There are tourists who, during their travels, stay only in chain hotels. High standard of service, proven comfort - and no unpleasant surprises. In addition, avid fans of chain hotels, as a rule, have bonuses for regular customers in the form of discounts or one free night. Lineups such as Hilton, Melia and Hayat have their own hotels in all the key resorts in the world. Sometimes their representation is not limited to one hotel. In some resorts there may be two Hiltons or Sofitels at once. After all, hoteliers are trying to please both budget and picky customers.
This picture is also observed on the famous beach of De Muro, which is located near the city of Alcudia, on the island of Mallorca. There is a four-star hotel Iberostar Playa de Muro and a luxury hotel with almost the same name. Only one word is added to her name - "Village". In this article we will look at both hotels. It makes no sense to compare them. One has four stars, the other five. Accordingly, the prices are more attractive in the first hotel: from ninety-two US dollars per person per night - against one hundred twenty-three in the second. But in both cases tourists are very satisfied, and the reviews about both hotels are extremely positive. After all, this is sunny Mallorca, and legends are made up about rest here. Therefore, the level of service here does not correspond to low prices.
The location of both hotels - what are the advantages of each of them
The Iberostar chain owns more than one hundred resort hotels in sixteen countries of the world. And two of them - Iberostar Playa de Muro Village and just “Playa de Muro” - are located on one of the best beaches on the island of Mallorca (Balearic archipelago, Spain). You can evaluate the difference between the hotels on the spot. After all, they are located next to each other. Closer to the town of Alcudia and a little north is the Quartet. The five-star "Village" is located a couple of tens of meters south. Both hotels are on the first line of the beach. At the same time, you can evaluate the conditions in another hotel of the Iberostar line - Alcudia Park. It is located on the second line and closer to Alcudia, in fact, in its southern suburbs. From Palma de Mallorca airport to hotels you have to get no longer than an hour. Ancient Alcudia is located on the cape. To the south of the city, immediately behind the Hydropark, begins the spacious beach of De Muro, stretching for several kilometers. It is completely built up with hotels. So we can talk about the resort "Playa de Muro" with all the relying infrastructure (restaurants, shops, entertainment). Both of the hotels we describe are surrounded by Mediterranean pine trees. Nearby lies the natural park "Albufera". In a quarter of an hour you can walk to the Estany Gran Lake.
Buildings and territory of the hotel Iberostar Playa de Muro 4 * (Mallorca, Spain)
Let’s now take a look at both hotels in turn. The first one we have is the Quartet. Its two four-story buildings rise among pine trees, and you can reach the sea in a minute on the white sand. The hotel has five swimming pools with a jacuzzi surrounded by solarium terraces. All hotel reviews indicate that this place is specific. Ideal conditions for cyclists are created here. A repair shop works for them, there is a huge parking for two-wheeled iron horses. The lanes at the Iberostar Playa de Muro are divided into lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. And when Mallorca hosts annual international competitions in this sport, the hotel is crowded.
The hotel administration pays a lot of attention to ensure that guests can keep themselves in good shape and proper physical condition. There is a fitness room where the main are exercise bikes. But this hotel is also loved by other categories of tourists. For example, families with children. A mini-disco is organized for the kids, there is a pool and a playground. The hotel buildings are built in such a way that from as many rooms as possible a view of the sea. The top three floors have balconies. The hulls underwent a complete reconstruction in two thousand and ten.
Rooms at the Iberostar Playa de Muro
The guest rooms in the four-star hotel are decorated in a modern, laconic European style. The rooms are divided into categories: double (on the ground floor, with views of the pool, side or direct sea, priority accommodation), family, junior suite and two-room suite. According to reviews, even in the cheapest room for guests there is everything that is supposed for the "four" Iberostar. These twenty-square-meter rooms are equipped with a safe, air conditioning, a minibar, satellite TV and a hairdryer in the bathroom. Ground floor rooms have a terrace, all the rest have balconies. The family rooms at Iberostar Playa de Muro consist of a bedroom, a living room with two sofas, and a small kitchen with a microwave. Junior Suite has a larger area and comfort. It is spacious and cozy at the same time. This bathroom has a jacuzzi in the bathroom. All reviews praise fast Wi-Fi, which is included in the price of the stay and is available in any room, no matter how far from the reception. Tourists also note a thorough cleaning of the guest rooms.
