Where to stay in Palma de Mallorca: Glòria de Sant Jaume Hotel

Glòria Sant Jaume Hotel, Palma de Mallorca: The Review…

Think five star manor house, and you’ll get the idea. Located in the old quarter of Palma de Mallorca, this is a brilliant adaptation of a four hundred year old home into a five star luxury hotel.

Tip: If you only have a couple of days the location is ideal for maximising your time in the city. Don’t miss the nearby, trendy Santa Catalina area with it’s eclectic mix of shops, bars, cafés and the oldest municipal city market in Palma de Mallorca where you might want to sample the sushi or tapas with the locals.

ART, DECORATION & DESIGN

The Glòria de Sant Jaume hotel opened in February 2018 following the creation of a unique modern space within the walls of a sixteenth century manor house under the direction of Jordi Cabau, founder of Cabau Hotels.

The combination of Jordi’s incredible eye for detail, his passion for the project and his respect for the original design of this former grand family home can be seen in the way the hotel has been created. Curvaceous wooden bannisters have been restored, ceramic ceiling decorations have been taken down, repaired by artisans and repositioned.  All the rooms have tiled floors, mostly original, where there were not enough tiles, they were made and matched by the Huguet factory in the town of Campos.

The hotel has been refurbished, on the one hand with great sensitivity, whilst on the other with innovative and sustainable systems that promote the comfort of the guests.

Jordi’s wife Heidi was instrumental in giving life to the rooms and communal spaces. Her selection of colours, textures and textiles combined with restored antique furniture and modern Roche Bobois pieces works perfectly. Art works and sculptures have also been subtly placed around the hotel to give that little extra personal touch.

Fun Tip: Enjoy your check-in. You will be given a personal tour of the hotel by the General Manager, who obviously loves his job and his hotel. He proudly tells the story of the building through the centuries and points out many of the historic features, modern attributes and tales of the refurbishment.

ROOMS & SUITES 

The fourteen unique rooms include a sixty square metre duplex suite on the second floor, five Junior Suites with baths, three of with have balconies and eight double rooms. Room 205, a deluxe double is lovely!

All the spacious rooms and suites have the original, colourful hydraulic tiles which have determined the colour scheme in each room. Luxury king-sized beds, superior linen, air-conditioning and heating, Smart TV’s, Wi-Fi, hair dryers, hair straighteners, flat irons, safes, coffee machines and mini bars complete the picture. Twelve of the fourteen rooms have Oculting TV’s and kettles are available on request.

The classic, retro style marble bathrooms include large rainfall showers, Occitane amenities, make-up mirrors, gorgeous robes, large wrap-around towels and slippers.

All rooms are equipped with funky Bang & Olufsen speakers which you can connect to via Bluetooth and enjoy your own music!

The Duplex Suite on the second floor of the hotel is unique. There is a large light filled living room with a convertible sofa bed (for 2 children up to 12 years old) and a bathroom on the ground floor. Upstairs is a large bedroom with an independent bathtub, toilet and a very special full length mirror with it’s own integrated ‘Oculting’ TV!

Each evening, all rooms and suites receive a lovely tidy-up and turn-down service including complimentary water and a little treat. There is also a chance for you to use the Occitane pillow mist left as a welcome gift.

Tip: Spoil yourself or significant other! Choose the beautiful sixty square metre duplex suite!

EL PATIO DE GLÒRIA CAFÉ RESTAURANT & BAR

The El Patio de Glòria restaurant is delightful. The interior is elegant, light and there’s an open courtyard with seating that houses the original water fountain of the residence.

Inside, one wall features a stunning showcase of wines hinting at the comprehensive wine list which includes fifteen local wines.

Classic flavours, local ingredients, seasonal produce and Mediterranean influences combine to offer an intriguing menu that is divided up into different sections.

Starters, or what they call “Shares”, feature lovely croquettes, Ibérico ham with red pepper jam or Cod with black garlic emulsion. The King prawns in beer and Xoriguer gin from Menorca, and the deep fried wonton of Mallorquin lamb are delicious! And there must be a special mention for the Manager’s favourite, Grilled octopus with roast potato and Mallorquin peppers.

The “Raws” include Corvina Ceviche plus three tartares, tuna, salmon and steak, whilst the “Freshness” and “Spoon” sections include salads and soups.

When it comes to the main courses, all the meat and fish dishes are grilled on a “Kamado”, a Japanese firewood grill. The “Glorious Sea” features Grilled corvina and wild sea-bass as well as red-tuna lacquered with honey. The “Glorious Land” features Glazed lamb filet, Mallorquin pork cannelloni and a Filet of beef, potato gratin, sautéed mushrooms and demi-glace sauce. Vegetarian dishes are also available. There’s a lovely selection of sweets too!

Tip: Try the “Shares” section on the menu and don’t forget those deep fried wantons of Mallorquin lamb!

The wine list offers a selection of twelve white wines (from 25 – 45 Euro) and a tremendous selection of thirty five red wines (from 24.50 – 165 Euro), plus four rosés and of course a selection of the usual suspects, cavas, champagnes and sweet wines. There is also the opportunity to have your wine served by the glass using a little gizmo called the Coravin, a device that inserts a needle into a bottle of wine, allowing the contents to be drawn without removing the cork or spoiling the remaining liquid. There are four wines (from 12 – 35 Euro) served in this way.

The adjacent bar is smart, yet cozy, offering a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere reminiscent of a private club with the barman on hand to spoil you with cocktails, mocktails or local liqueurs.

This also a great place for a cappucino or cortado in the morning or English tea in the afternoon where premium teas like Earl Grey Excelsior and Darjeeling 2nd Flush Bio are available.

Breakfast is a relatively small buffet offering a selection of local delicacies and healthy products all presented on stylish handmade Majorcan crockery by local clay artisans Terra Cuita, who have a showroom just around the corner – a must visit!

Hot, individually prepared dishes including eggs, pancakes and porridge are cooked to order.

The El Patio de Glòria restaurant is open for lunch between 12:30 – 15:30 and for dinner between 19:30 – 22:30. The bar is open from 08:00 until midnight.

ROOFTOP TERRACE & SUBTERRANEAN SPA

The rooftop terrace features a sun deck with loungers, jacuzzi and shower area. A drinks and massage service is also available as well as great views of the city’s old quarter and over to the Cathedral.

The subterranean spa is just beautiful, housed in what were the original stables, with a fourteen metre pool which has jacuzzi loungers under a sandstone vaulted ceiling at one end.

The combination of natural colours and sandstone walls create a serene and peaceful environment in which you can enjoy the heated pool (it’s about eight or nine breaststrokes long!), the hydromassage and sensation shower, take a sauna or hammam. Personalised treatments, massages as well as private yoga classes are also available for guests.

Tip: The reservation team is on hand to offer both physical and virtual gift vouchers so that you can make a gift of one of the hotel’s experiences, a stay or spa treatment. 

Gloria Sant Jaume Hotel is a truly wonderful place to stay in the old quarter of Palma de Mallorca and close to everything you really need.

The General Manager Dídac Campamà and his excellent team are terrific hosts and extremely helpful.

We have absolutely no problem in recommending this intimate and extremely beautifully decorated hotel, just remember the rooftop terrace is not that big!

Tip: To book great deals, check out our featured partner MallorcanTonic

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