A Landmark Reimagined: The Soul of Palma
Casa Roca is more than a boutique hotel—it is a living narrative. Originally established in the 1840s as a family residence & business, this landmark stood as a cornerstone of Palma’s Old Town for 166 years.
Home to five generations of the Roca Torrents family, Casa Roca became Mallorca’s most iconic papeleria (stationery shop) under their stewardship.
Since 2016, Epais Roca has undertaken a 10-year restoration project to meticulously restore the building to its original glory, preserving its soul ready for the next five generations.
Today, Casa Roca invites you to become part of its ongoing legacy.
Whether you are basking on our rooftop terrace, indulging in a private wine tasting, or retreating to a suite inspired by the stories of the former custodians, you aren’t just staying in a hotel—you are writing your own chapter in our history.
For 160 years, this building hasn’t just been a landmark; it’s been a solution. As the legendary Mallorcan saying went:
“If you can’t find it anywhere in Mallorca, go to Casa Roca.”
Established in 1847, Francisco Roca Paretes’ matches and cigarette papers under the “La Mistera” brand. The matches were used by the farmers (payeses) who gathered every Saturday under the porticos of Plaza Mayor to buy and sell “in the City.”
Over generations, the business evolved into the island’s most iconic papelería (stationery shop), with over 12,000 items of inventory on sale and manually catalogued.
Francisco came from Catalunya but loved Palma, and made it his home. His sons, Eduardo and Ricardo, joined the business in 1874 and 1879, and they worked together with their father until Francisco retired in 1891. He died on the 8th December 1898.
The brothers built upon their father’s legacy, and after a few years, Eduardo was joined by his brother Ricardo, who became the President of the Chamber of Commerce.
A mirador or lookout point on the North Coast of the island near the village of Estellencs was named after Ricardo, and can still be visited today – search for it on Tripadvisor.
It offers beautiful sea and stunning sunsets views. Bearing in mind Casa Roca’s rebirth as a hotel, its of note that a well worn stone sign at the Mirado celebrates that Ricardo was in fact the President of the Mallorcan Tourism promotion board in 1923, just over 100 years before the Casa Roca building itself would be reborn dedicated to tourism and celebrating the history of Mallorca.
Ricardo was also one of the first to enourage hiking in Mallorca, now an activity that our guests can take part in through organised walks that celebrate the routes of the so called “Dry Stone Walls” of the island.
In 1921, the nephew of Ricardo Roca, Domingo Torrents Roca, took the helm of the business.
He was instrumental in the creation of the Casa Roca, which still exists today, and had a powerful vision of building a large department store in the style of the large Parisian stores or El Siglo in Barcelona. Working with well-known Modernist architect Francisco Roca Simo (no relation to the family), they created the design we enjoy today back in 1929. Whilst their original design called for a 5-floor modernist masterpiece, budgetary constraints pared it back to the building that still stands today.
The expanded Casa Roca (with the Shop on the Ground and Basement levels and the family home in the upper 3 floors) expanded and paper coexisted with haberdashery and perfumes that were mixed by hand by the shop staff for well-to-do Palmesanas.
Domingo was elected as the President of the Veloz Sport Balear Society, which pioneered Cycling and Soccer in Mallorca and by the 1920’s was located on the Passeig del Born. More than just a gym, it was a place where the local elite gathered during a period when Balearic identity and political independence were often hotly debated, as is still the case today.
Juan Torrents took the helm after the death of Domingo, marrying Vicenta Ibanez Cabo, who came from a village near Valencia, and was living in El Terreno, Palma, with a friend when she met Juan, whom she married in 1941. Juan died as a result of complications during surgery in 1944, leaving Vicenta a widow aged only 32, whilst Catalina, their daughter, and the last generation of the dynasty to run Casa Roca, was only 16 months old.
Vicenta remarried in 1946 to Mariano Parejo, a family friend, and they worked tirelessly together to run the business. Mariano worked his whole life in the business and never fully retired, working a couple of hours a day until his death in 2000 at the age of 88.
While many historic buildings boast of “founding fathers,” Casa Roca is defined by its women. The 4th and 5th generations of the Torrents Roca family (Vicenta and her daughter Catalina) were among the first women-run businesses on the island, managing the shop and the estate with a visionary spirit that was decades ahead of its time.
Casa Roca was at the height of its popularity during this period. Famous clients included author Robert Graves, and above all, Prince Felipe (now King Felipe of Spain) and his sisters (Infantas Elena & Cristina), who visited as children, accompanied by their grandmother Queen Frederica (1917-1981), to buy stationery supplies. But the business catered to customers from all walks of life, and during the post-war years, Casa Roca allowed families with limited means to pay in instalments from September to December to buy gifts and toys, keeping the packages hidden until the Three Kings’ Day.
