In short… Grand Hotel Son Net is a peaceful, elegant getaway on the largest Balearic island, completely insulated from tour buses and beach parties
The look and feel… Elegant maximalism is the phrase that comes to mind to describe this 17th century palace-hotel, once owned by a Spanish noble family and recently transformed by the team behind the iconic Finca Cortesin in Andalucia. From its ivy-choked pink walls surrounded by profuse Mediterranean gardens to antiques-filled rooms swathed from molding to flooring in sumptuous prints, the place is just exuberantly tasteful. That’s thanks to Madrid-based interior designer and collector Lorenzo Castillo, who has filled every niche with oil paintings, European and Moorish antiques, colorful porcelains and other treasures, while also leaving original details like rustic beams, stone floors, and antique fireplaces alone. The hotel is open year-round (which is rare for Mallorca), and I can see how it can easily swing from light and airy to dark and cozy.
The surroundings… Son Net sits up on a hill overlooking the Sierra Tramuntana and the village of Puigpunyent, which has a few little shops and a market. (Palma is about 25 minutes east.) The grounds are completely magical—beyond the citrus groves, flowering palms, ancient windblown cypresses and herby tufts of rosemary and lavender are hillsides that house the property’s farm, with roving sheep, donkeys, and chickens, and a 1-hectare vineyard of Malvasia, from which they make their own wine. The place to be, especially in the pulverizing Mallorcan summer sun, is by the long saltwater pool bordered by the chicest cabanas.
The rooms… There are 31 rooms split between the palace, pool cottages, and the pool cottage house. The rooms in the palace are like museums—the Grand Suite Maria de Napoles has original 17th-century frescoes, while the Grande Suite Jaime III is full of vintage Chinoiserie. I stayed in one of the 4 pool cottage suites—more modern rooms still wrapped in yards of toile, checks and florals—which share a swimming pool. Each one has a huge marble bathroom (with the largest bath towels ever) that looks out onto the pool and gardens beyond it. There’s also a stone pool cottage, which is the only place that (well-behaved) children are allowed to stay.
The wellness… The spa, on a slope below the pool, was still under construction when I visited, but is expected to open later this fall. I did get a peek and it looks amazing—with walls of red marble from Alicante, there are 5 treatment rooms in what will be the biggest spa on Mallorca, with a full gym. In the meantime, there is always plenty of hiking and cycling in the area.
The food… Meals are served at the Mar & Duix restaurant in a room that was an old stone-walled olive press (or outside on the terrace), and were a perfect balance between haute and humble. Local Mallorcan chef Sergio Olmeda sent out a wine-pairing dinner of lobster stew with sea fennel and sauteed squid with sobrasada (a Mallorcan pork) one night, then on another, a whole chicken roasted in clay that we broke open with a mallet. The sides were some of the most deliciously simple, fresh dishes I had all summer, like beetroot tartare, gazpacho, and grilled avocado with pesto. Don’t skip the vegetable paella.
The Green Bar (tufted green leather siding, blackwatch plaid chairs) also serves tapas all day; they make a delicious G&T with a local gin, and the prettiest paloma topped with flowers. The room came alive at night, but I could see spending many cozy afternoons here by the fire in winter.
Be sure to… Take a day out on a sailboat exploring southwest Mallorca’s coast and swimmable coves—there’s also excellent yacht-gawking in Palma. You can easily fill a day in the city visiting the gigantic sand-colored cathedral, with its unique marine-themed religious frescoes inside, (Palma has long been the summer seat of the King of Spain), scouting the Art-Nouveau architecture, as well as some good restaurants and artisan shops (I picked up a straw bag at Mimbreria Vidal).
Parting words… The hotel’s “privacy” door hanger is an engraved brass metal plaque with thick knotted green silk tassel cord, and represents everything I loved about the Son Net: the discretion, the elegance, and attention to every detail.
Date of stay… July 2023
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