Recommended Hotels
The Balearics were formally a maze of down-market concrete
block hotels brutally clustered right on top of once-pristine beaches
and coves.Today the trend is toward providing more discerning travelers
with more authentic and upscale accommodations, frequently in old
farmhouses and manor houses, as well as short- and long-term rentals.
Many hotels on both islands are still beholden to the large tour
operators. Only a couple of the establishments recommended below host
tour groups; we make no effort to review the block-booked resort
hotels, most of which are resoundingly similar in service, amenities,
and facilities.
You are advised to book hotels well in advance, particularly
if planning to visit between June and September. Regardless of when you
go, it’s not wise to descend on either island without reservations
intact. Many hotels close for winter (December-March). As a basic guide
to room prices, we have used the following symbols (for a double room
with bath/shower in high season; prices do not include the 7% VAT, or
IVA, tax):
$below 8,000 pta.
$$8,000-15,000 pta.
$$$15,000-22,000 pta.
$$$$above 22,000 pta.
Spain’s country code is 34; the area code for the Balearics
is 971.
