Santa Ponsa Hotels – Iberostar Hotel Jardin del Sol Review

Iberostar Hotel Jardin del Sol Review ****

This hotel is beats many of the other Santa Ponsa hotels hands-down, if the reviews are anything to go by.

At the time of writing, the hotel is rated first out of 40 Santa Ponsa hotels over on Trip Advisor, with 86% rating it excellent or very good out of a total of 93 reviews, and a whopping 85% recommending it, which means basically that you are extremely likely to enjoy your stay here.

Note that this is an adult-only hotel – all guests need to have a minimum age of 14.  Of course, this means no noise from children, so it may suit you better if you are looking for a bit of peace and quiet.

Board basis here can be anything – choose room only, B&B, half-board – all the way up to all-inclusive.  My advice as usual is to get at least dinner included as it offers such good value when compared to room-only or B&B, even if you eat out sometimes.

Santa Ponsa hotels Jardin del Sol

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is it?

The hotel is an an outstanding location, built into the cliff side so that every room gets a panoramic view over Santa Ponsa bay.  Thanks to some steps and a rope handrail, you can clamber down the rocks quite easily to go for a dip in the wonderfully clear waters of the bay – especially refreshing in the early morning, to give you an appetite or perhaps an excuse for that lavish cooked breakfast!

The main sandy beach and town centre of Santa Ponsa is about a 10-minute walk away – you can walk down the quiet road from the hotel for a few minutes and then cut down to the path than runs along the side of the bay to get there, which is a very pleasant walk.

Being just 31km from Palma airport, transfer time is nice and short.

What’s the food like?

The standard and choice of dishes is very much up to the standard you would expect from a four-star Iberostar hotel – and by that, I mean pretty bloomin’ good!  Iberostar always know how to run a good buffet-style restaurant and this one is no exception.  Don’t go thinking you will get this standard of food at all of the other Santa Ponsa hotels!

Dinner is served on a buffet basis from 6:45 pm to 9:30 pm in the Restaurante Panorámico Bellevue, where you will find a massive salad bar, plenty of freshly-cooked meat and fish including steak, a good choice for vegetarians and some local cuisine for good measure.  Don’t be surprised if one or two unexpected celebrity dishes show up either – fresh lobster has been known to make a guest appearance, for example, and I have it on good authority that if you are really well-behaved you get to see the famous “chocolate fountain”!

The same dining room is used for a breakfast service that is just as impressive as the dinner, available from 7:45 am to 10:30 am.

The pool bar serves snacks during the day, by the pool as its name suggests, and is more than enough to keep you satisfied between the massive breakfast and dinner services.

How do the rooms compare to other Santa Ponsa hotels?

Santa Ponsa Hotels Jardin del Sol Room

The hotel has 261 rooms, renovated in 2007, arranged in two linked buildings, and I have to tell you that the hotel’s customers really rave about the accommodation here.

There are four classes of room:

60 Junior Suites
19 Junior Suites “Honey Moon”
114 Senior Suites
27 Senior Suites “Panorama”

Even the bright and spacious Junior Suites at this hotel, the least expensive rooms, look significantly better than you get in most other Santa Ponsa hotels, judging by the many very complimentary reviews.

The rooms are well-equipped, having a safe (for a small charge), a flat screen TV with satellite channels, air conditioning, a minibar.  Every room is fitted with a luxurious double-size jacuzzi in the bathroom.  Mmmmm..

Oh, and watch out in the bathroom – one guest said the “power shower nearly gave me whiplash”.

The Junior Suites “Honeymoon” and the Senior Suites “Panorama” have an unusual feature of a Balinese canopied bed on the balcony, so you can take a nap in the cool shade on those hot summer afternoons. Just don’t make a habit of it, OK – your holiday will be over soon enough and you don’t want to say that all you did was eat and sleep.  Do you?

What’s outside?

In front of the hotel buildings, right on the edge of the sea, you will find a good sized swimming pool, well heated according to one customer, and furnished with with plenty of sunbeds so there really is NO need to reserve your spot – just relax and enjoy.

Like several other Santa Ponsa hotels built into the cliff on this side of the bay, the Jardin del Sol actually does not have much actual “jardin”, because of the terrain – but what it lacks in palm-covered terraces it makes up for in sheer panoramic views and direct access to the crystal-clear waters of the bay – there is nothing between the hotel and the rocky coastline.

Do they have Internet access?

Yes.  Unlike many Santa Ponsa hotels, rooms at the Jardin del Sol have wireless internet access available, on a pre-paid basis.  There is also free WIFI in the hall and a cyber café where you can use the PCs, for a charge paid at the terminal.

Are the staff friendly?

The people working in Santa Ponsa hotels are, I would say, a friendly bunch on the whole, but the team at the Jardin del Sol really do seem to be able and very willing to go that extra mile and reach that point where people actually remember them as friends when they get home. In the restaurant, the charming Veten and the lovely Katerina, “who always had a smile on her face”, seem to have made a real difference.  Patricia and Carmen on reception also get a fond mention.

What leisure facilities are on offer?

Entertainment in the hotel is lower key than in some of the other Santa Ponsa hotels, featuring duo singers rather than full-on shows.  If you want something livelier, there is a square just down the road where there is live (free) entertainment each evening in the summer and you can sit watching it at one of the many bars surrounding the square.  The tribute bands are pretty good there, with the “Rod Stewart” being a particular favourite!

Back to the hotel, there is an excellent spa offering massages and health treatments, which, although a little on the expensive side, are said by reviewers who tried them to be well worth the money.  A sauna, solarium, steam room and gym are also on offer here, and for the more sporty, free kayaking and scuba diving activities are available.  The hotel also works with local guides offering walking and cycling tours – the hotel is well-known for this.

Overall, the leisure package on offer here seems pretty good when compared with other similar class Santa Ponsa hotels.

Insider Tips

“The senior suites have a separate bedroom, so if you prefer one big open-plan room, which can seem more spacious, stick with a junior suite.”
“A coach from the airport can stop at a lot of hotels on the way and take a long time – if you want to get here faster, a taxi will cost 40 euros and get you there in 30 minutes.”

Verdict

This has to be one of the most impressive of the Santa Ponsa hotels, certainly amongst the top of its class and offering an awful lot for the money – more than you will get for the same money elsewhere.  In line with most of the customer reviews, I rate this hotel highly – nine out of ten.

You’ll find the best deals and live availability on this and other hotels in Santa Ponsa here: Santa Ponsa Hotels