Looking for good Portals Nous hotels in Mallorca? The OD Port Portals was a good option for a quick girls getaway.
My love for Mallorca has been quite well documented on this blog (read here and here), and this time around, I visited the island for a special occasion: my good friend Lynsey was hosting her hen weekend in Puerto Portals, which may be just my favourite place in the area. In my previous visits (in a different life, pre blog), I have always stayed at the marina, but on a boat (which wasn’t bad. At all). Portals Nous Hotels are not very easy to find (on purpose), but the recent opening of OD Port Portals changed things quite a bit. Part of the Design Hotels family, it did not disappoint!
Pre-Arrival
– Was there any pre-arrival communication by the hotel with myself via email or social media?
Funnily enough, I got to know the hotel via Twitter, when on a previous visit to the island, they actually helped me find places to eat and shop. There was plenty of communication, let’s put it this way. My stay was organised months before.
– Did I try to engage the hotel via Twitter? Did the hotel interact with me and made me feel welcome/special?
Yes indeed and during my stay I asked for some things (i.e. where would the nearest spa be?) and got prompt responses.
– Has the hotel tried to gather any personal information (e.g. preferences) prior to my stay?
I never have any special requests, except that I needed separate beds on this occasion and the hotel team was really helpful – the hotel was full when I visited and I was very grateful.
Arrival
– The wow factor! What was the hotel decor style?
The hotel isn’t a looker from the outside (as it is a reconverted old apartment building turned in to one of the very few Portals Nous hotels), but as soon as we stepped out of our taxi, we were very pleased. We arrived after midnight and were delighted to see everything open and working and plenty of people around in the lounge and bar area.
– How quick and efficient was the hotel check-in?
We had an excellent check-in, which even came with a side of cava (Spanish sparkling wine).
– Did I get an upgrade from my confirmed pre-booked room type?
I had a deluxe room with balcony, which was the room type confirmed as the hotel was fully booked.
– Did I feel genuinely welcomed by the hotel staff?
Yes. We thought the staff were excellent – the level of English was outstanding (which is quite important, but also expected in most Mallorca and Portal Nous hotels) and everyone we saw throughout our stay was really nice and helpful.
– Luggage – how many people did I have to tip before the luggage made it safely to my room? This is cultural, I know.
The hotel doesn’t have a ‘porter’ so to speak, so we took our bags directly to the room.
– Wi-fi – was I told anything about it? Was there a charge?
Yes and it worked well, although I used my cell service most of the time.
Room Experience
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Cozy but lovely room.
– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor
Our room wasn’t huge, but it had everything we needed. It felt comfortable and warm and the decor was simple but nice.
– Welcome amenity
We had a bottle of cava, plenty of water and also a fruit platter.
– The bed
The bed was fine and the pillows were good.
– Closet/Wardrobe – proper hangers or those annoying ones where you need a PhD to get them out one by one? This is a personal pet peeve of mine. I can’t stand them.
There was a small (quite small) wardrobe, which we used, but would assumed it wouldn’t suit a 7-night stay with 2 people sharing the room.
– Iphone Charger/Dock
No, but we had plenty of plugs in the room.
– Bathrobes and slippers
Yes, but we did not use.
– Coffee and Tea
No – but surely we could have asked someone to bring it up. To be honest, I never use this service.
– Free bottled water
Yes and replenished every day.
– Magazine selection – had some nice surprises and doesn’t happen often enough!
Didn’t find anything and I wouldn’t have had any time.
– Power sockets in useful places – we have more and more devices and we know where we want them! By the bed, by the working area.
Indeed and in the bathroom too, which is more and more unusual.
Bathroom
– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor
In terms of design, it was great, but I must confess I am not a huge fan of open plan bathrooms. The loo and walk in shower you see on the photo above had a glass door to it, which made it easier for sharing a room, but I honestly do not find them practical.
– Bath, shower and taps – I am looking for Duravits and Hansgrohes (or other fab brands) around the world. How fab was the shower? And a little pet peeve.. was I able to operate the shower without asking Mr. O for help?
We had a walk in shower, with looked phenomenal but the water pressure was too low, in my opinion.
– Towels – yes, please! How many and how soft and lovely?
Not a problem – plenty and of good quality.
– Toiletries – own brand, super brand, baby ones or proper ones? I shall find out!
We had small own brand toiletries, which I found quite interesting. The shower gel was fine, but the shampoo/conditioner wasn’t stellar.
– Amenity kit – I don’t want more sewing kits thank you very much, but I will need a shower cap.
Everything we needed was there, and shower caps replaced daily.
– Hairdryer – is it a human one, or just something stuck to a wall that only makes noise?
Yes, but not very powerful, so to speak, which I found surprising being a new hotel.
Breakfast
Breakfast was excellent – with a small but very well thought out buffet, and made to order hot dishes, like eggs. I feasted on iberico ham and cheese and the excellent bread and super sweet orange juice. Service was also excellent.
General thoughts
– How good and reliable was the wi-fi?
We did not have a problem at all.
– Did the hotel interact with me via Twitter during my stay?
Yes indeed.
– Location
The location is a little bit interesting, as it is next to a busy road, which makes the pool very difficult to use. We were meeting our other friends at the marina, and it was a 5-7 minute walk, and we had no problems.
– Cost – rooms starting from…
From 125 Euros per night, including breakfast, which was very good value (and worth it). It is a 4-star hotel with good amenities.
– Would I recommend it to my best friend?
If she was going on the same type of trip I was, yes. Not for a week’s holiday.
– Would I stay again?
For a quick hop to Puerto Portals, it did the job nicely. There aren’t many other Portals Nous hotel options.
Have you visited this hotel? What were your thoughts? Do you have other Portals Nous hotel suggestions?
xo
Mrs. O
Disclaimer: I was a guest of OD Hotels during this stay, but hopefully you will see that this has not influenced my thoughts about the property. Click here to book.