Luxury hotel holiday Belmond La Residencia Deia, Mallorca

Belmond La Residencia nestles into a hillside right in the picturesque artists' village of Deià, home for many years to the historian, poet and author Robert Graves, (whose house is open to the public and within walking distance of La Residencia), situated between the Mediterranean Sea and the dramatic Tramuntana mountain range. This 5 star hotel with just 67 rooms and suites plus one villa consists of two manor houses that date from the 16th and 17th centuries, restored to offer charming and luxurious accommodation and public rooms, furnished with local antiques and fabrics, and with rich, dark wooden doors, shutters and beamed ceilings. An outstanding feature of La Residencia is its art collection and colourful and thought-provoking works of art are placed throughout the hotel, in bedrooms, corridors, spa, restaurant and reception with magnificent sculptures placed in the hotel gardens. In fact, regular walks around the hotel and in the village itself can be taken with the curator of the hotel's art collection. The hotel's bedrooms and suites are located in the original manor houses (the main building and the Son Fony building) and new suites have been built into the hillside in terraces above the hotel. Rooms and suites vary in size and aspect. Some have a terrace and the newer junior suites (deluxe and executive) have panoramic views over the village, the mountains and to the sea with a garden terrace equipped with table and chairs and two sun beds. These also feature an open fireplace. All rooms, however, boast elegant, antique Mallorcan furniture and of course striking paintings. Some rooms inter-connect. As you approach La Residencia from the village, along its short drive way, you are struck by the beauty and serenity of the place, enhanced by meticulously maintained gardens, bursting with trees, shrubs and flowers, which depending on the season may be lemon trees heavy still with fruit, palms and olives, beds of lavender, marguerites and hydrangeas, roses, oleander, bougainvillaea and rosemary. The hotel boasts acres of land and in addition to that occupied by the immediate hotel buildings including spa and tennis courts. Much of the land in terraces behind the hotel is given over to olive trees, with the hotel producing its own olive oil (bottled for use in the restaurant, and served with your bread basket). These terraces are home to the hotel's donkeys, named by local school-children, and who will accompany guests on excursions through the olive groves to a stone shepherd's hut where picnic lunches are held. Dining is an important feature of a stay here at La Residencia, with its two main restuarants, El Olivo, with Michelin star, and the Café Miró, open every day for lunch and dinner, with lighter fare including mouthwatering tapas and fish of the day. In the summer months from May to September the pool restaurant serves salads and Mediterranean specialities for lunch alfresco. Breakfast is a veritable feast of a buffet served in the Son Fony building and outside on its terrace overlooking the pool in fine weather. Mallorcan specialities of sausage, smoked cheese, tomatoes and olive bread compete with eggs freshly cooked to order alongside all manner of fruit, breads, cake, cheeses and cold meats. The food is superb and the menu varied enough to cater for a long stay if you chose to eat in every day, but as La Residencia is literally on the door step of the village, within a short stroll of up to 10 minutes at most, you can find an array of local restaurants, from Michelin-starred Racó d’es Teix to a trattoria and local specialities. Days can be spent relaxing at the hotel, perhaps playing tennis with the tennis coach, table-tennis, using the hotel bikes, hiring a Vespa, taking art classes with resident artists or taking a ride on the hotel's boat. There is also a tranquil spa, where you can enjoy a range of treatments and products using local ingredients and an indoor pool, sauna and steam room. In addition to the main pool, the Residencia also has a smaller pool for adult use only. Nearby you can reach a host of places for walking, swimming in the sea, culture, dramatic scenery, eating out and shopping. La Residencia is a beautifully run hotel in an enchanting location and above all, a place where you will receive impeccable yet heartfelt service by a team of regular staff who truly enjoy making you feel welcome.