Hotel Snapshot
A sense of calm sweeps over me as I cross the threshold into the plant-filled inner courtyard, complete with a babbling fountain and hanging vines—a feeling that is reinforced by the genuinely warm welcome of the Portella team. This intimate, 14-room boutique hotel was opened in early 2024 by the team behind the uber-trendy Casa Bonay in Barcelona. Like Casa Bonay, Portella is a thoughtful and oh-so-chic renovation of a historic building; more specifically, a 17th-century palace where Spanish figurative artist Joaquin Torres Ladó resided until his death in 1993. The hoteliers commissioned the prestigious Parisian design firm Festen, who restored the building with the support of local architects Gras Reynés. A desire to incorporate local traditions and history was central to Festen’s vision, which they described as seeking to create: “a secret home, rather than a trendy space”. The result is an elegantly minimalist contemporary boutique hotel that is also a functional, comfortable, and totally unpretentious sanctuary.
The Rooms
I fell in love with my Arab Baths “apartment” room, with its two four-poster beds and swoony views of the Arab Baths next door, but there are no dud rooms at Portella. The interiors are both contemporary and steeped in local heritage, blending traditional Mallorcan vibes with inspiration from the island’s Moorish heritage. Like in the main dining room, where a vivid cobalt sofa blends seamlessly with a set of chairs that evoke the Marrakech medina and an artwork by Miró. Everywhere you look, natural materials overlap in warm, understated tones: from the hand-carved Santanyí stone floors with their intricate patterns inspired by the Arab Baths next door, to the custom-made wrought iron and polished mahogany furnishings, the cool, marble bathrooms with lush Diptyque toiletries, and the decorative bulbs and tinted glass kitchenware in Mediterranean hues by family-run Gordiola who have been blowing glass in Mallorca since 1719.
The Food and Drink Situation
Breakfast was my highlight of the day. Brimming with local treats like sobrasada sausage and other Mallorcan charcuteries, seasonal fruit and fresh-baked pastries, you will want to take your time savoring it. And I did, since it is served until 1 p.m. After breakfast, the dining room and kitchen, with its relaxed, mi-casa-es-su-casa ethos, offer all-day dining, specializing in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare. Think silky hummus and smoky baba ghanoush, delicate cured sea bass carpaccio, or juicy lemon & rosemary roast chicken. Wash it all down with a crisp Mallorcan white from one of the many excellent local wineries.
The Amenities
If action-packed vacations or organized social activities are your jam, then Portella is probably not the place for you. Most guests here keep to themselves, and I spent my time reading, relaxing, sunbathing on the rooftop (which sadly lacks a pool), taking unashamedly long siestas and exploring Palma at my own pace (although the hotel also offers a range of private, curated experiences, from boat trips to guided historic tours of Palma’s old town and visits to Gordiola’s artisanal glassblowing workshop). The gym is tiny, so I burned off my breakfast sobrasada by racking up 20,000 steps a day in the cobbled streets of Palma’s charming historic neighborhoods.
Location & Neighborhood Recs
Long overlooked as little more than a jumping-off point for the sandy beaches and thudding basslines of the Mallorcan coastline, Palma de Mallorca is one of Spain’s most underrated destinations. Brimming with culture, art, history, and fantastic food, this city, with its mesmerizing blend of Roman, Gothic, medieval, and modern architecture, whose legendary light inspired the likes of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, is well worth a weekend break—or more, if your schedule allows.
While Palma’s commercial heart, around Plaça d'Espanya, Plaça Major and Passeig del Born, does get rather thronged in the high season, the winding, storybook alleyways of the labyrinthine old town remain blissfully serene. Hidden down one of the sleepiest and narrowest of them all (as you’ll soon discover if you try to drive here), behind a massive wooden door, lies my stay for the next three nights, Portella. A recent addition to Palma’s burgeoning boutique hotel scene, the hotel is named not after its imposing doorway but for the 10th-century Renaissance gate of La Portella, one of the original gateways to the city, at the end of the street.
Fast Facts
Location: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Rating: Five-star
The vibe: Unpretentious Spanish artist’s residence meets Parisian je ne sais quoi.
Room count: 14
Pricing: Rates start at $391 per night.
Dining: Long, lazy breakfasts and Middle Eastern-inspired all-day dining.
Amenities: Restaurant, gym, rooftop.
Our favorite thing about the place: That “home away from home” doesn’t feel like a cliché here.
What’s nearby: Palma’s old town is right on the doorstep, while sites like the Cathedral of Mallorca, Arab Baths, and Passeig del Born are less than a 10-minute stroll away.
Airport: Palma de Mallorca
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