The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort

The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort is a large, polished resort built for travellers who want the sea close by and a substantial hotel around it. Four terracotta-coloured buildings hold 125 rooms and suites, with Majorcan art displayed throughout the property and Mediterranean views built into the setting. It is a good fit if your ideal evening involves a proper meal, a swim, a treatment or simply a quiet drink without having to leave the grounds.

The tone is more refined resort than barefoot dive base. Personal butler service, private terraces and a choice of restaurants give the place a distinctly formal edge, while family rooms, a kids' club and babysitting keep it practical for mixed-age groups. English is used on the hotel's website, alongside Chinese, so English-speaking guests are clearly part of the audience the resort is set up to attract.

You are in Portals Nous, Spain, on the south-western side of Mallorca, between the Tramuntana Mountains and the Mediterranean. The resort has direct access to a sandy beach, with sun loungers and parasols ready for the less ambitious part of the day. Ses Penyes Roges Beach is about 300 metres away, while Punta Negra Beach and Cap d'es Gegant Beach are roughly 400 metres away.

Son Caliu Beach is around 650 metres away on foot, with the route taking about seven minutes. That gives you several coastal options without turning a beach outing into an expedition. Palma is close enough for a proper change of scene: Palma Intermodal Station is about 8 miles away by road, and central sights such as La Lonja, the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and Plaza Mayor are roughly 5 to 6 miles from the resort.

Palma de Mallorca Airport is about 11 miles away by road. Around the resort, you have restaurants and bars within walking distance, including Pizzeria Extremadura and Bamboo Beach at roughly 0.4 miles, and Mood at about 0.5 miles.

The useful distinction here is not simply king bed or twin beds. It is whether you want a garden-level start to the morning, a sea view, or enough separation for a family trip. The Deluxe rooms suit two people and come with either a super-king bed or twin beds, while the sea-view versions give the Mediterranean a more prominent role in the room. For three guests, the junior suites offer more breathing space; the Family Suite adds a sofa bed and is the obvious choice when sleeping arrangements need to work rather than merely look tidy on a booking page.

If you are travelling as a couple and want the room itself to be part of the stay, the seafront-view junior suites and the one-bedroom suite with private pool are the more distinctive options. Garden-access rooms are better suited to anyone who values an easy step outside over a wide horizon. The resort's rooms and suites all have large private terraces, so you have somewhere to sit with a coffee, dry off in the sun or watch the light change without immediately joining the pool crowd.

Air conditioning, soundproofing, a minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities and a seating area cover the practical business of recovering from a long day. Bathrooms include a bath or shower, bathrobes, slippers and toiletries. Daily housekeeping, room service around the clock and luggage storage make the rhythm of early starts and late returns less awkward. There is also free WiFi throughout the hotel, because even a decent terrace does not improve a forgotten flight confirmation.

Three restaurants give you rather more choice than the usual resort buffet routine. Es Fum handles Mediterranean cuisine at Michelin-starred level, with both lunch and dinner on its menu. Terra Restaurant takes a Farm to Table approach, working with the island's culinary heritage and local produce. Mar Sea Club sits by the sea, pairing lunch and dinner with the sort of coastal setting that makes a second drink dangerously easy to justify.

Breakfast is a buffet served from 7:00 to 11:00, and breakfast in your room is available if you would rather not discuss the morning with anyone before coffee. The resort also has a snack bar, a minibar and a bar service. The St. Regis Bar is designed as a modern lobby art bar, giving you somewhere more composed for a drink when dinner is not yet calling.

There is no fixed board formula attached to the stay in the information provided. Room service runs 24 hours, which matters when your appetite arrives at an unfashionable hour or you return from an evening out too tired to make a ceremony of eating.

The resort gives you several ways to spend a non-diving day without forcing you into a timetable. There is an indoor pool and an outdoor swimming pool, with canopy beds beside the latter, plus sun loungers and pool or beach towels. The direct sandy beach adds the simplest option of all: find a lounger, face the water and make no further plans.

The spa includes massage, facial treatments, a hammam and a sauna, with a relaxation lounge for the part where you are expected to stop checking the time. A fitness centre, fitness classes, a personal trainer, yoga and a solarium cover the more active or heat-seeking approach to the afternoon. Massage, body treatments, manicures and pedicures are also available when your shoulders have had enough of carrying your kit.

For something outside the resort's wellness bubble, there is kayak hire, bicycle rental and a seafront golf course. Families have a kids' club, babysitting, a children's menu, indoor and outdoor play areas, a games room and a playground. That is useful if one member of the party wants a spa afternoon while another has been outvoted by younger people.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out runs until 12:00, giving you a reasonably civilised departure morning. The front desk is open around the clock, with concierge service, private or express check-in and check-out, currency exchange, a tour desk, luggage storage and car hire arrangements. Airport transfers are available through the hotel, in a private or shared form, and should be arranged with the resort.

Parking is available on site, including an electric vehicle charging station. WiFi is free throughout the hotel. Laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services are available, while a safe, a business centre and meeting facilities add the sort of practical support that matters more on a longer stay than it does in a glossy photograph.

Children of any age are welcome. Cots can be requested for children aged up to two, subject to the selected accommodation and availability, while extra beds are not available. Pets are allowed. The resort accepts cash, Visa and Mastercard.