I have just returned from a stay in what was a Mallorcan-chain hotel in one of the best locations on the island in Camp de Mar. Last year, we enjoyed two excellent Mallorcan holidays at the hotel and decided to return this year. It ticked all the boxes for what we needed and the fact that it had been taken over by one of the largest North American hotels chains in the world gave us the impression that a few improvements would have been made and that the level of quality would have been increased even further. Sadly, this was not the case.
Despite the hotel apparently being full, I managed to change rooms in a matter of five minutes. Margins have been slashed while staff numbers remain the same, if not cut as well. While staff were rushed off their feet and put a brave face on things, the quality of the food was nothing near last year and certainly not what one would expect in a four star-plus hotel in such a priceless location.
I certainly didn’t expect to have to clear my own tables at the pool bar nor keep pointing out to staff that coffee machines had either broken down or needed refilling at breakfast or negotiate a gym which only half worked. I hope, for the sake of Mallorca’s image, this was a one-off, because the clientele was extremely international. And looking ahead to the end-of-season holiday and the prices, I doubt I will be staying in Mallorca.
