Majorca has lengthy been certainly one of Europe’s most beloved island locations, however there’s a quieter, extra refined facet to this lovely Balearic island that many guests by no means uncover. We lately had the pleasure of experiencing an iconic Mallorca lodge as a part of an Indulgent Escapes bundle with Jet2holidays. It genuinely exceeded our expectations in each means.
The Chocolate Lodge: Structure and Historical past
Earlier than we even checked in, we have been struck by the constructing itself. Lodge de Mar a Gran Melia Lodge is immediately recognisable by its distinctive darkish brown ceramic tile cladding, which wraps across the constructing in stacked, angular volumes that appear to hug the shoreline. That is why it’s recognized domestically because the Chocolate Lodge!
The lodge welcomes friends aged 15 and above, making it a splendidly peaceable retreat away from the household resort crowds – and it has a narrative behind it that units it aside from anything on the island. Right here is every little thing it’s essential to know.
The Imaginative and prescient of José Antonio Coderch
The lodge was designed by the celebrated Spanish architect José Antonio Coderch de Sentmenat and opened in 1964. Coderch was one of the vital vital architects of his technology, recognized for his rationalist kinds and his philosophy of integrating buildings with their pure environment.
At Lodge de Mar, he approached the design with one guideline: each room ought to face the ocean. He discovered it inconceivable {that a} lodge overlooking the Mediterranean would have rooms with road-facing views, and so the whole constructing is oriented to embrace the water. Every room can be staggered in relation to its neighbours, which means full privateness from your individual balcony – a element that feels genuinely considerate slightly than incidental.
The interiors have been entrusted to Barcelona-based design duo Alfonso Milá and Federico Correa, who created a cohesive aesthetic of minimal but elegant furnishings that completely complemented Coderch’s architectural imaginative and prescient. A number of of the unique customized items stay in place immediately, together with Miguel Milá’s iconic TMC standing lamp, which you’ll spot across the lodge’s social areas.
Joan Miró’s Seal of Approval
Some of the extraordinary footnotes to the lodge’s historical past is its connection to Joan Miró. The surrealist artist and sculptor was residing close by on the time of the lodge’s opening, along with his personal modernist studio on the hillside providing a direct view of Coderch’s creation.
Miró was captivated by what he noticed. He grew to become one of many lodge’s first friends and, in 1964, wrote a private dedication within the lodge’s golden visitor e-book, praising the structure. At present, seven of his prints are displayed within the foyer alongside archival supplies that inform the story of this outstanding constructing.
That connection is what offers the lodge its distinctive cultural weight. It isn’t only a lovely place to remain – it’s a piece of residing architectural and creative historical past.
What’s the Jet2 Indulgent Escapes Package deal?
We booked this journey by means of Jet2holidays as a part of their Indulgent Escapes assortment, which is a fastidiously curated portfolio of five-star inns paired with a beneficiant set of inclusions that make the entire expertise really feel genuinely premium from the second you permit dwelling.
What’s Included
This luxurious holidays bundle consists of greater than you may count on. Here’s what we obtained:
Quick observe on the airport. Precedence lane passes at our UK departure airport – London Luton – meant we walked straight by means of safety with out the same old queue. For anybody who finds airport stress a dampener on the beginning of a visit, this alone is value an amazing deal.
A complimentary drink on board. Every passenger receives a complimentary drink per flight, which is a stunning contact on the outbound and return journeys. The pleasant crew have been welcoming and useful all through, and we departed promptly – at all times an excellent begin.
A £10 per particular person onboard voucher. Every passenger receives a £10 voucher to spend within the Jet2shop in the course of the flight – and helpfully, you may mix each vouchers right into a single buy. We pooled ours to select up a pack of self-heating eye masks, which felt like a superbly indulgent option to start a luxurious break.
Non-public lodge transfers. Relatively than ready for a shared coach, a non-public car met us at Arrivals and took us on to the lodge. The identical service is included on the return journey. After a flight, this sort of seamless, door-to-door service makes an actual distinction.
25kg baggage allowance. Generously included for every passenger, which means no agonising over what to go away at dwelling.
Prime tip: One factor value understanding is that customs and passport management at Palma airport can take some time, notably on busy arrival days. Our recommendation is to not plan something on your first afternoon. Consider additional time, settle into the lodge, and let the island come to you.
Indulgent Escapes holidays to Majorca with Jet2holidays embody every little thing (flights, transfers and lodge) in a single reserving, which simplifies the planning significantly.
Getting There and Getting Round
We booked flights from London Luton Airport, which is simple to succeed in. You merely take the Luton Airport Categorical to Luton Airport Parkway Station after which switch to the DART (Direct Air-Rail Transit) shuttle.
Flights to Majorca with Jet2 take roughly two hours and twenty minutes. The flight itself was easy, the crew have been genuinely heat and attentive, and every little thing ran to schedule.
Getting Round
The lodge is situated within the peaceable residential neighbourhood of Illetas, about six kilometres west of Palma. The non-public switch from the airport takes round twenty minutes, and it’s a easy, hassle-free journey together with your driver ready on arrival. Taxis are straightforward to rearrange from the lodge, and Palma itself is compact sufficient to discover comfortably on foot when you arrive.
