Hotel Riu Playa Cala Millor

The hotel stands on the seaside promenade in Cala Millor. It enjoys a good location, not directly in the centre but close to the shopping district. It's surrounded by other hotels, bars and restaurants, most of which close during the winter. There are several places to hire cars and bicycles in the immediate vicinity. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle, we recommend a walk towards Punta de n'Amer.

The clientele is generally rather mature and the staff are friendly.

From the outside you can already tell that this is a very old hotel. It was built in a 60s style and could do with a complete renovation! It occupies an 8-storey building with 242 rooms. Popular among German and English tourists, it features a restaurant where the main meals are served, a bar for evening drinks, and a poolside bar. The entertainment in the evening is designed for a more mature audience. The outdoor swimming pool covers an area of 243 m² and includes a separate pool for children. Towels are available but guests do have to pay a deposit for these. When the hotel is fully booked, there isn't enough space around the swimming pool for everyone. It's hard to find a vacant deckchair between 7.00 am and 8:00am, although management claims that you're not allowed to reserve the poolside deckchairs. The indoor pool covers an area of 48 m² and is heated in the winter. There is a gym and a sauna (extra charge). Once again, these facilities could do with some renovation. There are 2 computers equipped with Internet access located in the entrance hall, which you can use for a rate of approximately £1.00 for 10 minutes. The hotel has only 2 lifts (maximum of 6 people), and you can end up waiting quite long for one when the hotel is busy.

The rooms are tiny and in desperate need of renovation. The bathroom is functional, but unfortunately it has a mouldy smell like that of an old ashtray. The mini-bar is well stocked. The hotel has seen its fair share of customers. The rooms located near the stairway are badly soundproofed and very noisy. The balconies offer a nice sea view. The safe is built into the wardrobe and costs approximately £10.00 per week. The TV broadcasts international channels, with quite a lot of German ones. The bedding includes sheets and bedspreads made of acrylic felt. The maids waste no time in speaking loudly and banging doors, regardless of how early it is. We weren't impressed with the central air-conditioning either. The noise (air-conditioning and entertainment) of the neighbouring hotel is a real nuisance in the evening.

The restaurant is very clean and there is a seat for each guest at dinner. It has two services in the evening: one at 6:30pm and the other at 8:15pm. During the second service, the table cloths often display stains left by diners from the first service. In the evening, guests are shown to their tables but in the morning they're free to choose where to sit. The buffet is copious but not very varied. The food on offer is nearly always the same, but with the wide selection on offer you can eat a different meal every day. The buffet is decorated here and there with plastic fruit and flowers. The dishes are tasteless, and vegetarians don't enjoy much of a selection: they have to make do with vegetables, pasta and sauce, fries, and pizza. The vegetarian meals are generally nothing more than what usually count as side dishes.

Cala Millor beach is a long stretch of white sand with clean and transparent water, but unfortunately it can become very crowded in the high season. It features shops, restaurants, bars, lifeguards, showers, sporting facilities, deckchairs, parasols and paddle boats. Annoyingly, the deckchairs on the beach are very expensive. Two deckchairs and one parasol for the day will set you back approximately £9.00.