Review: First Guest: Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor

Why book?

Not even the oldest locals in Mallorca can remember a hotel whose opening has been as anticipated as the Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor. To find a hotel on the island that had as much pre-opening hype, one has to go back to 1929 and the original Hotel Formentor. Once the team began renovating, the anticipation began building. Anticipation has now reached its peak, with the property in a soft opening mode until mid-August 2024, the day the doors officially open. The property will then welcome guests until the end of October when it will close for the season and complete work on its spa and some other details before it reopens in spring 2025.

Set the scene

The Four Seasons staff reports that early bookings are dominated by three nationalities: Americans, British, and – closer to home – Spaniards and other Europeans. Increasingly, however, whispers of Mallorca's beautiful landscapes and exceptional food scene have spread around the world, and guests from Brazil, South Korea, and more distant destinations are making their way to the new Four Seasons, too.

Throughout its long history, dating back to before its current incarnation, the hotel has been a home away from home for families: children were and are still very welcome. The atmosphere here has always been family-friendly. While other parts of Mallorca may aspire to a certain sophisticated elegance, the Hotel Formentor was a place to relax by the seashore, enjoy the scenery, and eat well. It may sound like a simple formula, but pulling it off is not always easy.

The backstory

In 1920s Paris, Adán Diehl, originally from Argentina, met the Mallorcan painter Anglada Camarasa. Paris and the 1920s are, of course, synonymous with the Lost Generation, a heady moment for artists, writers, and other intellectuals, with days and nights fuelled by wine and creativity. Camarasa took Diehl to see his island and introduced him to Costa i Llobera, who owned almost 3,000 acres of land on Cape Formentor. Llobera sold those acres to Diehl, setting the stage for the legend of the Hotel Formentor. In the book Viaje a Mallorca [Journey to Mallorca], by José María Salaverría, Diehl describes his love affair with this part of the island: “When I discovered the unsurpassable beauty of Formentor, I thought that providence had reserved this place to serve as a refuge for poets and painters. I would have liked to become a character in marvellous tales and to be the omnipotent patron who summons artists so they can experience the charm of Formentor and enjoy a carefree existence there.”

While he would make his vision come true, it was necessary to find a way to make patronage profitable. María Elena Popolicio, Diehl’s wife, came up with a strategy. Yes, there would be artists in Formentor, but also millionaires staying in the luxury hotel they would build. But fate can be fickle. When the Hotel Formentor opened its doors on August 24, 1929, it was exactly two months before Black Thursday, the day of the stock market crash that marked the beginning of the Great Depression. No one thought that the silver cutlery, Limoges china, Baccarat crystal, and linens hand-embroidered by the nuns of Pollensa would be harbingers of an economic collapse. The original Hotel Formentor was a fabulous, if brief, party.

The rest is history. Diehl and his wife were ruined, the bank foreclosed on the hotel, and they had to return to Argentina. However, the town gave them an honourable farewell, and Diehl was named a Hijo Protector de Pollensa (Protector Son of Pollensa). The hotel passed through several owners, and over time the number of guests gradually increased. Eventually, they no longer had to arrive by boat as they once did, following the completion of a winding access road from Port de Pollença. Among the luminaries who checked in were Winston Churchill and Nobel Prize winner Camilo José Cela, who promoted the Formentor Poetry Conversations and the creation of the Formentor Novel Prize. Other illustrious writers who visited included the Spanish poet Vicente Aleixandre, Robert Graves, novelist and journalist Miguel Delibes (also from Spain), and another Nobel laureate, the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, among others.

Over the years, a number of celebrity and royal couples honeymooned at the hotel, including Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. This is also where the designer Jean Patou first created her iconic palazzo trousers, also known as Formentor pants in Spanish. All these anecdotes and countless more appear in Formentor, La Utopía Posible, written by Carme Riera and published in 2009 by Barceló, the penultimate group to own the hotel, on the occasion of its 80th anniversary.

Today, the legend continues thanks to its current owners, Mexican entrepreneur Fernando Chico Pardo and the Andorran investment fund Emin Capital. Adrian Messerli, president, hotel operations for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for Four Seasons, acknowledges that “every now and then, we have the opportunity to revive a legendary hotel and take it into the future by turning it into a Four Seasons experience, as we have done with the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat in the south of France, the San Domenico Palace in Sicily, and the Astir Palace Hotel in Athens.”

The rooms

After that nostalgic stroll through the history of the Four Seasons Mallorca at Formentor, here’s what guests arriving today will find. All 110 rooms overlook the sea and the lush pine trees that reach down to the white sand. The Madrid-based Estudio Lamela, responsible for the impressive renovation of the Four Seasons Madrid, was also entrusted with the Mallorca project. The renovation has included design improvements, energy efficiency upgrades, new thermal and acoustic insulation, and the restoration of the original façade. And, perhaps most importantly, the hotel is now more than ever oriented towards the Mediterranean.

