S'Hotel D'es Puig

A small, friendly hotel with spectacular mountain views offering great value in the heart of Deia

This small hotel known as the "Hotel on the Hill" has been taking in guests since the early 1900s. It has long attracted bohemians, artists and writers (including D H Lawrence, Arthur Rackham and Manuel de Falla) and features in a short story by Robert Graves and Gordon West's 1929 travelogue Jogging Around Majorca.

The Hotel d'es Puig is now a simple, relaxed and intimate hotel with 8 guestrooms, owned by Mallorquin Jaime Pujol and managed by Lucien and Ana Maria. Life doesn't get much better than spending a lazy afternoon here, reading under a lemon tree by the swimming pool with fabulous mountain views. After a short flight, a 40 minute drive from the airport and no hassle, you are in heaven. There's no restaurant, but this doesn't matter as Deia has an excellent selection of cafes and superb restaurants. And for families (with quiet children) the 2-bedroomed top floor suite with its own kitchen is ideal.

Highs

• This is one of our favourite places to stay in Mallorca, not because it is luxurious, more that it is informal, friendly, and set in the heart of idyllic Deia
• All bedrooms were completely redecorated in 2008
• It also has a swimming pool - a rarity in Deia if you don't want to splash out on the less intimate La Residencia or the rather bland Es Moli
• There are also 2-bedroom apartments on offer, just around the corner. They are not as stylish as the hotel itself, but they make a great budget option and give you more space and independence

Lows

• Parking and driving in Deia is tricky, but the hotel has managed to secure parking spaces close by
• There is no 24hr reception so you will often need to ring the bell on the front desk for assistance, in the same way the honesty bar and tea and coffee facilities are all self service
• Bedrooms and bathrooms are on the small side with shower only
• Rooms at the front can sometimes suffer from noise in high season
• Honeymooners should note that, apart from the penthouse apartment, all beds are twins (two smallish singles pushed together)