Hotel Colonial

Sea air, tiled streets and the practical pleasure of having the coast close enough to reach without planning an expedition: Hotel Colonial is a three-star hotel in Colonia Sant Jordi, suited to divers who want a straightforward base with food, coffee and the beach within reach. It is family-friendly, though couples can also make good use of the location and the evening dining options.

The hotel opened in 1966 and combines comfortable accommodation with an easy-going holiday setup. You can settle in with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and a café that stays useful during the day, whether you need a soft drink, a cocktail or something small before deciding what to do with the evening.

You are in Colonia Sant Jordi, Spain, on the coast of Mallorca. Galiota cove is just 50 metres away, while the harbour of Colonia de Sant Jordi is about 200 metres from the hotel. Es Port Beach is roughly 0.2 miles away, and Es Dolç Beach is about 0.5 miles away. Playa Sa Bassa des Cabots is around 0.6 miles away, giving you several stretches of sand to investigate without committing to a full-day outing.

The setting also works for land-based days. Playa Es Dofí is about 0.8 miles away, and Platja de Can Curt around 0.9 miles. Ses Salines Lighthouse lies roughly 11 miles away by road, while the surrounding area offers walking trails and cycling routes. The hotel can help you look beyond the nearest beach, with a tour desk, bicycle hire and bicycle storage available.

Palma de Mallorca Airport is about 28 miles away by road. An airport shuttle and a separate shuttle service are available to arrange with the hotel, so you can organise the transfer before arrival rather than negotiating it while carrying luggage and wondering where the fins have gone.

For a couple, the Double Room is the sensible starting point: two single beds, air conditioning, a refrigerator, an electric kettle and a Nespresso coffee machine give you the basics for cooling down, making a drink and keeping something cold after a warm day outside. The Double Room with Terrace adds outdoor space with furniture, useful when you want to sit out rather than turn the bed into a temporary drying and packing station.

The Superior Double Room also uses two single beds and keeps the same compact format, so it suits two people travelling light rather than anyone expecting a generous amount of floor space. The Single Room is deliberately small and works best when your priority is a private room rather than room to spread out. All rooms have a private bathroom, shower, hairdryer, towels, toiletries, a wardrobe and a drying rack for clothing.

If you are travelling with family or a larger group, the Two-Bedroom Apartment sleeps up to four, while the Four-Bedroom Apartment sleeps up to eight and has five bathrooms. That is a very different proposition from the compact double rooms: more people, more separation and considerably less negotiation over who gets the bathroom first. Upper floors are accessible by stairs only, so factor that into your choice if luggage, knees or post-dive legs have strong opinions.

The main restaurant, Restaurante Hotel Colonial, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a fusion style built around island flavours and zero-kilometre products. The food has a distinctly Mallorcan-meets-international angle: Mallorcan baos, gourmet tapas and meats treated with flavours from around the world. It is the sort of menu that can handle a hungry return from the water without forcing you into the same plate every evening.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, and the hotel operates a half-board formula. The café adds daytime flexibility with snacks, soft drinks and cocktails, while the on-site ice-cream parlour offers more than 40 flavours. That last detail matters when you have spent the afternoon in the sun and salt: a proper meal can wait a few minutes, but ice cream rarely does.

Evenings can be more occasion-led, with themed dinners including Mallorcan nights, gala dinners, vegetarian meals and tapas nights. The hotel also has a bar and can provide special-diet menus on request. The restaurant, café and ice-cream parlour keep the food and drink options close, while several restaurants are also within a short walk, including Cassai Beach House and Restaurante Playa at about 200 feet.

When the sea is not on the schedule, the coast does most of the work. You can walk to nearby beaches, follow local routes or hire a bicycle from the hotel; if you bring your own, storage is available. Colonia Sant Jordi is well suited to low-effort exploring, with coves, beaches and harbour scenery rather than a requirement to fill every hour with organised entertainment.

For a slower afternoon, yoga classes, sun umbrellas and outdoor seating offer ways to pause without turning relaxation into a competitive sport. The shared lounge and TV area are there for an uncomplicated evening, with live sports broadcasts available when the timing works. Board games and puzzles add a simple option for families, and the tour desk can help shape a day beyond the immediate shoreline.

The wider area gives you a few worthwhile targets. Ses Salines Lighthouse is around 11 miles from the hotel by road, and historic sites such as Ermita de Sant Blai and Santuari de la Consolació are within driving distance. You can also hire a car, keeping the more distant beaches and villages within reach when walking has done enough for one day.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 23:00, and you need to tell the hotel your expected arrival time. Check-out is from 08:30 to 11:00. Luggage storage, concierge service, a tour desk and private or express check-in and check-out are available, which is useful when your travel day does not fit neatly around room access.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Rooms have air conditioning, heating, a refrigerator, kettle, Nespresso coffee machine, satellite television and a desk, while daily housekeeping is provided. Laundry is available, and packed lunches can be arranged for a day away from the hotel. An airport shuttle can be booked with the hotel, and car hire is also available.

Children of any age are welcome. Children aged three and over are charged as adults, and cots can be requested for children aged up to two. Pets are not allowed, and parties or events are not permitted. Cash is an accepted payment method. The upper floors are reached by stairs only, so choose your room with that practical detail in mind.

The hotel has a photovoltaic installation connected to the grid, with a capacity of 32.04 kWp. It was supported through the Balearic Islands' Energy Transition Investment Plan and the Next Generation EU funds.

The installation uses solar energy for self-consumption and reduces energy consumption by 25%. It is a concrete measure rather than a vague green label, and it sits quietly in the background while you get on with the important business of finding the next beach.