Luxury behind former monastery walls

Portrait of Mar Suau from Son Brull Hotel & Spa on Mallorca

Built in the 12th century as a farmhouse, later a monastery, now an exclusive five-star boutique hotel: the Son Brull Hotel & Spa in the north of Mallorca is still a place of refuge. Where Jesuits worked, lived and found God until the 18th century, luxury travelers have been experiencing unforgettable, relaxing vacations since 2003. The hotel, which is picturesquely situated on a slightly elevated site, offers beautiful natural surroundings, magnificent views, a spa, pool and excellent food. The property with its 23 rooms and suites is owned by the Suau family. Mar Suau, the youngest of the three siblings, is responsible for marketing and sales.

Do they always agree? "Of course not," laughs Mar Suau, "every now and then we have different opinions on certain things, but it works because everyone is responsible for their own area and has the final say. But we are used to consulting with each other before we make a decision. It's always good to know each other's point of view."


Strong family ties

The father of the three siblings Alexandre, Miguel and Mar was already a hotelier. Mar has always been fascinated by the daily life of a hotel and found it extraordinary to welcome people from all over the world, from different cultures and with different interests and backgrounds. "It's so enriching! No two days are the same, every day is different: new people, new faces, new expectations to fulfill." In case the hotel industry wasn't for her after all, Mar Suau studied Business Administration, but it turned out that plan B wouldn't be necessary.

She considers formal training to be important, but: "Running a hotel is more than that. You also have to have a passion for service, enjoy contact with other people and - in our case - be good at foreign languages. Most of our guests don't speak Spanish." The fact that she loves interacting with other people, likes to make everyone feel special and grew up with guests benefits Mar Suau in her day-to-day work.
The beginnings of the hotel were not so easy. Father Suau bought the property in the 90s. He always had the vision of transforming it into a boutique hotel - at a time when Mallorca was dominated by mass tourism. It took eight years for the family to obtain the necessary permits to convert the historic building. "It wasn't easy, but from the day we opened, Son Brull was an icon. First because of the style, now also for the dedicated team and service," says a delighted Mar Suau.


Corona beer and coronavirus

Since then, tourism on the island has continued to develop. Upscale tourism and luxury travel have become a segment in their own right, which has had a positive impact on the destination. "Consequently, this has also raised the level of professionalism of the service team and the level of training." You could say that everything was going extremely well. But then came corona.

"I'll never forget the day we had to close our hotel in March 2020," recalls Mar Suau. "We sent our teams home for an unknown period of time, not knowing when and if we would be allowed to reopen. The uncertainty at all levels was difficult." It gave her strength to remember the roots of Son Brull as well as the beautiful landscape.

Now the hotel is back, bookings are good. So it's time to tackle old challenges again, such as the problem of mass tourism: "There is only a limited number of visitors that the island can cope with. The local authorities should focus less on the quantity and more on the quality of visitors. Mallorca is a paradise packed into 70 square kilometers. We have mountains and the sea, sailing along the north coast is breathtaking, hiking through the Tramuntana is beautiful, as is having a coffee in a village square on market day, our local cuisine..." Mar Suau is not the only one who goes into raptures at the beauty of the island. Millions of visitors every year prove her right.

Further information: www.sonbrull.com