Portella Palma Mallorca Hotel

In Palma’s Old Town, when the large and imposing door to Portella swings open, it doesn’t disappoint. Step in from the narrow alleyway to an open courtyard, where an ancient stone-carved staircase draws eyes skywards. Steeped in history – built as a palace in the 17th century and latterly a museum showcasing the work of former-resident and painter Joaquín Torrents Lladó – the renovation nods to its grand past. Yet it’s a lesson in understatement: natural materials, muted tones and high ceilings create a sense of calm and space. Palma’s traditional architecture is represented alongside Moorish and Venetian influences, most clearly seen on the ground floor, where an open kitchen-dining room, living room and library hug two sides of the courtyard, creating a guesthouse feel for guests from the 14 rooms. And, when the signature dish is suckling pig and sweetbreads with sea fennel and caper mayonnaise on potato brioche, you know you’re on to a good thing.

Words by Rachel Walker.

Doubles from £276. +34 871 626263, portellapalma.com