Hotel Pionero

The Pionero hotel is not on the beachfront, but rather 300m away. The peaceful seaside resort of Santa Ponça standing next to a charming bay is just over 14 mi west of Palma. The airport is about 19 mi away and transfers take around 40 minutes.

A small car park with 10 spaces is available to guests for free. The all-inclusive formula is in effect from 10:00 am till midnight. There is a meeting room that can hold up to 90 people. Scales for weighing your luggage are also available, in the lobby, to avoid any unwanted surprises when checking in at the airport since you may well be aware that airline companies are growing increasingly intolerant with this sort of thing. The sauna is only free from 7:30am till 9:30am, after which the price is quite expensive: £24 per hour! With slot and pinball machines, billiard tables, video games, a multi-sport pitch and entertainment, you definitely won't get bored here. In case of any minor health worries, medical attention is available onsite from 9:00am till 9:30am. You can surf the Internet for free in the lobby thanks to the Wi-Fi connection. The establishment is closed from October to January.

A member of the Spanish hotel group Globales Hotel and Resort, the Pionero hotel has 312 guest rooms spread throughout a 5 storey building. The hotel itself dates back to the 70s and it shows! It did, however, benefit from some renovation in 2005. As well as its sport facilities, one of the Pionero's major assets is its four swimming pools. Large and deep (2m10), the main one is open from 10:00am till 6:00pm and is also accessible for guests with reduced mobility. A few palm trees add a touch of greenery, but not really enough. The original blue mosaic showers are surrounded by wooden logs and climbing ivy. There may not be much room around the swimming pool, but this is made up for by a large solarium terrace filled with deckchairs and straw sunshades. There is also a second, smaller, rectangular-shaped pool (1m80 deep) which is accessible for guests with reduced mobility, and then there is the decent-sized children's pool (24 inches deep). Finally, from January to May guests can take advantage of the heated indoor pool (1m80 deep). Around the pools you will find a bar (open from 10:00am till 7:00pm), a ping-pong table and massage tents. The lobby bar has a television and there is also entertainment organised here, but only inside, so as to avoid disturbing the neighbours since the hotel is in a residential area.

The carpet-covered corridors leading to the guest rooms really help to keep this place tranquil (high heels on floor tiles can quickly become unbearable). The rooms themselves have salmon-coloured carpeting that feels good under bare feet. Measuring 20m², they display white walls decorated with two paintings and offer all the expected amenities: two beds, a wooden desk topped with a mirror, a luggage rack, a wardrobe with a big mirror, and an armchair, plus a large balcony furnished with two plastic chairs, a small table and a clothes line. They also boast individual air-conditioning supplemented by a ceiling fan, a key-operated safe (£22 per week), a telephone, a fridge (£16 per week), and a tiny TV with satellite channels. The bathroom has a bathtub fitted with a handle and a flexible shower, toilets, tissues and hospitality products. However, there is no hair-dryer.

The 400 person seating capacity of the restaurant creates a sort of canteen feel. The buffet-style international cuisine holds no surprises and is rather boring. However, a theme night (generally Italian or Majorcan) is put on once a week. Breakfast is served from 7:45am to 10:30am, lunch from 1:00pm to 2:30pm, and dinner from 6:45pm to 9:30pm. The signs here are all in French. The pool bar serves snacks from midday to 4:00pm, followed by tea time from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. This bar is open from 10:00am to 7:00pm, after which the lobby bar takes over until midnight. The all-inclusive formula is in effect from 10:00am till midnight, but is limited to 3 drinks per person at a time.

Santa Ponça beach is 300m from the hotel. It isn't very big but it can get rather busy and is equipped with plastic deckchairs laid out under straw sunshades. In terms of facilities there are showers, a volleyball pitch, and numerous bars and restaurants, not to mention the possibility to try out some water sports. The water is supervised and a flag indicates the safety level for swimming. The beach is really beautiful with crystal clear water and a gorgeous setting in a bay surrounded by forest-covered hills.