Heritage, post-luxury, slow design and layers enliven the historic interiors of Posada Terra Santa, a Gothic mansion turned boutique hotel in Palma in Mallorca, Spain, conceived by cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice Rockwell Group. Ignacio Jiménez and Carmen Cordón, the co-founders of Hidden Away Hotels, a group of one-of-a-kind boutique properties, launched the hotel in 2014. The original building, quaintly nestled amid narrow alleys and saffron-hued buildings and overlooking the glorious Palma Cathedral, dates back to 1576 when it once served as the centre of commerce and trade on the Mediterranean Island. Last year, Jiménez and Cordón commissioned Rockwell Group's Madrid-based studio to redesign their 26-bedroom hotel. The studio’s delicate intervention primarily focused on furnishings, fixtures and architectural finishes, to avoid detracting from the building’s original features such as its dramatic gothic arches.

Visitors enter the refurbished hotel via an alfresco courtyard with vibrant terracotta-coloured plaster walls, a winding staircase and traditional shuttered windows. Rockwell Group redesigned the lighting and furniture in the courtyard and reception space to set the tone for the rest of the hotel. "The inherent vibrancy called for a neutral palette that would allow us to shine a spotlight on special, crafted moments, such as the raw wooden reception desk or natural stone tables. Then we were able to weave in richness and colour as the spaces progressed from more public to more private,” Greg Keffer, Partner and Studio Leader of Rockwell Group told STIR. In the guestrooms, we have pops of bold, saturated colour and the rooftop features a joyful cobalt blue. Throughout, our materials nod to the craftsmanship of the island - weaving, pottery and stonework.”

The idea of 'post-luxury' reflects quite evidently in the redesign, a notion that luxury today centres around returning to a state of well-being, through unique, tailored experiences and timeless spaces. Rockwell Group embodied this sentiment in the interior design with soft materials and textures. "'Post-luxury' is a new way of talking about something that Rockwell Group has been considering in most of its recent hospitality and travel projects. Luxury today is more about connection and indulging one’s curiosity for life and less about exclusivity and passive leisure. More than ever before, people are looking for a design that feels meaningful, that tells a story and communicates care and intention. At Posada, this meant blurring the line between the property and the island outside of its doors. We did this literally, by emphasising the open-air quality of the spaces and the indoor-outdoor feel. But we also did it figuratively, by modernising its historic qualities to almost bring them into high-relief - to make them pop and stand out," Keffer explains.

Moreover, throughout the hotel, Rockwell Group reimagined the idea of layers - of history, experiences and discovery. Visitors walk under gothic arches, where they can explore relics of centuries past, subconsciously creating a rich connection with the memories of the place. “Layering natural materials and local craft helped us connect to this idea of slow design. Allowing for the richness of the textures and designed objects to speak for themselves then helps guests slow down and truly observe and tune into their surroundings. We also achieved this in the choreography of the programming and how the design guides guests through each space. There’s a natural, quiet progression from the open-air courtyard to the multifunctional rooms of the salon, to the restaurant and then to the privacy and intimacy of the guestrooms and the oasis of the rooftop," adds Keffer.

The first space that Rockwell Group conceptualised is the Salón Inglés, a series of three multifunctional rooms for dining, meetings and events. The studio incorporated multipurpose, modular furniture and added naturally textured textiles, stone and raw wood to tie the space to the rest of the hotel. The restaurant features a more colourful terracotta palette and several woven textures, in addition to ceramic tabletops and artworks that pay homage to the natural grass-weaving processes. The hotel’s bar area further immerses guests in saturated terracotta tones, earthen décor pieces such as clay planters and arresting blue bar lamps evocative of traditional local fabrics.

In the guest rooms, the headboard—composed of a subdued, richly woven upholstered tapestry screen—exhibits the concepts of layers, slow design and woven elements. The colour palette in the rooms is more bold and saturated than the rest of the property, marking the end of the guest’s journey through the various spaces of the hotel. Rockwell Group incorporated a neutral, textured wall covering and added an opulent travertine vanity to all bathrooms. Lastly, the rooftop was divided into three distinct areas - dining, covered seating and the pool/lounge area. Here, the design firm chose a different direction from the rest of the hotel and referenced the Mallorca Llegües, a traditional ikat weaving in a cobalt blue hue accented by black metallic framing in umbrellas and furnishings.

Rockwell Group utilised the concept of slow design to make sure the boutique hotel’s sense of place and originality wasn’t lost. The firm incorporated elements from local artists and art inherent to the Balearic Islands. "In this case, sustainability was baked into the project because of its historic nature. The hotel is, at its core, deeply sustainable because it is making use of a centuries-old building, rather than destroying it or building something from the ground up. We also thought about the sustainability of the island in terms of its traditions and economics. We used traditional local materials such as Ikat fabrics, traditional forms of basket weaving and local clay work in the form of tiles, lighting, tabletops and wall finishes," says Eva Longoria, Principal and Studio Leader of Rockwell Group.

Rockwell Group’s layered design puts a spotlight on the hotel’s rich history while establishing its contemporary presence. Materials connected to artisanal craftsmanship such as ceramic tabletops, artworks referring to traditional natural grass weavings and architectural finishes including rough, unglazed terracotta entrance wall and privacy screen by the kitchen exude a timeless aura, rooted in the place. Everything is of, or refers to the natural landscape and colours of Mallorca.

Previous projects published on STIR that feature revived historical boutique hotels include a property in Leh, with design elements that pay homage to the traditions and people of Ladakh, a vibrant Mexican-themed vintage hotel by Kelly Wearstler in downtown Los Angeles and Jasper Conran’s the mid-century modern makeover of Villa Mabrouka in Morocco.

Project Details

Name: Posada Terra Santa
Location: Palma, Spain
Client: Hidden Away Hotels
Architect: Rockwell Group
Year of Completion: 2024