This Luxury All-inclusive Resort on a Spanish Island Has Private Pool Suites With Sea and Mountain Views

Golf, spa, high-end dining, and relaxation await at this modern luxury hotel on Mallorca.

It took two full days into the trip, but it happened. My wife and I were sitting on the second floor roof deck of our suite, watching the sun set over the Mediterranean with a bottle of wine and some tapas, and we finally, earnestly, felt relaxed. Gone were the worries about school drop-off, quarterly strategy presentations, and who had walked the dog last. The water temperature in our private pool was the same as the air. We both breathed that sigh of relief signifying we had made the right choice. It was finally time to recharge.

It’s hard planning a trip as two working parents. Once you line up childcare, book transportation, set your work out-of-office note and find time to pack, all you want to do is turn your brain off and experience true rest, relaxation, and recovery from the grind. Or, as close to that as you can get. Luckily, for our pandemic-delayed anniversary trip, we chose to go to Mallorca and stay at the incredible five-star Zafiro Palace Andratx, which didn’t only provide a beautiful, well-designed and peaceful retreat from the busy daily life of two working parents — they also curated an itinerary to help us have some fun exploring and golfing.

Zafiro Palace Andratx

• The hotel itself is clean, comfortable, and modern, built in 2020 with warm and calming tones that match the unique Mallorcan landscape and feature lots of stone, glass, and native greenery.

• All of the 304 rooms are suites, with incredibly comfortable beds and your choice of view and pool based on your budget.

• Situated alongside the award-winning, championship Andratx golf course, golfers can play a world-class round without leaving the property.

• Available with your reservation is an all-inclusive option that unlocks a level of service and culinary opportunity that is both surprisingly decadent and flexible.

• Friendly to families but with enough adults-only sections away from the action, you feel a true disconnect from the bustle of daily life back home whether you’re on a couples trip or with the kids.

• It’s a quick walk to the beach, restaurants, and shops at Camp de Mar or a short scooter/taxi ride to the bigger nearby towns of Port d’Andratx, and only 45 minutes from the airport and main city of Palma.

Mallorca is a vibrant island with a long and complex history, but it blends the best of Catalan Spain, the South of France, and the Italian Riviera with its own unique culture and vibe. From wineries, to night clubs, to culinary explorations, and some of the most incredible vistas on the Mediterranean, there is no shortage of day trips and excursions you can take to scratch the wanderlust itch; and the Zafiro Palace Andratx concierge team can arrange them all for you with door-to-door service and high-touch customer service.

The Rooms

Each of the hotel’s 304 rooms is a suite, offering top-tier amenities and incredible views from their balconies, roof decks and outdoor spaces. With incredibly comfortable king-size beds, rain showers, plush towels, and stylish yet cozy seating areas, you’ll find yourself spending more time in the room than you may have anticipated. Most rooms face the Mediterranean, which due to the orientation of the resort affords incredible sunset views. The rest face the Sierra de Tramuntana mountains or the golf course, and enjoy true privacy from the resort grounds.

We stayed in the super luxe two-story Penthouse Suite that had a balcony and a private mini-pool on the roof. With a view southwest of the Mediterranean, we saw sunsets each night and woke up to rejuvenating morning breezes off the water. Each room has Wi-Fi, connected TVs, lots of small design touches that make you feel at home, as well as in-room coffee and a minibar stocked for your visit.

Food and Drink

With five on-site restaurants, four of which are open only for dinner and one main cafeteria for breakfast, lunch, and supper, there is enough variety for you to eat within the resort every night of your trip and try something new each time. There is a steakhouse, an Italian restaurant, a chef’s table, and our surprising favorite, a sushi spot. But also at your disposal with the all-inclusive package are bites at the pool, a smoothie and healthy greens truck, and your choice of in-room dining. You can even have a floating breakfast in your pool, for an extra charge.

The standout for us was the drinks. With a unique bar at every main area or pool on the grounds, including a swim-up bar overlooking the mountains, the Zafiro mixologists poured us incredible wine and high-end cocktails both on and off-menu. A standout was their Aperol Spritz (that my wife declared her favorite in the world) and a myriad of tropical drinks to match the vibe of the warm air and seaside views.

Activities and Amenities

Part of the charm of the Zafiro Palace Andratx is how full-service it is, without feeling like a cruise ship or a large campus of buildings. Built into a steep-grade hill, you traverse levels via stairs and elevators yet somehow are outside the whole time and never feel contained to a singular space. This comes into play when you realize just how many amenities there are. A luxurious spa, The Gem by Germaine de Capuccini (featuring saunas, plunge pools, a high-end gym, as well as massage and beauty services) is built into the cliffs, so every room has a large floor-to-ceiling window for you to look out of while you relax. We had incredible massages and followed them up with some calming time in the relaxation room looking out at the sea.

There are seven unique pools, two indoor and five outdoor, that give you a chance to choose your vibe and view every time you want to take a dip. We found ourselves at the 18+ adult pool the most, enjoying cocktails while wading and reading under the sun in the Bali beds, though even the family-friendly pools were comfortable and never felt crowded when we visited.

As avid golfers, we were so excited to play the championship Andratx Golf course, with its signature 6th hole, “The Green Monster,” that is 666 yards long and is known as the “longest hole in Spain.” Better than the course may have been the quaint halfway house, which unlike the ones at courses in the U.S. with their light beer and candy bars, served us fresh-cut Iberico ham and local wine, and didn’t rush us to tee off on the back nine.

Location

There is proximity to so much Mallorcan culture and activity from the Zafiro Palace Andratx, that when you’re ready to leave the grounds, the amazing staff can arrange an excursion to any number of places around the island. Complimentary electric scooters allow you to buzz in and out of the Camp de Mar town, or nearby Port Andratx and Paguera, where shopping, restaurants, and Mediterranean culture is bustling.

The team booked us into the night clubs of Palma, where we were enthusiastically brought to a VIP table at the storied Lío for cabaret and dancing. The next day, we took a day trip arranged by our incredible concierge to the historic and family-owned Bodega Ribas, where 10th-generation vintner Araceli Ribas treated us to a first-person journey through her family’s vineyard and legacy of making natural Mallorcan wine.

Accessibility and Sustainability

The Zafiro brand operates hotels across the Balearic Islands of Mallorca and Menorca that all adhere to sustainable tourism principles and certifications, including being a part of a greenhouse gas reduction program from the Spanish government called the “Carbon Footprint Register.“ The Zafiro Palace Andratx is a multi-level resort, built into the side of a hill with many different buildings and elevations, but it has accessible ramps and elevators at every turn, including dedicated rooms for those with mobility concerns, and an incredibly helpful staff who are available 24/7 during your stay. They also have dining options for most dietary restrictions, include vegan and nut-free,  at each restaurant.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

I am not usually one for all-inclusive travel; for me it brings to mind college-era Spring Break trips and watered down Tequila Sunrises. However, when it comes to the Zafiro Palace Andratx, I wouldn’t recommend staying without it. The package, called “All Inclusive Redefined,” not only pays for itself in the incredible drinks and food on site, but it unlocks a personalized and on-call concierge team that makes your stay, however long, effortless. From complimentary pickup and dropoff at the airport and local towns, to planning your itinerary hour-by-hour (with the flexibility to change at will), you’ll feel taken care of at a level often not seen at similar five-star hotels. While you’ll find incredibly friendly staff at every turn regardless of the package, having someone to help you navigate the resort, island, and language is what brings this trip from great to amazing, and the value it provides is worth it.

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