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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Postcard from Mallorca: Reads Hotel

If you've been following me on Twitter you would have read my comments about some of the stunning boutique hotels we've stayed at, including Son Brull, Reads, La Residencia, Esplendido, Portixol and Maricel among others. Generally, we've been very impressed and what has set these Mallorca hotels apart from the rest has been their stylish decor and attention to detail, luxurious amenities (including beautiful toiletries in most), superb restaurants, enormous swimming pools and spas, an array of facilities (Read's for instance has a bike room with over a dozen state-of-the-art bikes, from mountain bikes to road bikes, and all the gear that guests can borrow), hands-on managers, and attentive staff.

We still have some time left on Mallorca, and more hotels to test out, so I'll wait until the end of the trip to give you a full rundown of the island's best, with more detailed reviews. In the meantime, here's a pic of our Arabian Nights-inspired suite at Reads, which features Moroccan furnishings and carpets the owners picked up on a trip there. One of the things I loved about Reads was the individually decorated rooms (no two are the same) and the idiosyncratic character of the property - the result of an eclectic decor that has developed over the years as the owners have gathered intriguing objects. While the building is grand, the decor is elegant and occasionally whimsical, and wandering about the rooms is as much fun as exploring a fascinating museum. More on Reads and Mallorca's other wonderful properties soon.

5 comments:

Tamara said...

Looks like a great room - love the colours! Am wondering why we don't have Reads in our collection!!

Lara Dunston said...

Well, I was wondering that too... and was surprised by the answer... it's a beautiful property and luxurious in the true sense of the term - from the number of staff to wait on guests to the two enormous swimming pools and staff. But more on that in another post!

Travel Muse said...

That pool is gorgeous. Looks like heaven on earth!

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

This is the kind of place I'd love to stay at. Where the service is personal, where each room contains carefully curated objects that reflect the personality of the owner(s). So far, the one hotel that we experienced that is close to Reads is Villa de l'O in Essaouira. The owner Celine Colliere is absolutely fantastic! They had bikes for guests as well, although not as many choices as Reads :)

Lara Dunston said...

Hi Travel Muse

The outdoor pool is an absolute stunner - it's simply colossal! - it's the kind of place you can easily imagine yourself settling in to for a week of reading by the pool. What we found most impressive was the fact that there was another heated pool almost as large in the spa! Astonishing for a hotel this size, however, we've generally been impressed with Mallorcan boutique hotels at this level.


Hi Jen

Reads is lovely. You'll have to stay one day - we'll put together a "best of Mallorca' itinerary for you! - Terry will do the restaurants and I'll do the hotels for you! One of the other really impressive things about Read's and some of the other boutique hotels we've stayed at here is that they have superb restaurants too, so you don't have to leave the place if you don't want to. We usually prefer to eat out but they've just been so good, it's hard to find reason to leave once you arrive - and especially because we arrive so late.

Thanks for the comments!