Hotel JS Sol de Alcudia

With its white balconied facade, tidy front garden, and smart modern entrance, the Hotel JS Sol de Alcudia is certainly perfectly well-presented, albeit lacking anything one might describe as distinctive. Stepping inside, the lobby too is bright and contemporary, with polished gray marble floors and splashes of color, though little in the way of character. Arrivals are offered chilled water or iced tea by friendly staff before being directed to a pair of up-to-date elevators that service the hotel's five floors. Elevator doors open to a central atrium filled with a collection of trees rising to a large skylight. While the property dates from the mid-'80s, a full renovation project completed in 2016 has updated and modernized the interiors throughout. Half of this L-shaped building overlooks the rear gardens, a neat and sunny space dominated by a large swimming pool and surrounded by decked terrace. With few kid-focused facilities, clientele mostly lean toward vacationing couples, though expect a fair share of families over school breaks -- the majority hailing from the UK, with German and Scandinavians making up the rest.

The hotel is located toward the south end of the popular and buzzy resort of Port d'Alcudia, on Majorca's northeast coast. Although it's almost 10-minute drive from the resort center, there are plenty of bars, restaurants, and tourist shops in the surrounding area. The lively nightlife strip of Avenida Pere Mas i Reus is just a block away. The start of the resort's long stretch of sandy beach is also a five-minute walk, offering some particularly calm and shallow water. Family-friendly fun can be also be had at the nearby Hidropark water park, a 15-minute walk or five-minute drive. Farther afield is the pretty town of Alcudia, a 12-minute drive. Situated at the opposite end of the island, the capital of Palma and the Palma de Mallorca Airport are up to an hour away by car.

All 219 guest rooms also benefitted from the 2015/16 makeover and are finished in crisp white and cool gray, with wood-effect flooring, modern IKEA-style furniture, and colorful fabrics. The overall look is sleek, bright, and contemporary and details such as Wicker chairs and playful circular mirrors prevents spaces for being too clinical. Rooms are a little on the small side, but all open to balconies or terraces. Standard rooms overlook the street or pool, superior rooms and suites all overlook the pool with some lake views (from higher floors), and a handful of lower-level rooms extend to large pool-view terraces with loungers. Pool-facing rooms tend to be noisier from both the hotel's own shows and entertainment from the surrounding properties. In-room amenities are decent enough, with 32-inch flat-screen TVs offering plenty of UK-based channels, mini-fridges with free water, and electronic safes for a fee. Beds have foam mattresses with bedside plugs and reading lights. All bathrooms are clean and modern, with walk-in showers, wall-mounted hairdryers, and chain-branded toiletries. Upgraded rooms are semi-open plan and contain walk-in showers separated from toilets by frosted glass. Wi-Fi is free of charge throughout, and the signal was good during our stay. 

The hotel features one of the larger swimming pools in the area, with three interconnected circular pools that includes a kids' section and swim-up bar (only open in high season). Modern canvas loungers line the surrounding sun terrace, plus there's a row of single and double daybeds with comfy mattresses. One of the hotel's most distinguished features is its elevated spa terrace which overlooks the pool area, and includes pressure showers, a whirlpool tub, sauna hut, and massage gazebo. While not strictly adult-only, it tends to be the quieter, child-free section of the hotel. There's no poolside animation but there is a small playground, and an outdoor stage provides passable live entertainment most evenings. Breakfast is served in the modern dining room, with a good selection of precooked and continental items, as well as a freshly-cooked egg station; coffee is table service or from bean-to-cup machines. The restaurant also opens for dinner, with daily themed buffets (Mexican during our stay) though while plenty of choice, food quality was a letdown. Meals are not always included with optional bed-and-breakfast and half-board plans. The Twelve to Twelve bar is bright and spacious, with a street-front terrace, lots of comfy seating, and a menu that includes pizza, burgers, and salads. In cooler months, entertainment moves inside to the bar, which has a TV for sporting events. Bike rental is available on-site, and smaller dogs are welcome free of charge.