HM Tropical

A well-located hotel with a standout beach and pool, friendly staff, and clean facilities, but with some room for improvement when it comes to dining, drink prices, and room size for a family of three.

Location Located right on the beachfront, about a 10-minute taxi ride from the airport. Carretera de L'Arenal, where the hotel sits, has plenty of shops and restaurants (you may want to walk to Can Pastilla or East of the hotel if you look for good options), and there's a supermarket right across from the main entrance with the essentials (sunscreen, drinks, etc.). A great base for anyone who doesn't want to rely on a car.

Reception and check-in/check-out Quick, hassle-free process. Young staff, friendly and helpful. Pool/beach towels are exchanged for free three times a week, though they're a bit small.

Room The mattresses are comfortable and the pillows medium-fill, the furniture is well kept, and every room has a sea view (front or side). Air conditioning worked well even during a week of intense heat and humidity, and the mini fridge cools effectively (capacity for around 20 x 0.5L bottles). The main drawback is space: to accommodate 2 adults and a teenager, an extra single bed is added to a room already fitted with two single beds, leaving little room to move around. Soundproofing between rooms and the corridor is also poor, and the blackout curtains aren't effective, letting light through the fabric.

Pool The pool furniture is well maintained, and lifeguard supervision was constant, helpful, and friendly. On the other hand, there's a clear abuse of sunbed reserving from the usual selfish guests with towels/objects left before 10am — a practice that's explicitly banned but not enforced by the hotel. Access between the pool and the beach is unrestricted, with no key-card control from the room, which could also be improved.

Beach A huge stretch of sand that handles crowds well, even on busy days. Cleaning is done daily, though some plastic and cigarette butts left behind by inconsiderate Neanderthals still turn up. The water is warm with little swell, though not as clear and transparent as on the north side of the island. Access to the beach from the hotel pool is direct, about 30 metres away.

Breakfast Average continental buffet, varied in the essentials — cold cuts, hot dishes, and fruit. One drawback: the juice machine only serves from concentrate, a shame given the region's strong local orange production.

Snack bar / pool bar / food truck Pleasant, tasty food (pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, sharing plates), with good Estrella Galicia beer. Prices, however, are a bit steep.

Restaurant (dinner) The space is generous, allowing guests to move around and serve themselves without bumping into each other, and themed dinners add some variety to the buffet. On the downside, there's no à la carte option, and drink prices are out of line. Food quality and preparation are middling — even the regional dishes at themed dinners aren't faithful to the original recipe — and the range of ice creams and desserts is limited, with no regional sweets on offer. Opening hours, though, are quite generous.

Sky bar The weak point of the stay: excessive drink prices for the quality on offer, a lack of ingredient stock that limited choices, and a bartender who didn't know how to make an Hendrick's and didn't even have the right glass for gin.

Elevators Insufficient for the number of guests, small, and not air-conditioned.

General cleanliness A strong point: all areas, indoor and outdoor, were consistently clean and tidy, with efficient housekeeping and maintenance teams. Rooms are cleaned and tidied daily.

Extra facilities WiFi is free and worked without interruption even with the hotel nearly full, with good network coverage. There's outdoor parking exclusive to guests (public parking nearby tends to be full). The gym wasn't tested during this stay. There's no evening entertainment after dinner — understandable given the hotel's focus on peace and quiet for guests, but some live music until 11pm on select days could boost guest engagement (and drink sales for the hotel).

Conclusion and recommendation HM Tropical delivers well on the l essentials of a family beach holiday: excellent location, quality pool and beach, exemplary cleanliness, and attentive staff. The main areas for improvement are sunbed management, room sizing for 3 people, the value for money of paid extras (snack bar and sky bar), and the average quality of the dinner buffet. Recommended for families looking mainly for beach, pool, and tranquillity, some island tours (Palma, Valdemossa, Sóller, SA Calobra, Playa Mayor, Formentor...) with moderate expectations regarding food. For those who place high value on the dining experience or need to accommodate 3 people with more space, it's worth confirming the room type in advance or looking for other options.

Very good hotel, very clean. Beautifull pool. Staff takes towels of the beds from people who lay it there early in the morning. Very good!