Dining at Iberostar Playa de Muro
Since this hotel is specific - both amateur cyclists and real aces in this sport like to stay in it, guests are invited to choose the number and type of meals themselves. Accommodation clearly includes breakfast. But they are different. If you choose the type of food “Bed and Breakfast”, then you will get access to the hall of the restaurant “Tramontana”, which serves the so-called continental breakfast.
The paid Half Board system opens the doors to the hall where you will be poured freshly brewed natural coffee, real juices, and patted with hot dishes. In the evening, guests will enjoy a buffet dinner. Drinks are not included in this meal and are purchased for a fee. But the tables serve dishes of world and local cuisine, prepared by the best chefs of the restaurant of the Iberostar Playa de Muro 4 * hotel (Mallorca).
One can only be surprised at the abundance of food received by guests who paid for the All Inclusive food system. Breakfast, lunch and dinner for such tourists are served in the main restaurant "Tramontana". People with elite bracelets can visit this place at any time and an unlimited number of times from half past seven in the morning until midnight. In addition, in the hotel bars (“Piano”, where evening entertainment is held, and “Lebeig” on the beach and by the pool), these guests can get snacks and drinks, including locally produced alcohol, absolutely free. Athletes-cyclists eat on a special menu, which includes energy drinks, etc.
Services at Iberostar Playa de Muro (Mallorca)
Hotel Iberostar Playa de Muro meets all the requirements of a four-star hotel in this chain. The policy of the hotel is aimed primarily at family vacations with children, and secondly at attracting athletes, mainly cyclists. For the latter, the hotel is just a paradise. If the flat tire is lowered, it can be pumped up, there is a repair shop and just a huge parking lot specially for two-wheeled vehicles. The hotel wants to introduce everyone to this sport, so here you can rent any type of bicycle (mountain, children, teenagers, etc.).
Iberostar Playa de Muro pays great attention to small guests. For them, equipped with a swimming pool, playground and room, a mini-disco. A child can be recorded in one of two clubs, where professional animators will work with him. Mini takes kids from four to seven years old, and maxi - from eight to twelve. For babies you can use the services of a nanny.
All hotel guests have free access to the sauna and jacuzzi. An indoor pool is open from September to June. The hotel will be comfortable not only for children, but also for their parents. For adults, live music is played in the evenings, and professional music or dance groups are invited four times a week. For sports enthusiasts, there is a gym, tennis courts. Here you can shoot archery and play billiards.
Iberostar Playa de Muro Village 5 * (Mallorca): hotel grounds
It was the turn to consider a five-star hotel. The word "Village" itself means "village." Indeed, the hotel buildings are tuned in a bucolic fashion. These are seven two-story cottages where guests will feel calm and solitary - like in a village in nature. These cases are decorated in a Mediterranean style and stand among the pines. As in the more budgetary counterpart, Iberostar Playa de Muro, in the "Village" is a very beautiful area. Reviews mention palm trees, flowers, and professional landscaping.
Alcudia (the northern coast of Mallorca) has been hosting the island’s International Cycling Tour for more than a year. And its participants invariably stay in two hotels of the Iberostar chain. The Village also has all the necessary infrastructure to meet the specific needs of athletes (parking, repair shop, gym, special menu). But here it will also be comfortable for other categories of vacationers: families with children, lovers of privacy and nature, newlyweds, who came to Mallorca to spend their honeymoon. The high status of the Iberostar Playa de Muro Village 5 * hotel is evidenced by the sunbathing area near the pools. In addition to ordinary sunbeds (with mattresses and beach towels), there are Balinese beds with sunshades and hammocks. Here you can feel like on a very exclusive vacation.
