A few weeks back we woke bleary eyed in Bristol and rolled out of bed at 3am to catch a flight to the sunny island of Mallorca nestled in the Mediterranean sea and check into the luxurious Portixol Hotel, with i-escape with Kids. As a child I used to holiday on the north-western coats of this Balearic Isle, and have fond memories exploring cobbled stone pathways shaded with beautiful palms with my parents so I was excited to return.
Apart from the mad last minute dash for the gate I was quite impressed at how smooth it all went and how good F was during the flight considering how early it was. We arrived at Palma Airport and immediately felt our shoulders relax as the balmy 28 degrees washed over us and we managed to grab a taxi outside the airport – most of which have child booster seats in the boot – and made our way to the beautiful Portixol Hotel.
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Where the coastal promenade meets the harbours edge, stands a striking white retreat facing out to sea, and although we were three hours early the staff could not have been more accommodating, allowing us access to the spa changing rooms to freshen up, keep our cases and even show us to the breakfast buffet for a little elevenses. Our stomachs growled as we saw the range of fresh fruits, cereals, breads, pastries, cheeses and meats, not to mention the yummy poached eggs!
On seeing the aqua blue pool facing the restaurant, F was desperate to swim but *mama fail alert* as I had somehow forgotten to pack any bathing trunks for him, so we decided to take the 15 minute stroll along the promenade into Palma centre to the shop that has everything before returning to the poolside.
The hotel is a mix of nautical luxury meets Scandinavian chic with a hint of 1950's design, from the clustered copper lights above the dining tables to the mustard covered chairs, marble floors and art collection this place oozes style, it felt like such a treat staying here with my little family. Our room on the the fourth floor with panoramic sea views was light and spacious, with a super comfy double bed and a pull out sofa bed for F, and it was great to see little details such as waffle bathrobes, eco toiletries, bottles of water and chocolates brought in each day *cue F eating all the chocolate*
During this time I was nine weeks pregnant and suffering from exhaustion so I knew that I wanted to camp out by the pool and take it slow. There were quite a few other guests but with the layout of the hotel it never once felt overcrowded and we got to chat with quite a few families there with their young children, and F was grateful for kiddos to play with in the pool.
As a treat I booked myself in for a Facial Light treatment for €75 at the hotel's spa situated on the ground floor, and spent an hour having my skin soothed, hydrated and cleansed which was pure bliss while Paul spent the hour splashing in the pool with F, turns out we have a true water baby!
We ate lunch at the pool from the bar menu which is reasonably priced and comes with a view of the Med which you can't beat, and the service could not be faulted. All the staff loved F and happily brought out chocolate milkshakes for him to enjoy. I was most excited to try out the Restaurant after reading many good things online and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Although it was more than we would usually spend on eating out, the beetroot starter and Sea Bass with sautéed book-choy, asparagus and daikan puree was delicious and the only thing that would have made it better was F's mood, as the lack of sleep finally caught up with him and a full scale meltdown ensued. Rightly or wrongly it was nothing a dessert bribe couldn't fix before taking him up to bed.
The hotel offers baby listening monitors for your rooms or a babysitter if you book ahead, although I was worried about the Juliette balcony door and windows not having child locks so decided to let F stay up late with us during our stay. There is also free use of the hotel's bikes which come with a kid seat, we found this perfect for exploring the local area safely as there are separate cycle paths in both directions, if you've ever seen me on a bike then you'll know how funny this day out was – more on this in another post!
Overall we found the hotel a stylish place to stay with kids and an oasis of calm, there were even guests booking their next stay on leaving the hotel as they had enjoyed it so much. It's definitely got a thumbs up from us and we'd definitely recommend it as a great place to stay.
*We're grateful to have stayed as guests of the Portixol Hotel with i-escape with kids for purpose of this review. All words and opinion are 100% my own.
What a beautiful hotel!! What I would give to be relaxing by that pool right now! It's absolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteOh it looks beautiful Lori. You must look back on this trip with such bittersweet feelings, but good that you got to properly relax. Lots of love xxx
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing and such a beautiful location. I love that they have bikes for you to use, that's such a great addition x
ReplyDeleteoh wow if only i could have come to, it looks amazing and i always love how they have their buffets
ReplyDeleteWhat a super stylish hotel. I love the decor in the bedrooms and the pool looks bliss.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely hotel - everything looks beautiful! Oh to see that sunset - gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous hotel - i-escape has only the best! Where are your yellow brogues from?
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a cool place to holiday with kids. Your pics really took me there. I'm especially loving all the outdoor shots. Definitely a spot to keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteThis really looks like a beautiful place - and somewhere which is great for kids and adults. I absolutely love your pictures here. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt looks really beautiful- the hotel looks so stylish. I went to Palma on a day trip last year but only ended up staying about four hours in total, I would have loved to have stayed longer, it looks a fantastic city. And so close!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous looking place and I can't wait to hear more about Palma! x
ReplyDeleteIt all looks gorgeous. I'd love to visit one day :)
ReplyDeleteoh wow what a really beautiful place to stay! it really does look like a little piece os heaven! x
ReplyDeleteOh wow this hotel is stunning - I love the beautiful interiors and oh how glorious is the weather and that sunset!! I am sure F is going to have some amazing memories from this holiday
ReplyDeleteLaura x
This looks like a beautiful place to stay and it sounds perfect for families with kids. I've not been to Mallorca but would love to go there.
ReplyDeleteI had never been to Mallorca before my trip with Ford and I was enchanted by the place. I love the style of the hotel. I have a thing for Mid-century!
ReplyDeleteIt looks absolutely delightful and as it has Korres products, it is a big thumbs up from me x
ReplyDeleteWow what an absolutely amazing looking place to stay! x
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely place - I like the sound of nautical meets Scandinavian.
ReplyDeleteThe hotel looks beautiful, love the pool and the bedroom. That photo of F looking out of the window is stunning x
ReplyDeleteWow what a beautiful place! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a stunning place to stay - not sure I would leave the room with that view out the window
ReplyDeleteIt looks lovely. I did chuckle when I read you forgot his trunks.
ReplyDeleteWow, this looks so damned nice! I love a good pool x
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