TUI BLUE Grupotel Mallorca Mar

There comes a first time for everything and on this occasion we had decided to take the bull by the horns and venture abroad for our great grand-daughter’s first overseas trip. She was aged just 16 months and so we had to accustom ourselves to the rather different arrangements when taking babies flying. Pushchairs, luggage allowance and so on. However, booking for the first time with LateDeals, we availed ourselves of a small discount from the equivalent TUI booking – same firm, but there we are. Any pre-holiday qualms were dealt with efficiently over the phone, with minimal waiting and real people to talk to. Come the day and after an early morning pick-up by family to Doncaster, we soon found ourselves on the plane with great grand-daughter (GGD hereafter) fast asleep for most of the flight. Arrival completed efficiently and following 1.5 hours of awake-baby mode on the transfer bus we found ourselves at the Mallorca Mar. Here we were greeted by the efficient staff and upgraded to an apartment. Most useful, particularly later... Grabbing an adjacent luggage trolley we soon found ourselves in our block (No.9), shared with the Taverna downstairs and Baby Club and upstairs by a good lift to our home for the week. A good clean apartment, with all the kitchen mod-cons you can need. A full size table plus four chairs, comfy sofa, flat screen TV with a confusing array of channels (start at 30 for Brit TV), separate sliding door to the good sized balcony and (oh joy) full size cot (on wheels). Our separate bedroom (without a door) was well appointed with good-sized wardrobe and plenty of hangers. No charge for the easy-to-operate digital safe. Another flat screen telly adorned the wall and another sliding door led to the balcony. All good, clean and functional. Next, to examine the bathroom. This, too was very acceptable, comprising bath/shower, washbasin and toilet with a good flush. Always a plus point... Our only niggle with the accommodation was the sharp edges on the work-surfaces/desks in both rooms. These were at just the right height for GGD to bang her head on, and being a 90° angle, occasioned her some discomfort. This she did at regular intervals until we guarded the offending bit with a strategically positioned chair. Bearing in mind this is a TUI “Family Life” hotel, I would have thought that rounded edges would be the order of the day. Still, no harm done. Down to the “Taverna” which has beverages and snacks from around 1130 onwards. This overlooks the mini-waterpark and is handily over the artificial hedge from the Baby Club. Handy for a reason, which I shall disclose later... Beer is OK, none of that diabolical Amstel stuff. No this is variously entitled “Estrella Damm” – which it wasn’t and “Estrella Dorada” which it probably was. Chips and hotdogs consumed we ventured further. The path to the restaurant and reception winds past a circular pool, a sandpit and a bigger pool all of which were in full use. Opposite the bigger pool is an area for yoga, and a hut where the first-aiders dwell. Coming towards the restaurant, if you turn right you cross a small road to the rest of the site (also known as the “Esperanza”). Here can be found a cavernous and echoing hall, where the evening entertainment cacophonously takes place. Some good shows here in the evening, with ABBA tribute and Flamenco (which GGD loved). A large hall, which was invariably full and with a goodly queue for the bar. However, you could stock up with drinks to avoid subsequent visits and so it worked well. Outside, with a sea-view there is a terrace and bar and this in turn overlooks another pool. The hotel is well-served with many and various areas for entertainment, relaxation or simply enjoying the AI offering! Come dinner time, GGD led the way to the restaurant, where there is a plenitude of highchairs for the use of our little one and many covers. There are two drinks stations, by the exit and well over the other side by the “kids’ selection”. It is worthy of note that there is plenty of water available to fill baby cups and bottles with. It’s the other tap on the beer dispense! Food wise, there is a good selection, but nothing really stirred me. Most of the time I seemed to live on the ubiquitous grilled turkey. However, I am sure that some of the dishes were really nice. Definite shortage of potato in any other form but chips. As for GGD, she got by, with much coaxing. Unless paella, or fidula were on the menu, which she wolfed down – along with broccoli. Of course there were always chips and ice-cream. If I have any reservations about the Mallorca Mar, it was the food. Just not really to my taste. Breakfast, on the other hand, was fine – with a plenitude of eggs and ancillaries. Oh, and toast for GGD. Overall the hotel was very good, in particular for children. It is well situated, just a stroll away from Cala Bona/Millor. There are plenty of frequent bus services and the fares are very reasonable. Our carefully plotted plans went awry on the morning of our 4th day. Loved one awoke poorly and so I had to call the doctor. This gentleman, in exchange for €120, diagnosed gastro-enteritis and shipped her off to hospital. The wrong diagnosis, as it happened. A proper doctor at the hospital spotted that she had vertigo. Either way she was incarcerated in hospital in Porto Cristo and I had a baby to look after. There is a first time for everything! I learned very quickly the various arts of nappy-changing and clothing in the various garments that manufacturers delight in furnishing with tiny buttons and poppers (that don’t). I also learned, for the first time, what it feels like to be a single parent. Whilst I erred very much on the side of caution, keeping GGD in her pram for longer than she would have liked, nevertheless I found everybody in the hotel to be extremely sympathetic and helpful. Including some of the guests, apart from the odd “vulture” who demonstrated considerable schadenfreude! The Baby Club mentioned before, over the “hedge” from the Taverna, happily took GGD in, after registration. She enjoyed her time there on the couple of occasions I took a break, emerging with a “Get Well” card for her Nana and a portfolio of artwork. Not to mention her own Baby Club tee shirt. Reception were above and beyond in contacting the hospital for me to speak to Loved One about her ailments TUI staff overall were really empathic and contributed to us, whilst not at our best, at least having a relatively good time. I would like to single out Sarah from the Baby Club, who along with TUI rep Willow spent so much time ensuring that our trip home – just GGD and me, whilst Loved One stayed in dock – went well. I was furnished with a code and told I would be met at the airport and given assistance. Sarah also took the trouble to come down to breakfast prior to our departure to look after GGD whilst I fetched the suitcases and waited with us for the transfer coach into which she loaded us with great care. It wasn’t their fault that no assistance whatsoever was forthcoming at the airport. I was not met and the only TUI person I spoke to was surly and rude. Enough of that, enough. This is about the Mallorca Mar. A really good place to take children. TUI “Family Life” lives up to its name. My only quibble was the food – but we were both a little stressed at the time! Unfortunately, due to the situation, I left some things in our room. A bucket and spade; a kid’s eating bowl with cover and spoon; tea and coffee; a camera charging cable. Upon my return to Majorca to pick up Loved One a couple of days later we returned to the Mallorca Mar to enquire as to whether anything had been “found” in room 9124. The answer was "nothing". OK, these were only minor items, but I am sure they must have been picked up by someone and, no doubt, just mislaid.

We stayed here for 10 nights and booked all inclusive. The food was great, they had a variety of different things to choose from, my favourite was the dinner buffet because every night there was a table with lots of things from different places as well as 4 big long tables of the normal food! The room was amazing, we got a room with twin beds and a kitchen, living room bathroom with a toliet and a bath/shower and a balcony! The only problem was a few ants. The entertainment was ok, but some nights I went for a walk through cala bona which was lovely. I would highly recommend coming here.