After spending some magic days at The St. Regis Mardavall to kick-off our holidays in Mallorca this year, A and I moved on to the Castillo Hotel Son Vida. Although it might seem a little bit old fashioned in terms of its decor, I love the unique location and concept. Read along to learn more about the hotel, and why it offers one of the best views in Mallorca.
Son Vida: The ideal hotel location in Mallorca
One thing I truly love about the Castillo Hotel Son Vida is that it offers the serenity of a remote location, while being just a 15 minutes drive away from Palma de Mallorca. For me, this means both of best worlds when being in Mallorca. The hotel in tranquil Son Vida offers beautiful views over the bay of Palma and is surrounded by lush gardens, a huge golf course and lots of pine trees. It is easy to reach by car (or taxi) and offers free on-site parking.
The Castillo Son Vida was built in the 13th century and had quite an interesting history before becoming a hotel in the 20th century – something you can still see and feel when entering the building. From old oil portraits, over cannons to knight armors – the decor is old fashioned and quite impressive.
We arrived at the hotel at noon and the check-in was welcoming, although not super quick. As we had booked our stay through SPG (now Marriott Rewards) Platinum services, we got offered an upgrade to a Classic Suite. Although we highly appreciated the offer, we didn’t like the suite at all as it was concocted and very noisy. Most importantly it is facing the entry of the hotel, where there is currently a big construction site. The construction will be finished by mid 2019, why I would highly recommend to ask for a room facing the front until then. After doing exactly that, we got escorted to a lovely Grand Deluxe Room with a balcony and beautiful views over Palma Bay, which I really liked.
Our room at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida
Our Grand Deluxe room was equipped with a very comfortable king size bed, a lounger and a desk. The closet was in the hallway and offered lots of space, which I always appreciate when staying a little longer at one place. The bathroom was nice and spacious with a bathtub, a walk-in shower (no rain-shower though), a double sink and a separate toilet. The bathroom seemed to be quite new and I really liked that there was a window facing the bedroom with some daylight coming through.
The decor of the Grand Deluxe Room is quite classic, with dark woods, carpet floors and velvet fabrics. I usually prefer a more modern room design, but think it fits to the rest of the vibe and decor of the Castillo Son Vida hotel which is true old-school luxury.
Our Grand Deluxe Room at the Castillo Son Vida – with lots of yellow and a cozy king size bed.
As mentioned before, the hotel property is currently going through a make-over, which started with the renovation of the lowest room category – the Classic Rooms. While in Mallorca, the hotel team was kind enough to let us see a newly renovated Classic Room and I’m sharing some of the pictures we made below. I really like the modern new design and I am curious to see how the renovation of the other room categories in 2019 will turn out.
The classic rooms have already gone through a major make-over – all higher categories will follow in 2019.
The most beautiful view in Mallorca
I am safe to say that the Castillo Hotel Son Vida has the most beautiful terrace and hotel bar on the island. Overlooking the bay of Palma, the Bar Armas offers the perfect location for a sundowner. Never crowded and with an excellent quality of drinks and service, it is definitely one of my happy places in Mallorca and definitely worth a visit even if you are not staying at the Castillo.
The view of the Bay of Palma from the terrace at the Bar Armas.
But not only the bar, also the restaurants offer a stunning view. Nothing beats having breakfast on the terrace of the Es Castell restaurant. The sumptuous breakfast buffet itself is good (although not the best on the island) and offers lots of different cold cuts, a great bread selection as well as eggs made to order, all spread over two rooms so it never gets to crowded. I personally would appreciate some more healthy options, as the fruit and granola selection was quite poor and the juice bar wasn’t great either – but I know that’s complaining on a very high level.
Best breakfast location on the island – the terrace at Es Castell.
A fantastic pool – and what about the service?
Being in Mallorca, the pool area of every hotel we visit is crucial to me – I like to soak up some sun and take a dip in the water from time to time. And I simply love the pool at the Castillo Son Vida hotel. Located on a terrace below the restaurant, surrounded by pine trees and overlooking the bay of Palma and the golf course, it offers the perfect setup for a relaxed afternoon below the pines. The loungers are really comfortable, there is lots of shade and the pool area never felt crowded when we stayed here.
The only thing that needs some improvement though in my opinion is the poolside service. Neither the pool crew nor the bar service team were very too attentive or friendly and it took us ages to place an order for a drink. There is a huge upside sales potential for the hotel here. Still, prices were reasonable and the quality of food and drinks at the pool bar were OK as well.
A brand new Spa in Mallorca
So let’s talk about the Son Vida Spa. The spa has gone through a major 9 months renovation and re-opened a few weeks prior to our arrival. Basically the whole spa (except the indoor pool which existed before) is brand new. I love the new design as it feels airy and modern, with light fabrics, warm woods and lots of light.
As many of you know I always try to sneak-in a Spa treatment when we are on vacation, so I was delighted when the hotel was kind enough to invite me to a classic full body massage during our stay. The treatment rooms are extremely spacious, well equipped and I loved the treatment bed which was super comfortable. The massage itself was nice, but not the best I’ve had and a bit inconsistent at times. But I am sure the team is still navigating it’s way through the new setup, so I think I’ll be coming back next time and try a different treatment.
Apart from the treatment area, there is also a sauna and steam bath area which is extremely nice as well as a well-equipped gym. The Son Vida Spa is accessible for hotel guests as well as external members and I think it is a great new addition to the hotel that steps up quality and style!
Passport & Palmtree conclusion
The biggest asset of the Castillo Hotel Son Vida is its fantastic location and lush property. The terrace is the asset and a fantastic wedding venue as well. I love the smell of the pine trees, the stunning views from every outside area and the amazing serenity at the pool. If you are looking for a high-end hotel that’s close to Palma but with room for relaxation this should be your number one choice while in Mallorca. Sit back, order a fantastic drink at the Bar Armas and enjoy. As in most properties in Mallorca, the service is a little inconsistent at times and you might need to be patient, but as soon as you accept that you will be quite happy here. I will definitely be coming back once the make-over of rooms is done and am excited to keep you updated on that!
Want to learn more about some of my favourite hotels? Visit my other reviews here.
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