After meeting my partner in 2021, I’ve made it my mission to show him the world, he had never been abroad prior to our relationship so I wanted to show him the joys of holidays, whether that be city breaks or summer holidays perfect for picking up a tan. I was looking for a little getaway for us to use up my annual leave and see some sunshine, and I ended up booking one of TUI’s Deal of The Week holidays! Jetting off to the newly refurbished Hotel Cala Bona, in Majorca. It was the perfect bargain getaway!
Getting There
As a bargain lover, this holiday was departing from East-Midlands airport, it’s not a local airport to me but that was no issue, I had booked an airport hotel for us the night before so we didn’t have to drive in the early hours of the morning before our flight. East-Midlands airport was completely hassle-free; straight through check-in security and we were able to enjoy a lovely airport breakfast at the Frankie and Benny’s at the terminal.
The flight to Majorca was a breeze, our last holiday with TUI entailed a 9-hour flight to Mexico, so a short flight to Majorca was much easier! I enjoyed a lovely iced coffee on board and enjoyed a show I had downloaded onto my phone while my partner decided to catch up on the sleep he missed out on earlier as we departed at the bright and early time of 6:25am.
After arriving mid-morning on the beautiful Balearic island of Majorca, a TUI rep guided us to our bus bay where there were around 10 coaches ready to take all the passengers to their hotels, we were one of the first groups on the coach, with our whole coach dedicated to the Hotel Cala Bona we wouldn’t need to make any other stops on our transfer journey. Our hotel was on the East side of Majorca so having a transfer included in our holiday was really helpful – private transfers can be pricey!
The Hotel
Getting to the hotel didn’t take too long and our bus dropped us right outside the hotel. We walked up to the hotel and headed into reception to check in, to my surprise they had two little check-in lanes at reception, one for new customers and one for returning customers. I was so surprised to see so many returning customers – always a good sign! The TUI rep announced we were the second set of customers to arrive to experience the new refurbishment, which made me super excited to see our room and other amenities!
This hotel is pretty unique, it’s been family-owned for 100 years – yes 100! And it’s split up into blocks around the area of Cala Bona, with 5 different blocks available to stay in, some have views directly over the marina or pool! Imagine small apartment blocks all dotted around a small marina, you feel really connected to everything.
The Room
After checking in we made our way to our room for the week, we were in the main block of the hotel which had the reception, buffet area and pool. I had forgotten how much I’d missed the marble floors of Spanish hotels, as we wheeled our suitcases across the floor we got to the lift and made our way to the second floor. There weren’t many rooms on this floor but they were certainly lovely!
Prior to our stay, I made a special request for our holiday – this is completely free with TUI – and I requested a pool view as part of our holiday; it’s not always guaranteed but it’s always worth a shot! As part of the deal I had booked, we had a superior room, which included all the essential amenities such as a safe, fridge, hairdryer etc. And just as I had requested, we ended up with a beautiful pool view room! We were only one of 9 rooms to have this stunning view so I was really pleased, a perfect surprise to kickstart the holiday.
Food & Drink
For our holiday we actually went half board! I don’t often go on this board basis but the deal was too good to miss, and I knew we’d make the most of local bars and restaurants to fill the gap between Half Board and our usual All Inclusive holidays.
The hotel wasn’t overly large so it only boasted one buffet restaurant, which was fortunately only one floor away from our room, making breakfast time really easy in the morning as we only had to take a few steps to get our first coffee hit in the morning! Breakfast had all the options available, from continental options of fruit, cheese and cold deli meats to buffet servings of your full English favourites, from hashbrowns to freshly made pancakes with all the toppings we were really spoilt for choice! It was like a home away from home with recognised brands available in the buffet such as Nutella, Nesquik and Hellmans.
Prior to each evening meal the menu was released first thing in the morning, so you could get a feel of what would be available later on – we found this super helpful in helping us to decide which evenings we’d skip the evening buffet and head to a local restaurant. Each evening meal had a similar setup to the breakfast buffet, but in this instance your drink order would be taken so you could pick a bottle of wine or choose a soft drink to accompany your feast, where in the morning drinks such as coffee and juice would be self-serve. There’s also show cooking available in the evenings, with freshly cooked meats or food stations being available at varied points throughout the week. on Sundays ,you could enjoy a mean roast dinner with all the trimmings – yes even yorkshire puddings! We also enjoyed the fresh burger station they set up one evening with all the toppings for your freshly cooked burger. There was always something new to try each evening alongside your staples. My top tip would be to head to the restaurant just after opening, we like to eat our tea early in the evening but food would always be better fresh off opening as you had everything to pick from!
