Palma’s Old Town, the Perpetual Renaissance of one of the most beautiful Old Towns in Europe

Palma’s historic centre is a UNESCO-worthy jewel, a living, breathing masterpiece where the elegance of boutique hospitality intertwines with the soul of centuries-old heritage.

Over the past two decades, international investors and visionary hoteliers have meticulously restored centuries-old palaces, mansions, and noble townhouses to their former splendour, turning this magical city area into a magnificent cinematic scenery able to evoke the most wonderful fairy tales.

Each restoration is more than a renovation, it’s a love brushstroke on the grand canvas of a city that never stops reinventing itself.

«Between carved wooden doors and Gothic arches, a labyrinth of cobbled lanes open onto sunlit plazas,

where the air carries the scent of orange blossom and the echo of church bells.

By day, sunlight spills into graceful cloisters and across Art Nouveau balconies

By night, the Old Town becomes a stage for whispered conversations over wine in candlelit taverns.

Here, past and present waltz together, and every corner seems to whisper:

Welcome. Welcome to Your Brand New Story.»

THE HOTELS WE LOVE: PALMA

Our curated Selection of Luxury Boutique Hotels whose passion for restoration has transformed Palma’s historic heart into one of Europe’s most beautiful city centres.

In Palma, History & Heritage meets Beauty & Elegance in the heart of the Mediterranean

CAN BORDOY GRAND HOUSE & GARDEN

Once an abandoned 16th-century mansion, now an oasis of beauty, peace, gastronomy and lush gardens,

Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden is a rare jewel hidden in the heart of Palma’s historic La Lonja district.

On a quiet street where history breathes through ancient stones whispering secrets from centuries past, tales of merchants and nobles, of sailors and scholars, stories of a city that has always lived between the sea and the sky, behind an unassuming façade, a secret world awaits: Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden, a mansion-palace over 500 years old that has experienced several transformations throughout the centuries.

Step inside, and the air changes…and so do you.

Perfumed by the scent of climbing greenery that winds up walls and drapes across ceilings, as if nature herself has decided to permanently live here, claiming the space with a gentle yet irresistible embrace: vines curl up the walls, leaves cascade from ceilings, and the scent of greenery mingles with the faint perfume of polished wood and old stone.

You find yourself in a living dream, where imagination wanders freely and memories from another century come quietly to the present moment.

For more than 500 years, this mansion-palace has been a silent witness to the lives of its inhabitants, from the refined gatherings of the original owners noble family, to the whispered prayers of devoted nuns, to the studious focus of the island’s best-educated pupils.

Each chapter in its history left an imprint, each era has left its own mark. Through time, the building has accumulated a rich history reflecting different architectural styles. A worn step on the staircase, a faint trace of fresco beneath a layer of paint, a hairline crack on a stone wall that holds the weight of thousands or untold stories.

A place where the passage of time has left its ancient walls marked with stone veins of unforgettable memories.

Today, within these storied walls, contemporary design meets heritage architecture, haute cuisine meets the stillness and beauty of a secret secret garden.

Luxury is defined by an atmosphere so intoxicating, that guests feel that they are not simply staying…but belonging here.

Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden has lived many lives.

Once the personal residence of the noble Mallorcan family Bordoy Blanes, it later transformed into a convent in the 1970s, and eventually became a school for the religious order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

For decades, its marvelous splendor slept hidden in the shadows, like a closed book waiting for the wise hands able to bring it back to life.

And then, as if out of a fairy tale hero, in 2014, Swedish investor, developer, designer and entrepreneur Mikael Hall, an amazing creative mind always ready for a challenge, acquired the property with the vision of restoring its former glory, transforming it into a luxury boutique hotel that fully embodies the building original essence and heritage.

His mission was not merely to renovate, but to restore its former glory and transform it into a luxury boutique hotel that would embody the essence and heritage of the building itself.

Today, Can Bordoy is much more than a Luxury Boutique Hotel, it’s a destination in itself, a magic sanctuary that guests find very hard to leave, perpetually enamored by its spacious 24 suites, from 30 to 80 sm, designed as old luxury stately homes with functionalities that seem to have landed straight from the future.

