Faustino Gran

Style

Mediaeval-on-the-Med chic

Setting

Ciutadella city dweller

Tucked among the meandering mediaeval lanes of Ciutadella old town, Menorcan hideaway Faustino Gran sits behind high whitewashed walls splashed with hot-pink bougainvillea. A tall arched doorway bids you inside this secluded sanctum, where hidden gardens brim with native flora and ancient stone carvings sit alongside vintage leather and plush velvet seating. Service, too, is silky and seamless. But the hotel’s more than just this enchanting 16th-century palace – it connects you with a cluster of locales and experiences that include two other historic mansions, a rural country club, and a trio of boats for coastal exploration. You may be nestled deep in the city here, but you’ll have the whole island at your fingertips.

Facilities

Rooms

48, including nine suites.

Checkout

11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates include a continental breakfast with a buffet set up in the main courtyard – weather permitting.

Also

Such is their dedication to top-level service, the hotel has two concierges who belong to the elite hospitality association Les Clefs d'Or.

Hotel Closed

Faustino Gran is generally closed between November and March.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Country club, free WiFi, fitness centre, concierge, boats for hire, bicycle rental. In rooms: TV, Hermès products, bathrobes, air-conditioning.

Our Favourite Rooms

We generally preferred the rooms at the Cal Bisbe and Can Llorenç annexe buildings (50 metres from Can Faustino) with their lighter, more island-feel interiors. It’s also worth the extra outlay for a room-with-a-view, which can include the port, the cathedral or over Ciutadella old town. Some rooms are conveniently located closer to the pool, offering great accessibility, though they may be more exposed than others.

Poolside

Three pools are spread between the country club, main building and two nearby annexes. They are generally open from 10.30am to 7.30pm, and have cushioned poolside loungers and cocktails ferried back and forth.

Spa

An ancient grotto has been repurposed as a subterranean spa, where exposed rock segues into calmly flowing forms. There’s a natural stone pool in here as well as sauna and steam rooms, and massage treatments range from the botanicals-based to exfoliating Anakasumi sessions.

Packing Tips

Some of the island’s most picturesque unspoilt coves require a bit of a hike, so pack more than your flip-flops for more adventurous beach days.

Also

If you’re planning a day on the boat or the beach, the hotel can fix you up with a picnic basket filled with locally produced goodies.

Children

Several room types can add little Smiths from four years and up for an extra cost. The restaurant offers a children’s menu of your usual kid-friendly fare. Baby cots are available free of charge.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

We particularly love the tables that sit under the garden’s stone columned portico with a long cushioned banquette and straw-weave hanging lampshades.

Dress Code

For those balmy Balearic evenings, you’ll want something floaty – but fabulous.

Hotel Restaurant

There’s more than a touch of magic at the hotel’s Restaurante Faustino, especially come evening when lights cast the gardens in a golden glow and the tinkling grand piano drifts through the air. Chef Matias Salvia conjures up a balanced menu of Mediterranean fine dining with touches of French and South American influences. Ingredients are drawn almost exclusively from island produce, with much plucked from the hotel’s own huerta. A long wine list offers an impressive choice of Menorcan and Mallorcan labels, and a pared-down lunch menu is served in the garden or poolside.

Hotel Bar

Part of the open-plan lobby area, the hotel’s elegant old-school bar offers an excellent choice of local wines, craft beers, and perfectly mixed G&Ts and zingy pomadas made with the island's very own gin.

Last Orders

11pm.

Room Service

You can order up an à la carte breakfast, as well as choose from a menu of snacks and light meals during kitchen-opening hours.

Planes

The island’s only airport is just outside Mahón, 47km away or 45-60 minutes by road. The hotel can arrange transfers for €150 one way.

Automobiles

Hiring a car is by far the easiest way to explore Menorca, with the airport the best place to pick up your wheels. You’ll also find private parking a five-minute walk from the hotel (a valuable commodity in old town Ciutadella).

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

As the island's former ancient capital, Ciutadella is a city saturated with a sense of history – and a fabulously picturesque place to lose yourself among its winding narrow streets. However, do seek out highlights such as the pretty 14th-century cathedral, the quaintly tiled municipal market and scenic harbour. The hotel can arrange a city guide if you want to delve deeper.

You can easily escape the city, too, with 15-minute transfers to the hotel’s country club. As well as its own pool and sun terraces, this luxury pine-surrounded outpost is a great base for exploring the scenic northern coast – on horseback if you’re that way inclined. The cove of Ses Fontanelles is a pleasant stroll away, or you can just jump in the hotel’s vintage ‘79 Land Rover. Menorca is also scattered with hundreds of Stonehenge-like Talayotic ruins to visit – so many, in fact, that you’ll stumble across one eventually.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .