It’s taken nearly 20 years but Sir Richard Branson’s Mallorcan dream will finally come true when his new super luxury Son Bunyola Hotel retreat opens in Mallorca in June.
The hotels features 26 rooms and suites, two restaurants, outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, and spa treatments rooms and will join the three existing villas on the stunning UNESCO World Heritage site.
Renovation work at his Son Bunyola estate in Banyalbufar has been completed by a highly professional team of builders and restorers who have been working round the clock on the main manor house of the 700-acre finca, which dates back to the 18th century but with a history stretching back further to the 15th and 16th centuries.
Sir Richard is very emotional about the project, he has fought very hard to get this off the ground - he was determined to see this project come to life and it is finally happening.
And in keeping with Branson’s philosophy of sustainability and community, all of those involved with the project have been hired locally.
And that will be very much the theme once the hotel is open.
The emphasis has been on recruiting local staff, using local produce and promoting all the glorious things Mallorca has to offer.
Sir Richard’s love affair with the island stretches back some 60 years and, after having sold Son Bunyola and his world famous hotel La Residencia in Deya in 2002 after a conflict of interests with the local authorities over his plans for Son Bunyola, he was able to buy the estate in Son Bunyola back in 2015.
Sir Richard Branson told the Bulletin: “The question of most luxurious hotel in the Mediterranean will always be one for debate, but to me it will always be Son Bunyola.
“What’s more important here than defining luxury is that we can showcase the incredible history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site through a beautiful small luxury hotel, which will be at the heart of the Son Bunyola estate.
“Of course, the real luxury then comes in spending time with family and friends in comfort, which I hope many of our guests will enjoy.
“I am completely and utterly in love with Son Bunyola. The beautiful three-mile coastline that is part of it, the towering cliffs above, the breathtaking scenery and, yes, I really do believe that we can turn the Finca into a property that will be considered one of the best in the world and that Mallorca will be proud of.
"I’m looking forward to spending time with my family there, enjoying the scenery, the wonderful walks, the incredible biking, the tennis … I could go on and on! I have fought for more than 20 years to get this project off the ground and am incredibly excited to have had a wonderful team bring it to life over the past couple of years,” he told the Bulletin.