Nakar Hotel

The limestone-clad Nakar Hotel calls itself a design hotel, and it does all that it can to live up to the moniker. Bright and airy, with plenty of natural light, its double-height atrium is decorated with rich blond wood and limestone, while its bar and restaurant have dark-wood tables and chairs upholstered in muted green and gray fabrics, plus one whole wall made of glass that leads out onto a terrace that overlooks Palma Cathedral and the sea. Up on the building’s roof is a terrace with a long and narrow lap pool, a secluded hot tub, and loungers. The terrace looks out over the red clay rooftops of Las Palmas and over the Mediterranean. The hotel attracts mostly couples, plus some families and groups of friends, looking for a sophisticated base for a city break.

The Nakar Hotel is located right in the center of Las Palmas, along the Av. de Jaume III, one of the areas’ most prominent shopping drags -- it's lined with upmarket boutiques, restaurants, and nightlife options. The Es Baluard art museum, with work by Ana Mendieta, Marina Abramovic and Robert Mapplethorpe in its permanent collection, is a five-minute walk away from the hotel, while it’s 12 minutes from the great Gothic Palma Cathedral. A short walk beyond the cathedral is the Parc de la Mar, and the city’s marina. Expect a 15-minute transfer to Palma de Mallorca Airport, or a 36-minute journey by public transport.

Much like the shared areas downstairs, the 57 rooms at the Nakar Hotel are stylish and contemporary, decorated in neutral tones of hardwood floors, black wood furniture, white walls, gray and brown linens, and black-and-white photographs. They all have king-sized beds, large smart TVs, desks and chairs, while Premium Rooms are larger and add Nespresso coffee machines. Deluxe Rooms have terraces that overlook an interior courtyard. Suites are larger still, and have open bathrooms with deep soaking tubs in the middle of the spaces. Bathrooms are similarly modern, with dual sinks, walk-in rainfall shower cubicles, and high-end Molton Brown toiletries. On the downside, some showers have glass walls that overlook the bedrooms and lack privacy. All rooms have smart TVs, minibars, and safes, and free Wi-Fi, as well as robes and slippers. 

The standout feature at the Nakar Hotel is the rooftop pool terrace. Although its pool is a long and narrow affair, it offers stunning views over the red clay rooftops of Palma, stretching from the grand Gothic cathedral to the harbor, and out over the Mediterranean. There is also a hot tub up top, and plenty of sun loungers from which to take in that view. During the summer months, the terrace transforms into a bar every evening and local DJs spin tunes -- in the winter, they migrate downstairs into the hotel’s restaurant. Down in the basement, the hotel has a spa with an indoor pool, a sauna and steam room, and treatment rooms for massages and wellness therapies. The restaurant serves a free continental buffet breakfast, with much of what’s on offer sourced from Majorca, and it serves upmarket takes on traditional Balearic cuisine for lunch and dinner, as well as a Sunday brunch, while the bar sells drinks and tapas throughout the day and into the evening. The best seats in the house are those out on the terrace, with great sea views. Fast and free Wi-Fi is provided throughout.