Hotel Tres, Palma, Spain

Tucked away in the warren of tiny streets of Palma old town, the Hotel Tres is the best boutique hotel for a quiet city-break in Mallorca’s capital. A tranquil oasis with a roof-top plunge pool overlooking the cathedral, the Tres is a great alternative to the full-on party scene of the Puro hotel across the road. Housed in a 16th-century merchant’s mansion with a Fifties extension, the Hotel Tres mixes original features including beamed ceilings and a central courtyard with all the hallmarks of a boutique hotel.

The facilities

Elegant, white interiors are spruced up with sensual photography by Magnus Elgqvist and minimal canvases by local painter Maya, and the brand new bar and lounge has Belgian leather carpets, Italian sofas, cowhide-covered seating and a free internet point. The Library, with its flat-screen TV and selection of glossy coffee-table tomes, is a perfect refuge in the winter months and in high season sun-worshippers on the roof terraces can order up snacks and light lunches from the restaurant downstairs.

The rooms

All rooms have simple, white interiors, original artwork, cowhide benches and fancy FACE products from Stockholm. There’s a choice of third-floor rooms with original beamed ceilings, street views and Mallorcan marble floors or rooms that overlook the quiet, central courtyard with parquet floors. The Grand Suite is the most spectacular as it has a private roof terrace with its own Jacuzzi. The recent addition of a pull-down bed in the living room makes it a perfect choice for families, although the staircase to the terrace is steep.