Stayed in Melia in June , had a suite. didn't need the kitchen or table etc. Room ok for a suite but the bathrom had no natural light and seemed to have a musty smell.

Staff very friendly and effecient. good fresh breakfast. Ate most of the 7 nights in the restraunt in the evening. Good food and the specials changed every night. good wine list etc.

We found the resort of Cala d'or lacking in good restraunts etc and tending to stay around the hotel.

The hotel had nothing really wrong with it but by the same token no whaoo factor either. Port Adraino where we previously stayed was much superior in both room and location.
Perhaps the poor weather detracted from our enjoyment but on reflection neither the town or hotel offered a great deal.

Arrived 16 May, weather not too good until the Tuesday, the hotel is set back from the main tourist area of Cala D'or, its small and quiet. The staff are fantastic and will help and advise where they can. Its an ideal hotel for older couples and younger couples who want a quiet relaxed holiday, although there were a few couples with very young children (well behaved). There is a good buffet selection for breakfast, although I would advise against eating in the hotel at night as it was quite expensive, and there are plenty of places to eat nearby.

One comment I would make is, if you're travelling with Thomson, I would suggest asking hotel reception if they can contact Thomson either the day before you leave or on the day you leave, as we did'nt see a rep for the whole time we were there and we did'nt get any notification of what time we would be picked up to transfer to the airport, however, a very nice lady on hotel reception phoned Thomson's for us.

Early to mid-May in Cala d’Or is in my opinion the optimum time to visit Majorca for numerous reasons.

Firstly its not too hot and its also good value, even given the terrible exchange rate of £1.2 euros to the £ and especially if you don’t deal through the usual travel companies but book direct on the Sol site.
We saved nearly £250 by doing this!

Is it a 5 star hotel?
Well that’s very subjective.
It is most definitely not 5 star when compared to say the Ritz or the Hotel de Paris Monte Carlo BUT compared to other Majorcan hotels we “inspected” which are credited as 4 star it most definitely is!

The clientele were typical “professional” types 28-40 and the active and wadded retired 55-65, certainly no zimmer frames or tattoos!

We checked out a “suite” and found it to be more like an up market self catering facility.
We couldn’t see the need for us having a dining table, kitchen and settee although with kids the opposite may be true.

We didn’t plan to cook anything but take all meals out and we would be sitting enjoying the large balcony with its high quality comfy furnature - so why have a settee?
The two wing chairs and table in the room were perfectly adequate.
The saving we made bought dinner in one of the many restaurants in the town.
Our room was excellent; it had all the other facilities of a suite and was certainly large enough to accommodate a couple.
The beds were huge and comfortable and they give you a choice from 5 different fills for the pillows, which was a nice touch.

Breakfast was of high quality fresh produce with plenty of choices and daily changes to the cold meats and breads and was served by extremely pleasant and efficient staff.

As with most residents we didn’t stay for dinner, too much going on in town for that, however there were some guests who did.
The menu didn’t seem to change often and the ambiance a little “staid”

Children proved no problem for us, and that’s another reason to go in May because whilst the hotel was fully booked it didn’t seem so, and there was no hastle for sun beds and the kids who were there were babies and toddlers, maybe the older ones could be more trouble in school holiday periods?

The fixtures and fittings were all good but not spectacular and maybe a refurbishment is due.
As for cleanliness well that’s all down to which team of maids you got.
We found ours to be only 6/10 although whilst around the poolside we watched another team clean a room with vigour and they were definitely 10/10!

Gowns, towels, slippers etc all supplied and clean and not too well used.

The gardens are clean and well maintained.

The mini bar is OK and not overly expensive although they don’t object to you bring in from local shops.
We stored plenty of items in the fridge, which thankfully hasn’t got a hair trigger, which immediately charges your account!

Parking is no problem and the area is residential and very safe.
If you exit by the back door through the gardens it’s a 5-minute walk into the “action” which is nearly all pedestrianised.

We travelled the west and south of the island having not been there for many years.
My personal opinion is that Cala d’Or is as “chic” a resort as there is on Majorca.
Though it still has numerous cheap tack shops selling the usual sombreros and stuffed donkeys.
BUT compared to other resorts on Majorca it is an oasis of calm and sophistication!

On our travels we found the average age in Cala Millor, Cala Bona, Can Picafort and Port d’Alcudia to be 80+ and if you didn’t like “English” food and chips with everything then forget it.
We did notice that restaurants in this area mostly found the necessity to emphasise “real Bisto gravy” as a key selling point.

In Palma Nova, Palma and Magaluf it was imperative that you were male aged 17-25, on a stag party - had a huge beer belly and was covered in tattoos – and could drink 10 + pints of lager before a full fried “gutbuster” breakfast (with chips) at 3pm - and used four letter expletives to punctuate every sentence.

Good luck to them and each to their own I say!

So is Sol Melia and Cala d’Or worth a visit?
Yes it is!

Date: Easter 2008

Just paid our first visit to the Melia Cala d'Or. We have travelled extensively and have often been very disappointed by hotels claiming good 4* or 5* rating. This hotel exceeded our expectations comfortably, and we are very choosy. In essence if you are looking for good quality accomodation, attractive hotel with high standards and personal touches then we doubt very much that you will be disappointed. We certainly were not.

The hotel had only been open three days for the new season but you would not have known, except it was very quiet. This is exactly what we were looking for. It was peaceful and relaxing. No late night bar or pounding disco!!

From the helpful , Barbara ,at the front desk, staff in the restaurant, and room maids, all were very professional and efficient. The place was immaculate, cleanliness first rate, both inside the rooms, the grounds and buildings. Enclosed gardens make it child friendly.

We upgraded to a junior suite and found the room beautiful, well equipped and spacious. Separate bedroom with huge bed with an abundace of pillows , lounge with settee and comfy chair, TV and DVD, table and chairs. Bathroom with Jacuzzi bath, separate shower, toilet and bidet. The kitchenette was small and perfectly formed with two rings , fridge and microwave, giving you the choice to eat in or out. No shortage of wardrobe space either. The highlight for us was the large balcony and comfortable outdoor furniture.

We chose not to make use of the Sauna, fitness room, indoor or outdoor pool, but all facilities looked excellent.

We also chose not to eat in the hotel as the menu looked limited and repetitive. Although Cal d'Or could not be said to be in full swing by any stretch of the imagination, we found eating out no problem and were often out-numbered by the staff on duty in the restaurants that were open this early in the season. I imagine the deserted streets will be thronging with people in the high season. The main part of the town is only about a five minute walk away. If you are looking for the "kiss me quick" "high octane " type of holiday that can be found in perhaps Palma Nova or Magaluf then I doubt that Cala d'Or (certainly out of season) is for you.

We found eating out more expensive than we anticipated, higher obviously than mainland Spain, and pretty much comparable with the UK; but this could also be attributed to the poor exchange rate at the moment.

We have already been seeking out a deal for late in the year to go back to the hotel and Cala d'Or. From us that is as good a recommendation as you will get.