Our hotel stays in 2014 were all on Mallorca – and each for one night. I’ve already written about Castell Son Claret and Es Revellar Art Resort, in part one of this post. Today you can find out about three more hotels we enjoyed staying in during the course of the year.

Petit Hotel Son Arnau, Selva

View of the village of Selva from Petit Hotel Son Arnau

I first heard about this new luxury village hotel (opened at the start of 2014) when I saw a special accommodation offer on the website Secret Escapes. I’ve since written several articles about both the hotel and the enthusiastic and hardworking couple who run it. You can read a full report of our stay at this hotel here.  We love this place!

Petit Hotel Son Arnau is open throughout the winter. Tariffs are shown on their website.

Hotel Mar i Vent, Banyalbufar

A good pre-breakfast walk from Hotel Mar i Vent

Unlike the other hotels we stayed in during 2014, Hotel Mar i Vent has just three stars.  We chose it for two reasons: it was the closest hotel (within easy walking distance) to the restaurant we were dining in for The Boss’s birthday (1661 Cuina de Banyalbufar – highly recommended), and I’d been curious about the place since it was first recommended to me some 20 years ago, by a colleague (in the hotel industry) who stayed there every year for a walking holiday on Mallorca. It’s been open since 1931 and run by different generations of the same family since then.

Of all the hotels we stayed in during 2014 Hotel Mar i Vent was the most mallorquín  in style. The interior is clean and smart, and with traditional décor. If you’re looking for a hotel that looks and feels Mallorcan, down to its floor tiles, this is a great place.

The terraced coastal village of Banyalbufar is well worth a visit – particularly if you enjoy hiking.

This hotel closes for a short period over the winter.

Hotel Jaime III, Palma

A metal sculpture of a dress – right outside our room door!

We stayed at this city-centre 4-star hotel after having dinner in Palma. This isn’t a habit – but the dinner was a special occasion, calling for a glass or two of wine and some leisurely eating. We  often use the island’s excellent railway service (SFM) for visits to Palma, but the last train back to Manacor leaves the capital at the surprisingly early (for Spain) time of 10.15pm.  Oh how we long for a train at 11.15pm, to give us time to enjoy dinner in town at a more relaxed pace . . .

Hotel meets art gallery

Hotel Jaime III is a modern hotel on the Paseo de Mallorca and part of the small HM hotel chain. Recently refurbished, it’s jam-packed with art. You could be mistaken for thinking you’d strolled into a funky art gallery. Even our spacious room (number 405) had a heart-shaped work of art on the wall. We spent a comfortable and quiet night here and, although we expected some noise because of the city centre location, it was surprisingly quiet. Being in  the last room at the end of the black-walled corridor probably helped. The hotel has a restaurant/bar, which we didn’t try (other than for breakfast). The latter is buffet-style and probably what you’d expect to find in a modern city centre hotel. The hotel also has a small spa/gym.

If you want a conveniently located hotel in Palma de Mallorca, this one fits the bill. It’s close to Es Baluard – the city’s contemporary art museum, the main shopping streets of Jaime III and the Borne, and a good choice of bars and restaurants. There’s no hotel car park, but it’s a minute or two’s walk from the nearest public underground car park. Or do as we did: park for free on the Paseo Marítimo and get some exercise!