Vicenta was well known and always beautifully presented. She died in 1981 – Find out more about her in our “Framed in Time” art project section below.
Catalina has a literal lifelong association with the Casa Roca building, as she was born on the 2nd floor in the room that overlooks Calle Llotgeta towards Bar Flexas.
Despite losing her biological father as an infant, Catalina always knew her destiny was to follow in her forefather’s footsteps and take the helm of the family business.
Without a moment’s thought, she gave up dreams of travelling abroad or pursuing a career in medicine to realise her destiny and manage Casa Roca.
She did this at the same time as being married and raising 3 children of her own, and ran the business until aged 73, she finally decided to retire, bringing to an end five generations of Torrents Roca family ownership.
Casa Roca closed its doors as a papeleria for the last time in 2016. Catalina commented to the local press at the time, “I don’t want them to put me in a coffin with an invoice in my hand”, admitting that she bade a tearful farewell to the shop on her last day.
Along the way, Palma, like all cities, went through peaks and troughs, and during tough times in the area in the 1970’s, Catalina was well known for standing at the street corner to give her clients confidence to make the walk from Sindicato to the doors of Casa Roca.
Equally, every Christmas, when crowds queued round the block to buy presents at Casa Roca, Catalina was there at the helm, managing her team of 15 staff, most of whom wrote their names, along with start and end dates in pencil on the back of the clock door in the shop.
Known locally as Pitusa, and today in her 80’s, she remains a pivotal, highly respected figure in Palma for her achievements. Retired staff members remember her fondly, saying they felt like part of her family and could not be more grateful for the opportunities and support that she and her parents gave them.
At Espais Roca, we could not be more delighted that Catalina and her family have endorsed the rebirth of Casa Roca. They have kindly shared hours of time, anecdotes and family photos to help preserve the history and stories of the Casa Roca. We are grateful they have allowed us to celebrate the family by naming the apartments and suites after each generation, as well as some of the key staff who worked in the business.
Taking on a building like Casa Roca is a tremendous responsibility. A 10-year, multi-million euro restoration project has restored the building to its 1920’s glory and readied it for the next century of visitors. Aided by a team of Mallorcan engineers, architects and artisans, the building has been sympathetically restored and renovated, including the original 1920’s shop, which is a jewel in Palma’s old town.
At EspaisRoca, we share the same fierce dedication to customer service that drove the Torrents Roca family for so many years.
We don’t do “corporate.” We do family-led hospitality, with the goal of helping our guests create memories of their trip to Mallorca which last a lifetime, long after the suntans have faded.
Capitulo, our cafe wine bar in the Casa Roca tienda, is open daily from 08:30 until 23:00, so do come join us for a coffee and ensaimada, a glass of Binissalem wine and tapas, or perhaps a Mallorcan Vermouth or Gin. You will be able to see the history of Casa Roca for yourself, and who knows, perhaps write some stories of your own.
Equally, our Tasting Palma team will be delighted to take you on a culinary journey of the island. They offer tastings, market and food tours, cooking classes and much more.
Casa Roca – Built on Stories, Ready for Yours.
Casa Roca Hotel Palma Old Town is part of the Espais Roca family of luxury boutique hotels. We breathe new life in to some of Europe’s most emblematic buildings, preserving their heritage for future generations Our key values shape our design ethos and everything that goes into making an Espais Roca stay:
The Casa Roca display windows on Calle Llotgeta for generations have attracted customers passing on the busy Sindicato shopping street.
Working in partnership with local Mallorcan muralists Joan & Alex, we have decided to use them to celebrate some of the people behind the story of Casa Roca through the generations.
Each window tells a different story, and is inspired by original photos and paintings kindly shared by the Torrents Roca family.
In prime position in the centre window, is a representation of Francisco Roca, the founder of Almacenes Casa Roca
His mural is inspired directly from an original photo from the middle 19th century, as well as a portrait that hangs today in the home of his great great grandaughter Catalina.
The background is inspired by the Cuartos cigarette papers produced by Casa Roca, a sample of which we found at the back of one of the strong-box safes in the shop.
On the left of the founder are the 4th and 5th generations, represented by Vicenta and her daughter Catalina, who was the last custodian of Casa Roca before it closed in 2016 when she reitred in her seventies.
Catalina who in 2026 is now in her 80’s, is shown as a child. She is pictured with the mur The inspiration is from a photo taken before the death of her biological father Juan Torrents, when she was only 16 months old.
Vicenta and Catalina were amongst the first female entrepreneurs in Mallorca, forging a path for modern women today to be able to realise their own dreams.
