A fiesta and siesta concept overlooking the splendors of Palmanova Beach
Zel Mallorca, the sun rises quite literally in front of your bedroom window as your gaze passes rows of sail boats and yachts docked overnight to watch the same spectacle. It’s autumn so the sun rises at eight o’clock, the perfect time to head out on a morning run or to slowly sip coffee from your balcony while everything turns golden.
Mallorca is the first of the Zel Hotels portfolio, fruit of a collaboration between tennis superstar and two-time Olympic gold medalist Rafael Nadal and Melía International. This hideaway on Palmanova Beach embraces a “fiesta and siesta” concept essential to the slow, Mediterranean lifestyle while highlighting the importance of health and wellbeing. This has been translated into various aspects throughout the hotel both visually and experientially.
The look and feel of Zel Mallorca is very warm, organic, comforting, almost as if you’re a guest in a friend’s home. It was Álvaro and Adriana Sans of ASAH Studio who took to heart the project in renovating and redesigning the space. “Our culture and our Mediterranean roots inspired us,” says Adriana. “The space is filled with wood, natural fabrics and soft colors related to water: this is how we make the sea present in all spaces, which is what guests look for in the Mediterranean.”
The downstairs lounge was conceived as a convivial patio made up of various seating areas and large wooden tables to socialise, work, browse around the concept store or a matcha latte or coffee paired with a slice of carrot cake from the café. This space was inspired by the open floor plan of Mediterranean homes, present in their culture since the ancient Greeks.
Recurring elements such as water, nature and Majorcan craftsmanship are the fil rouge that unite all the spaces at Zel, starting with the Patio, continuing to the rooms and suites, passing through the spa and ending Beso Beach Restaurant. This is a breezy, beachfront chiringuito initially born in Formentera and adopted here at Zel. The epitome of beachside relaxation among banana palms, rattan lighting and wooden tables combined with a great km0 gastronomic proposal: Mediterranean flair on Basque recipes. Don’t miss the firewood octopus or the josper grilled aubergine, best enjoyed with a glass of Cava.
Besides cozying up on the sofas and eating, which tend to be a big part of the slow-travel agenda, there is an underlying dedication to fitness and wellbeing. A twenty-four hour gym with a stack of protein bars and high-end equipment, a pop-up space that hosts pilates (almost daily) and weekly barré classes with Casa Barré, running clubs followed by healthy brunches and occasional retreats curated by Health Coach Candela Perez.
In addition, Zel Mallorca houses a spa, beautifully designed with a neutral palette providing the ultimate white canvas for relaxation. Treatments and massages are accompanied by the sound of soft tunes and invigorating scents of essential oils, all the while you indulge in 50 minutes of calm. If you seek sandy, barefoot tranquility where you open your curtains to find shimmering waters, that is precisely what you get find here.
