Palacio Can Marqués — Hotel in Palma

I have been fortunate to stay at some of the best hotels and small resorts around the world including Forbes 5 Star and triple diamond hotels. But that does not always translate to an experience that you will never forget. What I am referring to instead is a stay where the overall experience etches in your memory and lasts a lifetime. This hotel is one of those....||Our stay here was a last minute booking (which we did the night before) as our plans to stay in another area of Mallorca had changed.||Despite the last minute booking, my wife and I were blown away by the customer service. Upon check in, since we were travelling with a young 5 month old baby, the reception allowed my wife and the baby to head into the room while I completed the formalities. Of course, this was only after the hotel had offered us Cava and coffees in the lovely foyer.||The hotel is boutique. So it is quiet and private. It is elegant, charming and one of the cleanest I have ever been to. The courtyard and rooftop bar are very nice areas to relax and/or have a meal/drink. It is all very pleasant to your senses.||After a smooth and very friendly check in process, we were struck by the initiative of the hotel to not only place a baby bath tub in our room (a very good quality one might I add) but they also placed a changing station complete with waterproof covering and lots of clean fluffy towels for the little one. But remarkably, we did not tell the hotel we had a baby with us. Prior to check in. This touch of thoughtfulness must have only happened when we walked in to the hotel. It was seamless and unbeknown to us. They had these items placed in our room between the time we were checking in and when we were escorted to our room.||As a guest at this hotel, you will receive a WhatsApp contact. You are able to request darn near anything via that 24 hours a day. The response to any request is always positive and swift.||On the first night, we decided to stay in since we had a long day. We asked for recommendations for an Italian restaurant. Instead of sending a link to the recommended restaurant, the hotel picked up and delivered an actual hardcopy of the menu to our room! We then asked if the restaurant could do a takeaway, which they normally wouldn't, but due to the reputation of this hotel, the restaurant and hotel were able to arrange a takeaway from a fine dining facility! We placed our order on WhatsApp with our hotel and they handled the rest.||On another occasion, we needed a microwave to sterilise some baby bottles. Again this request was made at an unreasonable hour, but we received the microwave in under 15 minutes. ||After check out, we realised we had left one of our baby bottles in the room. But we were now in Seville. So I contacted the hotel through the same WhatsApp contact, and they immediately arranged for the baby bottle to be delivered to our future hotel in Madrid. It's was unbelievable how quickly this was arranged.||Anyway moving on - The room is clearly architecturally designed. It is also quite simply one of the cleanest and most comfortable rooms you will come across. We were fortunate to have a superior suite with balcony access which I would highly recommend (this hotel does not have room numbers but instead individualised names. Our room was "The Cathedral"). The room had a living area, a separate bedroom and a large bathroom. With high ceilings, the room appeared even bigger than what it was. The carpets are plush, the linen and bedding soft, and the mattress a delight to catch up on some zzzz's. The entrance door and doors separating the living room and bathrooms all appear to be handcrafted.||The location of the hotel is perfect with lots of upmarket and also more reasonable outlets for food and beverages available within a 100m radius. It's in a lovely street which we enjoyed walking at night (including it's neighbouring streets). It is also right across from the Marina and the Placa De La Reina. You will not find a better location in Palma. ||I could go on and on but that would take away the joy you will have in experiencing this place.||Simply put - this place is...

