There’s nothing new or trendy about La Residencia. They don’t have a resident DJ and they aren’t overrun by influencers. Instead, what you’ll find is a place that embodies the vibe of Mallorca. This is the inside review.
If you’ve never experienced Mallorcan farmhouse life, this is your summer to do it. Because when you’re in Mallorca, there’s something about the slow pace that inspires you to dial it back. At least long enough to smell the olive groves and lemon orchards. And the place to do this on the mountainside of the isle is at La Residencia, which is the Belmond Mallorca outpost. This is the review.
Atmosphere
What I love about the Belmond is the sense of place you have at their hotels. Belmond takes historic properties and makes them into stunning places to stay while respecting the original architecture and design.
The setup is as if you’re in a traditional Mallorcan village, with cobblestones, gardens, and rustic buildings throughout the property. The hotel itself is cut into the side of the mountain region of Deia and immediately puts you in a peaceful frame of mind. Whatever you have going on just melts away and it’s all about the simple luxury life at La Residencia. I thought that I was in a painting when I arrived at the Belmond Mallorca.
Rooms
The rooms reflect the Mallorcan village and farmhouse design of the Belmond Mallorca. Rooms are scattered throughout terraced buildings and stairways that are cut into the mountainside. There’s something almost cave-like in some of the rooms that have rustic white stone walls. The main light comes from the windows and the private terrace that are along the whole front of the room. Floors are terra cotta and rooms are filled with antiques and simple furniture. The rooms are lovely and authentic, but they’re not the reason to stay at the hotel. Instead, it’s about the grounds of the Belmond Mallorca and the views of the mountainside and the historic town that make this a destination.
Dining
I came to the Belmond Mallorca after staying near Palma, and once I checked in, I never left the grounds. I had already done all the restaurant exploration on the buzzy side of the island. And even if I had not, there was no reason, especially for food, to leave La Residencia. There are four restaurants on the property, and each is top in its class. The chef prepared a special paella the day that I had lunch at Restaurant Miro. It was maybe the top paella I ever had. We gorged on little tastes of all the seafood bites, croquettes, and other elevated traditional Spanish dishes. This meal was my favorite meal I had in Mallorca, amongst stiff competition.
For the evening I went to the fine dining restaurant El Olivo, aptly set amongst the olive trees. I did a 6-course tasting of elevated Spanish dishes, and know I won’t be able to replicate that anywhere in the U.S. The food, besides the setting of La Residencia, was one of the most memorable parts of my stay.
Activities
The beauty of staying at La Residencia is that you don’t need to leave the compound. Like the restaurants, there is a whole host of options like summer camp for adults and kids. There’s tennis, art walks, artists in residence, yoga, meditation, and even a donkey meet and greet. I’m not making the latter up either. For foodies, there’s cava tasting, vermouth tasting, and cooking class. All of these activities are complimentary and offered twice daily. Then from there, you can amp it up with tailored private activities, or just chill at the spa. No stay is complete though unless you spend an afternoon at the pool, taking in that view for days of Deia.
Overall: 8.3/10
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FAQs
Q: Where is La Residencia Belmond Mallorca located?
A: La Residencia Belmond Mallorca is located at Carrer son Canals, 07179 Deià, Illes Balears, Spain
Q: Is La Residencia Belmond Mallorca open all-year round?
A: La Residencia Belmond Mallorca closes for the winter season. The hotel is open from about May to the end of October each year.
Q: Does La Residencia Belmond Mallorca allow children?
A: Absolutely. The Belmond Mallorca has the Smile Club, which is for children 4 years old and up. The hours of operation of the Smile Club are 10:30-13:00/14:00-17:30 daily. There is a comprehensive list of activities for children to do at the Smile Club.
