This review originally appeared in the inaugural issue of Mallorqueta magazine. You can read the magazine online, download a digital copy, or order a print copy—all for free—here.
Editor’s Note: Mallorqueta‘s mission is to provide you with authentic information about the island. To review our hotels, our writers (in this case Evan), who live on Mallorca themselves, visit the establishments, tour the facilities and speak with the staff.
Where Are We?
We had walked into the wrong hotel and were greeted with a sour smell, dull colors, and bad lighting. My heart sank, as when you planned a trip online that did not meet in-person expectations. I figured we would turn around and leave, but the receptionist saw our confusion and approached.
We asked some questions, and in response, the receptionist answered with the pronoun “we.” As in, “We are opening our fifth location in Valldemossa. We are very excited.” This struck me as scripted. Like the hotel itself, it was unauthentic. We were happy to leave but were not sure where to go.
It is easy to get lost in this part of town, in the center of Palma, off the avenue of La Rambla. The enormous Catedral-Basílica de Santa María somehow hides within this area’s narrow alleys, as do old Turkish baths, government buildings, and museums. The small stone streets wind around like a maze and are dark and shadowy at night. It is a gothic, slightly haunting quarter. Small wine bars spill their lights onto cobbled streets that echo footsteps off walls of historical integrity, stunning in their permanence. It feels like a different epoch, full of surprises and the unknown.
We stood in the street scratching our heads until we noticed a cool hue of orange light flowing from the windows of an exceptionally designed façade. Following the light, we found the Glória de Sant Jaume Hotel.
Reception
At the sight of Glória de Sant Jaume, my heart leapt. We were greeted by pleasant floral smells of incense. The lights were warm and comfortable, throbbing with distinction against the prominent, soft sandstone walls. Faint chatter, clinking glasses, and gentle music from the bar wafted into the entryway. Behind a wooden desk, the receptionist sat comfortably and offered us a seat in red velvet chairs.
The receptionist was passionate about the hotel and expressed it personally, not as scripted to do so. He was more than pleased to get us into a room and take us on a tour of the hotel. The conversation was natural and informed as he taught us the history of the house turned hotel on Carrer de Saunt Jaume.
History
The building that Glória de Sant Jaume Hotel now occupies was initially constructed as a residence in the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was handed over to the Palou de Comasema family – nobles with close ties to King Jaume I. The family oversaw a major remodel in the day’s contemporary style of Belle Époque and would hold on to the residence for over 150 years. Yet, before the current owners bought the building in 2016, the place had been virtually untouched for fifty years. Thus began a two-year passion project by Jordi Cabau and Heidi Wolf to transform the ancient residence into a five-star hotel.
The Hotel
The knowledgeable receptionist ushered us past collections of antique decorations glowing like treasures under modernist light fixtures. We ascended a spiraling stairwell with smooth, handcrafted wood railings. It was explained how original architectural features were exposed by Cabau and Wolf, such as old marès stone, the finest on the island, from the mines of Santanyi. Old newspaper clippings, too, had been exposed when the walls were scraped of its paper, some dating back to the 19th century. The couple preserved and framed the clippings, adding intriguing context to the antique setting we were moving through.
The Rooms
The hotel has 14 unique rooms; each floored distinctively with Escofet tiles – the original in hydraulic tiling hailing from Catalonia. Ancient Italian Carrara marble fills the bathrooms. On the second floor, floor-to-ceiling French windows open to small balconies, the ceilings are high, and the rooms are typical of an 18th-century Mallorcan home and furnished with a pleasant mix of antique and modern furniture. Upon the third floor, the rooms widen, and the ceilings drop, providing spacious yet cozier rooms decorated with a modernist touch.
Amenities
Above the rooms, at the hotel’s rooftop plunge pool, we viewed Palma’s nighttime skyline dominated by the impressive 14th-century cathedral, La Seu. The views imply a time seemingly distant from our own, while the modern rooftop patio placed us squarely in refined modern luxury.
Four stories down, we descended a narrow staircase through exposed sandstone walls below ground. Here, the modern comforts of the spa within the natural materials of the architecture provide spiritual yet earthly calm. This underground cavern also houses Palma’s largest indoor pool that shimmers its water upon soft sandstone under dim lights, creating an ethereal atmosphere. This spa is another aspect of the contemporary renovation that fits seamlessly within the antique residence.
Dining
The restaurant, Patio de Glória, was also designed with guest comfort in mind. As a kitchen is the soul of a home, Cabau and Wolf designed the restaurant and bar as a meeting point in the city’s center – a place for guests from near and far to integrate. Patio de Glória hosts fashion shows, meetings, and celebrations. On a typical night, live piano music lilts through the various dining rooms, each with its own décor. One is an old outdoor patio now enclosed with a glass roof, allowing one to dine in the natural light. Mallorcan favorites and Mediterranean fusions permeate the menu, and a thoughtful, custom wine list provides honest accompaniment to the cuisine.
The couple designed the bar, drawing their vision by hand and then hiring talented hands to craft their ideas into reality. The shelves of whiskeys, gins, and mezcals beat any collection on the island, and the barkeeps are true mixologists, concocting, to my taste, the city’s best cocktails.
A Stay at Glória de Sant Jaume Hotel
The passion and dedication with which Cabau and Wolf turned the residence on Carrer Sant Jaume into a hotel is evident. It feels as if they opened their home to the public. Quality of this caliber is endowed with immutability and a truth that endures. As a guest at Glória de Sant Jaume, I felt that I was part of a story that has been written for centuries. Discovering this historical heart of Palma is a genuine travel experience of honest quality and authenticity.