years, I find the approach here particularly disappointing. Customer service isn’t simply about providing what is technically included in your booking, it’s about how you deal with people when something isn’t right.

Our overall impression is that the hotel is constantly looking for opportunities to charge extra, while some of the service being provided feels quite basic or, at times, substandard.

It can leave you with the impression that the hotel is trying to squeeze every last penny from its guests rather than trying to create a genuinely enjoyable experience for them.

I would, however, like to give special thanks to Kariem, our room attendant. She is friendly, smiley and always takes the time to say good morning. Her attitude really stands out because she demonstrates the warmth and friendliness that we feel is missing elsewhere in the hotel.

Overall

There are potentially good facilities at JS Playa, but for us they don’t translate into a particularly enjoyable hotel experience.

The biggest problem is that we are here to relax, sunbathe and swim, and the pool situation has made that almost impossible. Being expected to compete for a sunbed from the early hours of the morning, & potentially still not getting one is not what we expect from a summer holiday. I am currently sat on a day chair with my legs on a small side table as this is the only option for sitting poolside! There are 3 cabana beds again “for hire” which we would happily have paid for to guarentee a space by the pool unfortunately they were reserved!

We visit Can Pastilla several times a year and usually stay at THB El Cid. Having experienced the difference, we feel the El Cid is far superior. The facilities are only part of it; what really makes the difference is the genuine feeling that the staff care about their guests and want them to have a good holiday.

That is what is missing here.

JS Playa has the basics, but a hotel is about more than simply providing the basics. It’s about how you are made to feel. Unfortunately, throughout this stay we’ve too often felt that everything is being done because it has to be, rather than because the hotel genuinely wants its guests to have a good experience.

For us, there simply isn’t enough to make us want to return, which is a real shame.