Hotel design and renovation in Mallorca: the method behind a 225-room Passivhaus hotel
By Llorenç Brunet Nicolau, architect and CEO of Brunet Arquitectes. Member of the Mallorca board of the COAIB (Balearic Architects’ Association) since 2007, covering Heritage and Bioclimatic design.
A well-designed hotel in Mallorca does three things at once. It uses little energy in summer, it is built or refurbished without clashing with the season, and it gives guests a coherent experience from the lobby to the garden. At Brunet Arquitectes we have worked this way since 1996, with one team covering architecture, interior design, landscape design and construction management.
This article explains how we approach a hotel project, using a real case: a 225-room seafront hotel in Salobreña (Granada), designed to passive architecture principles. If you are weighing up a new hotel or the renovation of an existing one in the Balearic Islands, here is the method and the decisions that matter most.
What must be decided before designing or renovating a hotel in Mallorca?
Four things need fixing before anyone draws a line: the hotel’s positioning, the applicable regulations, the construction calendar in relation to the season, and the energy target. Settling them in this order avoids redesigns once the project is already at the licence stage, and it protects the budget.
- Positioning. Star category, number of rooms, public areas and services. The building’s brief comes from here.
- Regulations. Law 8/2012 on Tourism in the Balearic Islands, as amended, governs tourist accommodation. Local planning rules set the buildable area, heights and permitted uses. We check each case with the town hall before the project is finalised.
- Calendar. In an operating hotel, heavy works are scheduled for the months of lowest occupancy and carried out in phases, so that as few rooms as possible are closed.
- Energy and comfort. In a Mediterranean climate, summer is the challenge. It is defined at the start, not added later.
Renovate a hotel or build a new one? What changes in the project
Refurbishing part of an existing building and building from scratch call for different decisions. In a renovation, the real condition of the building and its services leads. In a new build, the site and the planning rules lead.
| Aspect | Renovating an existing hotel | New-build hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Condition of structure, services and envelope | Site, orientation and planning rules |
| Main risk | Surprises when walls and roofs are opened | Licence and construction timeframes |
| Calendar | In phases, outside peak season | A single build, with an opening date |
| Energy opportunity | Upgrade the envelope and replace systems | Passive design from the first sketch |
| Bedrooms | Existing rooms are reconfigured | Designed around the brief |
In practice, renovation wins when the building has a sound structure and a good location, and the problem lies in the rooms, the services or the image. A new build wins when the brief calls for something different. A preliminary study with measurements and a comparative budget makes the decision clear before money is spent on design.
Case study: a 225-room hotel in Salobreña, Granada
This is a 225-room hotel on the seafront, designed by Brunet Arquitectes to passive architecture principles to optimise comfort and reduce energy demand. It combines a vertical-slat envelope, planted terraces and a landscaped atrium with a water feature.
| Item | Project |
|---|---|
| Project | Hotel in Salobreña, Granada |
| Rooms | 225 |
| Location | Seafront |
| Approach | Passive architecture (Passivhaus) |
| Envelope | Vertical slats and planted terraces |
| Central space | Landscaped atrium with a water feature |
| Year | 2026 |
Three decisions in the project offer guidance for any coastal hotel:
- The façade is part of the solution. The vertical-slat envelope defines the building’s image and each room’s relationship with the outdoors.
- Greenery enters the building. Planted terraces and a landscaped atrium bring landscape and natural light into the architecture.
- The room is designed with natural materials and views of the Mediterranean. That is what the guest is buying, not square metres.
On the project page you can watch the hotel video and see the gallery of renders.
Why does a seaside hotel benefit from passive architecture (Passivhaus)?
A hotel designed to Passivhaus principles reduces heating and cooling demand through insulation, airtightness, controlled ventilation and solar protection. Industry sources quote savings of 75% to 90% compared with a conventional building (Moeve). In a hotel, where climate control runs almost all year, this shows up on the energy bill.
In the Mediterranean the risk is summer overheating. That is why external solar protection and ventilation matter as much as insulation. The Passivhaus Institut itself offers guidance for Mediterranean climates.
This experience does not come from a single hotel:
- In Mallorca, Voltor, a 425 m² home in Port de Pollença, holds Passive House Plus certification. Our passive houses in Mallorca page also brings together projects such as Andratx, Es Rafal Roig and Sa Coma 01.
- In 2006 we designed Hotel IN, an 11,572 m² business hotel in Madrid, with an envelope that regulates the internal microclimate and makes use of natural light and ventilation.
- Llorenç Brunet has published some twenty articles on bioclimatic architecture and urban planning.
