Staying and dining in style at Hotel Vestige Son Vell Menorca/Balearic Islands:

Menorca has been on my travel bucket list for some time. And especially so after visiting its (heavily overtouristed) big sister Mallorca. I had the idea that it would be similarly beautiful but less crowded. Yet so far I have not been overly impressed by the offer of upscale lodging in Menorca. However, this situation seems to have been changed lately. And this is so with the emergence of a number of luxury boutique hotels, many of them former farming estates. After some consideration, my husband and I chose Hotel Vestige Son Vell for our stay on this Balearic Island, probably one of Menorca’s best luxury hotels. We did so in particular due to its location close to the sea. And I had read that the chef knows his job too. Find out in the following how it was staying and dining at Hotel Vestige Son Vell in Menorca.

Before diving into lodging, I start with a few introductory lines to Menorca as a destination.

About Menorca and the Balearic Islands

I mentioned it, Menorca is Mallorca’s little sister. It measures only one-fifth of the neighboring island. Together with Ibiza and Formentera they form the archipelago of the Balearic Islands. It is located in the western Mediterranean Sea. These islands are also called the four beautiful sisters. While Mallorca is the queen, unmatched in beauty and diversity – but unfortunately marked by excessive mass tourism – , Menorca is more of a love at second sight. Its landscapes have a more subtle appearance, strongly defined by dry-stone walls.

As to Ibiza, it is the party island. And I read that Formentera – the smallest –  is the “Lonely Island”. I can add (from a recent research) that the latter is expensive when it comes to top-tier hotels.

Should you ask if Menorca matches Mallorca in beauty, then I have to say no. BUT I liked it better for a lot of reasons. First, I was very much in favor of the often untouched landscapes you find here (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1993). And I was intrigued by Menorca’s dry-stone walls.

There are more than 11,000km/6,800 mi of them across the island. They mark boundaries or keep livestock in place, and they are made without cement or mortar. Second, I adored the many picturesque calas (coves) with their turquoise water.

You can explore them by walking the formidable Camí de Cavalls. This is a 186km/116mi-long hiking trail that encircles Menorca. Third, mass tourism is a long way off on this island. There is the one or other ugly hotel building or vacation resort from the late sixties (from the dawn of tourism), that is it.

But now, where should you go if you have staying at a great luxury hotel in Menorca in mind?

Luxury boutique hotels in Menorca

I had been watching the luxury hotel scene in Menorca for some time before coming here. Yet none of the options could fully convince me. But then in 2023, there was the arrival of two properties that changed the situation. On the one hand, Son Blanc Farmhouse opened in April 2023. It is about a 19th-century working farm in Menorca’s center, about a 20-minute drive from Mahón. The spot has been luxuriously renovated while preserving its rustic charm. 14 rooms are available here. On the other hand, Vestige Son Vell was launched in June 2023. Just like Son Blanc Farmhouse it is an antique agricultural estate. However, the main building already was transformed into a manor in the past. It is set on the island’s south-west, about a 20-minute drive from the town of Ciutadella. You find 33 rooms onsite.

Given this difficult choice, my husband and I opted for Vestige Son Vell. As you know by know, its proximity to the sea and the chef’s track record were essential to us. Having said that, I am still interested in Son Blanc Farmhouse for a possible next stay. Before coming to more details of Hotel Vestige Son Vell, I have some information for you on the hotel group that is behind this place, Vestige Collection.

Vestige Collection hotel group

Vestige Collection is a family-owned business that started with the renovation of a palace in northern Spain (Palacio de Figueras, for exclusive rental). From this, they slipped into the hotel industry, with Son Vell as their first hotel. They are interested in properties that have a historic, cultural and environmental significance. Behind Vestige are Maria Obdulia Fernández and her husband, Victor Madera. The latter made his fortune in health care, and this with a chain of private hospitals. Over the years, the couple has bought a number of Spanish properties. And – together with their four daughters – they want to restore and preserve them for future generations.

As to the collection, apart from the two above mentioned ones, there are two more hotels that have just opened respectively will open soon in Menorca. It is about Son Ermità and Binidufà, both on the same estate. Furthermore, it consists of two additional private estates, Santa Ana, near Son Vell, and Miramar in Palma/Mallorca. And from summer 2026, Vestige Collection launches four new lodges in Namibia.

Hotel Vestige Son Vell Menorca

Location

Son Vell is positioned on a rural 180-hectare/445-acre working farm. Precisely, it is a 7-hectare/17-acre enclave within this estate. The hotel is on Menorca’s west coast, you reach the sea in a 20-minute walk from the main building. And you are here in Ciutadella’s south, to which you get in a 20-minute drive. When coming from this beautiful medieval town, you need to take narrow dirt country lanes that meander past dry–stone walls. When doing so, you pass farmland where livestock is grazing on fertile fields.

Ambiance/Staff

On your arrival in Son Vell, you are ushered to the estate’s main building. And this is not – as already hinted – your usual farmhouse but a mansion. This because a noble farmer transformed the original 15th-century building into a Palladian-style manor in the late 1700s.

This house is an absolute beauty with its double row of arches, sandstone walls and sheltered verandas.

Sitting on the the bar’s shady loggia, having a cup of tea and looking into the distance was one my favorite things to do here

– there is a complimentary tea time at the bar

from 5 to 7 p.m. Yet also the other hotel grounds are impressive. There are exquisitely landscaped gardens, citrus trees, olive groves, a rose garden as well as a vegetable and herb garden.

And everywhere are tall palms. Plus, the property is surrounded by a dairy farm. I can hardly imagine a more peaceful setting.

