By Liam Chronnell »

Liam Chronnell discovers some of the delights of Palma de Mallorca June through to August was a virtual wash out. By September I’d had enough — I needed sunshine and, with this in mind, we headed off to Palma in Majorca.

Just over two hours away by plane, the capital and only city on the largest of the Balearic Islands was the perfect antidote to England’s ill winds.

Palma de Mallorca, to give it its proper title, has undergone a major resurgence in recent years as a city break destination to compete with the likes of Barcelona and Milan.

The island has been a magnet for mass tourism since the 1950s, as the hordes arrive at the nearby San Son Joan airport on the way to package holiday destinations from the tacky Magaluf to the boutiques of Pollensa and everywhere in between.

by Hotel La Residencia on Friday, July 18, 2008

La Residencia, Majorca, is proud to announce The Villa - a new accommodation option available all year round. Based a few minutes walk from the hotel, The Villa is a deluxe self-catering accommodation overlooking the village of Deià and offering stunning views towards the Mediterranean.

Formally a private residence, The Villa is built on three levels and has three double bedrooms and one single bedroom.

Elton John's title as the undisputed king of extravagant parties may be under threat after composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has pulled out all the stops with a lavish £5 million four-day party to mark his 60th birthday.

Celebrations kicked off on Thursday, reports The Daily Mail, with 60 star guests told to have their passports at hand and be ready to be picked up by a limousine. It's understood they'll be ferried to a private airfield in north London for a champagne and lobster reception, before boarding a private jet to the Balearic Islands.

Some of my most memorable recent travels began in Spain’s beatific Balearic Isles at Palma de Mallorca.

A favored mooring place for the mega yachts of the fabulously rich like Microsoft honcho Bill Gates and über fashion designer, Valentino, in addition to being the preferred getaway of the fabulously famous like Michael Douglases and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Mallorca is a city whose charm surprisingly lies in its subtle sophistication and lack of pretense rather than in its showiness.

Even the luxurious La Residencia in Deia - host to royalty and high profile celebrities and formerly owned by British billionaire Richard Branson - has a certain unassuming elegance that can only be associated with the utmost in good taste. Sure, La Residencia has a tri-level, four bedroom villa with a private pool overlooking the Mediterranean that can cost as much € 8,000 per week, but that is discreetly tucked away in a nook just a few minutes walk from the main property. Positively exquisite.