UR Palacio Avenida

Marked with distinctive black-and-white striped awning, the entrance to the UR Palacio Avenida opens to a bright, but compact reception area composed of a single padded bench and small mirrored front desk -- it's certainly not a spot to linger. William Shakespeare quotes top each of the two elevators. Just up the elegant marble stairs is a second reception room that combines exposed brickwork, carpeted floors, and comfy seating to provide a cozy setting where guests sit down to check-in with a welcome glass of fizz. Opened in 2009, the building was previously the Cinema Avenida, a movie theater dating back to the early '40s. Bruno Borrione, the renowned architecture behind the renovation, chose to keep some of the cinema's decorative touches, most noticeably the original brass rail banisters. Black-and-white photographs also reference the building's cinematic past. Polished gray plaster walls and low-lighting add a moody feel that we found chimes well with the hotel's hushed and intimate boutique atmosphere. An adult-only policy adds to the grown-up vibe, attracting a mixture of vacationing couples during the summer and business guests during the off season.

The hotel is set right on the busy Avenidas ring road that encircles central Palma and overlooks the Parc de les Estacions. Just steps from the city's subterranean train and bus stations, it's ideally positioned for easy access to the public transport system, as well as the tourist train that connects to Soller. Across the road is the Plaça d'Espanya, buzzing with cafes and restaurants, and with the city's bustling shopping lanes just beyond. The main square and numerous surrounding bars and eateries are within easy walking distance, and it's a five-minute bus journey to Palma's stretch of sandy beach. Palma de Mallorca Airport is 15 minutes away by cab or 30 minutes by bus.

The hotel's 68 rooms and suites are all similarly decorated in an understated and sophisticated mix of patterned carpets, warm wood furniture, and white walls bearing floral motifs. Instead of desks, rooms feature tables and chairs for two, and all beds are doubles. While rooms are generally well-maintained, some show a few superficial signs of wear. Superior Rooms are slightly larger than Standard Rooms and Suites provide spacious separate lounges. The Penthouse Suite features a large apartment-style living room. Higher-level rooms tend to have great views over the city to the mountains. Despite double glazing, we could hear some traffic noise on lower floors.Standard amenities include minibars (though no coffee- and tea-making facilities),  26-inch flat-screens (with limited English-speaking channels), and free Wi-Fi that's fast enough to stream videos. Bedside digital controls for the air-conditioning are a convenient touch, pillow menus are available, and robes are on-request in Standard Rooms (and provided automatically in the rest). Suites also add Lavazza coffee machines and second TVs. Bathrooms are clean and contemporary, with either walk-in showers or shower-tub combos. Proper hairdryers and chain branded toiletries are provided -- upgraded to Chopard toiletries in suites.

As is common in boutique properties, there's not a great deal in the way of facilities here. The hotel used to have a large cafeteria, but now only breakfast and dinner are available in a relatively small, though smartly decorated, dining area. Breakfast is a buffet of hot and cold dishes, with some cooked-to-order dishes served a la carte; neither option is included as standard. Half- and full-board options are available with three-course set menus based on Mediterranean-inspired cooking. There's no spa or fitness facilities, though several meeting rooms are available to hire. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.