One thing we found however sadly didn’t have time to e-book throughout our keep is the complimentary Audi Expertise accessible to friends at Melia properties. The expertise offers friends entry to an Audi to discover the native space – a stunning option to get off the crushed observe and uncover locations which might be tougher to succeed in by taxi or on foot. It’s free to e-book, and it is without doubt one of the first issues we are going to prepare if we keep at a Melia lodge once more.
Staying at Lodge de Mar Gran Melia
All rooms on the lodge have sea views, and the staggered design of the constructing means your non-public terrace feels precisely that: non-public.
We stayed in a Deluxe Sea View room on the sixth ground – the lodge has seven flooring in complete. At 40 sq. metres, the room is a beneficiant dimension, with king twin beds, a balcony, bathe and two sinks, a capsule espresso machine, TV with Chromecast, and toilet facilities by Carner Barcelona.
Flip-down service every night introduced complimentary Solan de Cabras water and Pancracio artisan goodies.
Breakfast at Perseo Restaurant
Every morning we had breakfast included in Perseo restaurant, and it shortly grew to become one of many highlights of the day. The unfold is in depth, however what stood out most was the freshly cooked egg station, the place dishes have been ready to order every morning. A terrific number of a la carte gadgets are additionally included – we extremely advocate the sobrasado with honey and cheese!
It’s the sort of breakfast that units you up correctly for a day of exploring, and the setting – with mild flooding in and the Mediterranean glittering past the home windows – made it really feel like a genuinely particular ritual.
Lunch on the Riva Lounge Terrace
We had lunch on the Riva Lounge terrace one afternoon, and it was an expertise we’d advocate with out hesitation. The terrace sits proper on the water’s edge, and the mixture of the situation, the meals and the ocean breeze made it a kind of lunches that you just don’t need to finish. It’s the form of setting that makes Majorca so enduringly interesting.
Arrels by Marga Coll
For a night of actual culinary ambition, Arrels by Marga Coll is to not be missed. The restaurant gives a Mallorcan tasting menu that celebrates the island’s produce and heritage with real talent and creativity.
Chef Marga Coll brings a deep connection to native substances and flavours, and the result’s a meal that feels rooted in place – this isn’t generic lodge fantastic eating, it’s meals that might solely come from Mallorca. If you’re a meals lover, this alone is value planning your journey round.
A Birthday Shock
I used to be celebrating my birthday throughout our keep, and the lodge went out of their option to make it really feel particular. The staff shocked us with a bottle of Spanish glowing wine, a stunning number of candy treats from Bombon seashore membership, and a handwritten card. It was such a heat and private contact, and it stated an amazing deal in regards to the care the lodge places into its friends’ experiences.
Paul discovered a stunning gown for me within the Maryan Melhorn lodge boutique, which shares a thoughtfully curated number of stuff you truly need to take dwelling.
Lodge Facilities
The Pure Cove
Some of the particular issues in regards to the lodge’s setting is its personal pure cove, which provides the property an intimacy and seclusion that a normal beachfront lodge merely can’t replicate. The rocks and clear water really feel superbly unspoilt, and it’s a genuinely beautiful place to spend time.
The Out of doors Swimming Swimming pools
The lodge has two outside swimming pools in addition to the pure cove. One is an infinity pool situated near Perseus restaurant terrace and the spa, and the opposite is subsequent to Bombon Seashore Membership. They’re not heated however are inclined to heat up fairly quick below the Mallorcan solar.
Bombon Seashore Membership
The lodge collaborated with Italian designer Alberta Ferretti to create this fashionable waterside house, and the result’s precisely what you’d hope for – lovely environment, a refined ambiance, and that sense that every little thing has been thought-about. Whether or not you’re there for a drink, a swim or just to sit down within the solar and watch the Mediterranean, Bombon is a kind of locations you’ll not need to depart.
The Clarins Spa
Spa entry will not be included as normal in all room classes, so it’s value checking this once you e-book. We paid for entry for one afternoon at 40 euros per particular person, and it was completely value it.
The thermal circuit features a sizzling tub, a cooler pool with water jets, a steam room, a Finnish sauna, a Scottish bathe, a mist bathe, heated loungers and remedy rooms, plus an outside space.
The Health club
For individuals who like to take care of a health routine whereas travelling, the fitness center at Lodge de Mar is genuinely spectacular. It has sea views and the gear is well-maintained and complete. The fitness center is open to all friends, and Paul made good use of it on multiple morning.
What to Do Close by
Illetas is a superb base for exploring a few of the most culturally wealthy elements of Majorca. Listed below are our suggestions for the way to benefit from your environment.
Palma de Mallorca
The island’s capital is simply a brief taxi journey away and deserves at the very least a full day of your time. One in every of our highlights was the Fundación Juan March, a stupendous cultural basis housed in an 18th-century palace within the coronary heart of the previous city. Entry is free, the rotating exhibitions are persistently robust, and it’s the sort of place that looks like a real discovery slightly than a tick-box vacationer cease.
