Review of Son Brull, by Jeroen Bergmans

Premier boutique hotel Son Brull in the town of Pollenca on Mallorca's northern coastline has had a colourful and historical past. Originally built as a farmhouse in the 12th century, it became the family seat of the prosperous Brull family in the 18th century and was known by locals as the '365 house' as the imposing mansion seemed to have a window for every day of the year.

During its spell as a Jesuit monastery, monks would tend to a large kitchen garden, orchards of orange and lemon trees and a flock of sheep. These have been recreated to grow organic produce for the gourmet dishes prepared for the Son Brull's sophisticated, well-heeled guests.

Local interior designer Ignasi Fortaleza restored the crumbling stucco work and beamed ceilings and created sleek, contemporary interiors that compliment the building's original features. The suspended ceiling of Son Brull's library and lounge area has been covered in gold leaf and the ancient olive press has been converted into a low-slung table that's the centrepiece of the sleek bar.

The facilities

Son Brull has a pretty spectacular setting. Positioned at the foot of Puig de Maria Mountain, it looks out across a valley to the sparkling Mediterranean Sea.

When they're not soaking up the Mallorcan sun on a lounger or snoozing in one of the canopied love beds beside the 17-metre pool, the guests are out and about enjoying the many other activities and amenities on offer. Son Brull has its own tennis courts surrounded by olive and fig trees and can arrange yoga and meditation classes on-site.

The 9-hole golf course in Pollenca is only a couple of hundred meters away and there are a variety of suggested hiking trails that snake up through the mountains. The Son Brull's concierge can also book helicopter rides, hot air-ballooning and yachting trips from the port of Pollenca.

Fine-dining is another of Son Brull's fortes and its gourmet restaurant, 3/65, which serves modern Mallorcan cuisine is known as one of the best on the island. An extensive wine cellar is housed in what was once the monastery's granary, while the atmospheric bar dispenses classic cocktails beneath aluminium-etched photos of roses by local artist Pep Lambia. A jazz band plays on Friday nights and on Saturday nights in August a DJ spins chilled lounge sounds.

The spa is also first-class. It has its own indoor-outdoor pool and sells Son Brull-branded organic sun creams and beauty products. Along with the standard amenities like a Jacuzzi, hammam and sauna and treatments including massages, manicures and pedicures, there's hydrotherapy and geothermal therapy for more exotic pampering.

The rooms

The 23 rooms are in tune with the earth tones and monochrome hues of the rest of Son Brull. Black carpets and crisp white bed linen are softened by Zebrano wood detailing. The Bang and Olufsen sound systems even have speakers in the large bathrooms which are furnished with enormous shower-heads with wand attachments and Jacuzzi baths. Highly-efficient room service compensates for the lack of mini-bars.

Out of the four spacious Junior Suites, number 31 is the most impressive as it has a free-standing Philippe Starck bath and its own terrace with outdoor Jacuzzi.