Palma de Mallorca’s chicest private garden is the cherry on top of the cake at this 5 Star Gran Luxe, whose twenty-four suites are an avant-garde whimsy with echoes of the past, Kintsugi pampering, antique pieces and whispers of jazz and blues. An exuberant oasis that shares space with the Botànic Restaurant: the island’s first Plant Forward, perfect for discovering that this gastro trend is creative, tasty and sensual with the company of a cocktail.
Can Bordoy is a lush oasis that shares space with the Botànic Restaurant: the island’s first Plant Forward, perfect for discovering that this gastro trend is creative, tasty and sensual with the company of a cocktail.
Restoring a romantic soul
In Carrer del Forn de la Gloria, the magic consists of transforming the flavour of the past into a quiet luxury, without fuss. In fact, one of the great successes of the refurbishment of the original building, thanks to the renovation by the international architecture and interior design studio OHLAB, has been its ability to beautify and stop the passing of the centuries. Inspired by the philosophy of the Japanese (and millenary) technique of Kintsugi, which recomposes porcelain and the inexorable cracks of time with gold and silver, the various rooms that lead to the twenty-four design suites, ranging from thirty to eighty square metres, continue to tell their own story.
To cross the delicate threshold of Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden is to enter into the freshness of childhood and the depths of emotions. In fact, many of the islanders are moved to recognise the stately staircase of their youth, the one they climbed up and down so many times in their younger years, when it housed the school of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today, the footsteps running along the two-tone tiles of the landings, the glances that pass through the blown glass windows so characteristic of the island and the hands that open the hardwood doors reflect that this is a project of cosmopolitan luxury. Recognised as the World’s Best All Suite at the World Travel Awards, Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden welcomed guests from fifty-nine countries in 2022.
New Zealand, Canada, India, Uzbekistan and Lebanon were some of the nationalities that appreciated the sensation of living in this house with historical foundations and experiences that prioritise sophisticated details: the comfort of sleeping in extra-long beds designed specifically for the rooms and which even allow you to choose the firmness of the mattress individually; enjoying antique pieces from all over Europe alongside other avant-garde pieces by Artemide, Santa & Cole, Thonet, Baxter and Moroso; relaxing in a cosy spa equipped with the latest DornBracht technology; or immersing yourself, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, in a charming heated outdoor pool under centenary trees, are just some of them.
However, those who don’t mind a little extra romance in this breezy city break can enjoy the free-standing bathtubs in the higher-end suites. A detail that has not gone unnoticed by Condé Nast Johansens, which has recognised this Grand Luxury hotel with the Best for Romance 2022 award, or by the British luxury tour operator Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which has listed it as One of the Best Romantic Hotels.
The texture of flavour and colour, with a view
He is clear about his roots and his path. After a long national and international professional pilgrimage, in which destinations such as Dubai showed him the infinite possibilities of spices, Chef Andrés Benítez has managed to innovate the gastronomy of the Mallorcan capital in the Botànic restaurant: a select and informal space at the same time, which can be enjoyed even if you are not staying at the hotel and where, by the way, there is a waiting list.
Botànic brings together in its dishes the character that defines the philosophy of the whole project. The past, always present, tells of a chef whose memories are entangled, like a tomato bush in the summer, in those walks with his grandfather in the garden. There I spent every morning, cycling, picking the fruits of the earth or simply enjoying the authenticity of a freshly opened watermelon, together with the unmistakable smell of the irrigated land. His grandmother also contributed to his passion for cooking. In his kitchen, in particular, Andrés savoured the miracles of the seasons. These are moments that marked the future of this Mallorcan who, with talent, effort and a marked taste for teamwork, has achieved the success of the first Plant Forward in Mallorca: an oasis overlooking the garden, where vegetables are the protagonists of haute cuisine. A bold, healthy and sensory restaurant where the avant-garde is undoubtedly served.
