Hotel del Almirante

About Hotel del Almirante

Hotel del Almirante suits travellers who want the Menorcan capital close at hand rather than a resort strip. The hotel stands in Maó (Mahón), 1.2 km from the town centre and 1.4 km from the harbour, so a morning coffee or an evening walk by the water is a short hop rather than a day out. Couples, small families and anyone touring the island by car get a calm base with a pool and free parking to come back to.

The stay is a straightforward three-star one, with a garden, an outdoor pool and pool bar, a restaurant and bars, a library and a terrace, all listed among the facilities. A guest score of 4.5 out of 5 from 302 reviews is recorded for the hotel. For a first visit to Menorca it is practical: the airport is 5.7 km away and Es Castell 1.3 km along the harbour. Travellers arriving late will find lifts, a safe and luggage storage listed.

Location: Es Castell

Maó (Mahón) is the Menorcan capital, built above a natural harbour about 5 km long, one of the largest in the Mediterranean. British rule for most of the 18th century left Georgian windows in the town and a gin tradition that still shapes its bars. Hotel del Almirante sits on the road towards the harbour mouth, with Es Castell, the old barracks town, 1.3 km away and the harbour boat trips 0.8 km from the door.

The town centre is walkable at 1.2 km, and so is the port at 1.4 km, which makes dinner in Maó and a stroll back realistic on a warm evening. Beyond that, a car or the island buses make sense: La Mola fortress is 2.9 km away, Sant Lluís 4.2 km and S'Albufera des Grau 7.3 km. High summer brings steady traffic into the capital and full car parks; in the shoulder months the harbour is quiet and some seasonal places shut.

Rooms and facilities

Couples tend to use Hotel del Almirante as a quiet base, and the listed facilities reflect that: a library, a terrace, a garden and an outdoor pool with a pool bar for the end of the day. Families get space in the garden and lifts instead of stairs, and the restaurant and bars mean dinner does not need a drive into town. Wheelchair access, a safe and a smoking area are also listed.

Practical points are worth settling before arrival. Confirm check-in and check-out times, pool and restaurant hours, and whether a cot or extra bed can be added for a child. Ask about parking space in July and August, how the bicycle hire works and what the laundry and dry cleaning service covers. Late arrivals should tell Hotel del Almirante in advance so that reception expects them, and luggage storage helps with an early arrival.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 5.7 km south-west of Maó in straight-line terms, so the transfer to Hotel del Almirante is a short one. Taxis wait at the terminal and hire cars are booked ahead. Island buses serve Maó, with extra lines in summer; check the island bus operator for times and stops before relying on one with luggage. Free car parking at the hotel suits a hire car.

From the port, Hotel del Almirante is 1.4 km away, a walk of a few minutes with light luggage or a short ride. Maó centre is 1.2 km off, Es Castell 1.3 km and Sant Lluís 4.2 km, so the hotel works for a ferry arrival as well as a late flight. Ferries from Maó to Barcelona and Palma are fewer in winter: check the operators for the current timetable before fixing dates.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

Three sights sit close to Hotel del Almirante. A boat trip round Maó harbour starts 0.8 km away, the 19th-century La Mola fortress at the harbour mouth is 2.9 km off, and S'Albufera des Grau, the wetland at the core of the Biosphere Reserve, is 7.3 km away. Sant Lluís, a white village of windmills, is 4.2 km from the hotel and makes an easy half-day.

Food on Menorca is tied to the sea and the dairy farms. Caldereta de llagosta, a lobster stew, belongs to the fishing village of Fornells on the north coast, and Mahón-Menorca cheese has a protected designation of origin, so it appears on most menus. Maó's gin tradition dates from British rule and shows in the town's bars, 1.2 km from Hotel del Almirante. Book a table in high summer.

A day from Hotel del Almirante

Start with the walk into Maó (Mahón), 1.2 km from Hotel del Almirante, for coffee and the streets above the harbour, then drop down to the port, 1.4 km away. A boat trip round the harbour, which starts 0.8 km from the hotel, shows how the water folds into the land. Lunch at the hotel restaurant leaves the afternoon free for the pool and the garden.

In the afternoon, drive or take a taxi to La Mola fortress, 2.9 km away, where the 19th-century walls guard the harbour mouth, or continue 7.3 km to S'Albufera des Grau for the dunes, lagoon and birdlife. Return to Es Castell, 1.3 km from Hotel del Almirante, for a drink by the water, then back for dinner and the terrace as the harbour lights come on.

Practical tips

Hotel del Almirante is best used between spring and autumn: much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so confirm the hotel's own opening dates before booking, and expect peak crowds in July and August. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is collected by Hotel del Almirante for each person for each night of the stay; the Govern de les Illes Balears sets the rates, which move with the season and the length of stay, and children under 16 are exempt.

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