Hotel Cristóbal Colón

There's no mistaking the Hotel Cristobal Colon's '70s origins with its pale-pink exterior and brass-rail balconies. This look continues into reception, where swathes of marble, wood paneling, and green armchairs date the hotel's interiors. The marble-floored restaurant with neutral-tone decor and floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as the rooms, are more contemporary in design. The L-shaped, seven-story building overlooks a pleasantly secluded garden and pool terrace fringed with hedges and dotted with mature palms. Guests often cite friendly and helpful staff, which add to the familiar and relaxed atmosphere of the place. It has a grown-up vibe, mostly attracting couples of varying ages (largely German and Spanish) and few noisy groups. The hotel is adding 45 new rooms to bring the total to 204 in 2017. 

The hotel is set in a peaceful residential neighborhood in the Les Meravelles district of Playa de Palma. While there's very little in the immediate area, just two blocks away (about a four-minute walk) is the resort's seafront lined with bars, restaurants, and cafes -- plus a long stretch of sandy beach. For nightlife, it's a 10-minute walk to Megapark -- a large beachfront venue full of bars and eateries, which hold regular events, club nights, and live music. Families with kids will prefer the Palma Aquarium, just five minutes' drive away, or Aqualand, about the same distance. The Palma de Mallorca Airport is roughly an 11-minute drive. 

The hotel has 157 rooms (set to increase to 204 in 2017), all of which are decorated in a mostly contemporary blue-and-white color scheme with modern white furniture, striped curtains, and river or seascape artworks. However, the green or blue patterned carpeting and textured walls in some date the rooms, and most are on the small side. All have glass doors that open to furnished balconies overlooking the pool or the street (poolside tend to be sunny, while street-facing terraces are in the shade). The hotel's two suites also each have a pair of large, top-floor balconies with glimpses of the sea, in addition to lounges with double sofa beds and extra TVs. 

Standard amenities include 14-inch or 32-inch flat-screen TVs and air-conditioning, while use of mini-fridges, old-style safes, and in-room Wi-Fi will all come with an added fee. Bathrooms are outfitted with granite tops, shower/tub combos (with clingy shower curtains), and wall-mounted hairdryers. Bathrooms in the guest rooms being build in 2017 will have walk-in showers. Due to the hotel's location, all rooms are quiet, even those on lower levels facing the street.

Features aren't extensive, but the offerings are of a good quality.  The hotel's outdoor pool is large enough for a swim and it has a section for kids (though that's where child-friendly facilities end). Waiters take drinks orders from poolside loungers under umbrellas. There's also a small heated indoor pool and whirlpool tub, though no other spa or fitness facilities. The all-day buffet restaurant has live cooking at every meal, a choice of two meat and fish dishes for dinner, and an excellent and extensive list of wines; reports also suggest the quality of the food is generally very good. Bed-and-breakfast, half-board, and full-board plans are available. An indoor/outdoor bar also provides a decent drinks and snacks menu, and during the summer there are weekly poolside barbecues. There's also low-key evening entertainment, usually live music and dance.