Can Bordoy
Botanic beauty
Urban oasis
In Palma’s historic La Lonja quarter, restored mansion Can Bordoy is a triumph of decadent design. Standing for centuries, this noble house and nunnery has been artfully refurbished to marry house and garden in inspired style. On the inside, original features were either restored or recreated by local design studio Ohlab, then paired with art deco and mid-century designs – the Thirties-style headboards and custom-made drinks cabinets are a particular feast for the eye. Outside, the centrepiece courtyard garden and pool is a sanctuary in the heart of the city, screened by fruit-laden orange trees and perfumed by shrubs and flowers. Unwilling to be tamed, the greenery has also crept inside, inspiring the organic menu at restaurant Botànic and running wild in the fairytale lounges, where the ceilings are crossed with creepers and ferns.
Facilities
Rooms
22 suites and two rooms.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates include à la carte breakfast.
Also
All of the public areas – including the rooftop terrace – are wheelchair accessible, and all of the ground floor rooms have specially-adapted bathrooms.
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pet Friendly
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
Spa
At the Hotel
Private gardens; rooftop terrace; free WiFi throughout; laundry. In rooms: flatscreen TV; bespoke cocktail cabinet; Bluetooth sound system; free bottled water; Swiss Perfection bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
Each suite and room was lavished with attention, ensuring the furnishings highlight the character and quirks of the historic rooms. Some have floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the courtyard, others have wooden beam ceilings or restored cornicing. If we had to pick, we’d go for one of the impressive Premium Suites. In each, the art deco-style bed can be encircled with a thick velvet curtain, separating the bedroom from an inch-perfect living area and freestanding oval bath tub.
Poolside
The long, slim pool is in the gardens, and is unusually large for a house in the centre of Palma. There’s a whirlpool off to the the side and sunloungers arranged along a sun deck, some of them shaded by low-hanging branches from the garden’s many trees. The pool water is treated with salt electrolysis, a bit of chemical wizardry that means no extra chlorine needs to be added to the water.
Spa
The hotel’s subterranean spa has two treatment cabins, a steam bath, a plunge pool with whirlpool jets and a horizontal shower, in which you lie on a smooth stone surface as water showers down from multiple jets. A range of massages and cosmetic treatments are on offer, the latter using products by luxury skincare brand Swiss Perfection. Fancy a massage in the fresh air? There's also an alfresco treatment area by the pool, framed by billowing curtains that'll (mostly) protect your modesty.
Packing Tips
Bring a romantic, fairytale-esque novel to read in the gardens.
Also
Each room has a tablet loaded with a list of local recommendations, including the best nearby beaches, cultural landmarks and boutiques.
Children
All ages are welcome, but the ambience makes it best suited to adults. Babysitting can be arranged from €30 an hour; a day’s notice is needed when booking.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
You can’t beat a table on the terrace, which is in a separate area of the gardens.
Dress Code
Let your imagination run as wild as the greenery snaking across the ceiling.
Hotel Restaurant
Restaurant Botànic is inspired by the hotel’s verdant garden, which chef Andres Benitez pays tribute to with his preference for organic produce, much of it sourced from local farms. You can sample his creative take on Mallorcan cuisine in three locations – on a terrace in the garden, in the cosy, book-lined library or in the jumanji room, where the ceiling is overrun with creepers and ferns.
Hotel Bar
The bar is part of Botànic, and serves herbal cocktails, fine Spanish wines and a range of bite-size snacks adapted from the restaurant menu.
Last Orders
The restaurant opens for breakfast at 8am and stays open until 11pm. The bar is open from 8am to midnight.
Planes
Palma de Mallorca Airport is a 15-minute drive away. The hotel can organise transfers in a Mercedes S-Class or Range Rover for €65 each way (€110 return).
Automobiles
You’re unlikely to need your own car if you plan on staying in town, but having one would make trips to other coastal towns a breeze.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The hotel’s shaded gardens are uncommonly large for a Palma townhouse and are as much of a triumph as any of the rooms. With trees screening the surrounding buildings from view, the pool area feels like a wild sanctuary from the outside world. You couldn’t ask for a better place to sip cocktails or sample organic tapas from Botànic restaurant, itself inspired by the fragrant greenery. In the evening, climb to the roof terrace for panoramic views of the city at sundown, then descend to the spa next morning for a restorative massage or Swiss-inspired facial. Housed in a 14th-century fort overlooking the bay, Es Baluard is home to the city’s largest modern and contemporary art collection, including many works by Balearic artists. The exhibitions include paintings, sculptures and ceramics dating from the late 19th century to present day, and works by Picasso, Giacometti and Gauguin. If you find the walk between the rooms works up an appetite, try the Mercat de l'Olivar, a sprawling indoor market with stalls selling everything from Iberian cold cuts to vegan cereal bars. If you're more hungry for history, go for a wander around the Arab Quarter, where you’ll come face to face with Moorish relics like the Almudaina Palace and the Arab baths. If you’ve got time to go further afield, consider chartering a boat at the harbour and sailing to one of the island’s remoter coasts, or hop on the wood-panelled train to Sóller, which takes a spectacular route through the Sierra de Alfabia mountains. First timers shouldn’t miss the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma (also known as Le Seu), one of the highest Gothic cathedrals in Europe. Begun in the 13th century and modified by Antoni Gaudí in the 20th, this honey-coloured edifice has long been an emblem of the city, visible to anyone who arrived by sea.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
