Sant Francesc Hotel Singular

The Alomar family made their money in sugar cane, on the Santa Isabel plantation in Puerto Rico, and owned this house in Palma's old town from the early nineteenth century to the late twentieth. Their last alteration to it was in 1860. Since it became a hotel, the household has been found new work. The cistern is a gym. The stables are Quadrat, the restaurant. Two olive trees grow in the cobbled courtyard under a glazed gallery, and a private collection of contemporary painting hangs on the walls. The watchtower, dovecote and all, is now La Torre Studio, and it is the room to book: 60 square metres over three floors, a hot tub on a terrace of its own, and a view over the cathedral to the sea and the Tramuntana.

Recommended for couples who mean to see Palma on foot: every room sleeps two, and nothing is laid on for children. The cathedral is a few steps from the door, and guests praise an address that puts the whole old town within walking distance. The rest of Mallorca is a drive, which the hotel will turn into a boat trip or a helicopter flight over the island. The best seat in the house is on the roof, 200 square metres of terrace with a pool and a bar, and the cathedral standing over the terracotta beyond the rail. Quadrat serves dinner Thursday to Monday, with a tasting menu called L'Entorn. Out in the square, a bronze Junípero Serra holds his cross up towards the balconies. He lived in the monastery opposite before leaving to found missions in California, which makes a helicopter over Mallorca look like a quiet day out.