Palma’s first ever boutique hotel does not immediately show off its design credentials. The façade of this 16th century Episcopal palace fits in beautifully within its surroundings, tucked away as it is in a peaceful corner of town known as La Lonja and surrounded by medieval walls.
But once you go in, well that’s another matter. Words that come immediately to mind such as funky, cool and hip are not usually associated with a 400 year old building, but what you get here is a modern Spanish minimalist design where the idea is to have as less clutter as possible, hence the abundance of space, luminosity and brilliant colours.
Original artwork is also ubiquitous - each of the 19 bedroom doors boast an original painting, for example - and modern sculptures are sprinkled liberally throughout. Strong, predominantly green, colours and a good use of space in both the bedrooms and bathrooms is also a major feature of all accommodations. Being such an old building rooms are on the smallish side. The swimming pool is also not too large, but the Sa Font does have an excellent roof top terrace with vistas of the city and the cathedral. What is definitely not minimalist, however, is the service.
Extremely friendly and attentive staff are another of the highlights of a stay here, as is, of course, the location - a stone’s throw away from shops, bars restaurants, the marina, museums and the cathedral. Perhaps the only negative of the location is that access by car is restricted. It is in a “no-drive” zone, but given the design flair, historic location and simple friendliness of the place this is a very small price to pay.