MLL Blue Bay Hotel

Standard and lacking personality, the lobby of the Blue Bay is equipped with two black leather massage chairs (that can be used for a fee), a few saggy rust-colored sofas, and two desktop computers. The effect is almost institutional, though the option to order various sizes and flavors of "ensaimadas," (traditional Mallorcan puff pastry and cream-filled cakes) from the front desk adds a nice local touch. The plastic fruit displays dangling over the buffet cheapen what is otherwise an elegant, spacious dining area with lovely views, and the cheerful red carpets in the hallways between the rooms help offset the dimness of the corridors. Though clean and fragrant with the natural scent of pine, the hotel doesn't seem to have been fully renovated for decades, and isn't much to look at from the outside. 

Located in a quiet residential area on the west side of the island, the Blue Bay Hotel is well-placed for making the best of Mallorca's beaches and a few of its sights. A 20-minute walk due east leads to the famed Cala Major, where Marivent Palace -- the well-known summer playground of the Spanish Royal Family -- is located. There are a few restaurants and an Eroski supermarket just a four-minute walk away from the hotel, which many guests are quick to notice, is located on the top of a large hill. It can be accessed either by climbing 100 steps or walking up a steep hill, which bothers some guests and invigorates others. The center of Palma is less than a 10-minute ride away, and the airport can be reached in about 15 minutes via the bus that stops outside the hotel (though you do need to walk down the hill or steps to catch the bus). The Miró Foundation with over 2,500 works by its namesake artist, as well as pieces by Picasso, can be reached in seven minutes by bus. Also within the same distance is Porto Pi, an outdoor shopping mall with 140 shops, a casino, and a few, mainly chain dining options. 

Barring the tube TVs, popcorn walls, and bedspreads that look like something you might see piled in a corner at a garage sale, the rooms at the Blue Bay Hotel are pleasant. Accented with light wood furniture and impressive white marble bathrooms, they are dated, but somewhat tastefully decorated. The toiletries and the artwork on the walls are both unremarkable, but a few personal touches like towels shaped into animal shapes, add some personality. The oval balconies are definitely the highlight of the room. Spacious but angled in a way that offers privacy, the higher floors provide incredible views over the tops of pines and down to the ocean.

This hotel stands out for its lush and tastefully maintained landscape, the sweeping ocean views it commands, and the plentiful sunny areas available to dine, drink, or snack in. It has a cheerful and well-maintained playground, a tiny gift shop selling pearl necklaces, earrings, and assorted baubles, and a large rectangular pool and kids' pool surrounded by healthy trees that don't block the sun, but provide a nice green contrast in the landscape. Not everyone likes that there are about 70 steps between the pool and the hotel, but the view of the ocean once you get to the top is worth it -- flanked by lovely and very diverse textures and colors of vegetation all the way up. In addition to a generous sun-drenched patio bar, the dining room has floor to ceiling windows which provide plenty of sunny alcoves to dine in with nice views of the foliage outside.