Hipotels Playa de Palma Palace

Set in Playa de Palma, this is a five-star Hipotels resort built for a proper hotel stay rather than a small hideaway. Seven floors and 224 rooms give it a substantial feel, while the indoor and outdoor pools, spa and fitness facilities mean you can keep the evening simple when your legs have had enough for one day.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside Spanish and German. That matters when you are sorting out a transfer, asking about dinner or trying to explain that the minibar has lost a bottle of water again. The website is also available in French, although that does not by itself mean French is spoken at reception.

The hotel dates from 2017 and includes lifts, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi throughout, parking and an electric-vehicle charging station. It is a sensible choice if you want resort facilities, a balcony and a little more room to manoeuvre than a basic beach hotel.

The address is Avda. Fra Joan Llabrés, 20, in Playa de Palma, Palma de Majorca, Spain. The beach is close by, so you are not signing up for a shuttle-based seaside holiday. The hotel sits 7 miles from Palma city centre, putting the old town and the capital's wider choice of restaurants within reach when you want more than the resort routine.

Around the hotel are the Hipotels Convention Centre, Forestal park and La Porciuncula church. They give you a few nearby landmarks for an easy walk, while the hotel's tourist assistance service can help with excursions and tickets.

The setting also works for a stay built around more than lying by a pool. Car parking and a garage are available, vehicle hire can be arranged, and the address is close enough to the beach area to make local exploring straightforward rather than a logistical exercise.

Every listed room is arranged for two people, with a choice between a double bed and twin beds. That makes the decision fairly clean: take the double if you are travelling as a couple, or twins if separate sleeping arrangements are part of the peace treaty. Balconies run through the room categories, and the view is the real divider, with options looking over the pool or towards the sea.

The standard double rooms with the fuller equipment list are the practical workhorses. They combine air conditioning, heating, soundproofing, blackout blinds, a minibar, safe, desk, Wi-Fi and private bathroom. After a long day outdoors, blackout blinds and soundproofing are the useful details; the television is less likely to be the star of the evening.

If the view matters, sea-view rooms and suites put the balcony to better use. Junior suites and suites add a little more space to the evening routine, while the deluxe sea-view options suit anyone who would rather wake up to the coast than to a view of the pool. Rooms also include towels, toiletries, a hairdryer and wardrobe facilities across the listed categories, though equipment varies from one room type to another.

Food and drink are available without leaving the property: there is a restaurant, a bar and a snack bar, with breakfast among the hotel services. Room service is also available, which is handy when the sensible plan is a shower, something to eat and horizontal recovery rather than another outing.

What you do get is choice of format: a seated restaurant, a bar for the slower part of the evening and a snack option when a full meal feels like unnecessary administration.

Dinner comes with a dress rule worth knowing before you pack. Gentlemen aged 16 and over must wear long trousers, and flip-flops are not permitted during dinner service. In other words, keep one pair of proper trousers out of the suitcase rather than discovering the rule when you are already hungry.

The MySenses Spa is the main reason to stay put. It includes a hammam, ice shower, sauna, heated indoor pool, experience showers, relaxation area and massage rooms, with facials and massages among the treatments. The spa looks towards the outdoor pool, so the recovery programme comes with something to look at besides a locker key.

There are indoor and outdoor pools, plus a pool area and a sun terrace for the uncomplicated art of doing very little. The fitness room covers the more energetic option, while table tennis and billiards offer activity without requiring a full expedition. A garden and terrace add further places to sit when your room feels too small for the afternoon.

Golf is available as an activity, and the hotel also offers bicycle hire and hiking. For families, there is a games room, a children's pool and babysitting or childcare. If the day needs organising rather than entertaining, the tourist assistance service can help with excursions.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 18:00, and check-out is at 11:00. Reception is open around the clock, with a lift for the seven-floor building, luggage storage, concierge services and a wake-up service. Free Wi-Fi covers the hotel, while a cash machine, currency exchange and shops on site reduce the need for an immediate search of the neighbourhood.

Airport transfers and other transfer services are available through the hotel. Vehicle hire is also offered, and parking and a garage are available if you arrive by car. The hotel has facilities for wheelchair access, including an accessible restaurant, and the property is non-smoking, although designated smoking areas are listed among the general facilities.

Laundry and dry-cleaning services are available, with some of these services chargeable. Dinner may involve a gala arrangement at certain times, local taxes apply, and all-inclusive stays are subject to the local limit of three alcoholic drinks per day. The meal arrangement attached to your booking is therefore worth checking before arrival, rather than assuming that breakfast or dinner is automatically included.