Situated in the very heart of the Mediterranean, the Balearic island of Mallorca has been charming visitors for centuries with its dramatic mountains, golden beaches and lush valleys. The island’s capital, Palma, is one of Spain’s most vibrant cities – rivalling even Barcelona for its food and cultural scene – while outside of the main resorts you’ll find ancient castles, forts and merchants’ houses lining the coast and dotting the unspoiled interior.
Many of Mallorca’s most beguiling historic buildings have been turned into gorgeous hotels, and today the island is home to dozens of wonderful places to stay, from the small and boutique, to the palatial and five-star.
The best hotels in Mallorca are:
- Best for city living: Can Bordoy, booking.com
- Best for feeling like an aristocrat: Palacio Can Marques, booking.com
- Best for an escape to the mountains: La Residencia, booking.com
- Bestfor high-class dining: Castell Son Claret, booking.com
- Best for total relaxation: Pleta de Ma, booking.com
- Best for quirky architecture: Cap Rocat, booking.com
- Best for an adults-only break: L’Avenida, booking.com
- Best for the environment: Hotel Bon Sol Resort and Spa, booking.com
- Best for sun-worshippers: Portals Hills Boutique Hotel, booking.com
Best for city living: Can Bordoy
Neighbourhood: Palma
Can Bordoy could claim to be Palma’s friendliest hotel, with the sort of staff you’ll want to wave to from the car as you leave. Rooms here are romantic – all velvet drapes and stand-alone bathtubs – and the garden out back is the ideal retreat from the city’s bustle. Its small pool is surrounded by mature trees and the sound of birdsong. Stay in for dinner at Botanic, where the menu focuses on healthy local ingredients, and ask the knowledgeable bar staff for their local wine recommendations.
Price: Doubles from €379 (£319)
Best for feeling like an aristocrat: Palacio Can Marques
Neighbourhood: Palma
Step into a millionaire’s lifestyle at this opulent 18th-century mansion and relax among the priceless antiques and bespoke Murano glassware in your suite before sweeping down the grand staircase into the cool internal courtyard in search of dinner. This comes courtesy of Belgian chef Cedric Lebon, who serves up classic French cuisine in the hotel’s restaurant. Afterwards, the terrace bar tempts you on to the rooftop for views of Palma and a post-dinner cocktail or two.
Price: Doubles from €377 B&B (£317)
Best for an escape to the mountains: La Residencia
Neighbourhood: Deia
This much-loved grande dame of a hotel sits amid the mountains in the chic village of Deia, an ideal base for walks in the Tramuntana mountains. You might find it hard to rouse yourself though, with temptations including a G&T taken on the terrace overlooking the village, or a siesta by the lovely pool. The spa is top-notch too and many of the suites have private balconies and refreshing plunge pools.
Price: Doubles from €495 (£416)
Best for high-class dining: Castell Son Claret
Neighbourhood: Calvia
Mallorca’s best restaurant fills the courtyard at this luxurious hotel just 30 minutes from Palma – which feels a world away. The Tramuntana mountains rear up behind the 19th-century castle and there are more than 300 acres of gardens and countryside to explore. Rooms are contemporary and super spacious, while dinner at two-Michelin-starred Zaranda is unforgettable, with chef Fernando P Arellano’s creative tasting menu washed down with paired Mallorcan wines.
Price: Doubles from €305 (£257)
Best for total relaxation: Pleta de Mar
Neighbourhood: Capdepera
With three pools, including what might just be Mallorca’s most spectacular infinity pool, Pleta de Mar is the sort of hotel you plan to leave but never quite can. The hotel does have a speedboat you can hire, though, and there are some wonderful golden beaches nearby. Rooms are simple but stylish, with private terraces and the restaurant focuses on local produce. Adults only.
Price: Doubles from €382 (£322)
Best for quirky architecture: Cap Rocat
Neighbourhood: Llucmajor
Cross the drawbridge of this former military fort and check in to a truly unique hotel room. Above your bed is a vaulted ceiling, while beneath your feet the floors are creamy local stone, and above it all, you’ll find a spectacular rooftop private terrace with panoramic views of Palma Bay from the canopy bed. The hotel’s infinity pool is one of Mallorca’s dreamiest and the Sea Club restaurant serves up excellent local seafood overlooking the ocean.
Price: Doubles from €659 (£555)
Best for an adults-only break: L’Avenida
Neighbourhood: Soller
Set in a lush valley burgeoning with orange groves, Soller is one of Mallorca’s most attractive towns, and this 12-room boutique hotel is a glorious bolthole at its heart. The building’s 19th-century modernist style has been brought bang up to date with some artsy contemporary decor and the more luxurious rooms have four-poster beds and roll-top bathtubs. The courtyard garden has a decent-sized pool and plenty of loungers and it’s just a 10-minute tram ride down to Port de Soller for the beach.
Price: Doubles from €195 (£164)
Best for the environment: Hotel Bon Sol Resort and Spa
Neighbourhood: Illetas
Family-owned Hotel Bonsol may have opened in the 1950s but it’s always had one eye on the future, installing solar panels as far back as 1968 and planting some 230,000 trees in order to offset its carbon footprint, and that of their guests’ flights. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens and classic rooms all look down through these towards the sea and a small sandy beach. It’s a five-mile drive to Palma.
Price: Doubles from €280 (£236)
Best for sun-worshippers: Portals Hills Boutique Hotel
Neighbourhood: Portals Nous
Pack the sunglasses for this one – this art deco palace dazzles with its white-on-white decor and every room is flooded with light. The pool terrace catches the sun all day long and you won’t need to leave it; there’s a Miami-style lounge bar right next to the pool and you can order food and drink to your sunbed. Even the spa will come to you out here, with treatments offered in the poolside wellness pavilion.
Price: Doubles from €361 (£304)
