By, Sharron Livingston
1 min read
BySharron Livingston, Sharron Livingston
Draped luxuriously over the side of a pretty cliff amid foliage and trees, the hotel cascades towards the Illetes coastline of Palma Bay.
The décor echoes Spanish Castilian style with wood floors, low-beamed ceilings, red carpets, stone walls and burgundy upholstered seats. Precious porcelain and antiques in nooks and crannies are lorded over by suits of armour.
A sitting room and library are serene in muted colours with exotic ornaments from Burma and Thailand and bizarre objets d’art that owners, Martin and Lorraine, picked up on their travels.
Beyond the reception, a large bar comprises a flowery alfresco terrace and a room of dark wood and burgundy chairs. At nightfall the latter morphs into a dance floor with dimmed lighting and the rhythms of live singers churning out easy-listening music.
Accommodation comprises 32 rooms in the hotel and 37 garden villas. My salmon-coloured double room had a huge double bed, beige sofas and balcony with ocean views.
Residents tend to be aged 50 and over, especially in Spring when the flowers bloom in the moderate Mallorcan sun although families come too. For them, there is a kids’ room, playground and pool. For everyone there are free yoga and Tai Chi lessons, a mini golf course, a gym, solarium, sauna and spa.
Dining is a formal affair in the chandeliered Las Antorchas restaurant. Everyone dresses for dinner while a violinist and pianist fill the air with their music.
The aim is to promote a sense of well-being. In one day I enjoyed morning yoga, followed by breakfast to carry me through a relaxing facial. After lunch at the beach restaurant, I made my way back to my room to read a book and sip coffee on my balcony. I greeted the evening with a Tai Chi lesson by the mini golf area before enjoying a three-course dinner and later a Baileys in the bar. If there is a more relaxing way to spend a day, it escapes me.
Rates: From €114 per person per night
www.hotelbonsol.es
SHARRON LIVINGSTON