Springtime in Mallorca
Spring and early summer is a great time to visit the beautiful island of Mallorca. The sea may be a tad chilly for a swim, but the weather is definitely warming up, the countryside is at its loveliest and the summer tourists have yet to arrive. For a taste of the real Mallorca, stay at one of these family-owned character hotels and enjoy a cultural and authentic Mediterranean experience.
Luxury family resort that ticks all the boxes
The 4-star Hotel Bon Sol is one of Mallorca’s legendary hotels. Built on a cliff overlooking the sea at Illetas, a short drive from Palma, it has been home to the Xamena family for over 50 years. Over the decades, the family have gradually transformed their once modest guest house into one of Mallorca’s most sought after resorts.
The welcoming but understated entrance belies the hotel’s considerable size – 146 rooms and villas spread over the main building and gardens. The quirky and intriguing layout comprises several floors of individually designed guest rooms, dining and leisure facilities. There are cosy corners to curl up with a book or glass of wine, quiet lounges furnished in traditional Mallorcan style with comfortable sofas, antiques and fine paintings, a friendly bar, an elegant dining room serving delicious cuisine and a cheerful breakfast room leading out to a heated swimming pool and sunny terrace ablaze with vibrant bougainvillea.
Internal walkways and lifts give access to the beach villas and a lush subtropical garden park with canopies of palm and pine, cascading waterfalls and enticing pools. Guests can play volleyball, French boules and table tennis or wander down to a private sandy cove. In the hotel’s early days before the lifts and walkways were installed, guests had to walk down (and up) 200 steps if they wanted a dip in the Med. As well as the hotel’s small cove, there are three nearby beaches in Illetas that are also worth a visit.
The bar and beach restaurant is open from April to October for breakfast, buffet lunches and romantic dinners. A spacious new ‘adults only’ sun terrace has recently been completed. Overlooking the beach cove and with a personal drinks/snacks service provided by the adjacent pool bar, it boasts smart sun loungers, tables and parasols and a Jacuzzi with stunning views across the Bay of Palma.
There are leisure activities for all ages and interests – three swimming pools, a children’s pool and playground, squash and two tennis courts, crazy golf, table tennis, pool table, volleyball, French boules and a gym. The rejuvenating Nirvana Spa offers a wide range of facials, massages, body wraps, slimming treatments, beauty services and holistic therapies, including Thai, Balinese and Shiatsu massage. Guests can also take part in candlelit yoga and tai chi sessions with qualified instructors in a pleasant airy studio. In the summer months a friendly children’s club operates at no extra charge. A further bonus is that the historic city of Palma with its many attractions and shops is only a short drive or bus ride away.
As a first time visitor to this friendly hotel, I was in the minority. Over 82 per cent of guests are repeat visitors. Many have been coming to Bon Sol for years, bringing their children and then their grandchildren to enjoy holidays here. And the longevity is not limited to guests – many staff members have been at the hotel for 25 or even 30 years – part of this appeal of this charming family-run hotel where every guest feels welcome and at home.
Classic Collection Holidays (www.classic-colllection.co.uk 0800 294 9318) offers 3 nights at Hotel Bon Sol from £597 per person or 7 nights from £1049. Prices based on 2 adults sharing a classic twin room on half-board basis with return flights from up to 24 UK airport and private transfers.
Traditional boutique city hotel
Hotel Dalt Murada is a restored 16th century manor house situated in the old quarter of Palma, minutes from the magnificent Cathedral and close to shops and tapas bars. The hotel has retained many of the old manor house’s original features like high beamed ceilings, old paintings, antique furniture and quirky family heirlooms and combined them with 21st century comforts like a lift, Jacuzzi baths, air conditioning, mini bars and satellite TV.
The 23 rooms and suites, vary in size and décor – some bright and airy, others small and rather gloomy. Some may find the antiques and religious paintings austere, but they are part of the hotel’s historic character and charm. 
