The Spanish island may have a bad rep, but look beyond its mega-resorts and packed beaches and you’ll find historic hillside hotels, rustic seaside villages, and a surprisingly cosmopolitan capital city.
Palma. In recent years, the historic center of Majorca’s capital has experienced a boom fueled by wealthy Northern Europeans who have transformed centuries-old buildings into chic hotels, boutiques, and restaurants. Hotel Cort, co-owned by a Majorcan and a Swede and designed by Barcelona-based Lázaro Rosa-Violán, is a former 19th-century bank now decorated with colorful tiles and blue-and white ikat wall covering. On the hot August night I spent there, the hotel’s restaurant was packed, with crowds spilling out onto the Plaça Cort. Behind the dusky ocher façades of Old Town are a growing number of high-end shops, including La Percera, where I found vintage furniture and sophisticated beach accessories like chunky espadrilles and wide-brimmed cane hats, all locally made. An extension of the Gallery Horrach Moya nearby had impressive works by Joana Vasconcelos, along with a slick new restaurant. Head to Patron Lunares for a sumptuous dinner, and try Negrito a la plancha, a toothsome whitefish, which is perfectly grilled.
Palma. In recent years, the historic center of Majorca’s capital has experienced a boom fueled by wealthy Northern Europeans who have transformed centuries-old buildings into chic hotels, boutiques, and restaurants. Hotel Cort, co-owned by a Majorcan and a Swede and designed by Barcelona-based Lázaro Rosa-Violán, is a former 19th-century bank now decorated with colorful tiles and blue-and white ikat wall covering. On the hot August night I spent there, the hotel’s restaurant was packed, with crowds spilling out onto the Plaça Cort. Behind the dusky ocher façades of Old Town are a growing number of high-end shops, including La Percera, where I found vintage furniture and sophisticated beach accessories like chunky espadrilles and wide-brimmed cane hats, all locally made. An extension of the Gallery Horrach Moya nearby had impressive works by Joana Vasconcelos, along with a slick new restaurant. Head to Patron Lunares for a sumptuous dinner, and try Negrito a la plancha, a toothsome whitefish, which is perfectly grilled.