Tucked into the lush foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana
mountains, this former farmstead’s design puts the property’s
agricultural roots front and centre. All honey-hued stone buildings
and stretching rural views of the Mallorcan landscape, Finca Serena
has 25 airy, minimalist rooms and suites spread across a main
farmhouse and numerous stand-alone buildings scattered through its
40 hectares of olive trees and citrus groves. The pastoral concept
is strong: weave between fragrant lavender to find the Único Spa
tucked into an old cowshed, then, come evening, head to the
renowned Jacaranda restaurant, where chef Oscar Velasco and his
team pluck bounty from the kitchen garden to create a seasonally
led menu for guests to enjoy while lounging on the sun-dappled
terrace.

British-born photographer Kate Bellm found herself gravitating
towards the artistic haven of Deià long before she thought about
opening a hotel in the town, but her newly opened stay, Corazón, is
a distillation of everything she loves about this creative
Mallorcan enclave. The restored 16th-century finca is home to 15
uniquely designed rooms: in one, everything is painted a
titillating, sensuous pink; in another, the shower sits hidden
inside an egg-like dome. Elsewhere, you’ll find a farm-to-fork
restaurant, ocean-gazing pool and any number of spontaneous events
such as sound baths, guided hikes, musical jams and crystal healing
materialising to ensure the creative energies that inspired the
stay continue to flow.

Home in the 15th century to an olive oil press, this elegantly
restored hotel offers a historic stay in an ancient town. Spend
days strolling the medieval city walls of old Alcúdia, spying
ancient Roman ruins and ducking into the 14th-century church of
Sant Jaume, before returning to your urban retreat, which has been
restored and revived using the heritage skills of local artisans.
Making for an intimate stay, there are just eight bedrooms, all of
which incorporate the building’s original medieval stonework in
slick, contemporary spaces, but for a real sense of the property’s
history, head to the spa for a dip in the plunge pool. Cut deep
into the bedrock, this cavernous, open-roofed expanse is a former
Roman cellar. There’s no restaurant, but you’ll find plenty of
laid-back hangouts nearby.

A restored mansion in Palma’s historic La Lonja quarter, Can
Bordoy is a decadent redesign of a former nunnery. Using the art
deco era for inspiration, local creative studio OHLAB has paired
the building’s original features with funky, bold new additions
across 24 rooms and suites: think cerulean headboards, thick velvet
curtains, vast, oval-shaped freestanding bathtubs and mid-century
sideboards. Unusually for this historic neighbourhood, the hotel is
ensconced by green space. Guests enter via a verdant courtyard,
while, in the walled garden, a large pool and sun deck are shaded
by leafy mature trees. A second pool hangs suspended above a
skylight on the rooftop terrace, and a third awaits in the
subterranean spa, alongside a steam bath and treatment rooms. The
green theme runs right through to the restaurant, too, starting
with a creative cocktail menu of herbal-infused drinks.

Is it a hotel? Is it a guesthouse? Does it matter? Shaded by
palm trees and draped in greenery, this distinctive Mallorcan stay
is the result of a creative collaboration between sisters Claudia
and Isabella del Olmo. Inspired by the movement of Europe’s
youthful urban artists to slower-paced rustic surrounds, the duo
have sought to provide the creative energy of a city in a
countryside setting. Run as a creative residency for
multidisciplinary artists between November and April, the
six-bedroom house – filled with tactile textiles, vintage
furnishings, local curios and art created by former residents – is
available to book over the summer months on an exclusive basis. If
you don’t feel like cooking for yourself, chef-made meals can be
included at an additional cost, as can yoga sessions and creative
workshops.

Tucked beneath rugged rocks, amid olive groves, farmland and
wild scrub, Mirabó de Valldemossa is a romantic rural refuge deep
in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. Inside the old farmhouse,
soft, country-style interiors see nine rooms filled with antique
wooden furniture and cosy, squashy sofas. A restaurant, set inside
the room where olives were once pressed, serves simple, rustic fare
sourced from the surrounding land, plus wine from the owner’s
vineyard. You’re far from Valldemossa’s urbane old town here, so be
content with wandering the hotel’s ample gardens, taking a dip in
the turquoise-tiled pool, and exploring other mountain towns
nearby, such as the creative haven of Deià.

If the flames of reinvention on Mallorca started anywhere, we’d
wager that Bikini Island was one potential tinder box for the
island’s creative renaissance. Ballsy and vibrant, this bohemian
giant in Port de Sóller reintroduced travellers to the island’s
artistic side via its eclectic interiors and playful service, and
managed to straddle the space between packaged escapes and
independent retreats. Don’t head here hoping for a tranquil
retreat: the name of the poolside watering hole, Pikkini Bar, gives
a sense of this hedonistic hotel’s vibe. Dressed up with
California-style beach interiors (think hammocks, wall hangings and
trailing plants), the hippie retreat is housed in a renovated 1970s
building. You’ll find sunshine-filled Tel Aviv-inspired recipes at
the restaurant, and two bars serving joyful cocktail concoctions.
Bikini even curates its own Spotify playlist, so guests can take
that beach feeling back home.

