Out of Focus | Our Palma Palace
By now it's no secret that as a brand we have always remained focused on delivering clothing and accessories across the ‘affordable luxury’ space, however this year, as part of our “out of focus” blog series, we’ve decided to seek out some of the best places to stay in what we consider the “affordable luxury” hotel space. These are places we feel closely aligned to, places we have visited, and places we have left with that irreplaceable “I will definitely go back” feeling.
Earlier in the series we covered the Sandy Duck Hotel, on more local shores, however with the explosion of pent-up demand to break the borders, we’ve decided to discuss some of our favourite European hot spots. First up; Palma Mallorca.
As an island, Mallorca really has something for everyone, but in between the super yachts and ‘super-trash’ is an abundance of boutique hotels, delivering exceptional quality. The first and possibly our top pick, is the Hotel Francesc Singular. Nestled quietly in a tranquil back street, you are within five minutes walk of the busy shopping streets and only a stone's throw from some of the lesser-known local hotspots (such as Osteria de placa San Francesc immediately next door).
As you enter the hotel you are instantly greeted with an ambience of calm; high ceilings, large olive trees, comfy linen sofas and of course a glass of Cava. Everything about this place is immaculate. The recently renovated, traditional merchants palace has been converted into the ultimate boutique hotel with all the soft furnishings you can dream of, and a rooftop pool area designed to disappear into. The thing that makes the Hotel Francesc stick out the most, however, is their service. The vast bilingual team are on hand 24-7 to arrange whatever you need, and you can rest assured the answers to most of your questions will be ‘yes’. Each night whilst we were out to dinner they snuck into our room, delivered a turn-down service and left something sweet on the bedside tables. The attention to detail was better than some of their more famous competitors which are twice the price.
By day, the rooftop swimming pool is the place to be, with its al fresco bar and restaurant. The hotel absolutely nails the ambience here offering a serene and silent escape by day and a boujee cocktail bar by night (and it’s never too loud). Beyond the never-ending choice of gin and tonics, we cannot recommend their ‘light bite’ “patatas bravas” more; it must be the only place in Spain that has turned this traditional Spanish dish into an Instagram-worthy tastegasm.
As with the other Balearic Islands, Mallorca is seasonal based on weather, however, we have found some of our favourite months to be in the shoulder season (from early May to late September/October). Expect a particularly Dinky crowd (Double Income No Kids Yet) in June, and slightly steeper prices in July and August. Whatever the month, however, we will definitely be going back, because this place is not to be missed.
