The area 7/10
Kimpton Aysla Mallorca is a mere 20-minute drive from Palma de Mallorca Airport, with its many, many flights from the UK. So it feels like a hop, skip and a jump from the UK to the sunbeds of Aysla with a cava on its way.
The hotel might not be located on the shores of the Med – it borders a golf course instead – but it’s easy enough to get to Santa Ponsa, with all its bars, restaurants, clubs and its famous beach. Kimpton Aysla is a 30-minute hilly walk away, though the hotel can loan you an e-bike, or there’s a complimentary shuttle on request. Want to explore further afield? For a day trip to the main city of Palma, you’re looking at a 20-minute taxi, shuttle or bus from Santa Ponsa.
In all, the slightly secluded location might exactly what guests are looking for in their high-end sun holiday. If not, it’s all still accessible, and a little planning goes a long way.
The digs 8/10
The Kimpton Aysla is remarkably intimate for a resort hotel with bags on offer; it’s just the main hotel block and two sympathetic buildings with 78 bedrooms, all bordered with lush, native gardens.
Step into the reception, and it’s difficult not to be wowed by the style and scale. Bold, site-specific art pieces are on show (part of the collection of 700 artworks dispersed across the hotel). In the corner, a sweeping spiral staircase takes you to the upper floor, where you’ll find the expansive Maison Codage spa and a gym.
With luxury wellness as its main draw, the spa is suitably giant. There’s a fitness studio with rows of spinning cycles. Other classes include morning workouts, meditation classes and yoga sessions.
Within the spa, you’ll find seven individually styled treatment rooms plus a gorgeous wellness area with a salt cave, steam room, sauna, mud bath and experiential showers, in addition to two outdoor pools, a huge 24/7 indoor pool and a vitality pool that will cure what ails ya. Heavenly.
The rooms 8/10
Only two main room sizes are available, helping you narrow the choice between accommodation with one balcony, two balconies, or a private garden.
The design feels sleek and stylish, with contemporary flair dominating over hints of traditional Mediterranean influence. Each room is kitted out individually with sculptures and art relevant to the area. And the beds. The beds! They’re the fluffy sections of heaven that you dream of when longing for a hotel break, flanked by plugs with actual working USB ports. Imagine.
You’ll find lots of amenities too, from power banks to yoga mats to umbrellas, making for an easy, trouble-free stay. We loved the bathrooms too, especially the scrawl of ‘come as you are’ on the bathroom mirror, reminding guests about the personalised style of service here.
Staff and stuff 9/10
As our visit took place at the end of the peak season and as the hotel had just opened, it was quiet, which might explain why there was an unfailing attention to detail. Or it could be that’s just how they do things here – it is a five-star name-brand resort after all.
Regardless, when I was nursing a cava and cheese plate at sunset on the patio, passing service staff checked if I wanted anything exactly the right amount: not so much that it was disturbing, not so little that I was left wanting. One member of the service team told me he lived in London until recently, so while the capital goes through a stint of patchy service in the hospitality industry for reasons we couldn’t possibly know, at least it’s Kimpton’s gain.
Peel yourself away from the bar or pool area, and there’s loads on. For golf fans, the hotel’s neighbour is the 18-hole course where the PGA Mallorca Golf Open is held. Or ask and you’ll find a busy roster of workshops and excursions that nod to the culture and traditions of Majorca. Amongst a busy schedule of the vineyard wine tasting at Bodega Santa Catarina, a peruse of Carmin’s exquisite handmade shoes, and a fascinating aroma workshop with Viti Vinci to make my own blend of scent from natural oils, my favourite way to while away half a day was the pottery workshop with Pomelo Ceramic Art. Best of all, I now have a Mallorcan marine life inspired bowl as a keepsake of my holiday.
Food and drink 7.5/10
It’s no surprise that on a Mediterranean island blessed with gorgeous weather, the ingredients at Kimpton Aysla’s restaurants are top-class. It’s made all the better with elevated dining, at either the stylish Latin/Asian restaurant Saba, or Zayt, the pool bar and restaurant with a woodfired oven as its centrepiece.
The highlight of Saba is its 14 seats around the theatre kitchen, where you can watch the chefs in action as they whip up delectable delights like sushi and bibimbap. Vegans are well catered for too.
The place for booze and bites is the adjoining Saba bar, which includes plenty of outdoor seating to make the most of the sunshine. Don’t leave without sampling a glass of Mallorca wine and their moreish patatas bravas – prepared as bite-sized cubes of potatoes with dollops of tangy tomato and creamy aioli on top. In keeping with the mood of the hotel it’s served in, it’s wonderfully decadent.
Need to know
Room rates inwinter season start from €350 per night, and summer season starts from €600 per night. See Kimpton’s website for more details.
