In short… An effortlessly chic and minimalist hotel in the heart of Palma’s Old Town in Mallorca, Portella Palma is a restored 17th-century palace and former artist’s residence that feels more like a home than a hotel, and you’re only a stone’s throw from the city’s landmark museums, galleries, and architectural marvels.
The backstory… Portella Palma was once a noble casal dating back to the 1600s. In the 1980s, the Spanish painter Joaquín Torrents Lladó transformed it into his home and studio, decorating it with Venetian and Moorish touches, including coffered ceilings and frescoes. After serving as a museum dedicated to Lladó, it was bought by the Miró-Sans family (of Casa Bonay in Barcelona fame), and after a careful restoration and collaboration with Parisian design studio Festen and Gras Reynés Arquitectos, his artistic spirit very much still lingers on.
The surroundings… Nestled in the Monti-Sión neighborhood of Palma de Mallorca’s Old Town – one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval quarters – Portella Palma is just minutes from the Gothic Palma Cathedral, the Arab Baths, and the Museu de Mallorca. The Old Town is a clash of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles. Picture getting lost through narrow, maze-like Medieval streets, old mansions with gargantuan doors and olive-green shutters, and tumbling bougainvillea. You’re also right by the seafront promenade and Can Pere Antoni beach – or you can even borrow a bike from the hotel and follow the coast to the old fishing village of Portixol for platters of calamari washed down with the local craft beer – salud!
The vibe… In three words: refined, relaxed and restorative. Despite being moments from the city’s plazas, where locals clink vermouths and chat into the night, inside Portella Palma, it’s blissfully serene. After a long day, you can retreat, close the shutters and dial down the world (insomniacs take note: I hadn’t slept this well in months). The design is minimalist yet soulful – from the riad-like courtyard, terracotta tile floors to brass ashtrays shaped like flowers. Hospitality is one of Portella’s greatest drawing cards; it’s warm, low-key, and intuitive. Your coffee order will be remembered. Your eggs are done just right.
The rooms… There are only 14 rooms and suites, which adds to Portella’s intimacy (I am told this is where many of the world’s DJs choose to take refuge for some privacy). Each room is unique and styled as a “house within a house” where some overlook the leafy inner courtyard, others gaze out across Palma’s rooftops, with church domes and wheeling swifts in view. Beds are big and hugely comfortable, dressed with thick Mallorca wool blankets woven on a 20th-century loom. Expect pillow menus, Bang & Olufsen speakers, smart TVs, Nespresso machines, and complimentary soft drinks in the minibar. Bathrooms are stocked with Diptyque’s lavender and orange blossom products, and each room comes with a charming wicker basket with towels ready for you to take to the beach.
The wellness… The property features a private hammam spa, a 24/7 Technogym fitness studio, a steam room (with 30 minutes’ notice), massage services upon request, and the rooftop is ideal for morning or evening yoga.
The food and drink… Breakfast is served until a very respectable 1 pm (the unparalleled joys of living on Spanish time), featuring Mahón cheeses, pan con tomate, homemade yoghurt, jam, carob muesli, and pastries, all served on soft linen table mats. The kitchen offers light fare all day, and we were lucky to sample an in-development menu inspired by Mallorca’s Arabic roots. The baba ghanoush with black salt made me audibly groan; beet and strawberry gazpacho with green apple was a revelation; and fish cured in spices with almond cold cream had me licking the plate clean. Chef Julio is a quiet maestro – every dish sung together in one gastronomic chorus. Meals can be enjoyed in the sun-soaked courtyard, on your private terrace, or with a cocktail on the rooftop.
Extra tip goes to… Javier, the charming guest manager, ensures that your entire experience is seamless from start to finish. And of course, Chef Julio, whose food I dreamed of as I stared blankly and surveyed the options at Palma de Mallorca airport.
Be sure to… Head to Mercat de l’Olivar before 3 pm any day of the week (except Sundays). Rows of Majorcans and tourists stand side by side, slurping oysters and clinking cava– it’s a riot. Also, don’t miss the Arab Baths, one of the few remaining examples of Moorish architecture on the island, dating back to between the 10th and 12th centuries (and bring cash).
Parting words.. It was a feast for the senses. Whether it is the touch of Portella’s luxurious bedsheets in the king-sized beds, the smell of brewed coffee and fresh pastries in their courtyard at breakfast, the sounds of swallows at sunset on the rooftop terrace, or the sights of the Old Town’s charming courtyards, old mansions and hidden plazas. It was a travesty to leave, but a pleasure to have even graced its doors.
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