With its facade of salmon-pink plaster and gray-painted shuttered windows, the Ca'n Abril certainly bucks the trend a little as far as the typical Soller townhouse -- at least on the outside. Stepping into the lobby, the vibe is instantly more traditional, with marble columns, exposed wooden beams, and antique-style seating; knotty pine doorways and colorful artworks also add a homey, country feel. Calming background music further creates a relaxing ambience. An inner courtyard is populated with wicker and white metal seating, lemon trees, and bougainvillea, providing a particularly peaceful oasis. It's overlooked by a terra-cotta tile sun terrace lined with black wicker loungers. It opened in 2010 after having undergone a major refurbishment, and has retained most of its traditional townhouse charm plus added modern polish and a few contemporary touches. The friendly hosts, Elina and Pascal, provide attentive service to guests largely consisting of couples and singles on short breaks. 

The hotel is located in a charming, narrow cobbled lane just one-minute walk from Soller's main square -- a vibrant and picturesque plaza lined with restaurants and featuring the gorgeous San Bartomeu Church. It's a small scenic town with all of its quaint shops and cafes within walking distance, though the beautiful sandy bay of Port de Soller is a 15-minute drive, or 25 minutes on the historic electric tram. Travelers can also catch the century-old tourist train a few minutes' walk away that connects to Palma in under an hour. Alternatively, it's about a 30-minute drive, and the same to Palma de Mallorca Airport. 

The hotel has just 10 attractive rooms, each of which was completely renovated in 2010, and individually decorated mixing traditional Majorcan touches -- such as original patterned tile floors and elegant molded coving or wooden beams -- with colorful modern fabrics and up-to-date amenities. All rooms include 32-inch flat-screen TVs, minibars, and coffee- and tea-making facilities; in-room Wi-Fi is also available free of charge. Family rooms sleep up to four (with sofa beds) and suites add four-poster beds. Modern bathrooms have shower/tub combos, wall-mounted hairdryers, and soap/shampoo dispensers. Rooms look out over the road or the inner courtyard, with one featuring a rooftop terrace with panoramic valley views. There are steep steps to top-floor rooms and not recommended for the mobility impaired. Some rooms are also certainly on the small side.

As a boutique hotel, there's obviously not much in the way of facilities. An excellent breakfast, however, is freshly made-to-order, included in the room rate, and -- weather permitting -- served on the lovely inner courtyard. Above the courtyard is a sun terrace with a few reclinable sunbeds, plus a shaded corner for massages. In the lobby area, a selection of teas is available free of charge and around the clock, and just farther in is a self-service honor bar offering wine and spirits. There are no full restaurant or gym.