Hostal Jume Urban Rooms

About Hostal Jume Urban Rooms

Hostal Jume Urban Rooms is a one-star hostal, a guesthouse rather than a full hotel, on Calle Concepción in the centre of Maó, the capital of Menorca. It suits travellers who want a simple, air-conditioned base in town and would rather spend their budget on the island than on a resort. Couples on a short break, solo travellers and families who need a cot fit the same brief: a central address, a lift and somewhere to leave the luggage.

The stay is urban and unpretentious. One star sets the register: expect compact rooms, a lounge and practical facilities rather than extra services. The address is the main asset, with the harbour and the old-town streets a short walk away. A parking space and a garage suit anyone touring Menorca by car, and the port is close enough for an early ferry to Barcelona or Palma.

Location: Maó (Mahón)

Maó sits above one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean, a sheltered inlet roughly 5 km long, and the hostal stands in the grid of streets behind the port. This is a working capital rather than a resort: Georgian windows from the 18th-century British period, a long harbourfront and a centre that stays open through the year. Ferries, offices, shops and cafés share the same few blocks.

Walking covers most of it. The centre of Maó is 0.2 km away and the port 0.3 km, so the harbour, the ferries and the shops need no vehicle. Es Castell, at the harbour mouth, is 2.3 km off and Sant Lluís 4.3 km; both are quick by car or bus. In high summer the quays fill towards evening, while May, June and September leave more room on the pavement.

Rooms and facilities

The listed facilities cover the basics for a short stay. Rooms come with air conditioning, a TV, a radio, a desk, a safe and a refrigerator, with a hairdryer, toiletries and a sink listed too. Non-smoking rooms, family rooms and wheelchair access appear on the list, and lifts serve the floors. Couples get what they need for a night or two; families should ask about the cot and the layout of family rooms.

For late arrivals, 24-hour security and a concierge are listed, yet check-in and check-out times are set by the property, so confirm your arrival time before travelling. Ask how keys are handed over if a flight lands late. Parking and a garage are listed along with a car rental service, luggage storage, housekeeping, laundry service, an iron and board, and free wifi. Confirm which extras carry a charge.

Getting there

Menorca Airport (MAH) is 5.1 km south-west of Hostal Jume Urban Rooms in a straight line, a short run from the capital. A taxi is the simplest way in with bags, and the island bus operator links the terminal with Maó, with more lines in summer than in winter. Collecting a hire car at the airport suits anyone planning to tour the island; parking and a garage are listed at the hostal.

From the port, Hostal Jume Urban Rooms is 0.3 km away, a level walk with luggage along the harbourfront. Ferries from Maó cross to Barcelona and Palma, and Ciutadella, at the far west of Menorca, has its own crossings to Barcelona and to Alcúdia on Mallorca. Timetables change with the season and sailings thin out in winter, so check the operators for your crossing before booking.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The nearest excursion is on the water: a boat trip round Maó harbour is 0.4 km from Hostal Jume Urban Rooms, and the inlet is best understood from below the walls. La Mola fortress, the 19th-century Isabel II fortification that guards the harbour mouth, is 3.9 km off. S'Albufera des Grau, the lagoon and dune park at the core of the Biosphere Reserve, is 6.9 km away and worth half a day on foot.

Beaches mean a drive south. The Migjorn coast holds the white sand coves, among them Cala Macarella, Cala Turqueta and Cala Galdana, reached by car or seasonal bus, while Son Bou has the longest beach. Binibeca Vell, a whitewashed hamlet above the water, is reached through Sant Lluís, 4.3 km from the hostal. On the plate, Mahón-Menorca cheese has a protected designation of origin, and caldereta de llagosta is the island stew, with Fornells its home.

A day from Hostal Jume Urban Rooms

Start in town. The centre of Maó is 0.2 km from Hostal Jume Urban Rooms, and a morning walk along the harbourfront passes the ferries and the water. Head to the port at 0.3 km for a boat trip round the harbour, which leaves 0.4 km from the door and shows the 5 km inlet from below the walls. Then walk or drive to Es Castell, 2.3 km away, for the Georgian barracks streets at the harbour mouth.

The afternoon belongs to the harbour entrance. La Mola fortress is 3.9 km off, with the 19th-century walls and views over the water. S'Albufera des Grau, 6.9 km away, offers birds, dunes and the Favàritx lighthouse on dark slate if the natural park appeals more than stone. Return to Maó for the evening: the centre is 0.2 km from the hostal, so the car can stay parked while you eat in town.

Practical tips

Much of Menorca's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so check opening dates with Hostal Jume Urban Rooms before booking a winter trip; Maó itself stays open all year. Demand peaks in July and August. On the bill, the Balearic sustainable tourism tax, the ecotasa, is charged per person per night by the accommodation; the rate depends on the property type and the season, is reduced in low season and for longer stays, and children under 16 are exempt. Check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rates.

Questions about Hostal Jume Urban Rooms