Villa Cala Mandia

We don’t usually return to the same hotel, but this one won us over. We’re coming back for our third year in a row at the end of April. David in guest relations was lovely and so helpful with any questions or advice. He made our stay unforgettable again. It’s ideal for families, with slides, a great children’s pool where adults can lounge nearby, a playground, a miniclub with amazing staff, sports grounds with a football academy and proper training that my son loved, and bikes. We stayed in a garden room in zone C, where the kids could play in the garden while we got ready. The hotel is close to several lovely beaches and there are nice walks in the area. Even on rainy days, there’s plenty to do: a great spa with a heated indoor pool for an extra cost, a huge indoor playground for toddlers, an indoor splash area, and Drach s Caves right next door. There’s a broad food selection, themed restaurants for a special evening, and plenty of included drinks, including alcohol and cocktails.

The biggest annoyance for us was the sunbeds. Guests put towels on them early and then disappeared for hours, leaving around 90% unavailable to people who were actually at the pool. The hotel should have clearer rules, perhaps removing unattended towels after one hour. We stayed 10 days, and the resort was very clean and well maintained, with lovely landscaping that made it pleasant to relax outside day or night. Staff across housekeeping, the restaurant and entertainment were consistently friendly, professional and positive. The Insi Club team took great care of the children each day. They were kind, responsible and multilingual, and the kids enjoyed a wide range of activities. There were two hygiene-related pool closures in Area A. One followed a guest having diarrhea in the pool, and another came two days later after someone vomited in the water. Both times the pool was shut immediately, thoroughly cleaned, and reopened once safe. The gym air conditioning also stopped working at one point; after we reported it, it was fixed by the next day. The gym is adequate for keeping active, with free weights, three cable machines and several cardio machines. It’s not a full fitness centre, but enough for a holiday workout.

The room cleaning was the one real disappointment during our five days. There was sand on the floor throughout our stay, and the bathroom wasn’t properly cleaned either. Towels were sometimes taken without enough replacements, so we had to ask. The bed cover was often removed and left in a heap in the corner. Apart from that, we had a very good stay. The hotel is beautiful and in an excellent spot with direct access to a superb beach. Food had lots of choice and was very good, and the restaurant service was outstanding. Jesús was especially attentive, professional and always smiling. It’s also set up so well for children, especially younger ones. There are pools at different depths, water games, small slides, activities and even an indoor playground. A big plus for families.

The adults-only section was a nice quiet spot away from the lively entertainment team. Food options were good throughout the day, and the hotel was very clean, with housekeeping on top of things every day. Some parts could do with modernising, but we had an excellent stay at Insotel Cala Mendia.