Still deciding on a family holiday destination for a last minute summer break or thinking ahead to next year? Having just got back from our two week family holiday, we would highly recommend this location and hotel!
Where? Viva Sunrise hotel in Alcudia, Mallorca.
Why? It’s quick and easy to travel here from the UK, the beaches and surrounding mountain views are stunning, the weather is glorious (maybe not guaranteed but more so than the UK!!) with a constant cooling breeze and there is loads to do for the kids, both in and outside of the hotel.
We had such a lovely time that I’d like to sing the hotel’s praises in a bit more detail and in doing so, I got a bit carried away and wrote far too much for one post! Therefore, to make it a bit more ‘reader friendly’, I’ve decided to split it and follow-up next week with more detail. So here is how and why we had such a great family holiday where everyone (not just the kids) had a whale of a time!!
Our first morning at breakfast:
The Boy: “Mum! Can I have a chocolate donut?”
Me: “Donut? It’s 8.30 in the morning, we don’t have chocolate for breakfast.”
The Boy: “But there are donuts and cake and pancakes and muffins. They are for breakfast! Can I have one please, please, pleeeeeeeease?”
Me: “Is that Champaign over there (well Cava but still…..)? We’re on holiday so have what you like…….”
So, we’ve just returned from a fab, all inclusive holiday staying at the Viva Sunrise hotel in Alcudia, Mallorca. We stayed on an all inclusive basis though the hotel has other board options available. The hotel is totally set up for young families and was perfect for our lot aged 5,7 & 10. Grandma (my mum) joined us for seven nights mid-holiday, and just paid the ‘up-grade to all-inclusive’ fee per night and stayed in our apartment that slept six anyway. My mum is fab, she’s a very hands-on Grandma and the kids love her! We didn’t tell them that she was coming, smuggled her in and onto a sun-lounger while they were playing, their faces were an absolute treat when they saw her- priceless!! Mum insisted that J and I go out for dinner somewhere outside of the hotel, just the two of us, needless to say, we did. We love you Grandma!!!!!
The hotel rooms and communal areas were kept amazingly clean (with a few exceptions that I’ll get onto later) with cleaners literally sweeping constantly, around eating areas as well as by the pool. The food was the best we have experienced in an all inclusive buffet for both quality and choice, with food and drinks available from somewhere, when ever we wanted it (bar shut at 11pm but with young kids, that was late enough for us!). The kids had plenty to do whether that be playing in the pools, playground or joining the kids club activities including art, cooking, treasure-hunts, performing arts and games. They made loads of friends and generally had a great time! As all parents know, if the kids are having fun, then the parents are too, we didn’t see them for hours at at time- fan-bloody-tastic!!
I’m really not a big drinker and, in all honesty, we probably didn’t get our full monies worth as far as alcohol was concerned but the ‘ease-factor’ of being all-inclusive really made up for that! The fact that the kids could help themselves to ice-lollies and drinks all day or try new foods in small it-doesn’t-matter-if-you-don’t-like-it portions because you can just go and get something else, made it worth it. In fact, it was a really good lesson in portion sizing for the kids as they are old enough to collect food themselves. At first they would go mad and pile up their plates, which is something a lot of people do, but I hate waste, even in this situation and they soon learned to take a little of a few different things and return for more later if necessary. Needless to say, J and I still put on a few pounds with all that gorgeous food around- it would be rude not to!!
It was all too easy to just laze by the pool while the kids burnt off their extra sugar intake, charging around the place! But by the second week, we needed to get out and explore! The beach was a short 5 minute walk away and was a long stretch of glorious golden sand. We walked down to the port along the beach and found that at the end (just before you reach the port), if you don’t mind sitting on your towel under a tree, rather than a lounger with a parasol, it’s quieter, less breezy and the bay creates a shallow mill-pond effect, where the kids can play and I’m not worried that I’ll lose sight of them.
There were also lots of places to eat along the sea front and especially by the port, we only ate out a few times (having paid for the all-inclusive option at the hotel) but it was all good and being a bit snobby when it comes to food, we are not easily pleased! We also bought a few souvenirs in shops around here and if you are looking for something other than the ‘usual tat’ (!) this is the place to come. They were allowed up to €10 each and chose these:
The Boy chose the surf board to hang on his wall and the girls chose these lovely jewellery boxes decorated in starfish and sea shells.
So, all in all, a great time had by all, where our only real issue was having tired children! They wanted to do everything, see the shows and/or play with their friends until gone 10pm and were eager to get up early and into the pool in the morning. We had to negotiate a few cat-naps here and there with the younger two and there were a few occasions when they just crashed out on a sun-bed in the middle of the day! Most afternoons, we had to bribe them out of the pool with the promise of some iPad time (iPads were only allowed in the room) which also meant that we could enjoy a drink on our balcony in piece once they were showered. Happy Mummy and Daddy!!
