USP The Altira spa opened, along with the hotel, in 2002 and is the largest on the island. It has an eclectic range of treatments from an Algotherm thalasso bath with seaview to traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic therapies using trickling oil. Even during the busy summer season its 19 treatment rooms can usually attend to visitors’ needs. However, visit like I did in January, when Majorca enjoys a brief warm blip, and you’ll have the place virtually to yourself. I spent all afternoon and evening wandering between the mosaic and aroma filled steam room, ice grotto, outdoor heated waterbeds and salt pool.

AMBIENCE The Mardavall Hotel is on a cliff top on the popular south coast of Majorca. It is ideally situated for easy reach of beaches, Palma and the mountain villages of Deia and Valledemosa. The Hotel is 20km from the airport (takes about 20 minutes) and 9km from Palma (takes about 15 minutes). It has an elegant garden with well tended lawns, flowerbeds and pools. There’s also a large Egyptian-styled indoor and outdoor pool. My junior suite had plenty of space, a designer bathroom and terrace.

TREATMENT Before you choose from the list of about 100 treatments you should chat through what you’re after with one of the therapists who can then suggest a sensible course of action. I chose a package of dreamy pampering lasting hours and rounded off by a 30-minute acupuncture session. Before allowing me to have a full body massage, they insisted on some serious preparation - an all-over body peel, thalasso shower bath and seaweed wrap - all seamlessly delivered by the lovely Carlos, who happened to be the only native therapist at the spa. I felt somewhat self-conscious at the prospect of having a male therapist and thought that relaxing might be a bit of a challenge – rather like some visits to the doctors - but Carlos did a great job of putting me at my ease. He kept strict eye contact while the salty bath shower had parts of my anatomy bobbing merrily along.

FOOD The spa is dotted with fresh supplies of fruit, nuts, seeds, teas and juices. The Mardavall has two restaurants, a bar and cigar lounge. I enjoyed a lavish breakfast buffet at the restaurant S’Aigua and chatted to the resident nutritionist about Functional Eating, a nutritional food concept that provides a delicious healthy diet tailor-made to boost physical fitness, mental performance, beauty, and apparently sex appeal and stress.

IN CROWD The hotel’s main guests are German, English and Russian with next to no Majorcans visitors. Guests stay to relax and be pampered but you could get seriously healthy after a stay here whatever state you arrived in - I felt so serene and healthy after my 24-hour hotel and spa experience that I haven’t smoked or had any wine since.

WALLET WATCH Rooms range from €561(£385) to €972 (£665) per night for Grand Deluxe double room or a Junior suite where I stayed. Some of these have large enclosed garden terraces, ideal for families. Mardavall Suites are currently €1400 to €3,000 per night and the Presidential Suite is from €3,308.

Treatments are reasonably priced: A Thalasso exfoliation costs €60 for 30 mins; Thalasso relaxing treatment and essential calming bath and massage €160 for 120 mins; Thalasso Mont Saint Michel mud treatment and seaweed bath €110 for 90 mins, and various types of 60-minute massages for €80.

NEED TO KNOW The Mardavall Hotel and Spa, Passeig Calvia, Costa d’en Blanes-Calvia, Majorca 07181, Spain (+34 971/ 629-600; www.luxurycollection.com/mardavall or www.mallorca-resort.com)

Times recommends

• Holiday makers - welcome to Iraq
• A budget travel guide to Tuscany
• Up and away in a Messerschmitt