Move over Magaluf. Where Majorca was known as a mecca for lads on tour and cheap package deals, today it’s all change.
Indeed, the tourist board has been quietly looking to improve the island’s image for nearly a decade — and it’s finally paying off. Everyone from Sir Richard Branson to Rafael Nadal is launching hotels — some urban, some in the countryside, some on the coast.
Insiders say Majorca’s recent reinvention began when its waterside restaurants and clifftop residences caught the eye in the BBC’s The Night Manager back in 2016.
Meanwhile, this year, the island features as both St Tropez and Portofino in the final series of The Crown, and is the setting for Nicole Kidman’s CIA thriller Lioness. Here’s our look at the ‘new’ Majorca…
MOUNTAIN PEACE
Authentic: Where Majorca was known as a mecca for lads on tour and cheap package deals, today it’s all change. Above is the newly opened, adults-only retreat The Lodge in the northern part of the island
Majorca’s mountainous north hides The Lodge, a just-opened, adults-only retreat surrounded by lavender fields and almond, olive and carob trees. Just 24 rooms and suites are scattered across the grounds to create a series of ultra-private, peaceful spaces. Lose yourself in the hotel’s 157-acre estate, follow hiking trails and enjoy complimentary yoga, a gym with a view and an infinity pool.
Don’t miss: Al fresco dinners where chefs work in a traditional ‘fire kitchen’ using wood from the estate to add extra flavour.
Book it: Doubles from £405 B&B (thelodgemallorca.com).
SOUTH-EAST DELIGHT
Luxury for all: Ikos Porto Petro, the biggest hotel to open in Majorca this year, has five pools and two sandy bays
Enticing: Lunch at Ikos Porto Petro
With 319 rooms, suites and bungalows, the biggest hotel to open in Majorca this year (on June 16) is Ikos Porto Petro — but low-rise buildings and huge grounds stop it feeling crowded. Set on the island’s green south-east coast and 50 minutes from Palma Airport, there are five pools and two sandy bays. There are Michelin-star meals in five restaurants and a 300-bottle wine list. Or take a ‘dine out deal’, eating for free in a local restaurant in place of a dinner at the hotel.
Don’t miss: Borrow a hotel Tesla and get a Culture Pass for museum entry across the island.
Book it: Doubles available from £290 B&B (ikosresorts.com).
COUNTRY OPULENCE
Sir Richard Branson says he’s been in love with Majorca for six decades and he returns in June to open Son Bunyola, a country house hotel near Valldemossa on the island’s Unesco-protected west coast.
Having created a celebrity-friendly haven in his former Mallorcan retreat of La Residencia (now owned by luxury travel firm Belmond), Branson knows how to make a hotel a hit. With Son Bunyola, he’s added opulence to the main building and placed a long, elegant pool in front of an old olive press.
Guests check in to 26 rooms including the Tower Suite in an old watch tower.
Don’t miss: An estate tour, during which staff explain how old olive trees are being coaxed back to life.
Book it: Doubles from £520 B&B (virginlimitededition.com).
RELAX WITH RAFA
Majorca-born Rafael Nadal turns hotelier in July to launch the beachside Zel Mallorca, a 20-minute drive west of Palma. No tennis courts are planned (although with 600 on the island there’s no shortage) as Zel’s big attractions are its spa, beach bar and relaxed vibe.
Splashes of nautical colours fill the 180 rooms. Or book Casa Zel, the two-room penthouse with private, sea-view terrace. Expect yoga classes under the palms, e-bikes for sightseeing and plenty of hammocks and Bali beds by two big pools.
Don’t miss: The hotlist of sights recommended by Nadal (some are his childhood favourites).
Book it: Doubles from £240 B&B (melia.com).
CAPITAL TRIUMPH
A rooftop pool and sky-deck with comfy sofas, potted palms and parasols is the crowning glory of the just-opened JS Palma Plaza hotel on the edge of the Majorcan capital. You’ll be a 15-minute walk from most of Palma’s star attractions, but will have plenty of local tapas bars and pavement cafes nearby. The brand new building has 56 rooms, plus a small gym and spa.
Don’t miss: Sunset views of Bellver Castle from the rooftop pool.
Book it: Doubles from £70 B&B (jshotels.com).
BOHO-CHIC BEACH
Good value and laid-back vibes are promised at Cook’s Club Calvia Beach facing Palma Bay on the edge of infamous Magaluf. The recently opened, adults-only hotel has a cocktail bar beside the main pool, boho-chic decor in 211 rooms and top DJs. There’s a gym and fleet of rental bikes, though most guests are expected to stroll to the nearby beach or relax on the hotel’s wooden sundecks.
Don’t miss: Waiter service with drinks and snacks on the beach by the infinity pool.
Book it: Doubles from £82 B&B with 30 per cent off in June (cooksclub.com).
PALMA IN STYLE
Starry island: Guests at the soon-to-be-opened Nobis Palma hotel will be minutes from Palma’s La Seu cathedral (above)
Expect Scandinavian style throughout Swedish-owned Nobis Palma, opening in August in the heart of Majorca’s capital.
Nordic architects have carved 37 rooms and suites out of a 12th-century building on one of the old town’s quietest streets. Guests are minutes from La Seu, Palma’s gothic cathedral and Passeig des Born, the golden mile avenue with designer shops and cafes. Outdoor showers on the sun terrace will be a hit on hot days, while the rooftop bar offers sunset views.
Don’t miss: Drinks in the lounge bar: it’s called the ‘room of wonders’, designed by the original owner to impress neighbours.
Book it: Doubles from £330 B&B with 15 per cent off in August (nobishotel.es).
SUMPTUOUS SPA
Nothing says exclusive like a private vineyard, one of the wow factors of Son Net, a grand hotel that’s just a 20-minute drive from Palma in the foothills of the Serra de Tramuntana.
The former manor house has just re-opened after a lengthy refurbishment and now has a mix of 31 rooms, suites and cottages with private pools. There’s a large spa with a saltwater pool, thermal circuit and treatment rooms. The open-air kitchen serves seafood beneath the stars all summer.
Don’t miss: Try the hotel’s own wines in its bar or take a vineyard tour.
Book it: Doubles from £660 B&B (sonnet.es)
MAJORCA’S BEST BEACHES
Majorca has more than 250 beaches — here are six of the best:
BEACH S’AMARADOR: A short walk through a nature reserve on the south-east coast. It’s a former Best Beach in Europe winner with white sands and shallow waters
ES TRENC BEACH: A touch of the exotic is promised on Es Trenc beach to the south, where flamingos live in the dunes and white sands and turquoise waters resemble the Caribbean
ALCUDIA BEACH: Best for families is Alcudia beach to the north. It’s long (over four miles) with lifeguards, rental cabanas (beach shelters), bars and restaurants
PLAYA DE CAMP DE MAR: Playa de Camp de Mar on the south-west coast is best for scenic drinks and sunset dinners
SA CALOBRA BEACH: The small but striking Sa Calobra beach on the north-west coast is surrounded by cliffs and towering rocks — you reach it through a canyon and a tunnel. Beware, there are no facilities
SANT ELM BEACH: Strong swimmers will love Sant Elm beach to the west as you can snorkel around the uninhabited island of Es Pantaleu and enjoy restaurants nearby
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