Bahia del Sol Review: Our 10-Day All-Inclusive Stay in Santa Ponsa
Choosing a hotel for a family holiday can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re booking from afar. We recently spent 10 nights at the Bahia del Sol in Santa Ponsa, Mallorca, staying all-inclusive in July 2025. After experiencing everything this 4-star hotel has to offer, we wanted to share our honest thoughts to help other families make an informed decision.
Located just 200 metres from Santa Ponsa’s beautiful beach, the Bahia del Sol promises a blend of comfort, convenience, and Spanish hospitality. But how does it actually measure up? Here’s our complete Bahia Del Sol review covering everything from the food and facilities to the rooms and location. This is not in collaboration with the hotel; I just wanted to share our experience.
Location and First Impressions
The Bahia del Sol sits in an excellent spot in Santa Ponsa, just a five-minute walk from the beach, local shops, and restaurants. This prime location means you’re never far from the action, whether you fancy a morning swim in the Mediterranean or an evening stroll through the resort’s bustling streets. The strip in Santa Ponsa is around a 10-15 minute walk. There is a Scottish pub, The Jaggy Thistle, just a 5-minute walk from the hotel, which does some great drinks. If you need food for a day out or travelling home, then I recommend the Baguette shop just a couple of doors down from The Jaggy Thistle.
Driving to the hotel was straightforward, though there’s something important to note about the parking. While the hotel offers free parking (a real bonus), the car park isn’t close to the main entrance. The car park’s what3words is “season.dimension.outrank” if you want to take a look. Santa Ponsa is built on hills, so there are quite a few steps and slopes between where you park and the hotel reception.
This is equivalent to around 8 floors, so a fair distance as the steps are uneven and some of it has no steps, just a slope! We learned this the hard way and would recommend dropping your bags at the entrance before moving your car. Trust us, carrying anything up those steps isn’t fun!
The Bahia Del Sol hotel itself makes a good first impression with its clean, modern front and welcoming entrance. The staff greeted us warmly from the moment we arrived, setting a positive tone for our stay.
Room Experience: Junior Suite
We stayed in a junior suite designed for three people – myself, my partner Stuart, and our 19-year-old son Ben. The room had lovely views and was well-designed, but there are a few things potential guests should know.
The junior suite features two single beds pushed together to create a double (standard practice in many European hotels) plus a sofa bed made into a small double. Both sleeping areas are in the same room with just a divider between them, so privacy is minimal.
For our family, this arrangement worked fine, but it might not suit everyone, especially if you’re travelling with friends or older children who value their space.
The balcony offered nice views of the surrounding area and had two chairs (oddly, just two despite the room being for three people). The bathroom was modern, and the room was kept clean throughout our stay by the lovely housekeeping team.
Food and Dining: A Mixed Experience
The dining situation at Bahia del Sol is where our experience became more complicated. The hotel’s restaurant is large and spacious – we never struggled to find a table, regardless of when we went for meals. The food was consistently replenished, so whether you’re an early or late diner, you’ll find the same variety available.
For most guests, the food selection seemed reasonable for those with no restrictions and who like most things, with a good variety of dishes. However, as a vegetarian, I found the options quite disappointing. Many dishes that could easily have been made without meat had meat added unnecessarily. For example, there was pizza available at lunchtime every day, but only once in our 10-day stay was there a vegetarian option; most days it was tuna. Similarly, dishes like mushroom rice contained chicken, and the chickpea stew included sausages.
Most days, my vegetarian choices were limited to cheese, salad, chips, plain pasta (sometimes with cheese sauce), and bread. For a 10-day holiday, this became quite monotonous.
The food choices seemed to cater more to Spanish and German tastes than British preferences, with lots of fish dishes and types of sausages that aren’t commonly eaten in the UK. While we understood we were in Spain and didn’t expect a thoroughly British menu, it was sometimes limiting. Other British guests we spoke to mentioned similar feelings.
We did hear some complaints about undercooked chicken during our stay, though we didn’t experience this ourselves. Given the volume of diners, such issues seemed rare and probably shouldn’t be a major concern.
Pool and Facilities
The Bahia Del Sol has two outdoor swimming pools, though they’re on the smaller side and can get quite busy, especially during peak hours. The pools are adequate for a refreshing dip, but don’t expect lots of space for serious swimming. The image below was taken early in the day, by around lunchtime in summer, the majority of the pool is in the sun.
The pool area includes a decent-sized area with plenty of sun loungers, though getting a good spot requires an early start during busy periods. There is also an area with tables and chairs, more like for drinking and dining. I prefer this for sitting and reading to sun loungers, so this was perfect for me. The pools were well-maintained and clean throughout our stay.
There is also a spa area at the Bahia Del Sol open 8 am-8 pm, but treatments need to be booked in advance. We did not try this, but I did snap a few photos for you. There is also an indoor pool, but given it was the height of summer, it was empty as everyone was enjoying the sun. The Sauna was turned off, as they said no one uses it when it is so hot outside. The below shows the prices when I visited in July 2025.
All-Inclusive Package: What’s Included and What Costs Extra
The all-inclusive package at Bahia del Sol covers meals and a reasonable selection of drinks. The drinks variety was pretty good – we never felt restricted by the options available at the main bar.
