When David Stein entered it in the early 1990s, he told Vanity Fair, “the house was down to its bones, with only a few dilapidated bedrooms and rather ugly decorations”. He was referring to the 17th-century (at least) palace, which lords over an agricultural estate in the foothills of Mallorca’s Tramuntana mountains, in the manner of the island’s typical “possessions”. Before continuing with the story, you should know that a possession (or possessió in Catalan) is a large rural house that has a living space within its stone walls and, at the same time, farm outbuildings – such as a tack room, storehouses, granaries, etc. Well, this “house”, palace or estate has undergone important transformations since it was acquired by the hotelier Stein, until it became what it is today: the Grand Hotel Son Net.
At first, Stein renovated the building as his own home, but after 9 years, he decided to convert it into a luxury hotel. In 1998, the Grand Hotel Son Net opened its doors. Stein told Vanity Fair that he tried “not to be trendy or fashionable”. On the contrary, he sought to “preserve the soul of the house, the Majorcan fabrics, the furniture, the handicrafts, the antiques and the food of a local house”. However, a few years later, the hotel became co-owned by Cortesín Hotels in addition to Stein himself. A team from Cortesín Hotels is currently in charge of its operation and management. It was for this reason that the Grand Hotel Son Net was restored once more, over a period of two and a half years, until it reopened to guests in 2023 with a new and exquisite appearance.
Indeed, it was the interior designer specialising in classical decoration Lorenzo Castillo who was responsible for the restoration of the rooms and interiors. Despite having undergone two renovations – or perhaps thanks to the care with which they were carried out – the Grand Hotel Son Net retains its rustic beams, stone floors and arches, carved wooden ceilings, antique fireplaces, the original 17th century interior courtyard…
However, the interior design also plays a part in the classical look of the interiors, as Castillo tells El País: “the fabrics in the rooms were woven at Gastón y Daniela specifically for each room from old documents”. As for the decoration and furniture, including the carpets, a search was made for original pieces from between the 17th and 19th centuries. Castillo adds that “all these palaces were not decorated in the same way as houses are decorated nowadays, which have the same common thread (…), but there was a blue room, a red room, a green room, a Turkish room, an English room, a Chinese room…”. Indeed, each of the 31 suites of the Grand Hotel Son Net has been decorated according to the inspiration of different countries, cities, cultures or colours.
The Grand Hotel Son Net has, in addition to the accommodation in the palace, rural houses with swimming pool, a spa and a large swimming pool. All surrounded by a garden “with history”. According to the hotel’s website, “we wanted to maintain the essence of the existing garden”. And again, to El País, in reference to the echo of English and French gardens in the landscaping of Son Net, the interior designer Lorenzo Castillo explains: “let’s bear in mind that the Mallorcan school of painting from the 17th to the 19th century is very much influenced by French, English and German realism and romanticism”.
In short, everything about the Grand Hotel Son Net makes it a fascinating establishment, which takes you back to the times when it was a manor house. Not surprisingly, its clientele includes “heads of state, icons from the world of music and literature, actresses, actors, producers and award-winning directors”. Vanity Fair cites several names, including Lauren Bacall and Ted Kennedy.
Sources: Vanity Fair, El País, Essential Magazine, Grand Hotel Son Net.
Images: Grand Hotel Son Net.
