Exterior shot of entrance to hotel, showing a reflection of the church portal opposite.

The choice of boutique hotels in Mallorca’s capital, Palma, continues to grow. Because I have a huge interest in hotels – having worked for several years in the past in hotel PR – I love to check out new places to stay and, when funds permit, to experience them as a guest.

St Valentine’s was the perfect excuse for a night away in one of the several new boutique properties that have recently opened in Palma:  the 5-star Súmmum Prime Boutique Hotel. Since the time we booked it, two more boutique hotels have opened in Palma and at least two more will be opening in the coming months.

Location

Carrer Concepció starts as a lane leading from the shopping street Jaime III. It’s a quiet lane that is now home to several good restaurants (Fera Restaurant & Bar, Aromata, Emilio Innobar), the new Zonasander champagne bar/interiors/vintage store, and several art galleries.  Súmmum Prime Boutique Hotel is at number 26, right opposite the church.

Zonasander: Vintage studio and champagne bar combined – opened in January this year and run by the Sander family from Sweden

The property

No. 26 has had an interesting past, dating back to medieval times. The original property was built in the 15th century and was a notable palace in Palma, known as Can Berga-Ladaria. In 1874 the original Gothic building was replaced by a new property, which became the Vidal family’s home in the 20th-century and renamed Can Vidal.

The building was in a poor state of repair when it underwent the considerable renovation and transformation that have resulted in today’s beautiful 5-star boutique hotel.  Many original architectural features have been restored and serve as a reminder of this Palma property’s history. If you’re in the hotel’s wooden-panelled Club room (with original fireplace and restored panelling), be sure to watch the video (on a loop) showing what the property looked like before it was lovingly restored.

Foyer of the hotel

Staircase up to the Club and bedrooms (lift also available)

Could you guess that this restaurant is housed in what used to be the stables?

Gorgeous original wood panelling and fireplace, sympathetically restored

Restoration par excellence

1874 Lounge terrace

Sauna in the cosy spa at the hotel

The hotel

Súmmum Prime Boutique Hotel has the following facilities:

• Eighteen rooms (including suites).
• Wellness spa (with sauna, spa bath, massage bed, and exercise equipment), which can be booked in advance for exclusive use.
• Equus French restaurant – which offers more than a few decorative hints about the space’s former use as the property’s stables.
• 1874 Lounge bar and adjoining rear terrace for drinks.
• Rooftop terrace and plunge pool.

Our room

We stayed in the Parietti Suite, which faces the Concepció church.  This spacious elegantly proportioned suite was once the principal salon of the mansion and has a restored mural on the ceiling – the creation of the 19th-century Mallorcan artist Francesc Parietti. It is thought to represent the goddess Minerva surrounded by cherubs; it’s a beautiful sight when you wake up beneath it, after a very comfortable night’s sleep in the king-sized bed (high-quality bedlinen, a choice of pillows, and a feather mattress-topper made sleep super comfy).

The heavenly view from the suite’s king-sized bed

Handy smartphone – free to use for guests during their stay

Our large bathroom was behind the sleeping area and offered an excellent walk-in shower, separate loo and bidet, bathtub, and two washbasins.  Toiletries are by Chopard. We liked the provision of small individual bottles of mouthwash too, as well as items such as robes, slippers, hairdryer, etc that are expected in 5-star hotels. We noted a set of bathroom scales, which we didn’t use: too many of the delicious breakfast croissants (raspberry or chocolate, and made by a bakery in the village of Muro) and a weigh-in could come as a bit of a shock!

All rooms have Nespresso coffee machine, safe, good free Wi-Fi, feather mattress toppers, Bluetooth speaker, air conditioning and heating, satellite TV.

Breakfast

The French restaurant Equus (open for lunch and dinner) is also the location for breakfast. It’s a very attractive space, with plenty of decorative hints to remind you that this was once where the horses would have been stabled.

Breakfast is a good varied buffet, with the option of freshly cooked eggs and other breakfast dishes prepared to order. We opted for the cold items but guests on a nearby table had eggs Benedict, which looked appealing.

I was pleased to see the option of freshly prepared healthy juices here; my dark green juice – served in a small bottle – was delicious and, combined with some fruit and a few other items (including a raspberry croissant), set me up for the morning.

Just a part of the breakfast buffet at Summum Prime Boutique Hotel

Lunch or dinner at the French restaurant Equus

All set for breakfast in Equus

Try some Mallorcan gourmet products as part of your breakfast

Special touches

Other things we liked:

• The ‘welcome’ note from the general manager awaiting us in our room was truly personal and not just the standard ‘have a nice stay with us’-type of message. It made a good impression on us. We found the staff to be helpful and friendly.
• The hotel was lovely and warm – February can be chilly in Mallorca!
• A Handy (brand) smartphone is available in each room for guests to use free of charge during their stay. It was the first time I had seen this facility offered in a Palma hotel.

When we first came to look for a property to buy on Mallorca (back in 2001), we stayed at a handsome rural hotel called Casa del Virrey. The Morgana Group – which owns Súmmum Prime Boutique Hotel – has recently acquired this property, now re-branded Virrey Prime Boutique Hotel. Yet another boutique hotel to check out on Mallorca!

©Jan Edwards 2018