The Germans march on Magalluf!

Zoltan TeglasBenidorm was great, but I much prefer Magaluf

Morgan WilliamsDon't feed the troll. He obviously has issues and needs attention. He's one of these people that has been on a few holidays to Magaluf and Benidorm, and knows more about life in Mallorca and Spain than those of us who have lived here for 30 years or more.

Morgan WilliamsZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Oh, Richard, I'm sure you don't realise it , but every time you troll, you only further validate what I'm talking about. So, ok, I'll bite this time. Long ago, Magaluf was indeed well known as one of the (if not the iconic) downmarket resorts on the island. Teeming with 3* mediocrity, tastelessness, cheapness, and of course, the famous British party animal stupidity, often borderlining on "sick". Often resulting in serious injury and/or death for young Brits (and others). Calas de Mallorca was another of the famous downmarket resorts at that time. 100% cheap 3* all-in, no investment for decades, looking tired, some nice (but small) beaches, but it was cheap and had junk food and free beer all day. And lots of other Brits around. Perfect. Both resorts at that time were all but exclusively British. You wouldn't find many "foreigners" there, if any. Like you, mainstream Brits tend to favour British stuff, sometimes obsessively . Yet Brits (of any age group) certainly aren't winning any trophies for "most desirable tourists". There's quite a poor reputation to overcome. Not a secret. But since about 2016, Magaluf has been quietly changing - with lots of new investment (albeit not without some screaming from the cheap seats). Although your self-proclaimed business accumen may disagree, the fact remains that Magaluf's transformation is actually just good business, and as I've said along, the potential is huge (and inevitable). And it's *deliberately* changing (as this very article points out) with full support of both the local government and businesses. It's just good for everyone. By the way, the German "party zone", like punta ballena, where the primary reason for going is to drink, party and shag, is centered primarily between Megapark and BierKönig. It's about 150m between them (look it up), around Ballermann 6. The area between Arenal (Ballermann 1) and Ballermann 6 has most of the cheapest accommodation, a few dumpy bars, kebab stands, and junk shops. This isn't the "party area", but it is where people get robbed on their drunken way to their cheap hotel room. The same could be described for parts of Magaluf, but the whole area of punta ballena and immediate surroundings is quite a bit larger than the Arenal "problem zone". Lastly, the "German area" of Playa de Palma isn't Ballermann 6 (nor exclusively German), but pretty much the entire beach, except for up around Can Pastilla, which is more mixed, and more British. It's also not exactly upmarket. But most of Playa de Palma (at least 5km of it) is rather middle class and innocuous. Some good restaurants and 4 and 5 star hotels there too. Still, you seem to be generalising "Germans" ("foreigners") with Megapark bad behaviour, although anyone in tourism knows very well that overall, Germans (and most northern Europeans in general) have this (sometimes annoying) cultural aspect that makes them some of the most desirable tourists in the industry. It's also not a secret. And that may help explain why it's just good business to attract them - the mainstream family types, not the handful of party animals. Lastly, if you left your little Englander bubble for a while (and knew anything about the hospitality business) then you'd also know that hotels solely catering solely to one nationality is never good business. But like you, many Brits might feel uncomfortable being forced to be in proximity to "foreigners" on their hols abroad. But that may also help explain why Magaluf hotels are investing in attracting a broader range of nationalities. They're generally well behaved, have quite good money to spend, and don't mind other nationalities. It's just good business.

Let the fun begin say I. One sure thing, the Nigerian comfort ladies will be changing targets quicktime. When you are talking wallets, size matters.

Morgan WilliamsMake your mind up, will you ? One moment you’re saying that Magaluf is the pits; the next that it’s comparable to Palm Beach, Florida. Or do you categorize destinations in accordance to the amount of Brits per km2 or the amount of money spent producing the brochures ? And get your facts right before you start pontificating about things you only seem to know about through hearsay. Punta Ballena is around 400 mts long. The “German” part (your words, not mine) of Arenal is, being conservative, at least four times that. And you, of all people, should know that hotel chains discourage mixing different nationalities in their individual hotels, as do the different tour operators. If you want to classify that as being made to feel unwelcome, that’s up to you. Most people would call it knowing how to run a business and satisfying your clients demands and requirements.

TDSure you're in the right century

IlovemingeI'll assume that's sarcasm?

An extraordinary paper the MDB. So well written and well researched. Profoundly factual and so informative on every level too. My absolute ‘go to’ publication for the latest news.

I haven’t been to Magaluf area since I stayed in Calavinas in the late 80s. Palma nova was the sodom and Gomorra back then , must admit I didn’t find any issues at either place. Pagurea over the last few years has gone seriously backwards. I called in during the triathlon last year. Even the iconic Abel’s is no more replaced by a place that has 🐠 pedicures 😳. The quality Casa supermarket replace by Lidl. The Villamil entrance area shabby. Maybe Calvia needs to spend a euro or maybe many more updating Pagurea. Up market tourism and all that. I remember Michael Schumacher being a regular in that resorts previously good restaurants, clubs and bars. Maybe the Good folk of Germany are of the same opinion.