First Look: The Beautifully Restored Mediterranean Grande Dame Four Seasons Resort Mallorca

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Jun 4

Ahead of its eagerly awaited reemergence among Europe’s leading holiday destinations, the newly restored and expanded Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor is now confirming reservations for arrivals beginning late August 2024. Set amid 100 acres of seaside woodlands on a crystalline shore at the heart of a vast private estate that also includes a working vineyard, Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor is a world away, and yet easily connected to surrounding sites and myriad recreational pursuits. Blending poetic charm with heartfelt service, it’s the embodiment of luxury hospitality and European sophistication.

Four Seasons Resort Mallorca review — Credit: Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor

All guest rooms and suites have terraces facing the sea, and some also offer private plunge pools. The décor is bright and airy with natural materials throughout, evoking a seaside glamour that is both nostalgic and very modern. The resort experience begins from the moment of arrival from any of 160 destinations that fly direct to Palma de Mallorca Airport. Car rentals can be arranged for the scenic one-hour drive to the peninsula of Formentor, although General Manager Estreya Gosalbez suggests a way to make a truly grand entrance: “Our limousine service will pick your party up at the airport and take you to Puerto Pollença.

is Four Seasons Resort Mallorca worth it — Credit: Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor

There, you’ll transfer to a boat and sail across clear waters surrounded by green forests, sheer cliffs and inviting beaches on the way to our private dock, arriving as the glitterati once did before there were roads to the peninsula. We can also arrange for a tender to pick you up from your private yacht anchored nearby.”

Led by Elena Dueñas, architect at Estudio Lamela and project director, priorities have included enhancing aesthetics, energy efficiency, thermal and acoustic insulation, and the restoration of the original facade, all while adapting to new spatial arrangements. International engineering firm ARUP has been integral in working to achieve the first LEED Gold environmental certification in the Balearic Islands.

Key among upgrades to the property, which originally opened as the Hotel Formentor in 1929, was the addition of modern technologies throughout while adhering strictly to Four Seasons sustainability standards. In the surrounding landscape, native plantings of fragrant flowers are now growing among towering pine groves, allowing for walking paths, exotic garden settings for weddings and other events, and quiet spaces for solitary reflection.

Menus at Four Seasons Resort Mallorca will dance with the seasons across a variety of dining concepts, including Mel, offering a farm-fresh menu of Mediterranean favourites from breakfast to late night. Quiosc, a casual open kitchen and terrace is shaded by pines and cooled by sea breezes by one of the pools.

Opening onto a terrace at the heart of the hotel is Cercle — the Catalan word for circle, which also happens to be the shape of the bar – a gathering place for sharing stories over exquisite wines and inventive cocktails.

On the golden sand beach, where guests will lounge on plush sunbeds enjoying the services and attentions of Four Seasons staff, a pop-up beach bar, Xiringuito, will offer refreshing drinks and light fare, with a new beach restaurant and bar opening next year. Also coming soon will be Shima, a Nikkei-style restaurant that will add to the cosmopolitan ambiance of the Resort.

Wellness experiences include several pools, a tennis court, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, outdoor yoga spaces and numerous paths and hiking trails throughout the estate and surrounding peninsula. A pop-up spa will offer treatments incorporating indigenous botanicals, while a new, full-service spa is expected to open next year.