Mallorca Travel Diary: Part 1
Last week, my sister and I booked a last minute trip to Mallorca in the hope of catching a little European sunshine for a few days and spending some quality time together (we usually try to do at least one sisters’ holiday with each other every year). We were wrong about catching the sunshine (apparently Mallorca is known for having dubious weather in the month of March - a fact that both of us were blissfully unaware of when booking our flights, given that it was both of our first times visiting!), but we did manage to get some quality time together, and stay in three beautiful properties while we were on the island. You can catch up on my IG Stories for a day-by-day rundown of our trip, but read on below for a review of the two properties that we stayed at during the first leg of our holiday.
Our first port of call was the beautifully slick Hotel Can Ferrereta, nestled in the quaint town of Santanyi on the eastern side of the island. Having only opened in summer of last year, this five-star property is quietly luxurious but beautifully impressive from the moment you step inside. Unassuming from the exterior, the interior takes into consideration the building’s former iteration as a 17th-century mansion, integrating original stone arches with minimal interiors to provide an overall rustic chic design - with a large emphasis on the chic. A curved, whitewashed staircase leads guests to the bedrooms upstairs; each of the hotel’s 32 bedrooms (whether located in the main house or in the gardens) are individually designed and incredibly slick regardless of size, so any room here is guaranteed to provide the wow factor: expect contemporary four poster beds, neutral tones, and details such as rattan baskets and even circular bathtubs in the centre of the room. The hotel kindly hosted us in the signature Can Ferrereta suite, a beautiful bedroom with views overlooking the hotel’s inner gardens that boasts a separate dressing room, comfy seating area with a huge flatscreen TV, and bathroom complete with luxurious toiletries, tub big enough for two, and generous walk-in shower.
Come mealtimes, you have two options to dine in: La Fresca, the hotel’s poolside restaurant for light lunches and snacks, and Ocre, the fine dining restaurant. At La Fresca, guests can dine outside on chic sofas under hanging rattan lamps, and enjoy light tapas, salads and pizzas (you can also order these bites as room service). Meanwhile, Ocre offers an elevated fine dining experience: our favourite dishes included the fresh seafood, melt in the mouth roasted cauliflower, and creamy burrata, all served in a sleek and moody space. Breakfast the following morning is also served in Ocre (or al fresco in the gardens if the weather is good) - expect a continental buffet of pastries, yoghurts, and fruit, and a simple cooked menu to choose from.
Given that March is still within low season, both the town and hotel were pleasantly quiet during our visit. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, Santanyi comes alive with a farmers’ market, but other than this, the pace of life here is peacefully slow. In the summer, nearby Cala d’Or and Cala Figuera would no doubt be beautiful to explore, but given that it rained during the majority of our stay here, it seemed pointless to wander afar, and instead we decided to make the most of our time at the hotel. The large outdoor pool wasn’t warm enough for us to swim in at this time of year, although in the summer I can imagine it would be glorious to sunbathe here - instead, we spent our days at the hotel spa, which is a beautiful, bright sanctuary located in the gardens, and has a small indoor pool to relax by, as well as various treatment rooms. A little library in the main house also provides a cosy nook to curl up and read books by the fire.
On our morning of departure, we really didn’t want to check out: besides from the beautiful interiors and surroundings, the staff were extremely welcoming and attentive to us from the moment we arrived, which really made us feel at home. It’s very telling when every single member of staff at a hotel (front desk, housekeeping, restaurant, spa staff) offers guests a smile. This is a hotel that I would definitely return to - I’m already hatching plans for when I can revisit and bring Oliver back with me, as it’s incredibly romantic. It’s the type of place that is so unassuming from the outside, and yet exceeds expectations from the moment you step inside, providing a luxurious haven tucked away from the rest of town - in summer it would be glorious to enjoy the gardens and pool in the sunshine, so I will definitely book to revisit in the hotter months.
Although we were very sad to be checking out of Can Ferrereta, at least we weren’t venturing too far away - our third night on the island was spent in Palma at Sant Francesc. Situated in the heart of Palma’s Old Town, the hotel is the older sister to Can Ferrereta, having opened several years prior, and occupies a 19th-century townhouse with views right onto the beautiful plaza of the same name. After a delicious lunch at El Camino (definitely go here for some of the best tapas in the city), we spent our day wandering around the city before retiring to the hotel for the afternoon.
The hotel is city slick where Can Ferrereta is laidback luxe: step inside and you’ll be greeted by soaring arched ceilings, contemporary furnishings, and a dazzling black and white tiled floor that leads into a quaint inner courtyard. Grab a drink at the moody bar, or head to the rooftop in the summer months, where you’ll find a pool and loungers with incredible views over the plaza and nearby Basilica - the perfect sun trap to find some respite from the bustling city below. For dinner, head downstairs to Quadrat for a fine dining experience incorporating local Mediterranean flavours - this is also where breakfast is served a la carte in the morning.
Bedrooms here feel a little more functional than ultra luxurious, but you’ll still have everything you need for the evening; other than the larger suites on the first floor that have floor-to-ceiling windows and restored frescoes, interiors are more on the corporate side, and you’ll find fewer of the building’s original features incorporated into each room than at the hotel’s sister property - but expect the same calming, neutral colour palette and minimal details running throughout the hotel. Just make sure to request a room on the first or second floor that offers a view into the plaza to allow for the best light in your bedroom, as rooms on the third floor do feel a bit boxy. In contrast to Can Ferrereta, the property was almost fully booked during our stay, and many of the other guests here were returning visitors. Despite dealing with full occupancy, the hotel staff were incredibly attentive from the moment we arrived, and service throughout the property is slick and professional.
Overall, if I had to choose between Sant Francesc and Can Ferrereta, Can Ferrereta is really the property that provided the wow factor during our trip: small details such as the buffet at breakfast, and the luxurious toiletries found in the bathrooms really made our stay - couple this with the incredible interiors and facilities, such as the spa and outdoor pool and it really cemented the property as one I would make a special trip to return to. However, Sant Francesc does provide a slick bolthole in the city, and if you are stopping over in Palma for 24 hours, I would recommend it as a reliable and comfortable place to stay.
These were both press stays, but all opinions are my own. I do not accept and write about press stays unless I enjoy them.
