Gavimar Cala Gran Costa Del Sur Hotel And Resort

“Budget-friendly beach hotel with great location and mixed experience”

I recently stayed at this hotel and thought I’d share my experience in case it helps anyone planning a trip. First of all, the hotel is about an hour away from Palma airport. We paid around £80 for a taxi to get there. We did consider public transport since it would have been much cheaper, but it … more

I recently stayed at this hotel and thought I’d share my experience in case it helps anyone planning a trip. First of all, the hotel is about an hour away from Palma airport. We paid around £80 for a taxi to get there. We did consider public transport since it would have been much cheaper, but it wasn’t very reliable, buses were only coming about once an hour towards the hotel and it would have taken 2–3 different buses to reach it in 2 hours time. In the end, we were quite tired so we just went with the taxi. Check-in was very smooth. There is a tourist tax for both of us for the 3-night stay which was under £3, and we paid it at reception. The staff at reception were all really nice and helpful. One thing we thought was really clever was that the key card was attached to an all-inclusive wristband, which was super practical, we were really impressed by this as it meant no more forgetting keys. They also gave a separate key for the electricity switch in the room. The hotel itself is very large and well maintained, with rooms spread across a big area. We were given a room a bit further away from the main area, which we had requested, so it was a bit of a walk from reception. There is only one lift, and it’s quite small, two people with one large suitcase can fit, but that’s about it. It’s also used quite often by housekeeping and maintenance staff, so it isn’t always available. Our superior room was fairly basic, but we got a very cheap deal through Love Holidays so we weren’t expecting luxury. It had a good amount of space, a massive bed, and a nice balcony. It was quite hot during our stay, but we found out the air conditioning only works in “winter” and only provides hot air, which was a bit disappointing. We requested a fan but never received one, though we didn’t push it further. We also asked for an iron, and found out there are only two irons for the whole hotel. We had to leave a €10 deposit, and the first one we got didn’t work, so we had to swap it. In the end, we managed to iron all our clothes and returned it. Housekeeping made the bed every day and changed towels daily, but they didn’t clean the floor or empty the bin, so those areas stayed quite dirty. Also, the room had a strong fish smell at times, likely because the restaurant serves fish daily and the smell travels through the corridors and into rooms quite strongly. Regarding food, we were on an all-inclusive package and overall I was satisfied considering the price. Breakfast had a good spread including eggs, sausages, chips, salads, juices, tea, and coffee. Lunch and dinner also had eggs, and a variety of fish every day, plus duck, chicken, and pork. There were also basic breads and desserts. The restaurant staff were quite attentive, so no complaints there. We only tried one drink from the bar, which was meant to be a tequila sunrise, but it was basically sugar water with no tequila, so we didn’t really bother with bar drinks after that. During meals we mainly stuck to coffee and soft drinks. At the bar, you also have to pay a €1 deposit per plastic cup for alcoholic drinks, which you get back when you return it. The hotel also provides entertainment such as circus night, karaoke night, and other activities, which was a nice touch. The staff running these were very friendly. Location-wise, the hotel is excellent. It is literally 5 minutes or less from Cala Gran beach, with a direct pathway from the hotel. The beach is beautiful, though the water was still quite cold during our stay so we couldn’t really swim. The sun on the shore was strong though, so it was great for sunbathing. There are also other beaches within 20- 40 minutes’ walk, including cave beaches which are really stunning. The hotel does offer beach towels, but charges €7 per towel plus a €10 deposit, which we thought was quite excessive. We ended up buying a large beach towel from a market for €9 instead and used that. The surrounding area is also very good, there are lots of restaurants, bars, cafes, souvenir shops, and places to eat all within a 5-minute walk. It has a bit of a lively strip vibe (similar to Ayia Napa), not really club-heavy, but lots of pubs, shisha places, and different food options, plus some very nice Instagram-worthy spots. We really enjoyed walking around in the evenings. On our last night, we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant called “The Soy,” which was really good, especially because we were craving something with more salt and flavour after the hotel food. Overall, I would recommend this hotel if you’re looking for a budget-friendly stay close to the beach with plenty of nearby restaurants and a simple, relaxed holiday experience.

