Grupotel Alcudia Pins

The pool area is lovely, and the hotel grounds are generally very nice. The beach is also very close. The hotel is a bit far from the centre of Alcudia, but there are regular buses, so this was not a problem for us.

Unfortunately, the negatives outweighed the positives. The cleaning was poor, the hotel felt old and dated, the food was disappointing, and we found many of the staff to be rather apathetic and not particularly welcoming.

We were also surprised by the hotel rating. TUI advertised the hotel as a 4-star property, while the hotel itself appeared to be rated as 3 stars. Based on our experience, it definitely did not feel like a 4-star hotel.

The most concerning experience happened when my father had an accident at the hotel. It took around 30 minutes to get hold of a doctor, and not a single member of staff came to assist him. He eventually had to go to hospital for an X-ray.

Regardless of whether the accident itself was the hotel’s fault, I find it unacceptable that no member of staff came to help or check on him. For a hotel of this size, I would expect clear procedures for dealing with accidents and injured guests. The complete lack of support and follow-up from the staff was extremely disappointing and, for us, a major red flag.

We were extremely sceptical given some of the reviews on here but were pleasantly surprised. A lot of the negative points of this hotel are outside of the control of the hotel itself.

The location is around an hour from the airport - I would recommend taxi travel, particularly on the return journey. The hotel is a little isolated, some shops to the immediate right as you exit but the majority is much further down and then there is Can Picafort or Alcudia via taxi/bus. Taxis are easy to order, the app you use is identical to Uber but the taxis are a little expensive in comparison. Beachfront, some seaweed but not enough to be an issue at all. Sea is beautiful with loads of fish.

Swimming pools are good, carnage at times though with lots of people and floats. Never had an issue with cleanliness and staff work tirelessly (and pointlessly to an extent - the constant trailing of sand from the beach just makes it always look a bit grubby even if it isn’t). Never had a problem getting a sunbed, some crazy early risers that would camp with them from 7am onwards but we found anywhere between 9-930 was ample enough.

Food was much, much better than expected. Fairly decent as all inclusive buffets go to be honest. We found that some stuff didn’t get replenished - ice creams in the snack bar, peanut butter and a couple of other things. Either way, decent food all round and something different every night.

Rooms were fairly spacious and cleaned 5 days out of 7. Again, no cleanliness issues.

Noise is a huge issue. There are some really inconsiderate people and we had children running up and down the corridor between rooms at midnight in flip flops, someone playing ping pong at 11pm and just a lot of general noise. Not the hotels fault but something to bear in mind.

Mosquitos - multiple bites in our group of 6. Not as many as we expected but made evenings a bit unpleasant.

Entertainment is fairly substandard in the evening but superb during the day.

Drinks are frustrating as the menu is limited for all inclusive and bars gets very busy. Pool bar shuts at 5pm for some reason which we found really bizarre.

Staff are absolutely amazing. All of them to be honest but in particular the two guys in the restaurant. I know it’s technically seperate but the staff in the supermarket attached to the hotel were brilliant and friendly as well.

So, in summary, not as bad as some of these reviews state - some points to note but definitely not somewhere that you would be disappointed to visit.

TripAdvisor Review: Playa de Muro Experience

Having visited many areas around Mallorca, we were excited to finally experience Playa de Muro. The convenience of being able to walk directly from the pool to the beach was a delightful first for us. The calm, clear, shallow waters were perfect for our 8 and 2-year-old.

While there were numerous reviews mentioning seaweed on the beach, we didn't encounter much of it. A tractor clears the beach in the early morning, and we found it mostly clear with just a few patches of seaweed in beach sector 2. We did walk down to sector 1, where other hotels are located, and noticed a considerable amount of seaweed there; however, it was easy to walk through a small section to find large areas of clear sand. On three mornings during our 14-day stay, I woke up for sunrise, which was absolutely stunning! The fish were plentiful, swimming around in small and large shoals, making snorkeling a must. I’m 6 feet tall and could stand almost to the end of the pier. If you take bread, you’ll find hundreds of fish that will even eat from your hand.

Sunbeds: The sunbed reservation system works as follows: you’re supposed to claim a spot early and stay there. I reserved three beds, but you must remain present. The cleanup operation is strict; the pool staff patrol the areas between 6-9 am, clearing towels and floats left unattended, though this was only enforced at the pool areas. At the beach, many people reserve beds without being present, which I found puzzling, as I was one of only two couples following the rules. However, even without reservations, we never struggled to find beds near the baby pool, albeit not in prime locations.

WARNING: Ensure you take all belongings at the end of the day. If you leave something behind, don’t expect to find it again. While there is a lost and found, many items remain unclaimed. My son left his goggles and hat on a sunbed, and despite our efforts to retrieve them, they never reappeared. The cleaning staff dispose of most items, so please double-check that you have everything!

Dining: A note for those considering self-catering: this hotel is located at the quieter end of the beach, away from restaurants. Ideally, you’d want to stay further down towards Alcudia. While a 5-10 minute bus ride can take you to Can Picafort or the main Playa de Muro area, it could be inconvenient for self-catering guests. Onsite food is quite expensive, and while there's a food outlet called Crispy Corner serving pizza, wraps, and burgers, the dining area lacks appeal. Half board worked well for us since we don’t drink much, and I was glad we chose it. The drink selection on the all-inclusive package wasn’t great, and there were long queues at the bar without waiter service—something we’ve experienced at other resorts.

Food Quality: Despite its poor reviews, I found the food selection adequate. While not as varied as at other places, it met our needs, and the catering staff were very helpful. I would suggest improving the grilled fish selection, as I didn’t find it appealing. The food labeling also left something to be desired, with many items poorly identified. However, for half board, the value was reasonable. We avoided the restaurant due to the heat and lack of air conditioning; if you do eat there, the kids' section is the coolest spot. I recommend sitting on the back terrace, away from wasps.

Pools: The hotel features a large pool with a slide and splash bucket area, which my 8-year-old absolutely loved. The main pool is shallow at both ends, gradually getting deeper. There’s also a deep pool for activities like water polo and a small baby pool. We enjoyed the pools; there were activities all day, including pool parties, water runs, and aerobics. Floats are allowed, which is great for kids, but it can get chaotic, especially with small children. Our daughter adored the TUI robot mascot, and the TUI team did an excellent job getting kids involved in dances. The atmosphere around the pool was vibrant, with live singers, including a great act called the Hitman, performing regularly.

Rooms: We stayed in Block D402, overlooking the baby pool. I highly recommend paying extra for a pool view; it’s worth it. Rooms near the Green & Grill lack privacy due to the BBQ smells during lunch, and those facing the road and bins aren’t ideal. Cleaning was done every other day, which was acceptable.

Entertainment: Evening entertainment was impressive, with great acts and visible effort from the TUI Blue team. The football pitch and playground adjacent to the stage were excellent. My only suggestion would be to improve security at the playground entrances, as it felt open to anyone.

Transfers: Our inbound TUI transfer was quick, but the outbound was delayed. Palma airport customs was chaotic, which was somewhat expected.

Overall, we had a wonderful two-week holiday. While it wasn’t perfect, we would definitely return to this hotel!