The Parisian interior design firm Gilles & Boisier has given the hotel a chic and timeless look. Ochre tones are a common theme to the natural materials used in the hotel, whether for the floors, the cabinetry, and other furniture with wood finishes, the large travertine marble bathrooms with showers and bathtubs, the linens, and raffia elements. The king-size beds have Simmons mattresses (true of all Four Seasons hotels) and cotton linens while amenities are from the Barcelona firm Natura Bissé – always a joy to find in the bathrooms of a great hotel. Some of the suites have private pools, and all include a Lavazza coffee maker, minibar, television and – even better than a TV – a mirror on the terrace that reflects the sea and mountains. You won’t want to change this channel.

Food and drink

As the hotel opens its doors, it has several gastronomic concepts that we were able to try on our visit, but more will arrive in 2025 as the property continues to expand its offering. For now, Mel, which means “honey” in Mallorcan, offers vegetables, fish, and Mediterranean recipes from breakfast to evening. Quiosc is the pool bar, with an open kitchen and a shaded terrace sitting underneath pine trees. Rice and paella dishes are perfect for leisurely dinners that go late into the night. We sampled one of them, the arroz del senyoret with an abundance of fish and shellfish, and we’re now eager to go back. At the heart of the hotel is Cercle (Catalan for “circle”), designed to be a welcoming gathering place to enjoy wines and cocktails. We can also boast that the classic French 75 we ordered here may go down in history as the first cocktail anyone ordered from the Four Seasons Mallorca bar.

On the beach, famous for its crystal-clear waters, there is a reserved area with hammocks and waiter service. Xiringuito awaits there, serving drinks, tapas, and snacks. In addition, Shima serves magnificent Nikkei cuisine (in this case a mix of Japanese and Peruvian ingredients and preparations). The dishes we tried were all delicious. It was in a pop-up mode this year, while its official opening will take place in 2025. Next year will also see the arrival of an artisanal ice cream parlour, a bakery-patisserie, and other surprises that weren’t ready to be revealed on our visit. Unfortunately, we’ll have to pay a second visit to this idyllic seaside resort.

In the morning, a generous buffet includes an array of fresh fruit and juices, breads, pastries, and, a local touch, Mallorcan cured meats. No one should leave without trying a toast with sobrasada or one of the excellent Balearic cheeses. Other dishes can be ordered à la carte.

The neighbourhood/area

It’s easy to declare yourself a destination hotel when you sit amid 100 acres of nature, and all around you are towering cliffs, scenic roads with impossible curves, crystal-clear coves, and caves waiting to be explored. At the practically inaccessible Cala Murta (you get there by 4x4 or boat), you can take a swim in the bay, explore walking paths alongside the local goats who run the show around Cap Formentor, or take a nap under the pine trees. The Four Seasons also has its own vineyards where native varietals like manto negro, callet, fogoneu, and prensal as well as other international varietals are used to make white, red, and rosé wines. There are also groves of olive trees, used to produce the resort’s own oil, and, at the heart of the estate, there’s the possesió, a classic Mallorcan manor house that currently is not being used but will open as part of a second phase in 2025.

If you want more company than just those curious goats, Port de Pollença is a classic summer destination that is just a few minutes away. The seaside town has a quiet atmosphere, a great marina, and endless leisure activities. Another nod to the past: It was here, back in 1932, that Agatha Christie wrote her short story “The Problem at Pollensa Bay.”

Wellness

In addition to two enormous swimming pools – one of them with an infinity edge and reserved for adults, the other running parallel to a row of olive trees – there are also private pools in the pool suites. The resort also has a tennis court, gym, outdoor yoga spaces, and several trails for hiking within the estate’s grounds. Currently, there’s a temporary spa offering treatments inspired by the island's botanical riches, while a permanent spa will open in 2025. Guests can also enjoy in-room treatments upon request.

And, of course, the Mediterranean is inescapable, always waiting for you outside the door or in your room. The resort’s aquatic activities include snorkelling, non-motorised water sports, and opportunities to explore Mallorca’s magical caves and remote coves by boat.

For families

The resort offers a free, supervised Kids for All Seasons program where children can enjoy games, treasure hunts, beach activities, and more. In 2025 it will be joined by another program designed for teenagers.

Eco effort

Thanks to the international engineering firm ARUP following the latest ecological and energy efficiency standards, the resort has become the first to receive a LEED Gold certification in the Balearic Islands.

Accessibility

The hotel has been designed to be wheelchair accessible with 55-inch-wide elevator doors, step-free paths to the main entrance, and marble-tiled floors in the bedrooms.

Anything left to mention?

The Four Seasons Mallorca will host weddings beginning in 2025, and religious ceremonies can be held in a tiny consecrated chapel located in the possessió. It’s a magical and mystical place, whether you’re a believer or not.