The Menorca country manor that will blow you away
We’re not short of country estates in the UK, and perhaps for that reason, they’re not something we look for when plotting a Euro vacation. But Vestige Son Vell, a newly established boutique hotel in southwestern Menorca, is a stately home that challenges that instinct.
It ticks all the boxes for a week in the sun, and then some. “It feels a little bit Alice in Wonderland here,” my partner says as we walk over a stretch of verdant grass, surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges and ornamental stone fountains that burble with a soft, tinkling sound. A very Mediterranean Alice in Wonderland.
The story of Son Vell began in the late 1700s, when a farmer transformed the abandoned farmhouse into a Palladian-style villa. It was designed as a weekend retreat, where his daughters performed music and dance recitals. The grand residence fell into disrepair until it was purchased in 2019 by Vestige Collection, a company founded by the Madera Fernandez family with a mission to upcycle neglected and at-risk properties across Spain.
The project aligned perfectly as strict planning laws prohibit significant new construction on the island. Restoration efforts, led by Estudio Vestige, enlisted experts to preserve the villa’s architectural integrity using traditional Menorcan materials like marés stone, quarried from the island’s grounds for millennia. The result is a respectful, detail-driven revival that honours the villa’s origin story without pastiche. The estate also remains a working dairy farm, with livestock and hundreds of 19th-century domed barracas scattered across the fields.
You may be picturing an austere country pile, but the manor has a softer, more mischievous spirit, with design choices that feel both Castile-inspired and contemporary. It’s the Mad Hatter’s tea party, but swap the tea for Rioja, the teacups for terracotta pots, and the cucumber sandwiches for slivers of jamón ibérico. A vision concocted by the Cheshire Cat, if he ran a design studio in Madrid. Inside, it’s muted velvet, monastic limewash walls and chandeliers strung like sugar-frosted garlands. This Casa Señorial is not about machismo, but a lighter energy where floral, doll-like whimsy lends enchantment across the grounds and in the salons and loggia of the manor.
This is perhaps most apparent across the 17 acres of pristine botanical gardens, filled with wild olive trees, banana leaf palms, citrus groves, and vibrant hibiscus blooms, with a night garden designed for stargazing. Menorca is recognised as a Starlight Destination and Reserve, its minimal light pollution making it one of Europe’s best spots for observing the cosmos.
Son Vell’s pools may be their greatest asset. There’s an 18th-century elegant oval framed by Balinese beds and an expanse of imperial green grass, soft and cushiony underfoot. The other pool is rumoured to be a former irrigation reservoir and resembles a large stone feeding trough – a fitting touch, as it overlooks a field of indigenous Vermella cattle whose stern gaze makes you feel you’ve stumbled into an exclusive bovine club, and you’re definitely not on the guest list. A silly British tourist, they’re thinking, as I gingerly lower myself in.
Providing bikes for guests to explore the estate’s 450 acres was a smart decision. I’m no Limebike girlie, but with open paths unfurling in every direction, I was straight on that bike, whizzing through sun-dappled olive groves, towering cacti and past cinnamon-coloured ponies.
Through the gardens and beyond the back gateposts down a 1km straight track to the private Cala Son Vell, a secluded cove with a small beach. It felt like falling into a travel poster from the 1970s, a sun-bleached still from a Jacques Deray film. By late afternoon, I was feral— hair tangled from the wind, dusty legs, in a state of ecstasy with no double-deckers or angry commuters to contend with, just the occasional side-eye and “moo” from the cows. My final stop: the gorgeous sunken bath in my room.
I’m staying in one of the 28 suites spread across the estate’s renovated outbuildings (there are six more in the main house), each decorated with natural materials and soft tones of warm ochre, with artwork from Studio Debris.
In adherence to local building regulations, there are no private pools, but the walled terraces and outdoor showers are good enough. The rooms are expansive, elemental sanctuaries, with beds so generous they could sleep four grown adults. Then there’s that big bath—set beneath a soaring skylight that makes you feel like Alice after sipping from the “Drink Me” bottle, suddenly tiny in an oversized world.
Dining at the hotel is a “land and sea” affair, hearty but with good vegetarian options too, with the manor gardens supplying fresh produce. The signature restaurant Vermell is romantic with candlelit tables and excellent live music. We’re serenaded by a gorgeous woman singing Britpop classics as we tuck into the classic suckling pig dish and silken Vermella Menorquina steak tartare sourced from the estate. Afterwards, I look forward to the charming turndown service, where Valrhona chocolates are dotted around your room in swirly snail-shaped pots.
Yes, Formentera is having a moment — again, but Menorca has some of the prettiest beaches in the Balearics. Ask any Spaniard (or yacht-owner) you know, and they might just let you in on the secret. The Camí de Cavalls, the 185km trail encircling the island, runs along the edge of the estate and connects you to secluded spots like Cala Escorxada and Cala Fustam. From Son Vell, you can explore this historic route on horseback or by hiking, sadly the terrain is a little too rough for my beloved bike. Other activities include stargazing sessions, boat trips, alfresco yoga and visits to the archaeological sites scattered across the island.
A spa is noticeably absent, but it’s in the works and set to open in 2026. Until then, they offer lovely treatments featuring organic, cruelty-free ROWSE products.
For somewhere that could easily dominate Instagram, Son Vell’s quiet presence online feels almost deliberate. A subtle invitation to lean in, stay a while, and like Alice, discover its pleasure grounds for yourself.
• Rates at Menorca’s Son Vell start from £670 per room per night including breakfast and based on two sharing. A two-night minimum stay applies. For more information, visit the website here
