What It’s Like Staying at Sir Richard Branson’s Spanish Hideaway: Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas in Mallorca

The author stayed as an invited guest of Virgin Red. All opinions are the author’s own, and neither Son Bunyola nor its parent company had input in any part of this review.

Despite being in the points and miles game for 5 years, there are still nice surprises to be had and plenty of things still to experience.

Son Bunyola on the Spanish island of Mallorca is one of them.

Redeeming Virgin Points for flights with Virgin Atlantic is something I’ve talked about many times before, but it was news to me that you can also use Virgin Points to stay at Virgin Limited Edition Hotels such as Son Bunyola.

I was invited by Virgin Red to experience the hotel, which recently reopened in the summer of 2024 after being taken over by the Virgin Group. As this was a passion project of Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, himself, I couldn’t wait to check it out for myself.

Booking a Stay at Son Bunyola

Son Bunyola is 1 of just 9 exclusive Virgin Limited Edition properties.

You can book using 50,000 Virgin Points per night in the low season or 65,000 points per night in the mid season. Points cannot be used for stays in the high season. Virgin Points are the shared currency between the Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club programs and transfer 1:1 between the programs.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Wells Fargo Rewards. Virgin Red is a transfer partner of Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Wells Fargo Rewards. Virgin Points can also be earned via the Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard^®.

Booking isn’t quite as simple as making a search and redeeming your points. You can either call Virgin Limited Edition at 929-526-3034 or send your preferred dates to enquiriesusa@virginlimitededition.com.

Alternatively, you can always use cash for your stay. Depending on the season, the entry-level Mountain View room costs between $500 and $1,200 per night.

Hot Tip:

There’s a lot more to the Virgin Red loyalty program than meets the eye. Sign up today, and you could be staying at Son Bonyula on points before you know it.

Location of Son Bunyola

If you book a stay at Son Bunyola, I’d highly recommend renting a car to drive the 40 minutes from Palma International Airport (PMI).

Taxis and Uber are readily available but are on the more expensive side. Given the resort’s location on the island’s jagged northwestern coastline and proximity to popular towns and villages like Deià, you’ll thank yourself for having a car and being able to do some exploring.

On the other hand, for short stays of 2 nights like mine, you’ll likely want to make the most of exploring the surrounding breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Site, which you can explore right from the finca (estate).

Hot Tip:

The only nonstop flight from North America to Palma is a seasonal service with United from Newark (EWR). Consider our guide to the best ways to fly to Spain with points and miles.

Arrival and Check In

Pulling up at the hotel’s gates, I was confused as to why Google Maps said I hadn’t arrived at my destination, even though there were still about 5 minutes of driving left.

That’s because the road then twisted and turned with dozens of hairpins until I finally reached the finca at the bottom of the valley.

I took the photo below about three-quarters of the way down.

As soon as I pulled up outside, a bellhop greeted me. He asked for the keys to my car and my luggage, which he said would be delivered to my room. Parking is included for all guests.

I spent all of a few minutes at the reception desk, only to sign the usual forms and hand over a credit card for incidentals.

As my room wasn’t quite ready, I was invited to enjoy a welcome drink out on the patio.

I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a drink of my choice rather than just the usual something simple like a house wine or beer.

Aperol spritz in hand, I felt very welcome as I soaked in the stunning surroundings of my home for the next 2 nights.

Tower Suite

The finca only has 29 rooms. The entry-level room is a Mountain View room, which goes for around $549 per night in low season. For larger groups, the hotel also offers 3 luxury villas, which range from $2,084 to $5,922 per night.

As this was a hosted stay, the hotel treated me to a wonderful 2 nights in the 3-story Tower Suite, directly above the reception, up a curved staircase. During my September 2024 stay, this would have cost around $2,745 per night.

Level 1

On the entry level was a homey living space with a large curved sofa, a wall-mounted TV, and a cabinet housing the minibar and snacks.

I spent a cozy couple of hours here relaxing in front of the TV on my last night.

Level 2

Following the curved staircase up a level was the bedroom and bathroom.

