Lads on tour? Head the other way: Inside the rustic country-estate five-star hotel on Mallorca miles from Magaluf that will leave you spellbound
- Zoetry Mallorca occupies buildings once owned by the landed gentry dating back to the 14th century
- It has a 15th-century windmill – of unknown origin – and a mesmerising neo-Gothic 19th-century chapel
- Ted Thornhill checked in and particularly loved the courtyard where breakfast and dinner were served
It was like a kind of magic. A hotel on Mallorca that left me spellbound.
I knew the biggest island of the Balearic archipelago could throw a party, but I didn’t realise it could enchant. Not, that is, until we rolled into the grand courtyard of Zoetry Mallorca, a stunning step-back-in-time country estate hotel that mesmerises with tranquil courtyards, charming service, a pool or two and luxurious, serene bedrooms.
Lads on tour, move along to Magaluf, which lies about 50km (31 miles) to the west, the other side of the capital, Palma.
Zoetry Mallorca, pictured, is a stunning step-back-in-time country estate hotel
The hotel ‘mesmerises with tranquil courtyards, charming service, a pool or two and luxurious, serene bedrooms’, says Ted. It occupies buildings once owned by the landed gentry dating back to the 14th century
Zoetry Mallorca used to be a Hilton but has recently been refurbished and become a jewel in the portfolio of U.S group Amresorts Collection
Zoetry Mallorca occupies buildings once owned by the landed gentry dating back to the 14th century, has a 15th-century windmill (the origins of which, intriguingly, are unknown) and a mesmerising neo-Gothic 19th-century chapel, built by a previous owner.
It used to be a Hilton but has recently been refurbished and become a jewel in the portfolio of U.S group Amresorts Collection.
We found it on a quiet road 20km (12 miles) or so to the southeast of the island’s capital, surrounded by not much at all.
Ted writes: ‘I knew the biggest island of the Balearic archipelago could throw a party, but I didn’t realise it could enchant’
There are two adult pools, one with a kids pool – ‘and this was where we did much of our flopping’, reveals Ted
Ted praises the hotel’s service around the pools – there was always a lifeguard on duty and staff ready to dispense refreshments
There’s a quality vineyard next door – Bodegas Bordoy – but other than that it’s a neighbourhood of raw rustic countryside and the occasional wheeling bird of prey.
Perfect.
Our bedroom was a junior suite with a luxurious bathroom in the renovated stable block, where the interior designer had embraced the pathway to clutter-free tranquillity and left the walls relaxingly bare and the room embellished with just a few carefully chosen items of wooden furniture.
We parents had a gargantuan bed to sink into and our four-year-old daughter a comfy sofa bed in the living room.
It was a most relaxing environment and mere steps from the aristocratic hotel’s facilities, which are connected by flower-and-tree-lined pathways, ancient corridors and the aforementioned tranquil courtyards.
Ted’s favourite area in the hotel grounds was the cobbled courtyard (pictured), where breakfast and evening dinner was served by the hotel’s ‘smashing staff’
Some of the bedrooms in Zoetry Mallorca have an aristocratic air about them
Ted’s bedroom was similar to this one pictured, with a tranquil, clutter-free aesthetic
The hotel’s facilities are impressive – and include an expansive spa with bubbling pools
The hotel is surrounded only by rustic countryside
There are two adult pools, one with a kids pool – and this was where we did much of our flopping, and where the little one generally became most excited. Getting her out of the water was a task.
There was a lifeguard on constant duty, a most efficient waitress on call to dispense tasty bar food (fresh salads with enormous tomatoes, pasta and Mallorcan wine were our go-to menu items) and plenty of trees offering shade.
But perhaps my favourite area in the hotel grounds was the cobbled courtyard, where breakfast and evening dinner was served by the hotel’s smashing staff to guests sitting under beautiful trees.
In the starlit evenings, we’d dine on tasty tapas and sip rose cava as musicians wafted music into the night air.
This image shows the hotel’s incredible 19th century neo-Gothic chapel
It’s a far cry from Magaluf, which lies about 50km (31 miles) to the west, the other side of Palma
The hotel’s facilities are connected by flower-and-tree-lined pathways and ancient corridors
In the mornings, fresh coffee and Spanish pastries would come thick and fast as we perused the maps and guide books and worked out the day’s itinerary, often helped by the hotel’s superstar guest relations manager, Ana.
We found some treasures, stunning beaches such as Cala Marcal, Cala Brafi and Cala Pi on the east coast – and thanks to some wayward satnav instructions from the BMW X1 hire car, we got to explore some of the island’s narrowest, least SUV-friendly roads as a bonus. And I got to practice my 20-point turns.
Was I flustered? Not once I was wrapped in Zoetry Mallorca’s seductive embrace.
TRAVEL FACTS
Ted and his family were hosted by Zoetry Mallorca. British Airways Holidays offers seven nights at the 5-star property from £529pp, travelling on selected dates between September 1 – 30, 2021, inclusive. Includes economy (Euro Traveller) return flights from London Heathrow Airport, 23kg luggage allowance and accommodation with breakfast. Book by August 30, 2021. For reservations visit www.britishairways.com/en-gb/destinations/palma or call 0344 493 0125.
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