Vestige Son Vell Brings Luxury to a Historic Villa

With lapis lazuli water and rocky bluffs, Spain’s Mediterranean island Minorca is known as the laidback little sister of its neighbouring Balearic islands, Mallorca and Ibiza. It’s also becoming a go-to for in-the-know travellers looking to get away from it all. To take advantage of all that the small but mighty island has to offer—from picturesque calas and prehistoric sites to fresh and coastal cuisine—like one of the European elite, a stay at a stylish boutique hotel is a must. And for that, look no further than the recently opened Vestige Son Vell.

The first hotel in the Vestige Collection, the property is the brainchild of family-owned Spanish hospitality brand Vestige, which cut its teeth on painstakingly refurbished historic private estates—the restoration of Palacio de Figueres, a 16th-century palace in Asturias, took 11 years—before turning its attention to Son Vell. It brings the same meticulous care for combining history and luxury to Son Vell.

The Minorca hotel consists of the main manor house and a handful of other buildings, all cradled in beautifully maintained gardens. The main house, a neoclassical Palladian-style villa from the 1820s, was at the heart of the restoration efforts. Over the course of three years of work by Estudio Vestige, the team used traditional techniques and local materials, like mares stone from the island, clay, lime plaster, and natural pigment to resurrect the original character of the villa and the estate’s historic farm buildings.

Son Vell’s 200 acres include over 1,400 trees, a vegetable garden, a flower garden, and a night garden. In keeping with the company’s commitment to sustainability, the landscaping team focused on supporting Minorcan ecology and planting local species that would thrive with little maintenance. Two pools—one an elegant oval from the 1800s, the other a modern lap pool—each has its own bar. Also on the grounds are a pétanque (a form of lawn bowling) court and an outdoor cinema.

Each of the estate’s 33 rooms—six in the manor house and 27 garden suites—was designed to reflect the spirit of the original Son Vell. The interiors are appointed with furniture commissioned by the hotel from local makers, antiques that span time, and contemporary artwork from Studio Debris, painter Francisco Farreras, and paper artist Ana Paúl.

Rooms are spacious and comfortable. High ceilings, stone floors, and views of the Minorcan countryside make for a thoroughly Spanish getaway, and many rooms have their own terraces, spacious freestanding tubs, and comfortable sitting areas. For a leisurely start to their day, guests can enjoy breakfast in bed.

Gastronomy at the hotel embraces the region’s traditions and all that’s on offer in the sea and from the land. The relaxed daytime restaurant Sa Clarisa serves up a menu of vegetable-forward light bites, rices, pastas, and grilled meats with the verdant backdrop of the gardens. After sundown, guests head to the award-winning Vermell restaurant. Here, they can indulge in traditional local recipes with international flair, like oliaigu, a classic Minorcan soup of stewed tomatoes, onions, and peppers served with a light mousse. A tasting menu is available at both restaurants for those who want to sample it all, and many of the ingredients are sourced from the island, including produce from the hotel’s gardens.

A short walk to an intimate cala, the hotel can arrange any number of activities to suit the interests of each guest, including yoga, paddleboarding, guided stargazing, horseback riding, Jeep safaris, and boat charters. Twenty minutes away, the narrow cobblestoned streets of the port city of Ciutadella are the perfect place to get blissfully lost for an afternoon.

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