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“It's ok , not great.”

On first impressions it's not good , you get off the transfer bus go to the bar to get a drink and you can't even get a coffee cup or a plastic mug without paying a euro deposit. Yes you get it back , but without your euro deposit NO drink . You wasn't even allowed to charge the euro debit to your … more

On first impressions it's not good , you get off the transfer bus go to the bar to get a drink and you can't even get a coffee cup or a plastic mug without paying a euro deposit. Yes you get it back , but without your euro deposit NO drink . You wasn't even allowed to charge the euro debit to your room . There was no debate NO EURO no drink , This pissed me off for the entire holiday. The food is pretty good if a little repetitive, the staff are lovely and the hotel is really nice and very clean it's also got a beautiful beach across the road , and it's two minutes walk to the town centre. And a ten minute stroll to the harbour which is surrounded by good bars and restaurants. Now the bad bits ,The thing that lets this hotel down is you have you pay for everything. It's an all inclusive hotel but you must pay 4 Euro a night for your safe , you must pay a deposit for a coffee cup , for a plastic drinking cup , for a plastic plate so you can eat from the snack bar . ( You will get your euro back when you finally hand back your cup ) But it's a very annoying system) Not one person I spoke to had working air conditioning. Also if you want more towels they charge you !!! If you want a CLEAN TOWEL they charge you. It is a nice hotel but I would not come back....

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“Good location would stay here again”

After reading negative reviews we were a little apprehensive about our booking but we were both pleasantly surprised on arrival. We found the staff helpful and friendly. There is plenty of choice at mealtimes and fresh food is constantly being brought out. We didn't mind paying 1 euro each for our … more

After reading negative reviews we were a little apprehensive about our booking but we were both pleasantly surprised on arrival. We found the staff helpful and friendly. There is plenty of choice at mealtimes and fresh food is constantly being brought out. We didn't mind paying 1 euro each for our plastic cups for drinks as you could take them back to the bar at any point and either exchange them for new ones or just get your money back and same thing for plates at the snack bars so we just had some coins with ready when using the bar or snack bar. Our room was good a ground floor with walk in shower and the wristband for all inclusive opens your room door which was a good idea. The location is fantastic there is an under pass to walk to the beach directly from the hotel we would stay here again

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“The good and the mediocre...”

Ok, so a really honest review of this hotel. I was travelling solo and for this reason went all inclusive for an easy life. The hotel itself is lovely - no complaints, my room was very clean, safe and quiet. Bear in mind, its low season at the moment. The staff were really helpful and lovely rig… more

Ok, so a really honest review of this hotel. I was travelling solo and for this reason went all inclusive for an easy life. The hotel itself is lovely - no complaints, my room was very clean, safe and quiet. Bear in mind, its low season at the moment. The staff were really helpful and lovely right the way through. The whole complex was clean and well maintained, absolutely 0 complaints about the hotel itself and the staff. Location is amazing, walking distance from everywhere and bus stop only a few minutes walk if you want to go to Palma or other places for day trips. Now...... the food. So its not great. In fact at times pretty grim but i guess it depends on your expectations'. I am a proper foodie and i admit a snob when it comes to good food. I like good quality and fresh. The food here is mass produced and a lot of fried/rehashed food and even the salad bar wasnt "fresh" - but i always found something to eat. Most evenings there were things like jacket potatoes, rice, fish etc. Always lots of lovely fresh bread and certainly not a shortage of food or options but if you are a foodie, you may struggle a little. It depends what you are looking for. If you love big plates of food you will be fine! I managed to eat fine every day but did treat myself a couple of times and right beside the hotel is the most amazing restaurant - CAS BRAU - honestly if you are a foodie you must go here. Amazing - had fresh sardines and the most amazing (big) tapas plates. Cannot recommend it enough for amazing food. So, overall i loved my stay but they need to address the food situation to get me (and others back). But thank you to all the staff for being so lovely and warm.

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