Outstanding Stays: Can Bordoy, Palma

We could all do with a strong dose of escapism right now, so each week we'll be highlighting a banging boutique to bookmark for when the world presses play again
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Travel is off the cards, for now.

But when restrictions lift, and it's safe to do so, the longing for a trip away from our own postcodes will be strong. More importantly, there will be hundreds upon hundreds of hotels around the world, particularly independently-owned boutiques, that will need your help.

They'll need you to check in, lie on their Egyptian cotton sheets and soak up their charm. That's why we've teamed up with Mr & Mrs Smith for a new weekly series that takes a tantalising peak inside some of the world's finest properties.

For this instalment, Louis A. W. Sheridan discovers a distinguished old house in Palma that delivers on the design front.

(Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith )
Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith

The Look

After zigzagging through the cobbled labyrinth that makes up Palma’s La Lonja quarter, Can Bordoy’s understated entrance is easy to miss. Once inside and through the gated archway, any illusions of this old house being a wallflower go straight to pot. A courtyard draped in greenery gives way to an intimate lobby where a grand piano brushes up against the check-in desk. Checkerboard tiles map out a path through a bright-eyed restaurant and out into the rarest of Palma gems - a flourishing garden complete with pool.

Up a wrought-iron-flanked-staircase, art-deco lamps throw dramatic shadows across mid-century furnishings and wind-whipped curtains flirt with velvet headboards – it no longer looks like a nunnery.

The Feel

Palma could hardly be labelled as unsung, but it’s a city that revolves around ritual rather than newness. Devout regulars have their lists of chosen haunts and the places are hard-won. Can Bordoy managed to cut the queue while keeping a relatively low profile. The result is a top-tier stay with all the trimmings, but it still feels like a locals-only secret.

At times the old house feels fit for a Fitzgeraldian party with an abundance of low-slung lounging spots where crowds and conversations criss-cross freely. At others, it’s entirely your own, with a pin-drop city silence broken only by the splash of the pool and the faint thrum of Palma.

(Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith )
Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith

The Experience

The pull of Palma’s markets and monuments is doubled by their proximity. The sprawling Mercat de l'Olivar is a must for gregarious grazing and for more of a visual feast, the Es Baluard plays host to many a Miró. For the second act, snag a poolside seat back at Can Bordoy for a laidback lunch under waving palms.

As shadows start to stretch, make for the roof terrace where you can sink herbal cocktails while the sun disappears behind the distant Serra de Tramuntana. If you can bear any more exertion, the subterranean spa should see you through ‘til dinner.

(Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith )
Louis A. W. Sheridan/Mr & Mrs Smith

Insider info

Contrary to popular belief, there’s barely a secret beach on Mallorca – and if there were, the swearing-to-secrecy wouldn’t be worth breaking. That being said, there are more than a few quiet coves reachable by water. Ask the front-desk to hook you up with their Chris-Craft boat and a captain.

Getting There

Fly to Palma de Mallorca Airport from London Heathrow with British Airways. The hotel is 15 minutes by car from there.

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