Postcard from the edge: The cliffhanging Gran Hotel Margalida brings Mediterranean glamour to Banyalbufar
The historic town of Banyalbufar clings to the slopes of Mallorca's northwestern coast. Now, it's home to a new hotel that takes full advantage of its cliffside vistas.
Banyalbufar edges down the side of a steep cliff. Invading Moors first settled in the area in the 10th century – hence the Arabic-flavoured name – and the town seems to be kept from sliding into the sea by the sturdy stone terraces that those first residents erected. It’s a place that feels modest, discreet. Walk down the main street and the green shutters on the pink-plastered and stone houses are usually, well, shuttered. But, for many years, the town has been pulling in knowing residents; many of those demure homes have been bought by architects, fashion folk and Danish bankers. Now, however, there is a new arrival in town that is more at ease with showing some leg, making a sunny splash and throwing open the windows.
Gran Hotel Margalida is the latest offering from Spanish hospitality group Annua Signature Hotels, which already has one inn on the island, as well as two in Menorca and another in Lanzarote. This 29-key project is a step up for the business: a bid to deliver something that feels as though it could be on the Côte d’Azur. The Med-to-the-max vibe is underlined by the interiors from Virginia Nieto that are as sunny as a brimming bowl of lemon-infused helado. Everything from the bathroom tiles to the parasols is gloriously yellow. It’s a fun design, with palm trees painted on walls and huge light fittings that resemble shaggy yellow yaks suspended from the ceilings. There are enough nods to Mallorca to make the hotel feel rooted in place but it’s not just an exercise in craft. It’s slicker than that.
The building itself is a little tricky to navigate at first, as the topography has resulted in a long, narrow hotel with numerous levels. On Monocle’s first day, we couldn’t find our way back to our room; another time, the well-equipped gym seemed to have vanished. The upside of this, seized upon by architects Álvaro Onieva and MR Studio, is that the rooms, pool and wonderful dining terrace have views that stop you in your tracks. Guests stared a lot as yachts cut across the sea at dusk or as locals trekked down the winding roads, towels slung over their shoulders, to one of the island’s most spectacular swimming spots. The food is also good and the wine too.
As with all new openings, the hotel needs to ease into being just a great place to stay. Some of the intention, the storytelling, is a little too evident and the soundtrack of cover versions is a bit too loud. And it will be interesting to see how the hotel charms local residents. Will they come to use the oyster bar? As for Monocle, we would go back just for the view. And the team. And the pool.
After checking out, as we wound back through the Tramuntana mountains along a squiggly mountain road, it really felt as though we were leaving a haven, a place where reality could be left locked in your suitcase for a couple of days. And that’s a good thing to find.
annuahotels.com
Take a stroll
As the sun eases towards the horizon and the temperature drops, people start drifting down the steep roads to the sea. You should too. If you take the path on the right-hand side of the hotel, you’ll arrive at a walled dock where small boats are kept secure from the waves. Here, on a steep slip, you’ll spot people sitting on the wooden boards, chewing the fat with friends, having a cerveza.
Walk a little further across some rocks and you’ll reach a long concrete platform, backed by a vertical cliff, from where you can inelegantly scramble over boulders and into the sea (make sure that you bring some water shoes). And when you ease back onto dry land, there’s a special shower waiting for you – a waterfall that shoots over the cliff. This is Banyalbufar.
