TRAVEL
ESCAPE THE EVERYDAY It’s time to rip up that to-do list and replace it with a single directive: unwind. For those who prefer to do their de-stressing somewhere extraordinary, our travel writer UTE JUNKER has picked five of the world’s most luxurious hideaways. SUITE DREAMS Menorca Experimental, Spain
The designer Dorotheée Meilichzon loves a bedhead. Meilichzon works with Europe’s Experimental Group — responsible for some of the hippest cocktail bars in Paris and London, as well as a growing collection of chic boutique retreats across the Continent — and she believes a bedhead creates a sense of occasion. It’s a way of letting guests “sleep like a royal”, she says. At Menorca Experimental (menorcaexperimental.com), the group’s first country retreat, Meilichzon’s signature stylings — sleek lines, geometric shapes, plenty of natural light and, of course, those grand bedheads — are in evidence, but there’s also a sense of tradition. Set in a whitewashed 19th-century farmhouse, the timeworn terracotta tiles and rough-hewn timber floors add to the atmosphere of the charming 43-room hotel. The vibe in Menorca is very different to that of its sister island, Ibiza, and this extends to Menorca Experimental’s tranquil take on the classic Mediterranean hotel. Instead of buzzing clubs and bars, Menorca is a place of aromatic pine forests, sheltered rocky coves and endless hiking trails. The hotel’s clever fit-out offers open-plan spaces for convivial evenings and quiet corners for curling up and enjoying your own company. Guest activities range from horseriding to yoga sessions. 46
THE LUXURY REPORT | SUMMER 2021/22
Modern geometric furnishings meld with classic Spanish design elements at Menorca Experimental hotel.
