The hotel is situated in a quiet backstreet of this modest medieval Mallorcan town in the centre of the island. The lady owner Noelia was a most considerate hostess and having taken advantage of an off-season deal we stayed in the S'Enredadera room which suited us just fine.

Everything was very clean (with one minor reservation - read on) and it was a lovely touch to receive a cold bottle of mineral water each evening for that welcome overnight sip. The only niggle which I did not bother raising with Noelia was that the jacuzzi bath (which would only work when the built-in sensor noted that the water level was very high) had clearly not had its pipes cleaned for a while: when I tried it out, it belched out quite a bit of brown gunk! I still consider this minor.

Breakfast. Oh, breakfast! Served in the courtyard, the choice (made from a list the night before) is wonderful, and it wasn't restricted to "you can have one from here and two from here, and anything more at extra cost..." Fresh fruit, juices and breads were left out, then you chose from boiled, fried or scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, jamon serrano, butifaron, sobrasada, empanada, croissants, chocolate croissants, ensaimada, chocolate brownies, fresh yoghurt, homemade jams. I'm sure I've missed some. We had breakfast late each day and found we couldn't eat again until dinner. One minor gripe? Same mellow background music every morning. Nice though.

The small pool was very clean and refreshing, the sauna clean and for two people, and our deal included a massage also.

Sineu is famous for its vast bustling market on a Wednesday so make sure your hire car is not parked in the wrong place!

The town itself has hardly anything going on - just as we like it. There are a few bars and restaurants, our favourite (for value and proximity) being S'Indic, 2 minutes from the hotel, and if you do get stuck choosing from some of the Mallorcan specialities, the proprietor's wife is English.

Get a hire car from the airport and this central location lets you explore a new place on this beautiful island each day. When you go to Palma, leave the car in Sineu; 5 minutes from the hotel is the railway station. The train to Palma is a 45 minute ride (quite a few stops), takes you to the centre of Palma, and costs (wait for this...) 6.80 Euros. Return. FOR TWO! Now THAT'S how to get people to use public transport.

Noelia's spoken English is quite good and she can play the concierge role too. We didn't try their restaurant for any other meals but the menu looked tempting and if they can produce a breakfast like that...!

Our fist week away without the children, who would have hated this type of trip, and we have not felt so relaxed for a long time. Give Noelia a call before her small number of rooms gets too booked.