Vicenta is pictured here as a widow (dressed in black) with her young daughter Catalina.
Joan is shown working on the mural which is inspired from this photograph.
The final shot is of the finished mural – set on a background that draw from the Modernist period of Casa Roca’s architecture.
Our last window pays homage to the unsung heroes of Casa Roca, the many staff who worked in the shop their whole lives.
In this window, we represent Chari and Mati who joined the company age 14 and 15 and worked in the shop their whole lives. They recall feeling like they were part of the Torrents family, attending family parties, weddings and going on trips together.
Retired now, they were overcome by emotion when they learnt of our plan to celebrate their contribution to the history of Casa Roca, and cried.
Mati and Chari are shown in their Casa Roca Red uniforms of the period with Consuelo, another of the shopkeeping team. It’s a happy coincidence that the period’s uniform colour is a very close match to the Espais Roca branding for Casa Roca, itself inspired by the original Casa Roca sign from the early 20th century, which stands at our entrance.
The other photos show the mural for Mati and Chari in progress and the Casa Roca shop in its heydey.
We’re delighted to have this special art work to share with locals and visitors alike. We hope it brings to life the history and heritage of the building and the people who made this business the icon that it became in Mallorca.
Casa Roca – built on strories, ready for yours.
Even at night, Casa Roca’s history remains on display. The shutters guarding the pedestrian entrances and the main storefront serve as a canvas for the stories that built this place.
At either entrance, we have reunited Vicenta and her 2nd husband Mariano who is affectionately remembered by Catalina as “Papa”. Inspired from 1940s photography and Casa Roca’s “Sr. Mauri” vintage cigarette paper designs, their murals stand guard over the threshold.
In a nod to the building’s evolution, the original cigarette motifs have been reimagined with wine, signaling Casa Roca’s new life as a speakeasy.
The central window features Palma bay, pulled from the family archives of another cigarette paper design that bears the promise of “Papers for all Classes,” it stands as a tribute to the inclusive spirit and enduring legacy of the family business.
The different murals called for different artistic processes.
Traditional mural painting in the case of the Llotgeta 4 display windows, and technology borrowed from laser cut printing techniques and street art for the shutter art.
Over a period of over 8 weeks in early 2026, the concept became reality. We have been bowled over by the reception from passers-by, residents and visitors alike, who stop, take photos and a moment to consider the history of this amazing jewel in Palma Old Town. We particularly appreciate the support of those long-term local residents who remember the people and products depicted in the art and have complimented the team on their work.
The results of the shutter art project couldn’t have delighted us more. Not only does the 4th Generation of the Torrents Roca family now guard over the shop once again, as they did each day for over 50 years, but residents and visitors alike can stop and recall a little history of Palma that won’t be lost to the “march of progress”.
Come visit us and maybe enjoy a glass of Binissalem wine with Mariano and Vicenta and family – they’ll be waiting.
During the renovation of Casa Roca, we came across traditional hydraulic tiles made here in Mallorca. These designs which were common during the Modernist and Art deco period can be found in various colours and were hand made by local artesans.
We found tiles with this design at Casa Roca covered by some 1980’s parquet flooring. Whilst the tiles themselves were too damaged to be restored after 40 years of glue bonding, we were able to recreate the traditional design on the shutters of our office and staff chill out.
Joan recalled as a child that his extended family also had similar tiles in one of their homes in the mallorcan countryside. He enjoyed the process of preserving the design for those passing by in Calle Llotgeta to enjoy.
Joan Aguiló (Born Palma 1983) is a celebrated Mallorcan muralist who explores local identity by immortalizing everyday people and their quotidian moments in public spaces. Through his “Anonymous Heroes” project, he honors unsung community members, transforming neglected walls into meaningful mirrors of the people who live there. We were delighted to collaborate with Joan on a street art project that weaves the rich, 200-year history of Casa Roca into the fabric of the neighborhood for locals and visitors to enjoy. His work ensures that the heritage of our building remains a living, breathing part of Palma’s vibrant contemporary culture.
Find out more about Joan’s work on his Instagram
Alex is a street artist and one Casa Roca’s closest neighbours. We are proud to showcase some of his art in both the hotel’s public and private spaces. Together with Llonguet, his canine best friend (named after the ubiquitous Mallorcan bread roll), Alex collaborated with Joan on our Casa Roca art project. Stop in and see him at his studio – he has some amazing pieces or check his Instagram
In Palma, it’s hard not to see of Alex’s work, including his “I Love You” sign, which is lit at night in the Placa de la Quartera, just by Casa Roca.
If you are staying with us, you wont even need to leave as we are delighted to have examples of his work on show in our common spaces and also our incredible 3 Bedroom Penthouse.
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