At its own pace, quiet, concerned about its environment, the youngest of the Balearic archipelago, continues its tourist development.
Seducing more and more visitors sensitive to its preserved coasts, its countryside dotted with agricultural estates and its hotel offer which is gradually expanding.
Be careful, in Menorca some hotels close in November to reopen in March but register reservations well in advance, given the growing enthusiasm for the island.
Five almost newborns, tested from spring to autumn.
To discover
Trips to Spain: tailor-made tours, hotels and stays from our partners
Suites del Lago: an enclave for adults
Close to the historic city of Ciutadella, in the heart of a hotel complex, the Lago resort offers four concepts: a four-star, villas, bungalows and Les Suites del Lago opened last year.
A world apart with the advantage of being able to access all the facilities of the resort.
Sober predominantly white decor, two restaurants, two bars, large seawater pool with floating beds, private pools for some rooms, a real five-star hotel with attentive service.
The pluses:
Cala Bosch beach 1 minute away on foot, Xoriguer beach a quarter of an hour away.
Cocktails to die for, excellent breakfasts.
And a very interesting half-board package.
The least:
the music at full blast in the morning.
An evil that is spreading throughout the hotel planet as quickly as the plague.
The price:
from €125 with breakfast, from €175 half-board per person.
Lago Resort Menorca - Suites del Lago, Via Circunvalación, Cala'n Bosch, Ciudadela, 07740 Menorca.
Such.
: +34 971 387 831.
Barcelo Nura: green DNA
The hotel located in the municipality of Sant Lluís, has 128 rooms and an interior design inspired by local crafts.
Press picture
First running season, for this five-star design on the south coast, nine kilometers from the capital port Mahón, near Punta Prima, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island and very pretty villages for hiking or by bike.
Two approaches which, a priori, seem incompatible: the
all inclusive
for customers who want it (the majority), with buffets that are a source of waste, and a claimed eco-responsible positioning to which the firm FG Arquitectes and the decorators Mireia Vila and Miquel Pol have been made aware.
Use of local materials: natural stone, wood, Menorcan colors and design, water recycling, especially from swimming pools, low-consumption lighting, etc.
The hotel has even teamed up with the Ria Menorca house, famous for its Menorcan sandals, to create shoes made from plastic collected on the beaches, sold in the shop.
Of course, the two restaurants offer Menorcan, locavore and delicious cuisine.
The pluses:
serenity, the key word, the B-Heaven rooftop bar facing the setting sun, the multiplication of swimming pools, in particular semi-private, shared with the neighbour, accessible to 45 rooms out of the 128 that make up the Barcelo Nura.
The least:
the fact that none of the many swimming pools are reserved for adults only.
The price:
from €145,
all inclusive
from €280 per day per person.
Barcelo Nura, Carrer des Roures, S/N Urbanizacion Biniancolla, 07740 Menorca.
Such.
: +34 971 571 700.
Palladium Hotel, a renovated behemoth
The Palladium, perched on a hill, enjoys an exceptional panorama of the Mediterranean and the beach of Arenal Castell.
Press picture
Its massive silhouette is shocking on this island which is very concerned about architecture, but you have to go beyond its preconceived ideas.
The Palladium, like new after a complete renovation, perched on a hill enjoys an exceptional panorama of the Mediterranean and the beach of Arenal Castell.
Its large, very bright, easy-going rooms lend themselves as much to a weekend for two as to a week's holiday with your tribe.
Families with young children and teenagers appreciate the well-crafted
all-inclusive
formulas , the buffet restaurant and the three bars with very different atmospheres.
If the Mediterranean cuisine is not gourmet, it satisfies strong appetites.
The pluses:
its three swimming pools, one for adults, one for children and one for everyone, and its well-equipped fitness room.
Cons:
the shows without much interest but nothing obliges to attend and the live music… Help!
The price:
from €120 half-board and €170
all-inclusive
.
Palladium Hotel Menorca, Arenal d'en Castell, Via Jardín, 07740 Menorca.
Such.
: + 34 971 35 80 88.
Cristine Bedfor: a garden in the port
Anchored in the heart of Port Mahon, this 21-room boutique hotel is a delight.
Daniel Schaefer
Anchored in the heart of Port Mahon, this 21-room boutique hotel with its Mediterranean garden, its sun-exposed mini-pool, its warm textiles and its cozy way of life, is a delight.
Each of the rooms decorated by Cristina and her friend Lorenzo Castillo has its own universe.
The restaurant, set up in partnership with the team of Ses Forquilles, one of the renowned Menorcan tables, offers shared, local, original dishes with a concern for the art of the table which adds to the epicurean pleasures.
The vegetable garden tomato gazpacho and its prawn tartare caught in Menorca, like the Iberian pork loin with its velouté of
piquillos
, small sweet peppers delight the island and its gustatory treasures.
The pluses:
the benevolent presence of Cristina, always ready to advise her guests and give her addresses in all directions.
The opening of the hotel almost all year round, except between January 2 and March 20.
The least:
for those for whom the island means seeing the sea… It's a horizon without the Mediterranean but the waves are very close.
The price:
from 140 €.
Cristine Bedfor, Carrer de la Infanta, 17, 07702 Maó.
Such.
: +34 971 635 502.
Faustino Gran: green aristo
Located 2 minutes' walk from the Canal dels Horts which flows into the Balearic Sea, this elegant hotel is set in a 16th-century palace.
Daniel Schaefer
Two universes under the same entity labeled Relais & Châteaux.
On the one hand, three 17th century palaces, architectural splendours, in the historic district of Ciutadella, grouping together the rooms, suites (some very small), restaurant and spa;
on the other hand, a few minutes by car, a country club of 15 hectares of pine forest by the sea, to enjoy nature and the beach.
Ramón Barahona, the chef of Brazilian and Italian origins, offers a very personal cuisine that is truly renowned at Restaurante Faustino.
The extras:
vegetarian lunch and dinner at Casa de Pau, the hotel's organic vegetable garden, with just-picked vegetables and fruit.
The spa located in a cave with swimming pool, sauna, hammam.
Cons:
the somewhat unremarkable decor of certain rooms in the Can Faustino palace in particular, but above all the noise pollution in this same palace, noise from the street and even for some, including room 15, noise from the kitchen.
Tip: book at the Cal Bisbe and Can Llorenç palaces.
The price:
from 170 €.
Faustino Gran Relais & Châteaux, Carrer de sa Muradeta, 22, 07760 Ciutadella.
Such.
: +34 971 48 91 91.