If the aim is to certify the building, it is best to decide this at the outset, because it shapes the whole project.
Interior design for hotels: from concept to bedroom
Hotel interior design defines the product the guest buys. The bedroom, bathroom, lighting and public areas must follow a single idea and be easy to maintain and replace. We resolve it within the architectural project, not afterwards.
Our interior design service covers complete projects, from concept to execution, and renovation of specific areas, including furniture selection and reconfiguration of spaces. We have applied it in projects such as Can Bordoy, Son Vallfogó 02, Sa Talaia, Son Mirabona, Can Perloia and Cas Concos.
For a hotel we recommend three things:
- Define a typical room before replicating it a hundred times.
- Choose finishes with daily maintenance in mind, not only the photograph.
- Coordinate lighting, furniture and joinery with the architecture from the first drawing.
Landscape design for hotels: the garden is part of the building
In a Mediterranean hotel, the outdoors is the first impression and a large part of the experience. Entrances, terraces, pools and gardens should be designed together with the building, to unify the spaces and soften their relationship with the surroundings.
Our landscape design service works with native plants, which need less water and upkeep, and with efficient irrigation systems. We have developed it in projects such as Can Roma, Son Suau, País Basc 48 and Ca na Llarga. In Salobreña, the planted terraces and the landscaped atrium show the same idea at hotel scale.
Why trust a hotel in Mallorca to a studio with this track record?
To be clear: our hotel projects are in Granada and Madrid. In Mallorca we have spent thirty years designing and directing residential, public-facility and refurbishment work, and that local knowledge is what we bring to a hotel.
- A multidisciplinary studio since 1996. Architecture, design, restoration, urban planning, structures and project management under one roof.
- Knowledge of heritage and bioclimatic design. Llorenç Brunet has been a member of the Mallorca board of the COAIB since 2007 and has sat on heritage and historic-centre commissions in Palma.
- Awards in public and civic buildings. They include first prize for the restructuring of the Son Pardo Hippodrome (Palma) and second prize for the extension of Manacor hospital.
- A network of specialists. Quality control, health and safety coordination, engineering and building-services calculations.
How do we run a hotel project from start to finish?
A single team coordinates the whole project, from structure and materials to landscape and interior. That prevents each discipline from drawing on its own.
- Analysis and feasibility. Site or existing building, regulations and brief.
- Coordinated design. Architecture, interior design and landscape at the same time.
- Budget and cost control. Measurements and monitoring throughout the works.
- Licences and paperwork. Including energy certificates and administrative documentation.
- Construction management. Coordination of contractors and of our network of specialists: quality control, health and safety, engineering and services.
Frequently asked questions about hotel projects and renovations in Mallorca
How long does a hotel renovation in Mallorca take?
There is no single timeframe. It depends on the scope, on whether the category or use changes, and on the local licence. What can be fixed from the start is a phased calendar tied to the season. A feasibility study allows you to estimate it with real data.
Can a hotel be Passivhaus in Mallorca?
Yes, with criteria adapted to the Mediterranean climate. The critical point is summer comfort: solar protection, ventilation and envelope. The Salobreña hotel was designed to passive architecture principles right by the sea.
What does hotel interior design include?
Bedrooms, bathrooms, public areas, lighting, furniture and finishes, coordinated with the architecture. It can be a complete project or the renovation of specific areas.
Can a hotel be renovated without closing it entirely?
Sometimes, in phases. It depends on the layout, the services and the season. It is studied during the feasibility stage and agreed with the client.
Do you work outside Mallorca?
Yes. Besides Salobreña, we have designed Hotel IN in Madrid, a 120-unit municipal housing building in Córdoba and the Guardia Civil barracks in Úbeda (Jaén), which won first prize in its competition.
More services for your hotel project in Mallorca
A hotel architecture project in Mallorca rarely stops at the building. It usually adds interior design, landscape design and construction management that keeps the budget under control. To see how we approach it, read our article on interior design in Mallorca and our project management service, designed to coordinate architects, contractors and timelines.
If the building already exists, a hotel renovation follows the same method as other value-adding renovations in Mallorca: prior diagnosis, phases and a calendar. Landscaping in Mallorca completes the project, and the other public-facility projects in our portfolio show our work on civic and shared-use buildings. You can meet the team on our about us page or browse our architecture services in Mallorca.
Next step
If you have a hotel in Mallorca to renovate, or a plot on which to build one, tell us about it at a first meeting. We will review the project with you and tell you what can be done and in what order. Contact Brunet Arquitectes.
