To the Manor Born

In Mallorca, Spain, new resorts carved from old estates offer a break from the crowds.

- Tony Perrottet

STAYING IN A MEDIEVAL tower is excellent for the legs. I realized this soon after I checked in to Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas (doubles from $703), the resort opened by Richard Branson last summer in the wild coastal mountains of western Mallorca. The building originally served as a fortress against pirates, and I was staying in its oldest section, the Tower Suite, which dates back to the 13th century.

The small windows offered tantalizing sea views, so I found myself dashing up and down the polished stone stairs like a medieval foot soldier angling for a better look. On the top floor, I pressed a button to unlock a glass skylight-it whirred open slowly, perhaps like the escape hatch on a Virgin Galactic spaceship-and clambered up to a private roof terrace with commanding views of the Tramuntana Mountains.

Son Bunyola is one of several luxury hotels that have opened in Mallorca within the past year, giving travelers a new reason to explore the popular island. Adding to Mallorca's popularity, in 2022 United Airlines began offering direct flights from Newark from May to September. While the most visited areas are along the southern coast, near the capital, Palma, the more remote pockets of the island are home to restored historic farm properties. Last summer I spent five days surveying three of the new arrivals. Although it was high season, I wouldn't have known it from the idyllic pace.