Stayed for a week, 21st-28th June 2008. Myself and my best mate are in our early 20's and wanted a cheap, relaxing holiday to get away from it all, and that is what Antares provided. It is situated in the heart of Cala D'or, right next to all the bars and restaurants, and literally a 2 minute walk to the best beach I've ever been on. White sand and crystal clear water, the Cala Gran beach is the best for miles.
Our room was number 211, a twin room, situated on the top floor near the stairwell at the front of the hotel. On arrival we did have to carry out own luggage up the stairs, but if you ask any of the blokes there to help you they will gladly oblige.
The room had a dressing table with mirror, bedside table, 2 chairs and a large wardrobe and draws (all in the pics). There were 2 power outlets, 1 in between the beds which was ideal for our mosquito plug-in. We also had a small balcony with 2 chairs a small table with ashtray and outside light. The rooms at the back of the hotel did have larger balconies, but face the centre of the town (literally opposite) so I don't know if that is to compromise, or what the noise is like. Being in the centre of town do expect traffic noise, but for the location it doesn't really matter. On our first night I was awoken by some drunken English lads having the usual bust up over a girl, but that is the only disturbance we had. There is sometimes some noise from the Hotel Toucan across the street, but their entertainment finishes at 12. My advice is use the hotel bar on Karaoke night! I also found it extremely hot in our room at night, so decided to invest in the air conditioning. It costs 40 Euros per week, with a 20 Euro refundable deposit for the remote. It made our evenings a lot more comfortable, and we used to turn it on low when we went out to the bars so that when we came back in the room was nice and refreshing.
The bathroom was acceptable- the bidet was a little too close to the loo so you had to sit at a slight angle which was awkward, and the door didn't shut or lock. We didn't mention it as it didn't really bother us that much, but I'm sure the staff would've sorted it if we had. The shower head didn't really fit that well either, but the bathroom was cleaned everyday and towels every 2 days, although if you can, take your own- they are the usual Spanish tea-towel size!
The rooftop pool did leave a lot to be desired- there were plenty of sunloungers, but only 2 parasols which I did mention in the evaluation they provided us to fill out. The pool has steps up to it, and is what you'd expect for a small villa. It is also only one depth- I think it was about 1m60- so no shallow end for children. It was good though for a swim about and a cooling off. I guess it didn't help that we could see the pool across the road that looked so much nicer! With Cala Gran 2 minutes away though, we weren't too bothered by it.
The food at the hotel was ok, your standard buffet. I suffer from a wheat intolerance and there was only 1 night I couldn't find something to eat, so we ate out. Breakfast is pretty much the same every morning- a selection of cereals, dried and fresh fruit, yoghurt, bread, croissants, meat and cheese and a 'type' of egg, sausage or bacon and baked beans (depending on the day). Orange and apple juice was provided, as was tea and coffee.
Dinner changed everyday, and the menu was posted outside around lunchtime so that you could see what would be available. There was salad everyday (nicely presented with things like a cucumber shark), a soup of the day (a lot had pasta in which sucked for me as I LOVE soup) and a selection of hot meal choices. The best night there was on offer ribs and cod fillet with a really nice oil and pepper dressing, and the mot delicious mashed potato that was all creamy and melt in the mouth- needless to say it was the tastiest thing I had and I filled up! There were also a good selection of sweets- Crème caramel, melon slices and jelly was on offer pretty much every night, and then alternated between different pastries. Drinks are bought separately.
The hotel has its own bar and cafe that it runs to the general public. The basics are on offer- burger and chips, kebab and chips... and all sorts of drinks, cocktails and spirits. They also serve Ice cream which was really tasty. On arrival we got our drinks there and thought they were a bit pricey- 1.60euros for a can of 7up, 3.00 for a Smirnoff ice, 8 euros for 1l of Sangria- but after looking around Cala D'Or, they definitely are the cheapest and are not stingy on their spirit measures!
The staff are all incredibly friendly and have a great sense of humour. They all speak good English, and Debbie, the receptionist is English and so can translate if it comes to it. She helped me confirm our transfer back from the hotel which was much appreciated! The hotel has a pool table (1euro per play) and a telly with English sky- so in the evening people caught up with their soaps etc if you get withdrawal! We used it to watch the euro2008 football on BBC! The hotel bar stays open till around 2am depending on punters, but it is all very quiet, and also meant you could enjoy the town's not life and stroll back in without having to use the front door key. Generally the people who stayed there when we did were about 80% over 35's.
Cala D'Or is very anglicised in a sense, everyone knows at least basic conversational English and the menus do offer English food. We had the paella at ' La Savina'- it was terrible! It was dry and no crab claw crackers were provided, and half a pint of lemonade cost 3.40 Euros .We don't recommend there! There are loads of bars and restaurant s to choose from, many themed and some even have parrots and plastic jungle animals. The 'Cheers' bar opposite offered a Harry Potter themed menu to entice the kids that were being a tad difficult, and everywhere seems to offer unlimited ribs for between 11-14 euros so shop around. ‘Woody’s English bar’ Karaoke bar is also worth a look if there’s people in there- it does get boring if its empty and the karaoke doesn't start till 11.
The Cala Gran beach is the main beach in Cala D'or, with all sorts of things going on- a glass bottomed catamaran, scuba diving, pedalos with slides... there are also tradesmen that sell on the beach. A guy came round selling all kinds of fruit which was delicious, there are women who sell kaftans and sarongs, hair braiders, and the local restaurants send people round with flyers so you can grab a few discounts. The best time is to get there around 9ish to get the best spots. Sun beds are 11.60 (inc the tax) for two with a parasol and are hired for the whole day. There are cafes toilets and showers also, and the beach has lifeguards.
All in all Antares is perfect if you are not fussy on luxuries and are just looking for a comfortable relaxing holiday. The beach is great and made the holiday for us (although did get sand in my camera and broke it- hence not so many photos!) and everyone is so friendly; and the fact that you are in the centre of town means that you don't have to go far to find any amenities as they are right on your doorstep.