Hotel JS Palma Stay

With a charming seafront promenade and sandy beach just a block away, this property is well-placed amid tourist-geared bars and restaurants. Travelers come here for child-free tranquility, although poolside music and nearby planes don't exactly mean peace and quiet. The 2012-renovated interiors sport cool marbles, floor-to-ceiling windows, and blond woods accented by upbeat aquas and reds. Indoor bar spaces are extensive, but guests come here for the sun. There's plenty of it on smartly furnished decks around outdoor pools, and additional rooftop terraces increase sunbathing space -- handy, since lounger availability by the pools dwindles early in the day, and the swim-up bar gets crowded. Submerged cocktail sipping here is popular though, and the 2014-refurbished spa and gym are swish, however, the property loses points entertainment-wise, with guests finding poolside beats repetitive and evening singing mediocre. There are no all-inclusive packages, although half-board options are popular. Note, the hotel is only open March through October.

Surrounded by other hotels, bars, and restaurants, and with the Mediterranean Sea a block away, the hotel's location is great. Fine sands fronting shores at the seafront promenade are a two-minute walk, and both stretch for miles to the east, becoming more expansive with the Can Pastilla beach drag, beginning a 13-minute walk away. The Cami de Can Pastilla bus station is a six-minute walk. Busses from here run to Porto Pi shopping center, El Arenal's resort town, and the capital, Palma. Journeys take a maximum of 35 minutes by bus, with quicker drives or cycle routes. Palma de Mallorca Airport is a nine-minute drive.

Mostly facing the pool or sea, 2012-renovated rooms are small, but stylish. They have modern decor including light wood furniture and floors, crisp white bedding, teals accent walls and bed runners, and bright-yellow throw pillows and retro chairs. Beds are comfy and rooms are bright from sliding glass doors that open onto small furnished balconies, where upgraded rooms offer better views, although some sea vistas are obstructed by ugly buildings. Amenities include phones, desks, flat-screen TVs with English news channels, mini-fridges, and AC, plus hairdryers, free Wi-Fi, and safes (at a fee). Suites add living areas with sofa beds and kettles. White-tiled bathrooms are compact, but pristine, with stall showers and toiletries. 

The freeform outdoor pools draw guests with their whirlpool features and surrounding sun-drenched terraces. One also has a swim-up bar. Unfortunately, fierce lounger competition leaves many guests disgruntled, as does overcrowding here. Still, the pool bar's drinks and snacks are good, and can be taken on nearby terraces. Gazebo cabanas, wicker sofas, and dining furniture form smart monochromes here, and rooftop loungers are great, but note, these are reached by steps. The 2014-renovated spa has an upscale finish. Curved white loungers around its indoor lap pool have submerged counterparts in a hydrotherapy pool, plus there are therapeutic showers, a sauna, and Turkish hammam. Treatment rooms offer individual and couples massages. The modern gym's floor-to-ceiling windows make for bright workout spaces, and it's packed with quality cardio and weight-training equipment. The restaurant serves cooked and continental buffet breakfasts, and international fare with live stations and themed menus for lunch and dinner, but the quality is average. Restaurant decor is drab, but most guests dine outdoors. The bar's soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are offered alongside low-key live music, while electronic beats are played at the pool. The hotel has three meeting rooms, but no business center. No parking is offered, but street parking is free, as are secure bike storage and equipment cleaning facilities, plus bikes can be rented. Small pets stay free, and Wi-Fi throughout is free.