Rooms at the Iberostar Playa de Muro Village
The five-star status of the hotel is clearly visible in the equipment of guest rooms. There are no standards. The rooms in the hotel Iberostar Playa de Muro Village 5 * are divided into the categories "Superior", "Family", "Suite" and "Suite +". The design of the rooms is carefully thought out, they combine style and comfort. Bright, spacious rooms are equipped with a TV with LCD screen, air conditioning, a minibar (it is charged for filling), a safe. Upon arrival, the guest will find a welcome gift in the form of a glass of wine. In the closet there is a set of various pillows, slippers and a bathrobe, and in the bathroom there is a hairdryer and toiletries in branded bottles.
Each room at Iberostar Playa de Muro Village Hotel of any category has a balcony or terrace with a table and chairs overlooking the pool, garden or sea. Reviews say that even in the superior microwave installed. This category of rooms is one-room. All the others consist of a bedroom with a large double bed and a living room with two sofas. The suites have a bath and shower, an electric kettle, and their spacious terraces are furnished with a sofa and two armchairs with a table. Maids do not just carefully clean the rooms and change towels - they also beautifully fold the sheets. At the request of guests, cots are provided in the room, and an iron and ironing board are provided.
Meals at Iberostar Playa de Muro Village 5 *
Exclusive cuisine, dishes prepared by the best chefs of Mallorca, are what awaits the guests of the five-star hotel. But that is not all. Visitors to the buffet restaurant can personally see the cooking process, and this is a real show. As in Iberostar Playa de Muro 4 *, in a five-star hotel, tourists themselves can decide which system to eat. Those who plan to travel around the island and do not want to be bound by meals can choose “Bed and Breakfast”. The latter is simply magnificent. Those who are used to eating plentiful and satisfying in the morning will also be satisfied. Breakfast includes juices, natural coffee, tea, various types of pastries, fruits, vegetables, cold and hot dishes. Adherents of healthy food will not be offended. At their service will be yogurts, cereals, toasts, cereals. For athletes, isotonic drinks and energy nutrition are provided.
For those vacationers who wish to go on excursions, reviews are recommended to book half board. Very popular among Russian tourists is the third option of food - “All inclusive Premium”. It differs from the usual “All inclusive” in that the carriers of a special bracelet can visit all restaurants, including a la carte, both in the territory of the Village and the neighboring Iberostar Playa de Muro 4 *. For them, ice cream, cocktails and all drinks in bars of domestic and foreign production are served for free. Also, for such guests, a late breakfast is served in the beach restaurant, as well as endless and unlimited snacks throughout the day. The All Inclusive Premium program has other benefits. For example, the use of tennis courts, daily replenishment of the minibar in the room, a ten percent discount on all types of massage in the SPA Sensation hotel health center, etc.
Services at Iberostar Playa de Muro Village
As in Iberostar Playa de Muro 4 *, guest reviews of the five-star hotel claim that all rooms have free and very fast Wi-Fi, so you can chat with relatives and friends on Skype. But the hotel of a higher class has a number of exclusive services. Various conferences are held here - for this there is a fully equipped room and a business center. The cigar salon is waiting for gentlemen, and the shopping center is for shopaholics of both sexes. Children's rest here is at the forefront, as well as in Iberostar Playa de Muro (Mallorca). But unlike the budget counterpart, the Village also has a club for teenagers (from thirteen to seventeen years old). And the restaurant has a children's menu.
Beach and Pools
Chain hotels often place the "five" on the first line of the beach, and more budgetary offices - on the second and third street. But the Iberostar at the northern tip of Mallorca did otherwise. Both Iberostar Playa de Muro hotels (5 * and 4 *) are almost on the beach. The sea can be reached from the buildings and cottages in two minutes. Playa de Muro beach stretches for five kilometers and is common to many hotels. But in the “Village” on the coast there is a special area “Beach Club”. There are hammocks and tent beds in the style of "relaxing in Bali." Beach towels and mattresses on sun loungers in the Village are included in the price of the stay on the beach. Four guests can use them only at their pools. On the beach all the ammunition - sunbeds and umbrellas - for a fee. As for the pools at the Iberostar Playa de Muro Village and Iberostar Playa de Muro, the reviews call their number (two in each) sufficient. Children have their own safe "paddling pool". In cold weather and from September to June, both hotels have an indoor swimming pool for adults.