Hotel Nixe Palace ★★★★★

I am travelling alone this time and felt a small pang of regret as I drove from the airport, breathing in the salty air through the taxi window, as immediately this seems an ideal place for lovers. Yet as I begin to draw closer to the hotel, I begin to see others like myself, groups of friends and families, and I realise perhaps Mallorca's romance is for anyone and everyone, to be enjoyed in any way they wish. By the time we pull up in front of the vast, majestic façade adorned by elegant balconies, and an attentive gentleman rushes down to help me with my bags and usher me into the gleaming lobby with a wide, genial smile, I feel quite at ease. In fact, I feel quite special. I might be an ambassador arriving from Switzerland to meet the local Minister of Culture, or a princess travelling incognito for a quiet retreat. Certainly the way I am treated upon arriving does nothing to dispel this pleasant illusion, and so I allow myself to secretly keep playing my little game. I am privately prepared to have my bubble burst at any moment and to land with a gentle bump back to earth... But it doesn't happen.

I am shown to my room by an equally charming young man, who leaves me with nothing to carry but my hand bag. Assuring me that should I need anything at all, I should not hesitate to ask, he gives a friendly, courteous nod and leaves me to take in my surroundings. I am in a crisp, clean, white room, unpretentious and sophisticated, and for all its simplicity it is simmering with discreet, five-star luxury. A brilliant bleached light is streaming in through the sheer glass doors that lead out onto my own private terrace, and just beyond that, sparkling in an impossible blue, the Mediterranean Sea! I can't help grinning broadly to myself as I bound across, forgetting my dainty princess steps, to leap out into the dazzling sun, taking in deep lungfuls of sea air. From here I can now see the beach and my heart does another little skip for joy – soft, white sand, practically deserted, gently lapping waves and all just a stone's throw away from the hotel. I can't wait to grab my towel and dive in to that gorgeous water! But first I want to explore my bedroom properly, and I am supremely satisfied with my findings. I discover a flat screen television with satellite (although I doubt I will want to make use of it with such views outside my window to gaze at), mini-bar, safe, sumptuous complimentary bath products and - most importantly – a bathtub! A long, hot soak before dinner after a day in the sea is guaranteed.

I can no longer wait and a few minutes later I am outside again, but I am stopped short by the pool. Now, I am not usually the kind to prioritise a swimming pool over the sea, and the latter will always be my preference should I be made to choose. But here I don't have to choose - I can have it all, and that cheeky little glimmer glancing of the crystalline surface beckons me in, just for a quick taster, just for a fair point of comparison... When I see another guest who has already succumbed to its charms, sipping a cocktail on one of the deckchairs, I crumble. Moments later, Martini in hand, I am doing just the same, dangling my feet in the pool and allowing the delicious, late summer warmth to soak into my English skin. This is the life...

I eventually make it to the beach in time for a delicious evening swim, watching the golds turn to red reflected on the horizon. By nightfall I am starving, and feeling too lazy to venture further afield than the hotel's own 'A Popa' restaurant, I am delighted to find the food lives up to the exquisite high standards that the Nixe Palace boasts everywhere else. It serves up fresh ingredients from the local market, and fish that seems to have been caught just moments before being cooked to perfection and ceremoniously placed before you. I sleepily wend my way to my room and when I sink into the plush pillows of my marvellously comfortable bed, I fall instantly and soundly asleep.

Morning dawns and I blearily make the effort to catch the last of the breakfast served on the terrace. I am glad I did once I see the splendid buffet spread out before me and I greedily tuck in. One would never have thought that I had dined on a full three-course meal just hours before - it must be the sea air! Despite the wonderful wake-up, I am not a morning person so I decide to take it slow. As the pace I have already set myself can hardly be called fast, I have but one option to slow it down even further, and that is to indulge in my VeryChic free entrance to the hotel spa. I have never even heard of an 'Aromatherapy Shower' before but now I can't get enough of it! I spend hours alternating between this, the hydromassage circuit and the Turkish bath, and I don't move from there until the afternoon sun competes with the gentle warmth of the heated lounger set out on the solarium. It's then that I realise I should probably do something else with my day. My reluctance to tear myself away from the pampering privileges of the spa is short-lived as I step out to explore more of this beautiful island. It really is stunning, and combining such a paradisiacal setting with the regal relaxation of the Hotel Nixe Palace, this truly is a retreat fit for a princess!