Melia Calvia Beach

We've just got back from a trip to Palma - We stayed from the 14th to the 20th of May.

We stayed at the Melia Calvia Beach which was right out the way of the hustle and bustle of the Magaluf Strip. Melia is usually a great chain so felt it was a safe bet. It's also paired with Melia South Beach so you can use their facilities too!

When we arrived at 3:45pm, we were told our room was not ready (considering check in says 3pm) the guy behind the desk was flustered and simply shrugged his shoulders to say it's not his problem we will have to wait and come back in an hour - bare in mid we just jumped off the flight and wanted to get down to the pool and have a cocktail to start our holiday.. there was also another member of staff arguing with a customer about something which sounded similar! My other half asked if they can do anything for us whilst we wait, he did hand us a bar token to get a drink (if you don't ask clearly you don't get) We waited at the bar with our 'non alcoholic option free drink' then went back 45 mins later to be given iur wristbands - the door key is in the wristband which i actually loved as i always lose the room key! Our room was the 9th floor, really nice, clean, big bed (my other half is 6'5) so perfect. We had a sea view room and the balcony was lovely however not very private when we met our neighbour who literally looked to the left and BAM there they are.. only complaint about the room - bed was really hard, the shower was hot then cold, then hot and water pressure awful. I also felt it was cheeky there was a min bar with drinks and snacks which you had to pay for - tea's and coffees were free but no bottles of water. The house keeping also come in at 8am so if you want a lay in be sure to put your DND sign outside!

The breakfast I can't complain about, it was all laid out beautifully - everything was fresh, there was a good old english fry up, pastries and cereal - literally everything - and coffee's etc so much to choose from. We only had bed and breakfast so i can't comment on the dinners but the menu looked pricey.

The actual hotel facilities were great, everything clean, cosy areas to relax, the outside was maintained well too - beautiful plants and tree's. It is a little windier as it's the end of the strip so depending on weather pack something warmer. There's a main pool for kids and families and an adults pool which was a nice touch, both very cold in May as neither are heated - they do have an indoor heated pool near the spa and sauna. The sun loungers were great, no reservations which was good however they do fill up quickly! The adults pool is located directly next to Nikki Beach so their day sessions and the music is really loud - i loved it but if you want to relax it may not be for you at the adults pool. They also have cabana beds which were 60 euros with 25 back in drinks - they were always empty! Some waiters always came over to see if you needed drinks etc which was nice - they had the usual aqua zumba etc in the morning and some cocktails making classes in the afternoon which were a nice touch. The bar staff were friendly and seemed happy to be there. A good mixture of families, couples and a small amount of wedding parties. There's direct access to the beach too with your wristband which is great and a 2 minute walk from the supermarket if you wanted to take drinks back to the hotel (they didn't seem fussed on taking your own drinks round the pool)

We didn't see much evening entertainment as we went out most evenings, i know they had live singers and it was a very relaxing atmosphere which seemed lovely for couples. Outside the South Beach Melia there is a bus stop, bus 104 takes you straight to Palma Centre and it takes about 30 minutes - there's also stops on route which one is Palma Nova beach which is literally 10 minutes, (please do the origin bottomless brunch is 10/10) the bus is contactless and was every 15 minutes - super cheap too and easy access in and out Magaluf which was convenient.

Overall, I did expect a little more from Melia as the brand however it was a pleasant stay and i'd go again!

Thanks for a great trip - Kerry & Tom.

This is a sad review for me to have to write. My family has been visiting this hotel since 1996 back when it was the Sol Antillas, and we returned this April for a deeply personal trip to honor the memory of my late father. We expected the high standards of the Meliá brand for a holiday that cost us well over £5,000, but the management failures we experienced completely took the shine off what should have been a special family tribute.

The issues started immediately with a grueling five-hour wait to check in, which was exhausting for our 10-person party, especially my 76-year-old disabled mother and another elderly guest. When the rooms were finally ready, the hotel tried to isolate our 73-year-old guest on her own on the third floor while the rest of us were on the fifth.

Worse followed when my mother was given her room wristband. She swiped into her assigned room only to find it was already occupied with a stranger's belongings inside. To give a vulnerable, disabled guest access to a room that isn't hers is a catastrophic security breach. When we reported it, the reception's only solution was to try and move my mother to the third floor, which her mobility issues just wouldn't allow. My wife and I had to swap and take the third-floor room ourselves just to sort out their mess. Because of these room blunders, we missed our window to sit together for dinner and were forced onto a cold terrace at three separate tables.

The physical state of the hotel was in some ways disappointing. There was a major leak pouring through the ceiling in the main reception thoroughfare. Instead of cordoning it off safely, staff just chucked a green towel over it, creating a terrible slip hazard on the polished floor. We literally couldn’t let my mother walk through the main part of the hotel. On top of that, my sister had to live with a leaking toilet soaking her bathroom floor for almost the whole week because maintenance took days to fix it, and the bedside drawer in my own room completely fell apart when I tried to use it.

We loved being back in Majorca, but the lack of care, poor maintenance, and shocking security failures from management completely let us down. For £5,000+, you expect basic safety and respect, neither of which our elderly family members received.

We have reached out to the hotel and to booking.com but it appears that we are being ignored - very disappointing.