Author: Jan Edwards

Seek out Sanctuary in Valldemossa

August 1, 2025
by Jan Edwards
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Spas

For anyone who’s visited this famous village, finding sanctuary when the streets are crowded with tourists sounds a little unlikely. But the sanctuary I’m thinking of is in a place of tranquillity and natural beauty on the edge of Valldemossa. Hotel Valldemossa describes itself as a natural sanctuary. This adults-only 5-star hotel reopened last summer after the IT Mallorca group of hotels acquired and renovated it. Five-star hotels with spa facilities are in abundance in […]

What’s New at Rotana La Reserva in 2025?

June 24, 2025
by Jan Edwards
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Eat / Sleep

For a start, the change of name to Rotana La Reserva from La Reserva Rotana. It’s subtle but significant: the 5-star hotel with a nine-hole golf course and vineyards near Manacor has new owners (a family from Singapore). New management is also in place, led by experienced hotelier Giovanni Merello – whom I first met when he opened Palma’s 5-star Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden. He’s directed eight new openings and managed projects in […]

Suite Treats: Panorama Suite at Ca’n Beneït, Mallorca

June 9, 2025
by Jan Edwards
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Hotels / Sleep

I’ve written about Ca’n Beneït in Binibona before because it’s my favourite small rural hotel in Mallorca. I love the people who work there, the surrounding countryside of the Serra de Tramuntana foothills, the handsome ginger cat, and so much more. We’ve stayed in several of the rooms and suites but for our latest visit – in February – we were in the Panorama Suite, which truly lives up to its name, being on the […]

New Printed Guide to Balearic Restaurants

April 18, 2025
by Jan Edwards
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Eat

Do you want to find the best-quality restaurants in Mallorca? And in her sister islands of Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera? The Transfer Class by Chefs(in) Guide 2025-2026 was launched last week at Palma’s Theatre Mar i Terra (Santa Catalina) and features almost 70 establishments at the higher end of the Balearics’ gastronomic offering. Four cocktail bars are also included. An audience of 150 people attended the event, which filled the intimate theatre space. Among those […]

Where Best to Eat in Port d’Alcúdia – Negre

April 8, 2025
by Jan Edwards
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Drink / Eat

One of the best things about being on holiday (or even only a day off) is the freedom to do what you want when you want. But if that means preferring to eat a good meal at four, five, or even six o’clock (to make the most of the day’s beach/shopping/exploring time), you need to know about a great restaurant that’s open all day. Oh, and 365 days a year. May I suggest Negre in […]

Slow Luxury at Mallorca’s La Residencia Hotel

March 25, 2025
by Jan Edwards
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Eat / Sleep

Mallorca’s 2025 season has begun for La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel, in the mountain village of Deià. Although the hotel is closed in the winter months, plenty goes on behind the closed gates to ensure that the 5-star hotel continues to meet the increasing demands of its discerning – and well-travelled – guests. Art, wellness, cuisine, and sustainability have all been under the microscope and further enhanced during Deià’s quietest months. Art The hotel’s ‘Artists […]

2025 Season Starts in Mallorca

March 19, 2025
by Jan Edwards
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Eat / General / Sleep

Mallorca’s weather has been a little ‘off’ recently (at least in the northeast of the island, where I live), but wildflowers are appearing in fields and verges, with the promise of better weather to come as we approach the official start of spring. Seasonal restaurants and hotels are starting to re-open and, if you’re a Mallorca resident, you may find some special hotel deals for residents during this early part of the season. One hotel […]

A Festive Feast or Getaway in Rural Mallorca

November 25, 2024
by Jan Edwards
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Sleep

I make no apologies for writing again about Finca Can Beneït, a rural hotel in Mallorca that captured our hearts on our first visit. Every time we’ve stayed overnight – and I think we’ve now stayed five times here – I fall a little more in love with the hotel, the staff, and Binibona itself. And what’s not to love about the hamlet of Binibona, where this enchanting hotel is located? Arriving here you feel […]

Where to Have a Traditional Afternoon Tea in Palma

November 11, 2024
by Jan Edwards
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Eat

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” So said the author Henry James, whose works included the 19th-century novel, The Portrait of a Lady. If you agree with Mr James, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s now possible to have a traditional English-style afternoon tea in Mallorca’s capital, Palma. It’s even served in a palace, to add to the civilized nature of […]

Try Canarian Cuisine in Mallorca

October 14, 2024
by Jan Edwards
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Eat

During our only holiday in Tenerife (to date), I discovered the Canarian island’s distinctive cuisine. Papas arrugadas – which means ‘wrinkly potatoes’ – became almost an obsession. They’re a must-try if you visit the Canaries – or the restaurant La Vieja de Jonay Hernández in Palma, Mallorca’s capital. In the Canaries, this emblematic dish is usually made from the variety of small potatoes known as ‘papa bonita’. Cooked with a large amount of salt or, […]