Three Balearic getaways
From refinement to hedonism, the Spanish islands have it all. Chris Carter reports
Aristocratic opulence
Mallorca isn’t short of classy hotels, but the soon-to-reopen Grand Hotel Son Net has raised the bar, says Paul Richardson in the Financial Times. It is a palacio, dating from 1672 and built in local sandstone “with an Italianate grandeur in its columned loggias, balustrades and vaulted ceilings”.
After opening as a hotel in 1998, it retained the expression of its previous resident’s “extravagant personality” – blue-chip contemporary artworks and maximalist décor bordering on the excessive. Likewise, fans of the prerenovated Son Net, fearing it has been remodelled in radical minimalist fashion, need not worry. “The hotel’s new incarnation is a magnificent reimagination of its historic interior.” The upholstery is lavish and the wallpaper rich, while the four-poster beds have been retained, rubbing shoulders with Castilian chests and ornate mirrors. “The result feels less like a makeover than the spirited recreation of a 17thcentury aristocratic residence.” From €800 a night, sonnet.es
Pastoral perfection
Menorca is a “quaint pastoral island of rinsed blues and Celtic greens” that goes by the nickname of Little Rock, says Stephanie Rafanelli in Condé Nast Traveller. It is “a solitary maritime outpost for isolated yachts and migratory birds” and Spain’s most eastern territory from the rest of Europe.
Nestled amid the picturesque landscape is Es Bec d’Aguila, an 11-bedroom hilltop retreat in a 1890s mansion, decked out in “storm blues and dawn pinks”. It “seriously upped the allure of Menorcan finca-living” when it opened shortly before the pandemic. Es Bec d’Aguila has been followed by the opening of its sister property, Son Blanc Farmhouse – “a self-sufficient hotel with nearly 300 acres of permaculture”, and a farm-tofork barn restaurant. Reclaimed wood features heavily in its 14 rooms that have been furnished with items from Catalonian artisans. From £25,000 a week to rent the whole of Es Bec d’Aguila, esbecdaguila. com; and from £178 a night at Son Blanc Farmhouse, sonblancmenorca.com
“Pikes’ aesthetic is timeless rock ‘n’ roll meets mid-century modern…”
Pikes parties on
Pikes, the “ultimate Ibizan institution… beloved by celebrities and locals”, is reopening this summer following a major refurbishment, says Martha Alexander in the Evening Standard. It was in this 25-room boutique hotel, that Wham! filmed the video for Club Tropicana, while club Freddies is named after a once-regular guest, Freddie Mercury.
Pikes has hung on to its unique heritage. The resulting aesthetic is “timeless rock
‘n’ roll [meets] mid-century modern… Think block colours, playful artwork as well as bold wallpaper… [with] a heavy hint of the 1970s… when Pikes was founded”. The finca style also remains with its sabina wooden ceiling beams.
Ibiza, known as the White Island, is synonymous with partying and Pikes has much to keep you entertained, from the pink visual feast in the restaurant to the disco ball at Freddies. Fortunately, “beautiful” silk kimonos have been added to the bedrooms, which all have super king-sized beds – just in case you need a lie down after a heavy night. From €199 a night, pikesibiza.com