Our stay at this hotel was memorable for all the wrong reasons, almost entirely because of Ana at reception. Her attitude, lack of initiative, and unwillingness to help were astonishing. She came across as cold, dismissive, and completely out of her depth — the exact opposite of what you expect at a 5-star property.||||From the moment we arrived, she made no effort to make us feel welcome. We asked for local recommendations, and her response was, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that.” No offer to check, no attempt to find out, no warmth or curiosity — just indifference. It felt like she wanted us to go away rather than enjoy our stay.||||Later, we asked whether the hotel’s advertised yoga session would be suitable for my pregnant wife. Any competent receptionist would have called the instructor or at least tried to find out. Ana simply said, “I don’t know.” No follow-up, no initiative, just another dead end. For a 5-star hotel, that level of apathy is unacceptable. Only calling when prompted by us.||||Breakfast was equally disappointing. Portions were tiny, there was no buffet, and when we politely asked for a simple salad — just some leaves and tomatoes — we were told, “Sorry, it’s not on the menu.” I’ve stayed in luxury hotels around the world, including Ritz, Four Seasons, and Kempinski, and I have never been refused such a basic request. The rigidity and lack of service mindset were unbelievable.||||Things got worse when Ana told us that, because of the marathon, our pickup point would be an 11-minute walk away. My wife is pregnant, and we had luggage — surely a simple reason to show empathy or find an alternative. Instead, Ana shrugged and insisted there was nothing she could do.||||Thankfully, Meriem stepped in and completely turned things around. She immediately offered to arrange for the bellboy to escort us, allowed us to have breakfast at a partner hotel, and even gave us thoughtful local recommendations. She was proactive, kind, and genuinely cared about making our stay better. Meriem is everything a 5-star receptionist should be.||||Shockingly, Ana later told us that Meriem had “made a mistake” and that we’d have to go alone after all. When we asked her to double-check, she reluctantly admitted she was wrong — again, with zero apology or accountability. It summed up her entire attitude: defensive, uninterested, and unhelpful.||||In all our years of travel, Ana is by far the least competent and least customer-focused front-desk employee we’ve encountered. She made every simple question feel like an inconvenience and every request feel like an imposition. For someone representing a 5-star brand, her behaviour was appalling.||||If it weren’t for Meriem, we would have checked out early. She treated us with warmth, professionalism, and genuine hospitality — the only reason we would ever consider returning.||||Ana, on the other hand, needs serious retraining or a change of role entirely. Her attitude drags down what could otherwise be an excellent hotel. A single team member should never be able to make a luxury guest experience feel this disappointing —...

Our stay at this hotel was memorable for all the wrong reasons, almost entirely because of Ana at reception. Her attitude, lack of initiative, and unwillingness to help were astonishing. She came across as cold, dismissive, and completely out of her depth — the exact opposite of what you expect at a 5-star property.

From the moment we arrived, she made no effort to make us feel welcome. We asked for local recommendations, and her response was, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that.” No offer to check, no attempt to find out, no warmth or curiosity — just indifference. It felt like she wanted us to go away rather than enjoy our stay.

Later, we asked whether the hotel’s advertised yoga session would be suitable for my pregnant wife. Any competent receptionist would have called the instructor or at least tried to find out. Ana simply said, “I don’t know.” No follow-up, no initiative, just another dead end. For a 5-star hotel, that level of apathy is unacceptable. Only calling to check when we prompted her.

Breakfast was equally disappointing. Portions were tiny, there was no buffet, and when we politely asked for a simple salad — just some leaves and tomatoes — we were told, “Sorry, it’s not on the menu.” I’ve stayed in luxury hotels around the world, including Ritz, Four Seasons, and Kempinski, and I have never been refused such a basic request. The rigidity and lack of service mindset were unbelievable.

Things got worse when Ana told us that, because of the marathon, our pickup point would be an 11-minute walk away. My wife is pregnant, and we had luggage — surely a simple reason to show empathy or find an alternative. Instead, Ana shrugged and insisted there was nothing she could do.

Thankfully, Meriem stepped in and completely turned things around. She immediately offered to arrange for the bellboy to escort us, allowed us to have breakfast at a partner hotel, and even gave us thoughtful local recommendations. She was proactive, kind, and genuinely cared about making our stay better. Meriem is everything a 5-star receptionist should be.

Shockingly, Ana later told us that Meriem had “made a mistake” and that we’d have to go alone after all. When we asked her to double-check, she reluctantly admitted she was wrong — again, with zero apology or accountability. It summed up her entire attitude: defensive, uninterested, and unhelpful.

In all our years of travel, Ana is by far the least competent and least customer-focused front-desk employee we’ve encountered. She made every simple question feel like an inconvenience and every request feel like an imposition. For someone representing a 5-star brand, her behaviour was appalling.

If it weren’t for Meriem, we would have checked out early. She treated us with warmth, professionalism, and genuine hospitality — the only reason we would ever consider returning.

Ana, on the other hand, needs serious retraining or a change of role entirely. Her attitude drags down what could otherwise be an excellent hotel. A single team member should never be able to make a luxury guest experience feel this disappointing —...