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 second arrondissement of Paris to a small hospitality empire of bars, restaurants and hotels across Europe and New York. They operate a hotel Sant Llorencin Menorca, as well as a sprawling beach club, Experimental Beach Ibiza, for several years, so are no strangers to these Balearic parts. Now they have taken over 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 new experimental properties, Paris-based designer Dorothée Meilichzon – by now an unofficial house talent and definitely a secret weapon – has overseen the renovation of the 33 rooms, lounges and rooftop bar. She has brought her usual sense of texture and fidelity to local artisans and craftsmanship, as well as lots of punchy colours. Retro-cool balances with tactile surfaces and soft curves are everywhere. The restaurant, Café Montesol, which is open all day both indoors and outdoors, is complemented by the rooftop bar with, of course, a virtuoso cocktail menu and 360-degree views. montesol experimental. comfrom £245

The Maine Dish

The team behind Maine’s group of restaurants whose brasserie-cabaret locations stretch from the malls of Dubai to a Mayfair Mansion – have restored and converted an 18th-century finca in Sant Francesc de s’Estany, south of Ibiza’s old town, into a two-storey, 200-seat venue 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 touch, dozens of cocktails and local wines, DJ sets. During the day, the restaurant transforms into Casa M, an eatery that serves vegan bowls and market platters of cheeses and charcuterie throughout the day. maineibiza. com

An extra-virgin eagle’s nest in Mallorca

Richard Branson’s Son Bunyola has been a Majorcan fixture for years – a 1,300-hectare estate north of Palma, on the island’s highly sought-after west coast, where the Tramuntana Mountains tumble down to the sea. It is home to three spectacular villas that can accommodate eight to ten guests, with every modern convenience and service, from private chefs to boat charters and on-call massage therapists.

After an odyssey of planning permissions and restoration that spanned two decades, Son Bunyola will debut its long-awaited eponymous hotel here this summer: 26 rooms and suites will fill the estate’s 16th-century finca, olive press, and a handful of nearby outbuildings. There are also two restaurants, indoor lounges, terraces for outdoor dining and a swimming pool surrounded by olive trees. The renovation is understated, the materials – stone and wood floors, iron beds, beamed ceilings – both beautiful and appropriate to the place. The courtyard, lined with potted lavender, is the place for an evening drink. virginlimitedition.comfrom €600

Formentera’s new favourite

On a pristine stretch of Formentera’s 6km Migjorn Beach, Teranka has started its 2023 season (after a brief soft opening last year). This is beach hotel living largely unfettered by the more glaring trappings of luxury: the rooms – 35 of them – aren’t huge and are simply and sparingly designed (although some have private gardens or roof terraces).

The new restaurant, with its outdoor kitchen and focus on local produce, embraces the island’s prevailing no-bells, no-whistles, feet-in-the-sand ethos (literally, it’s in a sand garden). The wellness program, meanwhile, majors in guided soundscape meditation, developer Chris Connors has launched a successful app for that (he’s created three custom digital guided meditations for guests to do at various locations around the hotel). But you come to Formentera for simple living, basic beauty and maybe a little woo-woo; in that context, Teranka hits all the marks. teranka. comfrom €382

@mariasollenbarger