Winter trends in Soller

The trends are making themselves felt here. Hotels report that guests are staying a couple of nights less than they used to. The high-end villas, let for family gatherings, report the opposite. They are receiving enquiries for a month or all the six-week UK school holidays. The trend seems to be that the hosts establish themselves and then family groups join them over the space of the weeks they have booked.

This involves different skills for the professionals here. They are increasingly looking for staff, such as holiday housekeepers, cooks, yoga teachers, babysitters, chauffeurs, and nannies. Those in the holiday facilitating business just go with whatever the current trend is. They know, as all good businesses know, that everything happens by developing excellent relationships with those whose services you will call on. A good business opportunity here for an Agency specialising in discreet, qualified staff for these moneyed guests. Greycoats in London do a great job looking after the Palace and other fine houses in the UK and European capitals. We need our own version right here in Mallorca. I believe there is such an organisation coming soon. You heard it here first. Those looking to pay minimum wage need not even register their interest, they would not be taken seriously.

Meanwhile the hotels in the Soller Valley are organising their staffing for 2024. There is a lot of competition at this stage in the year for the very best staff. So much was learned last year about the errors of understaffing. Most of this was not through choice but because they didn’t start recruiting early enough. Well trained, experienced staff are driving a hard bargain this year. The same annual ‘holy grail’ is emerging. Staff want salaries which are not just ‘minimum wage’. They want an end of year bonus, fair distribution of tips and, if accommodation is provided, for it be good quality. In years gone by. when the supply of staff outstripped the demand, their requests would have been laughed at. Now, I am not so sure.

The Institute in Soller, is the largest High School of the area. One of the courses they offer is their great Hotel School training. Local older children can be trained in hospitality here and it is a great place to learn to be a Chef. Every Thursday in term time, they have a gourmet lunch open to the public, cooked by the students, for a very modest 15-euro price. Some of the finest chefs in Mallorca started their careers in this school. Reservations for the Thursday lunch at Ben’s Kitchen is necessary. A daytrip to our world followed by an excellent lunch is a wonderful way to spend a Thursday in January or February. Restaurant pedagògic BEN CUINAT Reservations on 971633514. This is in the IES Guillem Casanoves School in Soller. Easy car parking outside the school.

Soller is under pressure to get all the over 65’s in the Valley injected against flu and Covid. The numbers continue to rise and the take up of the vaccinations in late autumn was not good enough. The Ministry of Health has informed us that vaccinations without appointments are now available at the health centre of Soller. The schedule will be from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 1pm. Patients can choose between three types of vaccines: the flu, the covid or the combined. This invitation is not age related; anyone can turn up to get the injection. Mask wearing in the Health Centre is not obligatory, but many people are choosing to wear one.