Review of Gran Hotel Son Net, by Jeroen Bergmans

The Gran Hotel Son Net is the best luxury hotel in Mallorca for tycoons, honeymooners and business moguls with baronial aspirations.

As its name suggests, this luxury hotel is very grand indeed. When property magnate David Stein first set eyes on it back in the Nineties during his search for a spectacular retreat in one of the most beautiful spots on the Med, it was love at first sight. He spent a small fortune restoring the ancient stone doorways and vaulted ceilings of this 17th-century finca. Then he filled it with fabulously glamorous guests and his impressive art collection of canvases by David Hockney, Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall and Frank Stella.

Soon the penny dropped that people would pay good money to stay at the Son Net and luxury hotel chain Stein Hotels and Resorts was born. Rooms, amenities and facilities were upgraded and the Son Net became the last word in luxury in Mallorca. For over a decade now, a glittering cast of characters have made the 15-minute journey from Palma airport to indulge in this splendid hideaway tucked away amid the Tramuntana Mountains overlooking the ancient town of Puigpunyent.

The facilities

Although there are several excellent golf courses and beaches nearby, guests at the Son Net rarely leave the grounds. They tend to head for the Zen Zone Beauty Centre where renowned dermatologist Dr Murad dispenses Resurgence and Renewal Facials and anti-aging treatments. Or they keep in shape by borrowing the luxury hotel's free mountain bikes.

The Fitness Centre has state-of-the-art Techno gym equipment and the already-trim can also tone up with a Pilates or Yoga session with a personal trainer. But the favourite haunt of regular guests at the Gran Hotel Son Net is in one of the luxury cabanas beside the 30-metre pool enjoying the sunshine and the spectacular views of Puigpunyent.

Poolside bar El Mirador is popular in the summer months as you can sip tropical milkshakes and home-made ice creams under the shade of an ancient cypress tree. Gazebo restaurant also serves simple, seasonal dishes made from fresh local produce and vegetables from Son Net's own garden on a terrace by the pool.

But the full fine-dining tour de force at Son Net happens in the evening. Guests tend to dress for dinner and suavely sip Son Net signature cocktails in the swish bar on velvet-clad sofas beneath huge black-and-white prints. Then chef Christian Rullan offers a degustation menu and Mallorcan dishes with modern twist in Oleum restaurant. The vaulted, barn-like space could easily be the setting for a medieval banquet, were it not for the modern knife-and-fork sculptures by acclaimed local artist Ben Jakober which stand either side of the original olive oil press, the largest in Mallorca.

The rooms

Like all luxury hotels, the 31 rooms and suites at the Gran Hotel Son Net are all different. Zen Zone toiletries, anti-mist bathroom mirrors, antiques and heavenly beds come as standard, but each room has a distinctive character.

The 150 sq m Royal Suites have both a living room and a dining room and majestic four-poster beds so massive you can lie across them. Each has a private split-level garden or expansive terrace which are ideal for intimate breakfasts. The Gran Suite overlooks the pool and with floor-to-ceiling windows and an antique telescope you can ogle fellow guests without having to go poolside.

Gran Suite Cottages and Gran Suite Villas have their own pools for the painfully private. And if you can't bear to check out of the Gran Hotel Son Net, you can make this dreamy luxury hotel experience a reality by purchasing one of the Ses Cases de Son Net houses in the picturesque village of Puigpunyent.