To carry out this ambitious rehabilitation, Michael Hall entrusted the local architectural firm OHLAB, led by architects Paloma Hernaiz and Jaime Oliver, who took charge of the comprehensive restoration of the building.

Together, they approached the project not as a construction, but as a delicate act of storytelling. Every scar in the stone, every curve of the archways, every fragment of the past was honoured. Old and new were woven together like a tapestry, with history and modernity dancing in perfect harmony.

Today, Can Bordoy is far more than a luxury boutique hotel: it is a destination in itself. Its 24 spacious Suites, ranging from 30 to 80 square metres, recall the grandeur of old stately homes while integrating functionalities that feel as though they have landed from the future.

Guests step into a sanctuary where time slows, senses awaken, and the outside world fades away — a place so magical, leaving becomes the hardest part of a unique and unforgettable experience where luxury and history harmoniously merge.

This unique hotel evokes the experience of visiting a luxury home, a private residence rather than a conventional hotel. The reception, instead of a typical desk, is presented as a cozy foyer, the dining room feels like a residential living room, and the rooms resemble well-preserved spaces of an old luxury private house.

The four-year rehabilitation focused on preserving the building’s original elements. Every detail, from the cracks in the walls, to the air bubbles once captured in the old glass, a reminder that beauty also lies in the imperfections gifted by time.

The original frescoes were also carefully preserved, and such respectful and careful intervention maintained the romantic and decadent atmosphere of the place, while incorporating contemporary elements that provide maximum comfort and functionality.

But the true hidden jewel was the garden, with a surface area of over 750 square meters, is the largest in the city. A secret oasis long concealed, until its gates opened to welcome light, life, and the gentle murmur of centuries-old trees that now embrace those seeking peace amidst the urban bustle.

Despite being in the heart of the historic center, in its lush garden you can barely hear a sound, except for the birds singing or the soft movement of the tree branches dancing to the breeze.

Today, Can Bordoy is much more than a hotel. It is a home that welcomes, a journey to the past with the comforts of the present, a refuge where luxury is measured in shared stories in corners where contemporary furniture coexists with unique antique pieces.

Here, every step invites you to pause, to feel, to connect with yourself embraced by a Palma that reinvents itself without forgetting its roots. Can Bordoy is poetry carved in stone, elegance that breathes, a well-kept secret now open to hunt and enchant those willing to listen.

The rooms are dressed in deep ultramarine, the color of the Mediterranean at dusk.

Velvet walls, soft with nostalgia, embrace you with majestic curtains that filter the light, casting shadows that feel like whispers.

Every corner holds a story, an Art Deco jewel found in a forgotten market in Paris, a rare curiosity uncovered in a distant antique shop, a work of art rescued from one of Palma’s most secret addresses. 

A heated outdoor pool that allows year-round swimming; semi-secret passageways that connect some of the hotel’s private areas; a library; a designer bar where art coexists with signature cocktails; a delicate open-air pergola where massages are performed and private dinners are held; a cozy spa that invites you to indulge in «Dolce far niente»; and a spectacular rooftop with views of the city’s main monuments.

It houses the pool, the massage pergola, the solarium, and a terrace where hotel guests mingle with external visitors, who come to the Botànic restaurant for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or other moments of the day, such as the traditional tea time. 

The Botanic Restaurant, inspired by travel and a love of the earth, champions healthy eating with colorful and flavorful green dishes  that encourage to discover locally grown vegetables, fruits, and greens, accompanied by delicious meat or fish.

The rehabilitation of Can Bordoy has been internationally recognized for its respectful approach to heritage and its ability to integrate historic elements with contemporary design, where authentic antiques pieces are fused with elements of modern high-end decorative brands and in which velvet acts as the common thread of the creative concept.

This project has not only revitalized an emblematic building in Palma but also contributed to the conservation and enhancement of the city’s architectural heritage.

Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden is not simply a hotel. It is a living dream, an invitation to let beauty take its time, to enjoy the pleasure of slow living.

Here, the past has not vanished.

It has been reinvented and made ready, for you.