Menorca has built its hotel reputation on restraint: whitewashed stone, pale linen, olive wood, interiors designed to vanish into the island's quiet countryside. The new Hotel Riviera Menorca breaks the mold entirely — and that's precisely the point.
Opened on the edge of Ciutadella's historic center, the 14-room property is the work of DNA Hotels and interior studio Ilmiodesign, who transformed the former Hotel Madrid into a deliberate homage to the Italian seaside holidays of the 1970s. Think terrazzo everywhere, terracotta and mustard yellow walls, rounded ceiling coves, striped upholstery, flower-shaped lamps and enough orange — including bold stripes across the building's facade — to make sure you never mistake it for another tasteful Balearic hideaway. Crucially, it stops short of being a theme park: most of the furniture and lighting was designed specifically for the hotel and adapted room by room.
The heart of the place is a sociable courtyard built around a saltwater pool, ringed by orange-and-white tiles, sunbeds and striped parasols, with motel-style balconies overhead. Day passes let non-guests in too, which gives the small hotel a lively buzz many boutiques lack. Every one of the rooms — divided into Double Piccola, Double Deluxe, Junior Suite and Suite Riviera categories — has some form of private outdoor space, some facing the sea, others looking straight into the courtyard. The retro styling comes with thoroughly modern comforts: Marshall speakers, Dyson hairdryers and Malin+Goetz bath products.
Food leans into the holiday mood. Breakfast runs from Mediterranean staples to à la carte plates like ricotta toast, shakshuka and pancakes, plus a signature Benedict Riviera — poached eggs, smashed avocado and parmesan fondue on brioche — and Riviera fries with parmesan fondue. The pool bar keeps cocktails flowing into the afternoon, so plan on spending more time in that courtyard than you intended.
Wellness stays informal: rooftop Pilates in the morning, massages under draped fabric with sea air drifting through, and a menu spanning Swedish massage, reflexology and the house Riviera essential-oil treatment.
Why it matters: Menorca has quietly become the Balearics' design-hotel island, but almost everything plays it safe with beige and stone. The Riviera is a genuine alternative — playful, small and colorful — in a walkable, historic town, on an island that skips Ibiza's club scene entirely. If you want boutique character with a sense of humor, this is the one to book.
Review by Global Traveler.
