Checking into Richard Branson’s new Son Bunyola hotel in Mallorca I didn’t expect to be spending an afternoon painting but there I was, sipping sparkling wine, and attempting to transpose a view of the pool onto canvas. It’s the first time I have picked up a paintbrush in 20 years.
“Think how you feel, what you see,” said our tutor Marianna, as I struggled with the composition. There was a point when I got frustrated with my amateur daubs but after some persistence I got into a flow and found I was appreciating the architecture and surrounding landscape in a deeper way.
Opened in the summer of 2023, just 45 minutes from Palma, Son Bunyola is located in the Unescoprotected Tramuntana Mountains, meaning there is no other resort or development in sight. Incredibly peaceful, the 1,300-acre estate has a history of wine-making, with cascading vine terraces carved into the hillside.
Beyond are forests of olive, pine and carob trees, through which you can wend your way to a rocky private beach for a swim and a picnic. The original finca dates back to the 16th century and a 13th-century defence tower also remains (as well as a 20th-century version), and an old olive press, now located in the hotel’s La Tafona tapas restaurant.
Seeing the estate’s potential, Branson first bought the property in the mid 1990s, but due to licensing issues sold it again in 2002, acquiring nearby La Residencia (now part of Belmond) instead. He bought Son Bunyola for a second time in 2015 and proceeded to commission Gras Architects to renovate and expand it, while Mallorcan design firm Rialto Living set about styling the interiors.
Today, the hotel has 27 rooms (two of which are located in the Rapunzel-esque towers), as well as three privateuse villas that were revamped last winter. The property is also part of Virgin Limited Edition, a collection of luxury resorts including Branson’s own home of Necker Island, where some of the staff at Son Bunyola have worked in the past.
One of the rooms at Son Bunyola
I loved my Deluxe Suite, which came with its own balcony facing the 28-metre heated pool and a huge living room. There was a freestanding bath in the bedroom. All minibars are free and come stocked with locally made Son Bunyola-branded chocolate, herbal ales, crisps and fruit juice. During my stay in April, the hotel was peaceful, but even at capacity there is so much space and so many activities to partake in that I can’t imagine it ever feels busy; it’s a place of calm.
Adhering to the theme of “gentle betterment”, there are free yoga and Pilates classes in the morning; personal training sessions; tennis (Branson loves racket sports); perfume-making classes and Paella cooking lessons.
I joined a two-hour hike with expert guide Martin, who took us to a natural pond that feeds the estate’s vegetable garden, and pointed out American actor Michael Douglas’s house further along the coast. Escorted kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding trips depart from the beach, and a row of mountain bikes loiter outside the hotel entrance.
Whether you are seeking hot tub time and massages in the spa, or an enriching roster of activities, your days will be happily punctuated by delicious food. There is a well-curated buffet breakfast, as well as appetising a la carte menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A balance is struck between innovation and tradition, with the use of lots of fresh hyper-local ingredients. Standouts include the shaved vegetable garden salad topped with edible flowers, homemade croquettes, and fresh pasta with scarlet gamba prawns. Dishes change every three months in line with the seasons.
After a couple of glasses of Oliver Moragues Prensal Blanc, I strolled across the expansive outdoor terrace where meals are served, into the hotel and up the sweeping staircase to my room. The corridors are lined with colourful paintings (far better than my own) and throughout the property there are rugs, embroidered napkins and bathmats that have been hand-woven by Berber women at the Tamgounssi Weaving Centre in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountain, close to Virgin Limited Edition’s Kasbah Tamadot hotel.
From wrought ironwork to lime rendering, the hotel has given local artisan’s the chance to shine. Inspired, I tell myself I will start painting again when I get home.
• Rooms from €495 per night – for more information visit virginlimitededition.com