It was clear that a lot of planning went into the design of this circular room. The small space housed both the bedroom and the bathroom and had everything I needed without feeling cramped.

On entering the room, I found a wardrobe and a double sink on the right side of the bed, looking out onto the mountains.

The amenities I found at the sink were locally sourced with sustainability in mind.

The handwash and body lotion — which both smelled delicious — could be found in Son Bunyola-branded refillable dispensers.

A small basket underneath the sink contained additional amenities, such as a nail file and shower cap in sustainable cardboard packaging. A hair dryer was also included.

The door to the lavatory was between the sink and the bathrobe.

The robe, I must add, was so soft I wanted to take it home with me.

I also asked for a luggage rack_, as I tend to live out of my suitcase for stays of 2 nights or less. I’d love it if these just came as standard in every hotel room.

If I had wanted to unpack, there was enough space in the full-size wardrobe, which also housed a small set of drawers and a safe.

In addition to a couple of dozen hangers, the wardrobe also contained a Sonos speaker, a yoga mat with an exercise block, and an umbrella, should I have been unfortunate enough that the rain in Spain did not fall mainly on the plain (as the old British saying goes).

To the left of the bed, behind a glass door, was the shower.

It came complete with powerful rainfall and handheld showerheads, Son Bunyola-branded body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, and a view of the surrounding area of natural beauty.

While we’re on the topic of sustainability, I love it when hotels replenish bedside water with glass bottles rather than plastic.

Son Bunyola offers its guests a pair of traditional Mallorcan plimsols.

The decor was cute and cozy, if not a little quirky, with the fish theme.

The Son Buyola logo embossed onto the towels added even more of a touch of class. Branding was clearly of high importance when designing the finca. It’s not surprising, really, given that Virgin is a well-known brand the world over.

Thanks to the almost complete darkness that could be achieved thanks to the room’s solid wood shutters, I slept soundly and felt incredibly well-rested both mornings.

The cozy king-size bed also assisted in such heavenly slumber.

Level 3

On the top of the turret was a spacious terrace where I enjoyed my morning espresso.

Activities and Amenities

The hotel provides a bunch of complimentary daily activities, from yoga to wine tasting.

The latter just so happened to be on the itinerary on my first night. Sommelier Jaime gave us great insights into the making and flavors of local Mallorcan wines.

Exploring the Grounds

I spent much of my time on the property thoroughly enjoying exploring the 810-acre grounds, which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

The grounds stretch all the way down to the small cluster of buildings you can see in the photo below.

The best way to get around is to use the complimentary mountain bikes, which are outside the front of the hotel.

I also had a map of the vast estate that showed points of interest, like the donkey compound.

Whether you hop on a bike or head out on foot, I implore you to follow the trail down to the beach.

The scenery en route is breathtaking.

It is an untouched, wild beach with pebbles and stones rather than sand. Take drinks and snacks with you, as there’s not a chiringuito (a beach bar) in sight.

Even though the beach is accessible to the public, I only came across a handful of people.

Continuing, I ended up at Port d’es Canonge where I found a beach popular with paddleboarders.

The descent to the beach was enough activity for the day, so I WhatsApped the hotel, and they sent a buggy to pick me up from the first beach.

Pool

With only a small number of rooms and lots of activities around the estate for guests to occupy themselves with, the pool was never crowded.

While doing laps in the 92-foot (28-meter) heated pool, I was blessed with stunning views of the coastline and Mediterranean Sea.

I never had trouble finding a free sun lounger with its accompanying umbrella, side table, and neatly arranged towel and cushion.

It was blissful to relax and unwind by the pool with such an incredible backdrop. Especially at sunset.

The infinity Jacuzzi at the end of the pool made for an even better spot to appreciate the views.

In the corner is a little pool bar that serves up snacks and drinks throughout the day.

For the best uninterrupted views, I found a number of sun loungers away from the pool.

There is also a large sun terrace area a level below the pool area.

Gym and Spa

As always, I went to check out what was on offer at the gym.

You can imagine I was a tad disappointed when I clocked which building the gym was in.