When my husband and I got here towards 10 p.m., we were welcomed by two female staff members. They expertly managed to give us the gist so that we could quickly head to our room to familiarise ourselves with it before bed time. The following morning, Gary, the friendly concierge, made an informative tour with us to point out the estate’s features. And the breakfasts were always a special pleasure when Nathalia, a young server, was present with her cheerful manner.

Rooms

From the total number of 33 rooms, five are inside the main building. All of them are spacious and elegantly decorated, yet only the Terrace Suite has an outdoor area. The remaining accommodations are tucked away in the estate’s gardens, and this in the old barns.

All of them come with a generous private outdoor space.

You can opt for either the Deluxe Superior Garden (38sqm), the Garden Junior Suite (40-47sqm) or the Garden Junior Suite Sunset (40-47sqm). The last two rooms are the same, only their orientation is different. The Junior Suite Sunset comes with additional costs of about 100€ per night.

As to the rates per day in the shoulder season (e.g. May 2026, checked in August 2025), they vary from 578€ (Deluxe Classic, 44sqm) to 1,428€ (Grand Suite, 150 sqm), both in the main building. My husband and I had opted for the Garden Junior Suite in the old barns (we paid 714€ per day including breakfast in early May 2025). Find some details to this room category in the following.

Garden Junior Suite in the old barns of Hotel Son Vell

The rooms in the old barns are all in five different single-storey converted outbuildings. They were carefully renovated with wood, natural fabrics and Terracotta tiled floors. Everything is kept neutral and in earthy tones. And antiques are mixed with contemporary furnishings.

The bathroom is spacious with double basins and features a large shower that doubles as a tub.

On the large terrace there are sun beds, a parasol, a table with two chairs, a long seat and an outdoor shower.

However, if you expect privacy in the outdoor space, then you see yourself deceived. Even though it has a dry-stone wall around it, this one is not high. Plus, this boundary does not reach the building, leaving a gap. And if you should wonder why there are no private pools on these expansive grounds. This is because only renovations of pre-existing structures are allowed in rural areas in Menorca.

My husband and I liked our room – in particular the large sofa and the outdoor area. Although, we were not happy with a number of things. I already mentioned the lack of privacy on the terrace. Then the air condition was difficult to handle, and heating was not possible. Furthermore, there was little storage space, both in the room and in the wardrobe. Plus, you have to be aware of the fact that you have to walk on dusty dirt roads to get to the main building, which is neither great when when dry or wet.

Restaurant

Onsite there are two restaurants (one indoor, several outdoor) and various bars (one inside, others outside). Sa Clarisa is the daytime spot.

In the evening, Vermell, which means “red” in Menorca, serves dinner.

Here is chef Joan Bagur in charge, who has made himself a name in Menorca with Restaurant Rels (listed in Michelin and Repsol). He offers delicate gourmet fare by fusing traditional Menorcan cuisine with modern international.

Our three dinners at Vermell were a success at any rate.

And on certain days, a guitarist and a singer entertain the diners with tasteful and subtle music.

More details about dining in style in Menorca follow in my post to come about some of the best dining-spots on this island. As to breakfast, it is a fabulous one. You get it at Restaurant Vermell, either inside or outside. There is a buffet,

and you can choose from an extensive à la carte menu.

Other facilities at Hotel Son Vell

There are two pools, one near the main building

the other by the old barns.

Near the latter, you also find an outdoor gym and a yoga deck. And a pétanque pitch is available too. Massages can be booked too, either offered in the treatment room or in your room. If you want to ride, you can do this here as the estate has its own horse stables. Borrowing the hotel’s mountain bikes is another option. And sometimes watching an outdoor movie is possible as well. In addition, Son Vell is eco-aware, with solar panels and a geothermal well.

As I have already mentioned, you can walk to the sea (in about twenty minutes). An arrow-straight farm track runs straight from the main building towards the water.

Once you come to a gate, you have come to the end of the hotel premises. Take a look back, the mansion is far away.

Then Cala Son Vell, a decent cove, is close.

If you want to reach a really nice beach, you have to walk further to Cala Son Saura – or the more intimate – Cala Es Talaier.

In summary about one of the best luxury hotels in Menorca

While Menorca is “only” Mallorca’s little sister, this Balearic island is rich in fantastic rural boutique hotels. One of the slickest here is definitely Son Vell, the first hotel project of The Vestige Collection. This family-owned Spanish lodging group breaths new life into historical and cultural heritage sites. When doing so, they want them to have a contemporary design without loosing their unique architectural identities. And in my humble opinion, they did extraordinarily well with Hotel Son Vell. What a gem this is, a dreamlike enclave amid a working farm.

It is all about a 15th-century farmhouse that was turned into an impressive mansion in the 1700s. And now in 2023, the building  has become a luxury boutique hotel, probably one of Menorca’s best. 33 spacious rooms are available, either in the mansion or in the former barns. You are here in a rural heaven, not far from the beautiful town von Ciutadella and from the sea. And this comes with all the luxury you might wish. Think in this context of wonderfully landscaped hotel grounds with two pools and a gourmet restaurant. And the staff knows how to pamper their guests too.

Looking back and forward to my Menorca content

As a prelude to a Menorca stay, my husband and I took a Madrid city trip. My correspondent blogpost went into where to go in Spain’s capital for a great luxury hotel and some of the best Michelin (starred) restaurants. Soon on my blog, I will inform on where to head in Menorca for top (Michelin/Repsol) dining-spots, precisely in the island’s west.

Date of stay: May 2025

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