Hospes Maricel

Class: Deluxe

Style: Contemporary classic

Rooms: 29

Ten minutes west of Palma, perched at the edge of the Mediterranean, this stately old building was once a grand residence, and later one of Mallorca’s top nightclubs. Today it’s the Maricel, a luxury boutique by the Spanish Hospes group—and while it is one of the city’s most in-demand destinations, it has a bit more in common with its former life as a private home than with its brief turn as a nightclub.

The building’s facade and entrance still bear witness to its ancient heritage, while the interiors are decidedly contemporary. Sparsely furnished, to be sure, with acres of white space and accents in dark woods. It almost verges on the minimal but never quite tips over, perhaps due to the palpable quality of the fixtures and furnishings. All white may be a questionable choice for a Northern city hotel, but here the rooms act to collect the plentiful Mediterranean sunlight.

Built on an outcropping, the Maricel’s terrace is a spectacular environment, at once closed to the world and open to the sea. An infinity pool opens onto the Mediterranean, bathing swimmers in that extraordinary blue. The nightclub is long gone, and the hotel’s social center today is the Maricel restaurant, where local seafood and cocktails are served against the backdrop of the water.