Have you had a fab family holiday that you would recommend? Have you visited Alcudia or anywhere in Mallorca? I’m always looking for great destinations for family holidays so please let me know if you have a recommendation!
As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be following up next week with more details about the hotel itself so please sign up to receive an email when I post! Thanks for reading xx
A lovely post! So pleased you had a fantastic time! It sounds lovely. Great that you had two weeks. I always find I just relax into it after 5 days and then it’s almost time to go home again! We were torn between Mallorca and Malta as we’d heard good things about both, and went for Malta, but we will definitely try Mallorca at some point. Thank you for sharing X #momsterslink
We’ve been to Malta a few years back and that was lovely too but no sandy beaches where we stayed and we really wanted all inclusive and couldn’t find a hotel we liked with that option in Malta. Hope you have a fab time too xx
I love Alcudia, although haven’t been since I had the children. What a gorgeous place and what lovely photos! So glad you had a good time, we are thinking about taking the kids abroad next year and Majorca is definitely an option! #momsterslink
Looks amazing, so glad you had a nice time! #momsterslink
Looks like you had a fab time. We definitely got ours monies worth with the alcohol when we went on holiday haha x #fortheloveofBLOG
It looks amazing and it’s so good to hear you all had a great time. I went to the same area a few years ago with the boys and my mum and remember it being one of the best holidays we’ve had. I can’t remember the name of the hotel we stayed in though:) Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday
What a lovely holiday round-up and review, it looks and sounds like you all had a brilliant time. I love All-Inclusive it’s so easy, and you really don’t need to worry about bills and payment, taking the stress away. Champagne for breakfast sounds fab, we had that everyday on honeymoon, and is such a nice way to start the day. Alcudia looks like a brill place to take children, I went a long time ago, have been to Majorca staying in Santa Ponsa in my youth. Well done on smuggling Granny, that’s lovely, I hope the children were well and truly surprised by that. Thanks so much for linking up at #fortheloveofBLOG. Claire x
Looks like you had a fab time! I’ve been to Mallorca a few times and love it – it’s just such an easy destination. I’m with your son on the chocolate donut for breakfast point! x #KCACOLS
Looks like a great holiday. We went to Mallorca last year for our first family holiday. We stayed in Puerto Pollensa, so quite close to Alcudia. It was really nice, and I’d definitely go back. All inclusive is a great idea, especially with kids.x #KCACOLS
Sounds like you all had a fab time – love the idea of smuggling Grandma in! #KCACOLS
oh I wouldn’t get my monies worth on alcohol either, but on food I would. I love the little video, I’d love to do that! Linked after you at #bigpinklink Have a great week xo
Sounds like am amazing vacation! I wish we had more all inclusive resorts around here!
Sounds like the perfect place for a family holiday, we’ve actually contemplated a holiday to Mallorca so its good to know you would recommend it. Thanks for linking to #bigpinklink x
We went to Majorca this year fab place looks like you had a great time fab photos #bigpinklink
This brings back so many wonderful memories for my mummy. As a child she used to holiday with my grandparents in Alcudia. She went 7 years in a row! She used to love the strip, the Alcudia Express and the Jolly Rodger, I wonder if they are still there…. Great post! #fartglitter xx
I love an all inclusive holiday. It looks like a lovely hotel and your photos are great. I’ve not been to Alcudisa for years! #kcacols
Sounds like a fab holiday. Love the iPad rule. Sticking that in my back pocket for later, thanks.
#fartglitter
Oh that looks wonderful – I havent managed to get abroad this year so am only managing to enjoy english sunny days ha ha ha!
Thanks for linking to #ablogginggoodtime
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It looks simply wonderful here and I can’t wait to see the following up post, as I’m hoping for a few pictures of the hotel room! It’s so great to hear that you all enjoyed your holiday too. The pictures make me want to visit here all the more.xx #KCACOLS
Sounds like you had an amazing holiday! The food looks lovely and that water platform thing looks like sooo much fun! #KCACOLS
Oh it looks like such a lovely place. We never vacationed anywhere this year that didn’t have a pool or some kind of water to swim in. There is just something about water and sun that wears my kids out and that makes for great evenings for mommy and daddy and lots of cocktails ;). I too love my cocktails. Thanks for sharing with #momsterslink!
That sounds and looks wonderful. Oh how I wish I was on holiday right now! #kcacols
Sounds fab, always good to read about potential holiday venues, I’ll add this one to our list!
#kcacols
what a lovely holiday. I can’t wait to visit Majorca again very soon.