Starbal Love

About Starbal Love

Starbal Love is a four-star hotel at 18 Carrer Georgetown Son Vilar, on the edge of Es Castell and close to the mouth of Maó harbour. It suits couples who want the capital within walking distance, families who need space and a pool, and anyone who prefers free parking and a garden to a resort address. Es Castell sits about 0.9 km away and Maó about 1.5 km.

Four stars, a hotel rather than an apartment block, and a list that leans towards practical comfort: air conditioning, free wifi, an outdoor pool, a solarium and a garden with a picnic area. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all appear among the listed services, so a car is not needed for every meal. Guests who want to cook occasionally will find kitchen and kitchenette equipment in the room inventory.

Location: Es Castell

Es Castell grew as a Georgian barracks town at the harbour mouth, and its streets of sash windows and low houses still sit above a small cove port. The tone is residential and quiet compared with the south coast resorts. From Starbal Love, Es Castell is about 0.9 km away, Maó about 1.5 km, Maó port about 1.7 km and Sant Lluís, the white village of windmills, about 3.9 km.

Much of what a stay needs is walkable: the Es Castell waterfront, the harbour path and the streets of Maó all sit within a couple of kilometres of Starbal Love. The climb up to Maó is steady rather than steep, and a bus or taxi covers it on a hot day. High summer brings harbour crowds and full car parks; May, June, September and October feel calmer and easier to move around.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at Starbal Love are equipped for both short and longer stays. The listed inventory includes air conditioning, a desk, a safe, a TV, a hairdryer, bathrobes and toiletries, plus kitchen or kitchenette equipment with a microwave, refrigerator and toaster in some categories. Family rooms, sofa beds, cots and high chairs cover couples with young children, and there is a washing machine for anyone travelling light across a fortnight.

Confirm the room type before booking: kitchenettes, sofa beds and terraces vary between categories, and the same goes for non-smoking rooms, since a smoking area is listed separately. Pets are allowed, so say at the time of booking if one is travelling. Express check-in, cleaning, laundry, bike hire and car hire all appear as services, and it is worth asking Starbal Love how each is arranged.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) lies about 5.6 km south-west of Starbal Love, a short ride by taxi or hire car. Buses run from the airport to Maó, and the capital is about 1.5 km from the hotel, so the last stretch is a walk, a taxi or a local bus. A shuttle service is listed among the hotel's facilities; ask about its route and hours before booking a transfer.

From Maó port, about 1.7 km away, ferries leave for Barcelona and Palma, and Ciutadella in the west has its own crossings to Barcelona and Alcúdia on Mallorca. Arriving by sea leaves a short hop to the address on Carrer Georgetown Son Vilar. Sant Lluís is about 3.9 km away and Es Castell about 0.9 km. Buses are more frequent in summer, and flights and ferries thin out in winter, so check times with the operators.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

La Mola, the 19th-century fortress that guards the harbour mouth, is about 2.7 km from Starbal Love, and a boat trip round Maó harbour picks up about 1 km away. The S'Albufera des Grau Natural Park, the core of the Biosphere Reserve with its lagoon, dunes and birdlife, is about 7.8 km off. The hotel lists a beach nearby rather than a seafront position, so ask which cove it uses.

South of Es Castell, the Migjorn coast has white sand coves under pine, from Cala en Porter and Son Bou to Cala Macarella and Cala Turqueta, all reached by car or seasonal bus. Inland, Es Mercadal sits under Monte Toro, about 358 m high, and Ciutadella holds the cathedral, palaces and the Naveta des Tudons. On the plate, look for Mahón-Menorca cheese with its protected designation of origin and the gin tradition left by British rule.

A day from Starbal Love

Start with a swim in the outdoor pool or a walk down to Es Castell, about 0.9 km, for coffee by the cove port. Mid-morning, take the boat trip round Maó harbour, which departs about 1 km from Starbal Love, then climb to La Mola fortress, about 2.7 km away, for the harbour view. Lunch back at the hotel keeps the afternoon free for the solarium or the garden.

Late afternoon suits Maó: the cathedral, the Georgian windows and the harbour terraces are about 1.5 km from Starbal Love, an easy walk or a short taxi. For a longer outing, drive to S'Albufera des Grau, about 7.8 km away, and follow the paths by the lagoon towards the Favàritx cape. Evenings are quiet in Es Castell, with dinner listed at the hotel as an alternative to going out.

Practical tips

Much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, though Maó and Es Castell stay open all year, so check Starbal Love's own opening dates before booking a winter break. July and August are the peak, with the harbour at its busiest and car parks filling early. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation; the rate depends on the type of accommodation and the season, falls in low season and for longer stays, and children under 16 are exempt. Check current rates with the Govern de les Illes Balears.

Questions about Starbal Love