All credit to interior designer Maria José Cabré in her pursuit
of yin and yang in this Palma hot ticket: nowhere balances
eclecticism and minimalism quite like Sant Francesc. A landmark
42-key stay in the historic centre of the island’s main town, the
19th-century mansion has been beautifully restored to retain
original neoclassical frescoes and marble stonework while injecting
a cool contemporary streak throughout (clock the locally produced
ceramics, glassware and tiling in use). The restaurant, helmed by
chef Alvar Albaladejo, serves a down-to-earth menu packed with
fresh vegetables, local cheeses and market seafood. On the roof,
you’ll find a sleek pool, lounging space and a rooftop bar offering
a selection of citrus-spiked cocktails. Our order? A sharp
Mediterranean sour, please.

This sprawling stay on Mallorca’s north-east coast is housed in
the soaring old buildings of a 400-year-old estate. Much still
remains of its former rusticism, including the traditional stone
exterior and cornflower-blue shutters, but inside, bold local art
and a cool minimalist palette offers a juxtaposition to the
traditional Mallorcan aesthetic. Cabanas and white loungers
surround a deep-green infinity pool, and there’s a direct path from
the hotel to the pristine beach at Cala Agulla, which will take you
20 minutes to traverse on foot. The food here is top-notch –
something of a given considering ex-El Bulli chef Andreu Genestra
heads up the restaurant.

The owners of Can Aulí – an adults-only retreat tucked away in
Pollença’s tranquil backstreets – have made a point of showcasing
artwork by Mallorca-based creatives, including Estefania Pomar and
Jaume Roig, throughout this peaceful, 21-room stay. The property, a
restored mansion, has been transformed into a warm, contemporary
space, and, while much of its ancient skeleton has been preserved,
including imposing archways, wide staircases and double-height
ceilings, bedrooms feel effortlessly chic. The al fresco bar and
open kitchen downstairs serves an adventurous tapas menu that pairs
old classics such as Cantabrian anchovies, Iberian ham and local
cheese with innovative selections that might include pickled
mussels, monkfish foie and seafood cannelloni.

Opened in 2021, this chic – but affordable – agroturismo offers
an intimate stay amid 80 hectares of farmland in the hilly Binibona
Valley. You’ll want to bring your Tevas: guided tours around the
estate are a highlight, taking in olive groves, old farm buildings,
a farmhouse and 200-year-old church in the hotel’s courtyard, as
well as rambles to neighbouring villages. The property’s 10 rooms
are furnished simply, with white walls, dark wood furnishings,
woven rugs and terracotta floors. The farm-to-table restaurant,
Mirabona, has been making waves since opening, plating up a
seasonally changing menu of farm-fresh produce.

Mallorca’s first vegetarian stay, Ecocirer is a family-run
guesthouse in historic Sóller. As you might expect, food takes
centre stage. Breakfasts are worth jumping out of bed for: a
cornucopia of homemade xeixa bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, and
coconut yoghurt and muesli. Most guests are enticed to visit the
family’s cookery school, or spend a Saturday at their mountaintop
farmhouse retreat, enjoying a vegetable-laden lunch made using
ingredients harvested from the kitchen gardens. Back in the
guesthouse, calming, tranquil rooms are equipped with vegan
toiletries.

The crumbling exterior of this ancient mansion house graces
Palma’s labyrinthine old town. Inside, a characterful
transformation has reworked the 16th-century bare bones of the
property into an elegant city stay. Wooden beams and weathered
stone walls are offset by clean lines and contemporary art in 26
spacious rooms, while diners at the hotel restaurant scoff
Asian-leaning tapas under gothic archways. The spa is tucked into
two curving, cellar-like spaces that were once used as a grain
store, and offers a heated pool, solarium, sauna and treatment
room, as well as a small gym. On the roof, you’ll find a petite
plunge pool. Our favourite detail? The rooftop phone, from which
guests can order poolside drinks, whatever the hour.

If you’re looking for a good-value hotel located in Palma de
Mallorca’s bustling heart, make tracks to Nakar. Located on the
central Jaime III Avenue, this 57-key boutique stay is sleek,
minimalist and oh-so-chic. A plant-filled lobby, floor-to-ceiling
windows and ample use of blonde wood create light, airy interiors,
while the show-stopping rooftop pool that gazes out across the
town’s sky-tickling gothic cathedral isn’t a bad spot for a morning
swim. On the eighth floor, the CUIT Bar and Restaurant, run by
Mallorcan chef Miquel Calent, sends out modern Mallorcan cuisine to
a backdrop of terrace views across the bay. Opt for a suite for a
freestanding bath, private Jacuzzi and balcony overlooking the
shop-lined street below.