This Bonvoy Hotel in Palma de Mallorca Is a Modern Urbanist’s Dream

The AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma combines convenience with understated luxury

Photo: AC Hotel Ciutat de PalmaThe endearing personality of a unique hotel in a effortlessly cool city defines the story behind the AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma, its proper name spelled in the Catalan tongue. The property is located in the Santa Catalina neighborhood just a few blocks west of the city center and a block from the waterfront. From my room I had views over the harbor and behind it, to the iconic Palma Cathedral, the massive Gothic powerhouse visible from nearly anywhere in the city and a major tourist draw. As a bit of a nerdy urbanist, however, my favorite part of the view out my window was straight down to the street – where a five-point intersection was ripe with pedestrian crossings and protected bidirectional bike lanes (and a city bike-share point) that made getting to points across the city a breeze.

Buzzy patio cafes lined nearly every groundlevel storefront surrounding the hotel, and throughout the day a lineup of cabbies stationed themselves in front of the property to whisk patrons to wherever. Renting a car in this city, and at this hotel, would be more of a pain than a gain, especially since the hotel offers bicycles for rent. I took one to tour the city’s extensive network of bike lanes en route to lunch with friends and to do a bit of shopping for back home.

Bike lanes, a bike-share, and plenty of patio cafes — right outside the AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma. Photo: Tim Wenger

The story of this hotel mirrors the story of AC Hotels more broadly. The now-iconic brand was founded in 1998 by Spanish hotelier Antonio Catalán (hence the “AC” moniker), who envisioned a modern, design-driven hotel brand with a distinctly European sensibility. Here, that sensibility expresses itself through an impressively efficient use of space – the lobby opens straight to the street and an open breezeway separates it on the other side from the hotel’s restaurant and bar. 84 modern, minimally trimmed but exceptionally comfortable guestrooms fill five levels of accommodations above the lobby, with an onsite gym and meeting spaces available.

The first AC Hotel opened in Madrid in 1999, and throughout the early 2000s the brand expanded rapidly across Spain, Portugal, and Italy, eventually growing to more than 90 properties. In 2011, AC Hotels entered a major joint venture with Marriott International, rebranding its existing hotels as “AC by Marriott.” Marriott ensured AC Hotels would maintain its minimalist Euro-vibes, and my experience both here in Palma and at the AC Hotel Recoletos in Madrid tends to confirm that this has been the case.

Partnering with Marriott sparked international growth for AC Hotels, leading to the first U. hotel opening in 2014 and a global expansion that has continued since. You’ll typically find an AC Hotel in the heart of a city’s center, in a walkable neighborhood and surrounded by vibrant cafes and nightlife, a preference the brand has maintained even in North America.

My room and experience at the AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma

Photo: AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma

I stayed in a corner suite, which consisted of a standard king room connected to a living room space separated by a lockable door. The Serta mattress was crisp and comfy, sleep aided by blackout curtains and handy bedside lightswitches. The room’s furniture, fixtures, and style are contemporary but not opulent. The king room itself was about 215 square feet, the bathroom bright and easy to use. I found the water pressure and toiletries to be solid – zero-waste, warm water, no hassles. The latter there being how I’d describe my experience at the hotel and my appreciation for AC Hotels more broadly – staying here is convenient and easy with a touch of understated luxury. Given the current leadership of my home country’s fascination with gilded grandstanding, the unassuming comfort of this hotel felt like a true escape.

Each morning I attended the breakfast buffet in the main-floor restaurant and lounge. I’ve visited some 10 European countries and stayed in hotels in each, and the breakfast here was the most complete of any I’ve experienced on the continent. It’s not cheap – starting at 20 Euros – but it’s ample. You can make your own espresso drink of choice from the machine. The spread featured typical European staples – boiled eggs served atop those little miniature glass cups, meat and cheese spreads, and plenty of bread. But the AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma breakfast buffet also features hot international options including scrambled eggs, potatoes, cereal, and pancakes (interestingly, served room-temperature on a platter and labeled as “gluten free”). As is common in much of Europe, most things labeled as “vegan” in fact contain cheese, so keep an eye out for that if you ascribe to this dietary preference. If you opt not to pay for the buffet, a smaller grab-and-go breakfast is also offered.

On my final night in Palma I dined at the hotel’s restaurant, the AC Lounge. I ordered the salmon, served atop a bed of rice with an excellent remoulade sauce, with a starter of duck bao buns. Hotel lounge food can be hit or miss, but I was impressed by each of these dishes. The duck was perfectly cooked, lean and well-seasoned making for a unique and healthy appetizer. The salmon was similar – seafood is best on an island or the coast, and this was the best I had on Mallorca. I paired the meal with a fruity mocktail and left the restaurant feeling satisfied.

Maybe it’s the timing, or maybe Palma is my new favorite city

Protected bidirectional bike lanes are commonplace in Palma, including along the waterfront. Photo: Tim Wenger

I visited Palma in November, when the summer crowds have dispersed, yet the city still hums with excitement. “It’s too bad you won’t be here on Saturday, that’s when the city turns on the Christmas lights,” my Uber driver had told me on the way in from the airport. I’d miss the lights, but went on to have an incredible time on the island – a guided mountain bike ride with Outdoor Adventure Sports took me from Port de Soller, about 20 miles north of Palma, up through the surrounding Serra de Tramuntana mountains and to the town of Fornalutz, often referred to as the most beautiful in Spain. It was just the guide and myself, leaving plenty of time to stop for a cortado along the route (if you go, take the Tren de Soller from Palma to Soller and then back, as it’s beautiful and takes just an hour). I met a friend who’d expatriated to Spain and was living in Palma for dinner one night and we had no issues walking into Rotana, a trendy Lebanese restaurant, and grabbing a table. Maybe it was the season, but I couldn’t help but think that I could see myself spending some extended time in Palma.

Walking out of the AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma on my last morning, I did not feel as though I was checking out of a resort so much as locking the door to an apartment in a city I’d grown quickly attached to. I hopped in an Uber to the airport, one of the few times I entered a car the entire time I was in the city, and felt the same way I had the first time I left Mexico City – “something tells me I’ll be back.” For Bonvoy members, the chance to earn or redeem points is a clear draw, but the real power of this property is how fully it drops you into Palma’s daily rhythm — from bike rides along the waterfront and quick walks to Santa Catalina’s cafes to quiet nights in a room that is comfortable, thoughtfully designed, and free of unnecessary flash. In a city where grand history and modern life collide at nearly every corner, the AC Hotel Ciutat de Palma slots neatly into the background, giving you everything you need, asking little in return, and letting Palma itself be the main event.

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