Is named Villa Le Blanc, a luxury hotel, which the Gran Meliá hotel chain has opened in Menorca –it is the 15th project with the most exclusive distinction that the Spanish company has opened in the world–. It is a prototype of a hotel, located in front of the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Migjorn coast, on the beach of Santo Tomashalfway between Mahón and Ciutadella, energy neutral in carbon and marked by a variety of gastronomic options that serve as a tribute to Menorcan cuisine and way of life, with nods to the crafts of one of the most charming islands in Spain , declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993. A quiet place, a refuge of white stone, for enjoyment and to fall asleep before the sunsets of the Mediterranean horizon or walk within the Camí de Cavalls route, in intimate connection with the nature of the island.
The hotel was born –it occupies the old facilities of the Sol Beach House– with the aim of becoming a destination and a meeting point for relaxation. The reform project, carried out by the architect Álvaro Sans and his daughter Adriana Sans, combines a contemporary design wrapped in simplicity and details. Dispose of 159 rooms (from 250 euros), of which 46 are premium category and 68 supreme. Three of them, the Penthouse, the Master Swim Up and the Presidential Suite, offer a repertoire of luxurious amenities, including privileged views of the sea, which can be enjoyed from their balconies and from the room’s private pool. The main colors are white and blue tones, as well as the large terraces and porches characteristic of the architecture of the islands. The pools and the roof terrace connect with the sea. And the hotel’s landscaping project reaches the sea, based on a Mediterranean garden, dotted with olive trees, pomegranate trees, cypresses, shrubs and smaller plants such as the Balearic hypericum, immortelle or curly lavender, which give shape to this curtain of botanical collection, created by Alfonso Pérez-Ventana, an expert in gardening trained at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid.
The design and furnishings are reminiscent of a beach club in the golden years of the Balearic coast, a combination of past, present and future.
The hotel has the project Artists in residence, with which the hotel chain takes a journey through culture, creating a tribute to local art and customs. Ceramics, traditional crafts, glass sculptures and antiques, the decoration is exhibited in a distinguished way with pieces of old Mallorcan wood from the antique dealer Port, as well as with sculptures by artists such as Nuria Román, Blanca Madruga and blown glass objects by Marta Armengolwith its organic shapes, or from the Gordiola family of Mallorca.
The reception where the visitor is welcomed has works by Rosario de Menorca: his ceramic horses, the peculiar colored hands and different figures create a warm environment. One of the most characteristic and Mediterranean elements that are repeated are the arches and niches, adorned with demons with mischievous faces created by artisans Pere and Gabi Ignasi.
The hotel also has the Arcs gallery where you can buy pieces by the aforementioned artists, and a space dedicated to one of the most emblematic brands on the island, such as the footwear firm Pons Quintana. The spa bears the seal of the French Anne Semonin.
Facing the turquoise waters of Santo Tomás beach, the hotel offers numerous views of the Mediterranean Sea, even from the bathtub.
Gastronomy plays a major role in its three restaurants with a proposal based on local products, such as black pork, sobrassada, lobster or Mahón cheeses and the Mediterranean flavors created by the famous S’Amarador, the cuisine proposal grilled from NIVI and with Cru, from the restaurateur Joan Canals, who has replicated the cuisine of the restaurant located in Ciutadella, Ulisses, in the hotel.