We enjoyed going out for some meals too in the local area, there were so many restaurants we were genuinely spoilt for choice. It was nice to change things up and try somewhere new every so often in the trip, and everywhere we went was fab, with amazing service and good food!
Pool & Bars
The pool area on site had recently been refurbished, bringing the pool up to a higher level to accommodate a new spa area underneath – which was unfortunately not complete by the time we arrived. There were plenty of sunbeds and parasols to go around and with my fair skin I was relieved, as I often need shade on holiday no matter the amount of SPF! Access to the pool was granted using your pool room card so only those staying at the hotel would have access, and we were pleased to know that there were no sunbed reservations!
The pool bar onsite was well equipped for both food and drinks, you could even treat yourself to an ice cream – I must admit the tiramisu ice cream was amazing! Cocktails were the popular order of choice at the bar, and you could order them to your sun lounger so you wouldn’t have to wait at the bar. Lunchtimes had your usual favourites with the odd special here and there, we enjoyed a toastie and burger one lunch and it was really nice! All freshly made up per order.
The main bar which hosted the evening entertainment was in a separate block to the main reception but it overlooked the beautiful Cala Bona Marina, in warmer months the seating next to the Marina is catered to by the hotel and local bars and restaurants if you’d prefer to sit in the sun and watch the world go by! This bar had the same drinks menu as the pool bar so you could opt for a cocktail or a pint of beer, while the live music kicked in. The staff on site were absolute sweethearts when it came to making your drinks, providing a little fork to have your fruit from your sangria or creating new cocktails for you to try! Claire and Davide whipped up a mean chocolate milkshake with lashings of Baileys!
Entertainment
Each night at the hotel hosted a different live music act, ranging from George Michael tributes to Andrea Bocelli-esque performances – if that’s up your street! There wasn’t any child-friendly entertainment or mini-disco as this catered to the predominantly older audience at the hotel – however, children are still welcome here! The entertainment at the hotel was situated in the hotel bar, which also has outside seating and awnings for those looking for a bit more cover. I was surprised how busy the bar area got for entertainment, so if you’re looking for a good seat make sure to get there early! In peak season you’ll also be able to enjoy water-sports at the hotel, with aqua aerobics taking place each morning with the onsite lifeguard.
Local Areas
Personally, the local areas of Cala Bona and Cala Millor were definitely a highlight of our holiday. We really wanted a holiday where we could just ‘go for a wander’ and we got exactly that! The hotel was in the perfect location where you could step out onto the marina and there were a dozen bars and restaurants to enjoy alongside local shops and supermarkets – perfect for picking up a snack or two.
Each night we enjoyed a walk either towards the larger town of Cala Millor, or further north to where there was a local Italian restaurant, overlooking the coastline, it had the perfect vibe for a peaceful date night! We tried to go there a couple times over our week away but due to it being low season it was closed outside of the weekends – the only downside to our trip. I enjoyed a mojito – or two, while my other half enjoyed an ice-cold pint; perfectly paired with a homemade pizza.
Cala Millor is a classic Spanish hotspot with the occasional big brand names such as Burger King or Ale-Hop (Flying Tiger but better!) dotted around with a heavy prominence of local bars and restaurants perfect for people watching.
Both towns are connected by pathways and cycle paths, so if you’re big into cycling, you can hire a bike to traverse the areas much quicker. There’s around a 2 mile straight of coastline to wander (or cycle) so you’ll easily find places to stop for a bite to eat or shop for souvenirs – can’t say no to an anklet! It’s lovely to watch the world go by at the beach, I could’ve easily done this all day.
Majorca On Your Mind?
If you’d love to get away to Majorca on a more affordable getaway, then you have to head to Hotel Cala Bona! But if you want to take a look at all of our best Majorca deals then head here – you’ll definitely find a holiday you love.
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