A few drinks we enjoyed during our stay that were included are: Cruzcampo beer, Coke Zero, Fanta lemon and orange, gin, vodka, rum, wine and a selection of cocktails (lumumba, Calpirinha, Hugo, Tequila Sunrise, Bloody Mary, Tom Collins, Sangria, Cuba Libre and even non alcoholic San Francisco).
If you are looking for prices of drinks at Bahia Del Sol then this is a photo of the drinks menu for the standard bar (not the sky bar) when we visited in July 2025.
However, there’s an important caveat about the Bahia Del Sol Sky Bar. This rooftop bar offers lovely views over Santa Ponsa, but drinks here aren’t included in the all-inclusive package. A bottle of beer costs €3.50 and a bottle of Coke Zero is €3.00, which are reasonable prices, but it’s worth knowing in advance. The Sky Bar also only opens at 6 pm.
One thing that caught us off guard was the payment system. Throughout the hotel, including the Sky Bar, you can’t pay for extras with cash. Everything must be paid by card or added to your room bill. This wasn’t a problem for us, but it’s worth knowing if you prefer to use cash for extras. You can, however, pay cash at reception for any extras when you check out.
Entertainment and Atmosphere
The Bahia Del Sol’s entertainment programme is fairly basic for adults. Singers are performing three nights a week, but they’re standard hotel singers – nothing particularly special or memorable. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, which suited us fine.
There seemed to be more entertainment options for children, and we must mention Sarah, the entertainment coordinator, who was lovely and genuinely friendly with all the guests.
Staff and Service
This is where the Bahia del Sol really shines. The staff throughout the hotel were consistently friendly and helpful. From reception to housekeeping to the restaurant staff, everyone was professional and went out of their way to make guests feel welcome. The service felt genuinely warm rather than just polite, which made a real difference to our overall experience. A few names I remember as standing out were Raquel, Kristel, Vanessa and Juan, but to be honest, they were all amazing!
What We Loved About Bahia del Sol
Excellent Location: Being so close to the beach, shops, and restaurants was incredibly convenient. The five-minute walk to Santa Ponsa beach meant we could easily pop back and forth throughout the day. There is also a beautiful little cove a 5-minute walk away (image above) from Bahia Del Sol. The location of this can be found from the approximate what3words “directions.universal.caravans” so hopefully this will help you find it.
Friendly Staff: Every member of staff we encountered was helpful and welcoming. This kind of service can make or break a holiday, and the team here definitely enhanced our stay.
Clean and Well-Maintained: The hotel was spotless throughout, from the rooms to the public areas. Housekeeping did an excellent job keeping everything tidy.
Good Drink Selection: The all-inclusive drinks package offered plenty of variety, and we never felt restricted in our choices.
Free Parking: While the location of the car park has its challenges, having free parking for 10 days was a requirement for us.
Room Views: Our junior suite had lovely views, and the room was well-designed and comfortable.
Areas for Improvement
Limited Vegetarian Options: The dining options for vegetarians need serious improvement. Many dishes could easily be made veggie-friendly with minor changes.
Pool Size: The pools are quite small for a hotel of this size and can feel crowded during busy periods.
Sky Bar Pricing Structure: It would be nice if Sky Bar drinks were included in the all-inclusive package, or at least if there was one free drink for all-inclusive guests.
Room Layout: The junior suite setup with minimal privacy between sleeping areas won’t work for everyone.
Payment Restrictions: The inability to pay cash for extras might inconvenience some guests.
Is Bahia del Sol Worth It?
Despite some drawbacks, we had a lovely stay at the Bahia del Sol. The hotel’s strengths – particularly its location, cleanliness, and staff – outweigh most of its weaknesses.
This hotel would suit families looking for a convenient base in Santa Ponsa, couples wanting a relaxed holiday atmosphere, and anyone who values good service and a prime location. However, vegetarians might want to consider other options, and families needing more privacy in their accommodation should think carefully about the room layouts.
The Bahia del Sol offers solid value for money, especially considering its location and the quality of service. While it’s not the most luxurious hotel in Mallorca, it provides a comfortable, clean, and well-located base for exploring Santa Ponsa and the surrounding area.
Practical Tips for Future Guests
If you’re considering a stay at the Bahia del Sol, here are some practical tips based on our experience:
- Drop your luggage at the main entrance before parking your car if you are driving
- Bring cards for any extras, as cash isn’t accepted or pay at the end of the stay
- Vegetarians should consider bringing some snacks or be prepared for limited options however be aware there is no kettle in the room for things like Pot Noodles
- The Sky Bar is lovely for sunset drinks, but budget extra for the non-inclusive pricing
- Early morning pool visits give you the best chance of finding good sun lounger spots
Final Thoughts: A Solid Choice for Santa Ponsa
The Bahia del Sol may not be perfect, but it delivers on the essentials: a great location, clean facilities, and genuinely friendly service. For a family holiday in Santa Ponsa, these factors matter more than having the biggest pool or the most elaborate entertainment programme.
Would we stay here again? Probably, yes – though we’d pack some vegetarian-friendly snacks next time! The hotel provides a comfortable base for exploring one of Mallorca’s most popular resorts, and the staff’s genuine warmth made our holiday feel special.
If you’re looking for a well-located, reasonably priced hotel in Santa Ponsa with good service and clean facilities, the Bahia del Sol deserves serious consideration. Just go in with realistic expectations about the food options and room layouts, and you’re likely to have a lovely holiday.
