Sir Richard Branson popped over to his beloved island, Mallorca, for Easter to see how the development of his new luxury Son Bunyola hotel in Banyalbufar is coming along ahead of its grand opening early next summer. And, during his brief Easter visit, Sir Richard enjoyed lunch at his favourite restaurant on the island.
And, as he recently told the Bulletin in an exclusive interview, he can not leave the island without enjoying his most popular local dish, the classic Spanish favourite, paella, and there is something quite special about having it cooked by the delightful Maria and her family at Can Paco in Banyalbufar and he always makes time for a visit when he is in Mallorca. Plus, the flavour of the paella would have been boosted by the fact that his Mallorcan dream, the Son Bunyola hotel, is coming true.
Sir Richard’s love affair with the island stretches back some 60 years. He first bought La Residencia in 1987, and transformed the hotel into one of the must luxurious and popular in the world and it was a Mecca for the rich and famous, not to mention royalty, such as the late Lady Diana, the Emperors of Japan and the Spanish royal family, leading lights from the worlds of art, culture and music and leading politicians, and guests from all over the world who, to this day, return to the hotel every year. And now, Sir Richard intends to return the Branson touch to Mallorca.