Rialto Dwelling is a superb idea retailer that’s as a lot an expertise as it’s a store. Unfold throughout a transformed cinema, it shares furnishings, homeware, vogue, books and wonder in a superbly curated atmosphere.
For lunch, we had paella at FERVOR Palma, which was glorious – correct, unfussy cooking with good substances. For drinks afterwards, Cappuccino Sant Miquel is a Palma establishment, with a stupendous terrace and fountain.
A few issues value noting for timing your go to: Sa Llotja, the gorgeous Fifteenth-century Gothic retailers’ change, is someplace that we cherished on our final Mallorca go to, however was closed throughout this keep whereas a brand new exhibition was being put in. The Royal Palace of La Almudaina was additionally closed on the time – value checking present opening standing earlier than you go.
The Gothic cathedral of La Seu is as extraordinary as its repute suggests, and the slim streets of the Calatrava district are full of lovely structure and impartial boutiques at each flip.
The Joan Miró Basis
We didn’t handle to go to the Pilar and Joan Miró Basis throughout this journey, however it’s firmly on the record for a return go to and we’d extremely advocate it to anybody staying within the space. The muse occupies the positioning the place Miró lived and labored for nearly thirty years, and it’s thought-about one of the vital vital creative locations on the island.
Given how deeply the lodge’s personal story is intertwined with Miró’s legacy – from his well-known dedication within the visitor e-book to the seven prints displayed within the foyer – visiting the muse can be a pure extension of a keep right here.
Bellver Fortress
Paul and I visited Bellver Fortress and each agreed it was one of many highlights of the journey. Perched on a pine-covered hill overlooking Palma and the bay, this 14th-century Gothic citadel has an uncommon round design that makes it not like some other medieval fortress we’ve seen.
The views from the ramparts throughout town and out to the Mediterranean are breathtaking, and the citadel’s historical past – it served variously as a royal residence and a jail – offers it a layered, fascinating ambiance. Entry could be very inexpensive, and in the event you go to on a Sunday it’s fully free. The stroll up by means of the pine woods provides to the sense of event.
Playa d’Illetas
We additionally found that the stroll to Playa d’Illetas from the lodge could be very manageable and takes you previous a few charming seashore golf equipment. Illetas seashore itself is small however scenic, with clear turquoise water and a relaxed ambiance that feels a world away from the busier areas additional alongside the island.
Jardines de Marivent
Someplace that’s excessive on our record for a return go to is the Jardines de Marivent. These compact however lovely gardens are a part of the Marivent Palace property, which has served because the official summer time residence of the Spanish royal household because the Nineteen Seventies and is claimed to be the favorite palace of Queen Sofía.
The gardens are open to the general public for a lot of the 12 months (they shut in the course of the royal household’s Summer time residence interval) and are free to enter. They’re dwelling to greater than 40 native plant species and have twelve bronze sculptures by Joan Miró, donated by his household and created between 1969 and 1981 – yet one more thread connecting this nook of Majorca to the artist’s extraordinary legacy.
Sóller by Practice
A well-liked day journey that we merely didn’t have time for on this go to is the journey to Sóller by classic practice – a basic Majorca expertise that runs by means of the Tramuntana mountains from Palma. The narrow-gauge railway dates again to 1912 and the surroundings alongside the route is spectacular. It’s properly value constructing into your itinerary if in case you have the times to spare.
What to Pack for Mallorca
Majorca in early Summer time is heat however not relentlessly sizzling, and the evenings can carry a mild breeze. Here’s what we’d counsel packing:
- Mild layers for evenings. A linen jacket or mild wrap is helpful for evenings on the terrace.
- Snug strolling sneakers. Palma and Bellver Fortress contain some strolling, and cobblestones are a part of the allure.
- Swimwear. The lodge has direct entry to the ocean and a stupendous pool space.
- Swim sneakers. Very best for swimming within the lodge’s cove.
- Solar safety. Issue this in correctly – the Balearic solar is stronger than it may really feel.
- Good informal for dinner. The lodge has a refined ambiance, and friends typically gown for the night.
- A small day bag. Helpful for excursions into Palma, Bellver Fortress or the Jardines de Marivent.
- No must deliver an umbrella – you may borrow one from the lodge.
Last Ideas
The Lodge de Mar Gran Melia is a kind of uncommon inns that you consider lengthy after you’ve gotten left. Its structure is extraordinary, its setting is spectacular, and the care that has gone into sustaining and celebrating its heritage offers it a depth of character that newer inns merely can’t replicate.
Paired with the considerate inclusions of the Jet2holidays Indulgent Escapes bundle – from the quick observe on the airport to the non-public transfers and the nice and cozy, attentive crew on board – the entire expertise felt easy from starting to finish.
If you’re in search of an adults solely Majorca vacation with real cultural character, a five-star pedigree and that elusive high quality of feeling really particular, that is it.
This keep (excluding meals) was hosted by Jet2holidays as a part of a press journey.
