LUXURY EDIT: THE TOP 3 BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN PALMA DE MALLORCA
One benefit of not travelling the world for a year is, y’know, having a steady income. Being able to save a bit of money over the past year has meant when we’re able to take a little time off, we can spend it in slightly more comfort vs your average 12 person dorm on the edges of Tokyo….
Some of the easiest destinations to fly to directly from Luxembourg are the Balearic Islands, with Mallorca’s cerulean waters & rugged coast-line sitting firmly at the top of our list of favourites. Over the past year we’ve been fortunate enough to visit twice, each time in a window of relative safety and easing of COVID restrictions. We bracketed both trips with weekends in Mallorca’s beautiful capital and enjoyed playing up to the city-break glamour of Palma’s old-town; all the glad-rags, fancy tapas, & sundowners looking out across the Mediterranean.
Read on for honest reviews of Mallorca’s top 3 most highly recommended boutique design hotels in the golden capital.
Good: A REVIEW OF Hotel El LLorenÇ PARC DE LA MAR
El Llorenç, Parc de la Mar is a member of Design Hotels, with the designer Magnus Ehrland behind the rich aesthetic of the hotel’s memorable spaces. From the lobby, corridors & guest rooms to the roof terrace & incredibly beautiful wellness spa, no detail has gone un-considered. The rooms themselves are elegant whilst being easy to relax in, and with the addition of the latest technology (tablet concierge, varied lighting, smart televisions etc) you are pretty much guaranteed a comfortable and relaxing stay.
THE BEST BITS
The dreamy rooftop infinity pool - complete with. designer balinese day-beds. Plenty of space, loungers & a bar with spectacular views across the coast & the esplanade and cathedral
Excellent location on the edge of the old town
The design & decoration (obsessed with the beautiful parquet wooden flooring throughout & carved wooden doors to every room)
Next level room-service & turn-down service treats (who doesn’t love homemade chocolates on their pillow?)
Fantastic seasonal & locally inspired menu at the on-site bistro restaurant Tannur
Next level tasting-menu dining at the Michelen star Dina Santi Taura (book well in adavnce!)
THINGS TO NOTE
The photos on the hotel’s website don’t quite show the main road that separates the hotel’s front aspect from the sea-front. Whilst the rooftop pool mentioned above IS glorious (and we’re told the largest in Palma), there is background road-traffic which is consistent. A bit of music & some good conversation, or just splashing round cooling off makes this only the smallest of problems.
Rooms on lower floors with internal court-yard facing windows are rather dark. Whilst they have terraces, and are often larger, you don’t get that dreamy Mallorcan light filtering in through the curtains in the morning.
Whilst the interiors are beautiful, the overall ambiance of the hotel feels a little less sleek than the other two on this list, partly down to the configuration of the reception, bar & restaurant that all share the same space on the ground floor
If you are driving, valet parking is 35 Euros a night - which we thought was a little steep given the price of rooms
PRICE PER NIGHT (STANDARD DOUBLE): €291.60
BOOK: El Llorenç, Parc de la Mar
Plaza de Llorenç Villalonga, 4
07001 · Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Better: A REVIEW OF Convent de la Missio
Our stay at Convent de la Mission was a sheer stroke of luck. We’d actually picked to stay at Hotel Antigua, but due to Covid-19, that hotel wasn’t ready to receive guests. They kindly arranged an alternative for us and we couldn’t have been more delighted with their suggestion.
The old Convent de la Missió was built during the 17th century for the purpose of educating missionaries. The building stands surrounded by small streets and courtyards with gardens in Palma’s old town centre and having undergone careful renovation, it has become an incredibly tranquil hotel. Neutral aesthetic with artistic accents let the bones of the building sing, the original architecture adding to the the sense of peace & serenity you feel on walking through the doors. The effect is truly beautiful.
Aside from the addition of a good-size roof terrace & rooftop pool, the on-site Michelin star Marc Fosh restaurant is a spectacular bonus. They serves tasting menus that highlight the best local produce from across the Balearic Islands, with ideas and inspirations from all over the Mediterranean. Dishes are a beautiful blend of clean authentic flavours (like the simplicity of mouth watering Iberico ham & the richest olive oil) and seasonal ingredients.
THE BEST BITS
The jaw-dropping architectural bones of the building itself - Somehow the original serenity of the convent prevails
The rooftop pool & terrace
The golden art bar & cocktail list is particularly extensive & innovative
Great proximity to the cities best breakfast & brunch spots (see our article for foodie heaven in Mallorca here)
Free parking and genuinely lovely service from everyone we met
THINGS TO NOTE
At the time of writing, only a limited menu available at Michelin star Marc Fosh restaurant. All was delicious, but if you are planning on visiting during current COVID restrictions (spring 2021), you’ll burn through the options in 2 evenings. The menu is typically more varied, changing & includes a tasting menu, but they’ve had to adapt to an a la carte set-up to cater for a variety of guest preferences.
We were their first guests in over a year, so we did experience some teething issues (small things like dead batteries in remote controls & smoke detectors, stale water in the wellness-centre’s mini-fridge, and more frustratingly a slightly frantic first evening in the restaurant with a 40 minute wait for drinks & appetizers) - By the second evening ALL of this had been ironed out.
The air-con/ventilation in the rooms is pretty loud but if you’re good with white-noise you shouldn’t have a problem.
PRICE PER NIGHT (STANDARD DOUBLE): €289.00
BOOK: Convent de la Missio
Carrer de la Missió, 7A
07033 Palma de Mallorca
Best: A REVIEW OF Hôtel Sant Francesc SINGULAR
This stunning former mansion just off Mallorca’s main square, has been transformed into one of the most elegant & comfortable hotels we’ve ever had the fortune to visit. The hotel’s current location formed part of the property of Santa Eulalia Church in the heart of the ancient old-town and has since been restored retaining many of the original classical features, bought back to life with a modern twist. From the original architecture of the internal Mallorcan courtyard - dappled in light from ancient olives- to the candle-lit & sleek cocktail bar, moving through the hotel feels like walking across the pages of a magazine. If you’re looking for an excuse to don your finery for pre-dinner drinks and just generally saunter around being fabulous - this is the place to do it.
THE BEST BITS
The most glamorous interiors - A beautiful combination of neutral tones natural materials, and bespoke artwork set off vaulted ceilings & classical architecture throughout the building
The sleek lobby bar & traditional internal Mallorcan courtyard
The rooftop pool & bar (the most glamourous in the city by quite a distance)
Breakfast on the patio - The best breakfast selection & loveliest service from the team
The very central but somehow equally peaceful location
THINGS TO NOTE
Rooms on the lower floor, or off the bar/lobby were a little noisy. Be sure to ask for a room on a higher floor.
Limited views from bedroom windows at the back of the building - but you won’t be staying in there for long as there are too many other gorgeous places to chill out throughout the hotel.
At present, there is minimum stay of 2 nights in place
PRICE PER NIGHT (STANDARD DOUBLE): €200.00 (but with a 2 night minimum stay)
BOOK: Hotel Sant Francesc Singular
Plaza Sant Francesc, 5
07001 Palma de Mallorca
Isles Baleares, Espańa
