Mallorca is the ideal family holiday destination. Restaurants where the staff will smile and coo at your little ones? Check. Balmy rather than bonkers-hot summer climate? Check. Sandy beaches with clean waters safe for swimming? Check, check, check.
Even better, this Mediterranean island is also home to dozens of family-friendly hotels. You’ll find it all here, from large five-stars that treat the kids like royalty, to beachfront all-inclusives running clubs for all ages tot to teen. And there’s no need to compromise either – some of Mallorca’s very best family hotels are in fact its best hotels full stop.
Here are our favourites for families of all ages.
Best for relaxation: Zafiro Palace Alcúdia
Neighbourhood: Puerto de Alcúdia
A luxury hotel with an activities programme designed especially for the kids, this five-star in Mallorca’s north makes it easy for parents to relax. Family swim-up suites can sleep up to six and have direct access to the water, while the kid’s pool has its own pirate ship, slides and playground. While the kids head to their dedicated kids clubs (for ages 4-16), parents can take a well-deserved break, hitting the spa or relaxing by the adults-only pool.
Rooms from €178 (£163) all-inclusive
zafirohotels.com
Best for unusual kids’ activities: Belmond La Residencia
Neighbourhood: Deia
There’s tons for the kids to do at La Residencia, from walking the donkeys through the organic gardens for a picnic, to pottery and cookery workshops and tennis lessons with professional coaches. The kids club is open to children from four years upwards, while babysitting services or even a private nanny can be organised on request. Rooms are large enough to accommodate families of all sizes; some of the suites even have their own private plunge pools.
Rooms from €618 (£565) B&B
belmond.com
Best for city culture: Hotel Portixol
Neighbourhood: Es Portixol
Palma is a laid-back city that welcomes all ages in its cafes and restaurants and this boutique hotel is within easy walking distance of many of its best seafood joints, which are handily clustered around the harbour right outside. The sands of sweeping Playa de Palma are a few minutes away, too, and the city centre is within walking distance. The chic pool area may tempt you to stay in and rooms are bright and breezy, many of them with private terraces.
Rooms from €205 (£187) B&B
portixol.com
Best for exploration: Jumeirah Port Sóller Hotel & Spa
Neighbourhood: Port de Sóller
Perched on a clifftop overlooking the beachy resort town of Port de Sóller, this luxurious hotel is a great base for both the beach and for exploring the Tramuntana mountains that rear up behind it – don’t miss taking the tram up to the picturesque town of Sóller. Back at the hotel, Barbaroja’s kids club has games and crafts for little ones (ages 3-12) and is free for guests up to two hours each day.
Rooms from €290 (£265) B&B
jumeirah.com/mallorca
Best for sports: Robinson Club Cala Serena
Neighbourhood: Cala d’Or
Kids need to blow off some steam? Book a break at this sports-focused hotel and you can get them playing tennis and football, mountain biking along the coast or even learning to ride a horse or scuba dive. There are also kids clubs for children aged three and above and babysitting can be arranged on request. Rooms are simple but spacious; all have balconies or terraces.
Doubles from €452pp (£413) for seven nights all-inclusive
robinson.com
Best for getting active: Formentor Royal Hideaway Hotel
Neighbourhood: Cap de Formentor
The wild Cap de Formentor peninsula thrusts out into the Med in the island’s north, its steep cliffs offering excellent mountain biking and trekking. Use this well-placed hotel as a base and you’ll be close to some of the best routes, as well as the idyllic kilometre-long sands of Formentor Beach for lazier days. Many of the rooms have cracking sea views and there’s also tennis and mini golf.
Doubles from €228 (£208) B&B
barceloformentor.com
Best for theme park fun: Meliá South Beach
Neighbourhood: Calvià Beach
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There’s buckets to do at this family-friendly resort hotel. Book one of the contemporary rooms in The Level and you’ll get an all-inclusive open bar and a private sundeck with outdoor pool (one of six the hotel has in total). Your smart bracelet, issued at check in, also gives you access to the resort’s Katmandu theme park and Katlantis Splash Park, plus Spain’s largest soft play area (ages 2-12).
Rooms from €138 (£126)
melia.com
Best for luxury: Son Brull Hotel & Spa
Neighbourhood: Pollença
Son Brull’s new Villa Suites are just the ticket for a superluxe family holiday – they each come with their own private pool and garden and have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The hotel also has a large communal pool, plus a gourmet restaurant and spa. Kids over six can join the “multi-adventure camp” activities, which include kayaking, canyoning and zip wiring, while cots, baby baths and listeners are provided for babies, as well as a babysitting service.
Rooms from €260 (£238)
sonbrull.com
Best for entertainment: Tui Family Life Mallorca Mar
Neighbourhood: Cala Bona
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Bringing the baby? Tui’s Family Life Mallorca Mar has facilities and activities for even the smallest guests, including music and storytelling sessions and a crèche. Clubs for older kids (ages 3-15) run both day and night, and there’s a family show every evening to bring everyone together. Rooms are designed for families, with separate lounges and kitchenettes and the buffet restaurant has plenty of child-friendly options.
Seven nights from £686pp all inclusive
tui.co.uk
Best for family unity: Sunwing Cala Bona Beach
Neighbourhood: Cala Bona
The beachfront Sunwing Cala Bona encourages families to relax together, with family yoga sessions, family volleyball and a spa offering mini manicures and massages so parent and child can be pampered together. The buffet restaurant is free for under 12s when they dine with an adult and the apartments are spacious enough to accommodate the whole brood, with additional pull-out beds and a kitchenette.
Seven nights from £1,662 self-catering for a family of four
thomascook.com