Compact though it was, it is chock-full of equipment like exercise balls, free weights, kettlebells, and cardio machines, and I still managed to get in a decent workout.

Next to the gym is a beach volleyball court that could provide hours of fun for families or groups of friends.

An honorary mention must go to the tennis court and spa, neither of which I got around to checking out during my stay.

Food and Beverages

The property boasts 2 incredible restaurants, which was just as well, given its location in the middle of nowhere.

I ate at the property both evenings and paid for food and drinks.

Sa Terrassa

Breakfast is served each morning at Sa Terrassa, and this was included in my stay.

The views over the Mediterranean from the terrace, presumably where the restaurant got its name, were blissful.

Should the weather not have been in my favor, inside dining is also available.

In addition to a colorful continental breakfast spread, including an array of cold cuts, guests could choose from an à la carte menu.

I love to see a huge selection of fresh fruit at a breakfast buffet — especially mango, which is a rare find in my experience.

I started each morning with a portion of my favorites, with mango taking the No. 1 spot.

It was very easy to be tempted by the freshly baked cakes and cookies.

These included some treats I’d never seen before and didn’t think to ask about. I guess they’re some kind of local Mallorcan delicacy.

A mention also has to go to this display of pastries and muffins.

They would’ve gone down perfectly with a dollop from the jams and spreads made locally in Sóller.

There was also a selection of oats, grains, nuts, and dried fruits.

As old habits die hard, I ordered my usual egg white omelet from the à la carte menu with a side of sourdough bread.

The award-winning Sa Terrassa restaurant also came highly recommended for dinner, as much for the setting as for the dining experience.

I was joined by 2 of my closest friends, Ben and Laura, and their daughter Coco.

We shared a couple of portions of croquetas to start — a classic Spanish dish.

For the main course, I went for a vegetarian rice dish, which was impressively moreish.

After our waiter David said this classic Mallorcan pork dish was a must, both Ben and Laura ordered it, and they were extremely happy with their choice.

All told, with starters, mains, desserts, and several Aperol Spritz drinks (at $21 each), the bill for 3 adults and 1 child came to $410. Given the amount of food we ordered and the quality of the dishes, I’d say this was a fair price.

Sa Tafona

I could have happily eaten at Sa Terassa on my second night, but I wanted to check out Sa Tafona, the hotel’s second restaurant. I popped into the restaurant earlier in the afternoon to reserve a table looking over the pool so I could enjoy the sunset.

Watching the colors of the mountains change as the sun went down was magical.

I’m not sure how well I managed to hide my shock at this portion of ceviche after thinking it was a main course.

The combination of Peruvian flavors packed a punch but didn’t quite satisfy my hunger, so I ordered a second dish.

I forwent my rule against no red meat after Niko, my waiter, said the beef sliders were an absolute must.

I’m glad I tried them. Even though I could appreciate just how great they tasted, they made me realize I hadn’t missed the taste of red meat and probably will continue not eating it.

Service

As far as I’m concerned, the only element of a hosted stay that could potentially be deemed biased is the service. Everything else, from the quality of the food to the comfiness of the bed and perceived value for money, cannot be changed.

So when a hotel hosts me or knows I’m writing a review, I always pay extra attention to interactions between staff and other hotel guests to make sure I’m not receiving any special treatment.

With that, I can put my hand on my heart and say that each and every staff member I encountered displayed the highest level of customer service possible with all guests, not just myself.

Five-star service is as much about the little things as the grand gestures: simple guest-focused touches like having mosquito spray on hand at dinner.

Equally important are elements of service, such as the hotel asking when I wanted to check out so they could take my luggage to the car and have it waiting for me at reception.

Final Thoughts

Before driving back to Palma to return the rental car, I remember feeling a sense of profound relaxation and gratitude for what truly were 3 days of bliss.

The word “paradise” often evokes the idea of white sand, crystal clear waters, and some remote location in the middle of the ocean. For me, paradise comes in various forms, and I relate it more to a feeling than as an aesthetic.

Son Bunyola is a unique version of paradise that you should add to your bucket list for your next visit to Europe.