Dreams Calvià Mallorca

“Excellent”

Lovely hotel, have stayed at a Dreams before so knew that it would be nice. Only had one bad meal at the World Cafe where a pork chop was pretty much raw inside. Otherwise we had a great few days. Pool is great, no fighting for sun beds. Less than 5 minute walk to the beach.

“Lovely”

Just back from a 4 night stay. Rooms are clean, good facilities and choice of food. Only went to the street food market once, wasn't overly keen, therefore stuck to the main restaurant. Hotel is now winding down, therefore a day after our stay a couple of restaurants were shut. However didn't both… more

Just back from a 4 night stay. Rooms are clean, good facilities and choice of food. Only went to the street food market once, wasn't overly keen, therefore stuck to the main restaurant. Hotel is now winding down, therefore a day after our stay a couple of restaurants were shut. However didn't both us that much. Magaluf is a short walk away, and Palma Nova a 19 min bus ride. You can also catch a bus to Palma which takes an hour and only cost us £5 return!! All in all we had a lovely stay!!!

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“Dreams Hotel Mallorca - A Disappointing Stay”

Upon arrival, there was no indication that the Preferred Club had a separate reception. I queued at the main desk only to be informed I should be in the Preferred reception, which led to another queue in the Preferred lounge. Despite the wait, no welcome beverage was offered. I had been under the i… more

Upon arrival, there was no indication that the Preferred Club had a separate reception. I queued at the main desk only to be informed I should be in the Preferred reception, which led to another queue in the Preferred lounge. Despite the wait, no welcome beverage was offered. I had been under the impression that cava would be provided on arrival. After over two hours since landing in Palma, this was a letdown. My room wasn’t ready, so I ended up sitting around for an hour or two and decided to try the Preferred lunch spot, Oceana. At Oceana, I waited at the desk for 5–6 minutes before asking if I should wait to be seated, only to be told to "just sit." After taking a seat, it took another 10 minutes before I managed to get a drink, and that was after going up to the bar myself due to yet another long queue. When a server did arrive, she simply asked, "Eat?" I ordered a Greek salad, but it arrived with old, yellowed lettuce and only two small pieces of feta. At this point, I decided to leave. The staff at Oceana seemed overwhelmed, with only two people serving around 20 tables. Room and Location Issues For anyone considering a Preferred Club room, be cautious. Many rooms in the Palm section have either no view or face the car park or stairs. The Palm building is also isolated from the rest of the resort. You have to navigate around the World Café’s terrace area, go up ramps, cross a car park, scan your room key, and then deal with about a dozen steps to get to your room. Returning to the Palm area at night requires walking through the stage area, often during performances with blinding lights. I attempted to visit the Preferred Club snacks area by the Preferred pool, but nothing was labeled. As a vegetarian, I found myself peeling chicken or ham off sandwiches since there were no clearly marked vegetarian options. None of the items had allergen information, which I believe is an EU requirement. By 4:30 p.m. on my first day, only half a bottle of wine and some Prosecco were left in the Preferred Bar. My initial room wasn’t to my liking, but the Preferred reception staff refused to accommodate me, claiming the hotel was fully booked, even though rooms were still being advertised online for the duration of my stay. This experience was markedly different from my stays at Dreams properties in Cancun and Lanzarote. Amenities and Room Comfort I had hoped for a balcony view, as I enjoy spending time outside, but instead, my view was of the car park. Unlike Dreams Lanzarote, where the room TVs allow streaming, this hotel only had wired connections, offering limited channels (mostly Spanish with BBC1 and ITV3). The minibar was another disappointment—no sparkling water, orange juice, or pineapple juice, all of which were provided at Dreams Lanzarote. There was also no directory or contact numbers in the room. I eventually found out that reception’s number is 2000 after a trip to the desk. There was no direct way to contact the Preferred reception. The air conditioning also had its quirks: it turned off when the balcony doors were opened, which is standard, but unlike other hotels, it didn’t restart automatically. Each time, I had to manually turn it back on. If you leave a keycard in the slot to keep the AC running, housekeeping tends to slightly dislodge it, cutting off power while you’re out. Room service came at an unexpected cost of €20 per order, compared to no charge at Dreams Cancun and €12 at Dreams Lanzarote. This wasn’t quite the "Preferred Unlimited Luxury" I anticipated. Also, if you’re trying to avoid veal, be aware that it appears frequently on the menus. Dining and Service Experience If you avoid the World Café buffet, you’ll have to venture downstairs to a street food-style area in another building, where there’s often a long line unless you choose the limited tapas or poke options. The seating is more like a school cafeteria with high stools and bench-style tables, which doesn’t feel “Preferred” at all. On day two, I tried Oceana again for lunch, hoping for a better experience. However, the restaurant had been partly sectioned off for a private event, so I waited 20 minutes for a table. Although a server promised to inform me when a table opened up, I still had to rush to secure a seat. Oceana and the Barefoot Grill offer the same menu with limited vegetarian options—only two choices across both venues. My margarita pizza was underwhelming, with a premade base akin to a frozen pizza. Throughout my stay, drink refills were never offered at any restaurant and had to be requested every time. At Sugar Reef, I discovered that skipping the queue by going inside to Desires on the other side of the bar was the easiest way to get served. Housekeeping issues also arose: one day, I left the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door due to valuables in the room, but on my return, the sign was removed, and the room was cleaned. Other Observations The Preferred area lacks any monitoring, so if the gate is left open, anyone can wander in. On my last day, a group of rowdy guests from the UK entered and even invited more friends over, which disrupted the previously quiet atmosphere. Additionally, a staff member at Desires, an older man with gray hair, appeared visibly unhappy in his role and didn’t show any friendliness throughout my stay. Breakfast was equally disappointing. I tried it once, and although the omelette was nice, it was excessively oily, requiring napkins to blot off the grease. Final Thoughts The hotel has a prime location near Calvi Beach, which is quiet compared to Magaluf, though the beach itself has little sand. My room was cleaned daily, which was appreciated, but as mentioned, the air conditioning was turned off each time. Turn-down service, which was advertised as a Preferred Club benefit, was unavailable. The one highlight of my stay was Fabriola, who graciously escorted me to the Palm building and brought my luggage up, and seemed to be the only staff member who genuinely enjoyed her job. In summary, this hotel does not meet the standards of other Dreams properties. Having stayed at Dreams Natura, Dreams Golf in Cancun, and Dreams Lanzarote, this location was by far the most disappointing.

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