Portella

There are hundreds of hotels to choose from on the island of Mallorca, but few as sophisticated as Portella. Housed within a petite 17th-century palace in the medieval walled city of Palma — a light-filled space most recently occupied by an art museum — this boutique hotel retains many of the building’s original features, like exposed stone walls, terracotta tiles, and marble staircases with wrought-iron railings. But the interiors are also strikingly simple and stripped back, outfitted in natural hues and organic materials, channeling quiet luxury more than old-world glamour.

The minimalist update comes courtesy of local architects Gras Reynés in collaboration with Festen, the celebrated Parisian design firm. The result is elegant and down-to-earth. Rooms and suites are set around a central courtyard; a maze of arched hallways wind past their doorways, leading up to a rooftop terrace overlooking the cathedral and down to a hammam with a gym and steam bath. The smallest rooms, on the uppermost level, have sloping wood-beamed ceilings, while larger suites come with kitchens; the lone apartment features a spacious terrace with views of the Arab baths.

Most charming of all is the way Portella operates — not as a typical hotel, with a reception desk and a fixed schedule, but as a guest house, where everything from check-in to your breakfast order is handled informally and person-to-person.