On arrival the reception was fairly cold with no eye contact and a more official rather than friendly welcome. We were given a lightening tour of the hotel and then shown to our room with a belated offer to carry luggage for us.
We stayed in room 3, a reasonable sized room with three windows giving a spectacular view of the bay. There was a small two seater sofa and a separate chair so the view could be appreciated in comfort. The room was very quiet and the bed was large and comfortable. Although we rarely use the TV when away the screen on this one is too small.
The location and surrounding area are stunning and we could lie in bed and listen to the waves. It is also sufficiently private to leave some curtains open.
Bathroom is dated with a cast iron enamelled bath which has lost its shine, has a makeshift seal to the tiles and old style taps with a not very powerful shower above it. For this standard of room a better quality bathroom and power shower would be more in keeping. The loo seat is probably the cheapest white plastic version available and you need to be a contortionist to reach the loo roll. The cistern has obviously been replaced as there is wallpaper and paint missing where the old one had been mounted. A metal corner unit above the sink for holding toiletries is bent and it was awkward to stand anything upright on the bottom shelf. Also the radiator could do with a fresh coat of paint.
A fruit bowl with an apple and orange was on the coffee table. Unfortunately the apple was bad and inedible so only the orange was eaten. Next day the replacement fruit was a good apple but a questionable orange.
Wardrobe doors do not close easily and it became a work of art to shut them, also a bedside table drawer was difficult to open as the handle was missing.
Housekeeping is generally good but there were a few small signs of incomplete hoovering.
Dinner is an absolute pleasure. The chef is excellent, waiting staff professional, and there is a good table d’hôte choice. If this is not enough there is also an a la carte option. Each course was professionally presented with wonderful combinations of flavours washed down with an excellent selection of reasonably priced wines.
Breakfast offers plenty of choice and everything is obviously cooked to order – if any comment could be made then a fresh fruit salad option would be the only improvement.
The hotel owners have a hands on approach and organise and direct the staff to give an efficient service to the guests. Just one point though I thought it was out of order to chastise a waitress in public.
Overall the experience of Balcary Bay is good. The location is stunning, the local area has much to offer, it is totally relaxing, food is excellent. But Room 3 needs a makeover.