Reader's home of the month
This month's £150 Habitat giftcard goes to lindsaydglasgow's 'terrace on a teeny budget'...
Hotel of the month: Hospes Maricel, Mallorca
If you're looking for a break with the magic shop, sea and sip ingredients, look no further than the Hospes Maricel in Mallorca...
WHY VISIT? With a sophisticated fusion of old-school palatial glamour and modern elegance, Hospes Maricel is an oasis of calm on the edge of bustling Palma. All sandstone pillars, dark wood and pale leather furniture, the historic building is now complemented by a new, ultra-modern wing, which has added 21 new rooms and suites, plus a beautiful indoor spa.
SPA AND GYM Famed for its outdoor spa in the summer months, the Hospes now offers year-round treatments in this new intimate space, which, in addition to a selection of Cinq Monde treatments, has an indoor/outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and hammam. If fitness is your thing, there's a gym on site, with personal training and private yoga tuition available to book. Livingetc particularly enjoyed the heated water-beds in the treatment rooms, which mould to your body for a super-relaxing experience. Pick from a range of scrubs followed by a relaxing massage (Livingetc tried the Purée de Papaye Radiance Scrub followed by a sublime Ayurveda massage that let the skin feeling soft and silky).
ROOMS WITH A VIEW The Maricel's theme is oceans and mountains, something that's reflected in the new wing's traditional Balearic dry stone and slatted-wood exterior, and rooms featuring exposed stonework, rough white plaster, lots of glass and their own plunge pools. Every room has a sea view – even the shower cubicles have clear portholes with a view through the room and out to the horizon beyond – with most featuring a freestanding, egg-shaped bath (with sea views, of course). The suites even come with a movie screen and projector for lazy evenings in.
DINING AND DRINKING You could quite easily never leave the hotel, the existing stylish bar and gourmet restaurant now complemented by a cathedral-like new bar, where weekly jazz and chill-out DJ sessions will help your martini (shaken not stirred) go down. And just as the original building combines traditional and modern, in the new bar, the rustic stone and high-tech glass sit comfortably with the classic cream leather furniture and soft velvet sofas.
OUR VERDICT This is the perfect place for a short break. Now all you have to do is choose between the old building, with its picture windows looking out over the ocean, and the luxury of the new wing with its infinity plunge pools. Decisions, decisions…
PALMA WEEKEND ESSENTIALS
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KUONI TRAVEL SPECIAL OFFER FOR HOSPES MARICEL
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SPA AND GYM Famed for its outdoor spa in the summer months, the Hospes now offers year-round treatments in this new intimate space, which, in addition to a selection of Cinq Monde treatments, has an indoor/outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and hammam. If fitness is your thing, there's a gym on site, with personal training and private yoga tuition available to book. Livingetc particularly enjoyed the heated water-beds in the treatment rooms, which mould to your body for a super-relaxing experience. Pick from a range of scrubs followed by a relaxing massage (Livingetc tried the Purée de Papaye Radiance Scrub followed by a sublime Ayurveda massage that let the skin feeling soft and silky).
ROOMS WITH A VIEW The Maricel's theme is oceans and mountains, something that's reflected in the new wing's traditional Balearic dry stone and slatted-wood exterior, and rooms featuring exposed stonework, rough white plaster, lots of glass and their own plunge pools. Every room has a sea view – even the shower cubicles have clear portholes with a view through the room and out to the horizon beyond – with most featuring a freestanding, egg-shaped bath (with sea views, of course). The suites even come with a movie screen and projector for lazy evenings in.
DINING AND DRINKING You could quite easily never leave the hotel, the existing stylish bar and gourmet restaurant now complemented by a cathedral-like new bar, where weekly jazz and chill-out DJ sessions will help your martini (shaken not stirred) go down. And just as the original building combines traditional and modern, in the new bar, the rustic stone and high-tech glass sit comfortably with the classic cream leather furniture and soft velvet sofas.
OUR VERDICT This is the perfect place for a short break. Now all you have to do is choose between the old building, with its picture windows looking out over the ocean, and the luxury of the new wing with its infinity plunge pools. Decisions, decisions…
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