HOTEL
Sleeping Beauty on Mallorca

OHLAB Architekten have tenderly kissed the former glory of an old Spanish townhouse back to life with their boutique hotel Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden.

Text by Anna Moldenhauer, Photos by Patricia Parinejad | 7/3/2019

Modernizing a 16th-century townhouse in such a way as to uphold the charm of the old walls and yet ensure that no one feels they are overnighting in a museum is no simple task. On Mallorca, architectural practice OHLAB caringly transformed an historical palazzo into an exclusive boutique hotel on behalf of Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden. In the La Lonja district of Palma, the 2,500-square-meter building is to be found on Calle Forn de La Glòria, one of the narrow alleyways down near the harbor. When you step outside the building, Plaça de la Drassana is only a few steps away, a small plaza boasting tapas bars that all come to life towards evening. The Can Bordoy offers an unexpected haven of tranquility in Palma’s old town: Behind the palazzo’s walls the town’s largest private garden, a veritable green oasis, is the delight of any visitor. Far from the buzz of the alleyways you can relax here at the poolside, while the numerous trees provide welcome shade. Warm light from countless small luminaires bring the courtyard entrancingly to life in the evening and thus provide a relaxing backdrop to a generous dinner.

Inside, you can recline on refined velvet, which blends perfectly with the brass surfaces and harmonizes with the selection of antiques. Jaime Oliver at OHLAB opted for soft contrasts using contemporary designs: Luminaires are courtesy of Bocci, Artemide, Poulsen or Flos, for example, while the furniture is by Ligne Roset, Arper, Frederica and Moroso – creating a reference to the present without overly putting the historical past behind. The romantic feel is rounded out by crystal chandeliers and a mystically greened interior. The combination of old and new continues in the boutique hotel’s 24 rooms: Heavy velvet curtains serve as room dividers, opulent walnut headboards to the bed give way in the bathrooms to marble surfaces while the ceiling features stuccowork. And for the perfect feel-good mood: There’s a standalone bathtub in which to relax. Anyone wanting more can simply head for the calm of the hotel’s own spa and enjoy many a pleasant treatment. Another highlight in the hotel bears discovering – on the roof: The terrace there boasts not only a small pool, but a grand view out over the old town and of the “La Seu” cathedral, Palma’s famous landmark.