The best of the Balearic Islands: new hotels to book now

Experimenting in the old town of Ibiza

In less than 20 years, Experimental Group has grown from a single cocktail bar in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris to a small hotel empire of bars, restaurants and hotels across Europe and New York. They have been operating a hotel in Sant Llorencin Menorca, as well as a sprawling beach club, Experimental Beach Ibiza, for several years, so they are not alien to these Balearic lands. Now they have acquired one of Ibiza’s most historic properties, the Gran Hotel Montesol, which opened in 1933 in the heart of the old town.

As with two other experimental new properties, Paris-based designer Dorothée Meilichzon—now an unofficial house talent and definitely a secret weapon—oversaw the renovation of the 33-room, lounge, and rooftop bar. She brought her usual sense of texture and loyalty to local artisans and crafts, as well as an abundance of striking colours. Everywhere there are retro-cool balances with tactile surfaces and smooth curves. The restaurant, Café Montesol, an all-day indoor-outdoor venue, is complemented by the rooftop bar with, naturally, a virtuoso cocktail menu and 360-degree views. montesolexperimental.comfrom £245

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the maine plate

The team behind The Maine restaurant group, whose brasserie-cabarets stretch from the malls of dubai still Mayfair Townhouse – have restored an 18th-century estate in Sant Francesc de s’Estany, south of Ibiza’s old town, and have transformed it into a two-level, 200-seat place that they hope will become one of the island’s destinations for the summer of 2023.

On the menu: family-style home cooking with a Mediterranean twist, dozens of cocktails and local wines, DJ sets. During the day, the restaurant rebrands as Casa M, an all-day eatery serving vegan bowls and platters of market-based cheeses and charcuterie. maineibiza.com

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An extra virgin eagle’s nest in Majorca

Richard Branson’s Son Bunyola has been a Mallorca fixture for years: a 1,300-acre estate north of Palma, on the island’s coveted west coast, where the Tramuntana mountains plunge into the sea. It is home to three spectacular villas that can accommodate between eight and 10 people, with all the comforts and services, from private chefs to boat rentals and masseurs on call.

After a two-decade-long odyssey of planning permissions and restoration, Son Bunyola will debut its long-awaited namesake hotel here this summer: 26 rooms and suites will fill the estate’s 16th-century estate, its mill and a handful of outbuildings nearby. . There are also two restaurants, indoor lounges, outdoor dining terraces, and a pool surrounded by olive trees. The renovation is discreet, the materials (stone and wooden floors, iron beds, wooden beamed ceilings) are beautiful and appropriate for the place. The inner courtyard, lined with lavender pots, is the ideal place for an evening drink. virginlimitededition.comfrom €600

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The new favorite of Formentera

On a pristine 6km stretch of Formentera’s Migjorn beach, Teranka has kicked off its 2023 season (after a brief soft-opening last year). This is beach hotel life largely freed from the flashier trappings of luxury: The rooms, 35 of them, aren’t huge and have a simple, sparse design (though some have private gardens or rooftop terraces). .

The new restaurant, with its outdoor kitchen and focus on local produce, embraces the prevailing no-bells, no-whistle, feet-in-the-sand (you’re literally in a garden of sand) ethos of the island. Meanwhile, the wellness program specializes in guided soundscape meditation, its developer Chris Connors has launched a successful app for that purpose (he created three bespoke digital guided meditations for guests to do at various locations throughout the hotel). But you come to Formentera for the simple life, the elemental beauty and maybe a little woo-woo; in that context, Teranka hits the mark. teranka.comfrom €382

@mariahollenbarger