REVIEW |El Llorenç Parc de la Mar

May 2021. The Belgian government lifted the ban on leisure travel in April, but strict travel rules limited options. As the Balearic Islands – lles Balears or Islas Baleares – were a yellow zone, we booked flights and a hotel in Palma de Mallorca.

As we waited until the last-minute to book a hotel (as uncertainty still ruled) we passed through a whole bunch of hotel options (surprisingly Mallorca has a big number of luxury hotel options available).

In the end we selected the new El Llorenç Parc de la Mar adults-only 5–stars boutique hotel in the centre of Palma de Mallorca, right next to the Parc de la Mar and overlooking the sea. It’s location was in a quiet but picturesque part of town and allowed us to walk around the city, mostly avoiding use of public transport or taxi’s.

The hotel only opened in 2020 so everything looks and smells nice and fresh. We had a very warm welcome at the check-in and we could head up to our junior suite on the 3th floor in no-time. As it is an inner city location the hotel consists of different buildings with not-matching floor levels. So make sure to pick the right elevator to head up to your room.

Our junior suite was located at the front of the building, just under the rooftop infinity pool. Overlooking the sea. We had two small balconies on which we could sit and relax.

The room itself was nicely decorated and spacious.

The bed was comfortable and slept well. Next to both sides there where sufficient plugs to charge all electronic devices and a control panel from where you could control all light options, the curtains and of course the air-conditioning.

Right behind the bed was the nicest gimmick of the room. two little dressings to store your clothes and bags out of sight with plenty of space for it all.

In the room there was also a comfortable sofa and a small desk under the TV. The TV was also equipped with a Chromecast, enabling us the cast the Eurovision Song Contest to the TV, always a nice touch in a modern hotel room. The only odd thing was that the TV automatically switched on about every five minutes, which was kind of annoying.

The minibar was very well stocked (but not included in the price) but there were only coffee making facilities yet nothing to make tea, which was our only negative remark we could make.

Upon arrival a welcome note and a pack of cookies was waiting on the bed and every night at turndown service we received two cans or bottles of water with another pack of cookies or cakes, a very nice touch.

The bathroom was also huge and well appointed, truly what they would call in French a ‘salle de bain‘, only our bathroom in InterContinental Ljubljana was equally impressive. There was a huge bath tub, a big walk-in rain shower and plenty of room to store all your stuff.

Towels where also more than plenty, there were very nice Le Labo toiletries (just like Fairmont hotels) and a big array of amenities including a comb and toothbrushes. Everything was there that had to be there, perfect.

While the bathroom could be given an open feel thanks to the use of windows to the room, there were also blinds that could be lowered to provide privacy. The use of windows instead of a fully open bathroom is clever, as this means you have a noise and smell barrier and a choice of how open you want your bathroom to be. The best of all worlds.

The first evening we had a dinner on the rooftop terrace which offers a basic snack menu, but everything is delicious. If you wish to enjoy a more elaborate meal you can dine downstairs at Dins, the main restaurant which we did a few nights later. We had also received a complimentary welcome drink here.

On the rooftop there is also an open-air infinity pool, unfortunately non-heated so still rather cold in May, and some very nice sun loungers with a breath-taking view of the sea.

If you wished to swim in a heated pool you could go to the basement spa-level where you had an indoor heated pool, a jacuzzi, a sauna and a steamroom. There where some loungers to relax, two changing rooms both male and female and of course for Timothy a well equipped gym. The entire spa was decorated in a Moorish style which was very pleasant, we gladly spent a few hours every day here.

In the morning breakfast was served in the main restaurant on the ground level. You where served a tray with some toast, charcuterie, cheeses, fruit and jams along with a daily changing pastry. Fresh orange juice and coffee or tea where served alongside. There was also a menu from which you could order some hot dishes like eggs benedict.

The last-morning we needed an early breakfast due to our early flight departure. The hotel arranged this without problem, we received a similar tray to each morning just without the options to order hot items.

All in all we had a wonderful stay and despite its small size the hotel has a lot to offer. It is a small, nice, modern and well-designed hotel with very friendly and caring staff. If you need a place to stay for a few days in Palma this is a perfect go-to address.