Like many city hotels, there is a breakfast room but no restaurant. In the summer, breakfast is served in the courtyard garden under lemon and orange trees. Guests can also relax with a glass of wine on the spacious rooftop terrace and enjoy the fine views of the Cathedral.
Double rooms (breakfast extra) from €120.
www.daltmurada.com
Quirky no frills boutique hotel
Hotel Ca Sa Padrina – Dalt Murada’s sister property – opened in 2006 in a restored character 19th century house in the old town of Palma. It has just six basic rooms, traditionally furnished with bath, air-conditioning, minibar, safe and satellite TV. One has a private terrace. The rooms are spread over several floors and are cleaned daily, but there is no lift and no breakfast is provided.
Most unusually, there are no reception or other staff within the building, which makes the place seem rather strange and soulless. Guests are given a code to access the property when they book and there is an automatic phone line to staff at Dalt Murada to deal with any problems. Phones in the rooms cannot be used for outside calls.
The hotel is located between Las Ramblas and Calle San Miguel so is within easy reach of the Cathedral and the Almudaina Palace, as well as many boutique designer shops, cafes and restaurants in the surrounding streets.
For latest rates visit www.hotelcasapadrina.com
Rustic Finca
Finca Dalt Murada is a small family-run country estate near the village of Binisalem with a 16th century stone farmhouse and various outbuildings, which were completely renovated in 2013 and turned into a rustic hotel. The finca suits families or couples seeking to explore the island or to simply get away from it all in Mallorca’s beautiful countryside.
Rooms in the main farmhouse look out onto a charming courtyard and are typically Spanish with carved wooden wardrobes and headboards and old paintings hanging on the walls. Several rooms are in converted barns and have exposed stone walls and authentic furnishings. All rooms have a bath or a shower and essentials like satellite TV, mini bars and free Internet access There is a sunbathing lawn, sauna, whirlpool and an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by almond trees and garden areas with fruit trees and plants.
This is a popular area for walking and cycling with the challenging Serra de Tramuntana mountains just 8 km away. Inca, the island’s ‘leather town’ is 7km from the property and is famous for its Thursday market and old wine cellars, now used as restaurants serving traditional Mallorcan dishes. Palma is 30 minutes by car and Palma airport 45 minutes.
Double rooms from around €90 per night during the week and €100 per night at weekends.
www.fincadaltmurada.com.
Chic boutique city hotel
Chic Hotel Tres is located in Palma’s historic old town, close to the city’s cultural sights, shops, tapas bars and restaurants. Built on the remains of what once was a 16th century palace, this boutique hotel combines the best of contemporary design with original architectural features and friendly service.
From a busy side road you enter the hotel’s beautifully restored courtyard with flagstone paving, designer furniture and a spectacular soaring palm. Beyond the courtyard, a stylish bar and brasserie area serves breakfasts, simple lunches and dinner menus. Lifts and modern teak stairs lead up to corridors curtained in white muslin and 41 Scandinavian-style white bedrooms with lavishly dressed king-size beds, marble floors and semi-erotic modern artwork. Bathrooms are sleek and open plan with quality fittings and Swedish toiletries.
There is free Wi-Fi, comfortable lounges, a Technogym and a well-equipped meeting room for business guests. Star attraction is the hotel’s fantastic rooftop sun terrace, with sauna, plunge pool and stunning views of Palma Cathedral and the surrounding buildings.
The Tres bar is a lively meeting place, popular with guests and locals alike and serving fine Mallorcan wines including some exclusive Son Palou red and white varieties. Mallorcan wines are generally of excellent quality but not widely known outside Spain, being largely consumed by locals and the millions of tourists who descend on the island every summer.
Set in the liveliest part of the old quarter, Hotel Tres is an elegant and peaceful sanctuary – a place to relax after sightseeing or traipsing round Palma’s art galleries and wonderful shops.
Hotel Tres is open all year round. Double rooms from €215 with breakfast – advance bookings offer 15% discount www.hoteltres.com.
A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
