Hotel Riu Playa Park

The pool area was nice, the rooms were clean and comfortable, and the staff were friendly. Hotel Playa Park is also conveniently close to the beach and restaurants. The food was decent and had enough variety, though nothing special. Evenings could be a bit noisy, but that’s to be expected in this area. A solid value near the beach for a relaxed holiday in Palma.

We asked for a quiet room and didn’t get a sea or pool view, which was a bit sad, but there was no noise issue at all. The location is fine, though the area is quite busy. The service was brilliant, as we’ve come to expect from RIU hotels after staying at a few, and I can’t fault the food. One thing to know if you like an early swim before breakfast: the pool doesn’t open until 10.30, which feels very late on holiday and can be hard with children who are eager to swim.

A few things to know before booking: towels cost €10, even if you only use them inside the hotel, and alcoholic drinks are included only when you have them during lunch or dinner in the restaurant. Order them later and you’ll pay separately. The food leans heavily on pork and chicken, with few other choices, and the Wi-Fi is unstable throughout the property. Compared with other hotels in Palma de Mallorca, these terms felt a bit restrictive to me.

The beach is nice and close, which is a real plus, but the area turns into a party zone at night. In the morning, there are even people passed out on the beach from the night before. The hotel itself is very clean, the staff are super friendly, the rooms are comfortable, and the food is okay. I did think breakfast starting at 08:00 was a bit late. The street seems especially popular with German tourists and gets extremely noisy. On our first day, my mom and I were shocked by how busy it was. It felt like a party street, something like Lloret de Mar or Albufeira, with lots of young people, many drunk. At night some bring the noise right into the hotel, shouting in the hallways at 3:00 AM, for example. The hotel is nice, but in my opinion it’s in the wrong place if you want peace and quiet.