Cases de Son Barbassa

Rooms

The 20 rooms and suites are spread across 3 buildings: the original farmhouse with a mix of rustic-chic rooms and suites, an adjoining wing with spacious Junior Suites, and a separate house (Son Barbassa d'Alt) built in a more contemporary style on a hilltop 5 minutes' walk away.

We liked the Superior rooms here, with their gleaming chrome four-posters, generous bathrooms (walk-in shower and separate tub), and private terraces with views over maquis-covered hillsides to a strip of cobalt blue sea - something the main house lacks. Guests here get their own gorgeous 10-metre pool with futuristic loungers and parasols, as well as a smart indoor-outdoor sitting room and, if you take all 4 bedrooms, use of the kitchen and dining room. It would make a stunning villa rental, but you'd need to book early.

We also loved the spacious Junior Suites, with their airy double bedrooms and sliding doors onto shady terraces looking over orchards toward Capdepera. The large dressing room can be made up as a 'really comfy' single bedroom (our son's words), and the bathroom is if anything even more spoiling, with whirlpool jets in the tub.

The other rooms are more rustic, but still very chic; warmer in hue, cooler in temperature thanks to thick stone walls. We picked out Standard Double #2, whose sunroom and small terrace make it a great off-season option; lofty Superior #3 whose patio is graced by a carob tree and croaking frogs from the nearby irrigation pond; Superior #15 which makes up for its compactness with a vast terrace and supersize double sun lounger; and the 2 huge first-floor Suites, with their high sloping beams and double sofa beds for 1 or 2 kids. All have excellent toiletries, thick robes and towels galore, superb mattresses, and a touch of nature thanks to pretty seashells and bamboo canes.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Dinner here is done with style. Outdoor tables are dressed with white linen and flickering candles, black-waistcoated waiters hover with a smile, and you're surrounded by flowers and the chirp of crickets. In cooler weather the glass-walled dining room comes into its own. Dishes are mostly Mallorcan - some using their own fruit and veg - with the occasional cameo from a Thai soup or a foie gras salad.

It's beautifully presented, and the waiting staff are enthusiastic, but we found a couple of our dishes under-seasoned; perhaps the chef was having a blip, as other feedback has been good. You can rely on staples like calamar a la plancha and gazpacho, and their lemon sorbet laced with cava (and drunk through a straw) is a popular finale.

The breakfast spread is varied and inviting, with cheese-filled pastries, mini-pizza squares and strawberry smoothies alongside the familiar array of sobrassada, croissants, scrambled eggs and naughty Nutella packs.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant

Activities

• There are 5 beaches within 10 minutes' drive, including bustling Cala Ratjada, family-friendly Cala Mesquida, quieter Canyamel (good for water sports) and diminutive Cala Gat
  
• But we'd go the extra 25 mins (or 75 by footpath) to reach the secluded sandy sweep of Cala Torta, where you can wade in warm shallows, and nearby Cala Mitjana where cormorants fish and nudists bask
  
• You've four 18-hole golf courses within a short drive - Son Servera, Pula, Canyamel, Capdepera; ask staff to prebook tee times
  
• Borrow the hotel's mountain bikes to explore the nearby villages and landscapes; Capdepera castle - more of a fortified medieval village - offers stunning views and falconry, and there are caves at Canyamel
  
• But leave time to lounge on the screened daybeds around the glorious pool, enjoy rural and sunset views while sipping cool beverages at the relaxed pool bar, or to wallow in the hot tub and sauna in cooler months; the bucolic setting - carob trees, dry stone walls, wild flowers - is idyllic

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Golf
• Hiking
• Horse riding
• Mountain biking
• Sailing
• Well being
• Wine tasting

Kids

The tranquil atmosphere and semi-smart dinners are probably better suited to couples, but families are still warmly welcomed: there are rooms for 3 or 4, child-friendly dishes and of course the lovely pool.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Junior Suites are perfect for a couple with 1 child. Most Superior rooms will fit a cot. Suites will accommodate a couple plus 2 kids assuming they're happy with a double sofa bed; ask for the one with separate sitting room. For more space, there are a few connecting rooms at Standard / Superior / Junior Suite level.

Distances:

• Airport: 1 hour
• Hospital: 30 minutes
• Shops: 5 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Romantik Hotel Cases de Son Barbassa, to use its full name, is located on the northeastern tip of the island, just outside Capdepera and 5km from the beach at Cala Mesquida.

By Air:
Fly to Palma (80km). It's a 60-minute drive from here. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving Palma airport.

From the Airport:
You can take a taxi here but if you plan to explore the island, we'd recommend that you hire a car (see our recommendations). There's a car park at the hotel.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Mallorca and getting around