Palma de Mallorca

Where to stay in Palma de Mallorca

In Palma the trade-off is easy to state and hard to solve: the closer you sleep to the Cathedral, the more you walk and the less you spend on taxis, but the more you pay for the room. A mid-range hotel in the city sits in the 90-180 € per night range; in the Old Town, in high season, the historic boutiques go above 200 € without blinking. The good news is that Palma is compact: Santa Catalina, Portixol and the Paseo Marítimo are a walk or bike ride from the centre, so you can bring the price down without ending up far away or needing a car. The real decision isn't "centre or not", but what you want when you step out of the hotel: stone and squares, market and restaurants, calm sea or a long beach with a pool. We've ranked the areas by that criterion and we also tell you what doesn't work in each one. Book 2-3 months ahead if you're coming in July or August.

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Best areas to sleep

Casco Antiguo

Best for: first-time visitors, couples and culture travellers

Sleeping here means stepping outside and having La Seu, the squares and the tapas bars five minutes' walk away; you don't need transport for anything. In exchange you pay for the most sought-after area of the city and accept narrow medieval streets: dragging suitcases over cobblestones is uncomfortable and parking is an expensive headache. It's also the noisiest area at street level in summer, thanks to the endless terraces. If it's your first time in Palma, it's worth it.

Indicative price: ≈120-220 €/noche

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Santa Catalina

Best for: foodies and multi-day stays

The neighbourhood with the most table life in Palma: the Mercat de Santa Catalina rules the morning and the chef-driven restaurants the evening, with a lively vibe but without the tourist tide of the centre. It's a short walk from the Old Town, so you lose nothing by sleeping here. Prices are somewhat more contained and there's a good supply of apartments. The downside: gentrification shows, restaurant prices are no longer neighbourhood prices, and some streets have night-time terrace noise.

Indicative price: desde ≈90-160 €/noche

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Portixol / Es Molinar

Best for: calm sea close to the centre

A former fishing village right by the sea, today with a quiet seafront promenade and very good restaurants facing the water. You're 10-15 minutes from the centre on foot or by bike, with the sea in front and none of the resort atmosphere. It's our alternative when someone wants a beach but not Playa de Palma. The downside: the hotel offer is small and sells out early in summer, the beach is modest compared to Palma's, and at night there's little going on.

Indicative price: desde ≈100-180 €/noche

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Playa de Palma / Can Pastilla

Best for: families who prioritise beach and pool

Beachfront, big hotels with pools (most of them 4-star) and everything geared to families who spend little of the day outside the hotel. 10-15 minutes from the centre, with good value for money given the sheer volume of beds. The downside is well known and real: it's the area with the most complaints about binge-drinking tourism and night-time noise, especially in July and August. The Balearic decree against open bars and alcohol advertising has improved things somewhat, but hasn't fully changed the picture.

Indicative price: desde ≈90-170 €/noche

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Average hotel price

Reference price for one night in Palma de Mallorca (mid-range double room). Prices rise in high season and during the big festivals.

Hotel night (mid-range double)

90–180 € (3-4★ temporada media; en agosto puede superar 250 €)

Frequently asked questions

What's the best area to stay in Palma for a first visit?

The Old Town, without much doubt: you have the Cathedral, the squares and the bars right at street level and you won't need transport for the whole trip. If the budget is tight, Santa Catalina puts you a short walk from the centre for considerably less money.

Is it expensive to sleep in the centre of Palma?

It's the most expensive area of the city: count on 120-220 € per night, and the historic boutiques go above 200 € in high season. The average Palma hotel sits between 90-180 €, so sleeping ten minutes from the centre easily saves you 30-50 € per night.

Where should you NOT stay in Palma?

Playa de Palma isn't a good idea if you're after calm or a local atmosphere: it remains the area with the most complaints about night-time noise and antisocial behaviour, especially in July and August. For a calm beach at a similar distance from the centre, Portixol or Es Molinar do the job much better.

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Verified: 14 de agosto de 2026