Grupotel Rocador

Breakfast was nice, and the staff were really friendly and helpful. The hotel has a good outdoor pool and is close to the beach. Our room was neither new nor especially old, but there was some limescale in the bathroom and an odd smell that went away when we switched on the ventilation. The hotel had centrally turned off the air conditioning on our first day, but they fixed it the following day.

The location is excellent, right by the shops and main bar areas, with steps leading straight down to the beach. Pool towels are supplied and can be taken to the beach. Rooms are very good, and the hotel looks fairly modern, clean, and tidy. Service was very good too. The main letdown was dinner. Breakfast and snacks at the pool bar were decent, but the evening meal was poor. You might prefer booking bed and breakfast, or even going self-catering.

Staff were very friendly and the food was lovely. The Rocador is right on a sandy beach in the middle of Cala d'Or, with plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants just a short walk away. We visited in October and would have rated the hotel five stars except for one major issue. The hotel had turned off the air conditioning because it was considered out of season, and the room was 32°C. They had no fan available. We tried opening the balcony door, but the area was lively and noisy, and smoking was allowed on balconies, so cigarette smoke kept drifting in and was very unpleasant.

The location worked well for us, with direct beach access and plenty of sunbeds around the grounds and pool. The rooms were pleasant and cleaned every day, and the front desk was helpful whenever we needed anything. One frustrating thing was people saving the popular poolside loungers with towels, then showing up hours later. Staff seemed reluctant to enforce the rule, and it was upsetting to see older guests or people with mobility issues miss out on the easier beds. I even saw a couple of arguments when someone moved towels left on loungers. We also enjoyed the varied programme, from pilates, yoga and aqua sports during the day to quizzes and live music at night. The food was really good. I’m not usually a buffet fan, but there was a lot of choice, small dishes were replenished with fresh food, and the options changed each evening. Breakfast included gluten- and lactose-free choices. The staff were exceptionally kind to my sister, my mum and me, and we had a lovely holiday.