I stayed for four nights at the newly opened Zel hotel in Palmanova, Mallorca. Here’s what I thought of this new beachfront hotel…
(AD – PR STAY)
Hey my friends!
As you may have seen on my vlogs, I recently took a trip to Mallorca for a girls getaway, with my best friend Em. This did end up becoming a much longer trip than anticipated, but head over to my YouTube channel to hear all about why that was!
For the actual ‘planned’ part of our trip, we had arranged to have three nights as guests at the newly re-opened, renovated ‘Zel Hotel’ in Palmanova, Mallorca. Part of the Melia group, which in my experience, has always a really high quality standard among all of their hotels around the world, and is a group you can really trust for a great experience when you book with them. You know when a name just gives you that bit of reassurance to book with? And Zel hotel definitely is a strong addition to that portfolio of locations they have.
First of all, location…
If you’re looking for the textbook, perfect ‘Summer holiday’ style break, this is IT. You will tick every single box by coming to the location of Palmanova, whether you’re a young or older couple, coming with kids or friends, this is a great spot in Mallorca to go for. With a huge 1km sandy white beach, plenty of quality restaurants, an array of bars, a strong ‘Spanish’ feel, but also all very flat, accessible and feeling very ‘safe’, this really does suit all ages. From the hotel, only a pavement separates you from being quite literally on the beach, and then to the other side of the hotel, you have where all the shops, eateries and bars are.
Everyone is super friendly, multi-lingual, helpful and overall a very relaxed atmosphere. So if you’re looking for a hotel that’s in the heart of it all during the day and evening, but not overly busy, and away from any tones ‘loud and late’ nightlife, this is perfect.
Our room…
We opted for the ‘junior suite’ as our room of choice for the two of us sharing. This was a perfect size, generous and not cramped, with a large terrace balcony, with views of the beach to one side. Making it a lovely place to relax when you wake up, or whilst we were getting ready before an evening out.
The decor everywhere was of course very fresh, bright and with a Mediterranean, yet, very modern style theme, but still feeling beachy and laid-back.
This would be more than enough for a couple, friends sharing, or perhaps 2 adults and a child in terms of space.
Throughout the rest of the hotel…
What was super easy and fuss-free, was the contactless check-in through your phone, when you got to the hotel. It printed out your room key for you and you were ready to go! This meant you didn’t need to queue at a reception desk, especially if you arrive at a busy check-in time and could get to your room super quickly.
If you did have any questions, or needed help checking in, there was plenty of staff throughout the hotel, and all of them during our stay that we met, were SO helpful, attentive, friendly and gave off a really fun and upbeat energy. When we had the thunderstorm on the last day of our trip, and then due to delays, had to stay at the hotel an extra night, the staff all made a HUGE effort to showcase what entertainment and activities were available for people to do around the hotel, during the bad weather. Nothing felt like too much hassle for them to assist with.
As you know I adore my coffee throughout the day, the coffee shop inside the hotel, was one I recognised that Melia have in other hotels worldwide, and was really great quality. I could nip down and grab my favourite morning or afternoon coffee, when I wanted, without even leaving the hotel. The barista literally became my best friend by the end of it, and I’m sure me and Em sampled every cookie they sold, by the end of our trip. Being sweet treat experts, we somehow entered on a journey of giving our reviews on all the cookies, but, if you need an extra reason to come to this hotel – make it for the double chocolate cookie. This was the winner by far!
Wellness wise, there was even a Casabarre pop up studio within the hotel, which made it feel like this hotel was made for me. We did a couple of the classes during our stay, and there was also a gym, so it really did tick all the boxes.
Breakfast, pool snacks and dinner
Food wise, we did enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at Zel at different points during our trip. The breakfast was a buffet style selection, but of really great quality, with so much fresh and colourful fruit, a pastry station, and all of your expected cooked dishes to choose from. Zel set the bar high at breakfast time and it definitely continued throughout lunch and dinner.
The main restaurant at the hotel is called Beso Beach, a really great quality place to dine any time of day, serving classic Mediterranean dishes with a modern twist, being fresh and still classic at the same time. We enjoyed a few dishes around the pool at lunchtime from Beso Beach’s pool menu, which were all delicious.
On the evenings of our three-night stay, we ate at Beso Beach every night and couldn’t fault the menu. Selection wise, it was right up our street.
If you’re in Mallorca, even if you aren’t staying at Zel, making a reservation here would be a big thumbs up from me! Perhaps after a day at the beach, or for a delicious dinner out somewhere new.
Our favourite starter was obviously the sourdough with alioli with olives, we also loved their burrata, the battered lobster was something I’ll DREAM about, and the firewood octopus was also incredible.
Let me know if you visit Mallorca on your holidays and decide to stay here! I’d totally recommend it and would definitely come back to stay here again!
Til next time,
M. Xx
