Views from the terrace of one of the eight rooms in the main building, which dates back to the 13th century
A couple of years ago, Pau Guardans, the hotelier behind the Unique group , confessed to us that, after three urban properties –the Grand Hotel Central in Barcelona and The Principal and Unique in Madrid – I wanted to open a hotel in the countryside. “I am very interested in the themes of space and the outdoors, conscious luxury and commitment to the land ”, He then told us without wanting to reveal anything more than a mysterious “Balearic Islands would be a good option”.
That is why, when this spring we received a beautiful bottle of Majorcan oil with a robin engraved on the evocative name of serene estate , we knew that the new adventure of Guardans began to mature.
And, without wasting time, we hastened to travel there to be the first to let you know about the project, aware that, as the Catalan businessman often says, “ a good hotel improves with time, when it acquires that native patina”.
Linen, wood and palm fabrics are the protagonists of the rustic elegance of Finca Serena
Of course, in this case, Finca Serena starts with centuries of advantage. neither more nor less than eight hundred years of history They are the ones that contain the walls of the main house, which dates back to the 13th century and, according to what they say, had Muslim owners before passing into the hands of a Majorcan noble family.
“We bought it from a guy who had been exploiting it for years as agritourism without much success”, says Guardans as we advance along the path of jacarandas that ascends to the main door, framed by jasmine and vines.
We are at the top of a hill and, from here, from the terrace where breakfasts and lunches take place calmly when the weather allows it, the panoramic view extends without interruption over an infinite plain of fields in flower and small towns concentrated in themselves. In the background, the hill Puig de Randa looks at us in the distance. We are in the heart of the island, in its most rural and unknown area, and about half an hour by car from everything: Palma, the airport, the sea.
The delicious breakfast buffet is served in the old kitchens, where a corner with tools from the past is preserved
"I don't know, this landscape reminds me of the African savanna ”, Guardans tells us as if he had read our thoughts. And it is that, indeed, if it were not for the ensaimadas and the olive trees, one could think for a moment that we were looking out over the plains of the Serengeti. However, in serene estate everything, absolutely everything, tastes like Mallorca.
From the gastronomic proposal, one hundred percent Mediterranean and limited to what is on the market every day, to the jute rugs and linen fabrics that dress the 25 rooms, passing through the honey and lemon candies that are offered at reception. "They are made with raw materials from the farm," he proudly explains. Toni Duran, hotel manager, who knows, like the rest of the staff, the host of what feels like his house. “From your house”, he points out smiling.
Duràn, like Guardans, understands Finca Serena as a tool for enhancing the value of the environment, a vehicle for exhibiting the best of the island. The baskets and other raffia and wicker objects are from Manacor; the cheeses, from Puig de Santa María; the sobrasada, the hams and the delicious camallot for breakfast are bought in El Paso, the best sausage shop on the island, right at the entrance to the neighboring town of Montuiri; and the typical breads and pastries come from Jaume Oliver's oven, Can Salem, in the town of Algaid.
Natural materials, earth tones, crafts and lots and lots of light in the rooms of the main house
“We asked the most renowned chefs in Mallorca what was the best ensaimada and we all pointed to Jaume Oliver. He is very strict with the number he does per day so it took us a while to convince him, ”Guardans recalls, satisfied with his achievement, while he draws our attention to the mobile sculpture that hangs over the large fireplace in the entrance hall. . It is Laurent Martin “Lo”, and he custom made it for this space. It's not the only one original artwork of the property. "The painting of Jordi Alcaraz that you see in the greenhouse of the Jacaranda restaurant is from my private collection, but the paintings of Claudia Valsells that are in all the rooms were made expressly for Finca Serena, like many of the pieces of furniture”.
Art and crafts, antiques and design pieces and, enveloping the whole, the incomparable Balearic light and 47 hectares of nature. Ten of them are from vineyards and three from olive trees. "For the wine we will still have to wait but the oil that you have already tasted comes from these 834 olive trees," explains the hotelier. In addition to the crops on the farm there are cypresses, oaks, pines, orange trees and happy palm trees dancing around the pool, the scene of the happiest moments of a summer that lasts more than one season here. And miles of trails for walking, bird watching, or jogging.
Also three organic gardens, one of them in the same door of the kitchen, so that the chef Christian Peguero just bend down to pick up what he needs. To the guests, of course, if they fancy something, they just have to say so. Yoga classes? Bike rides? A romantic dinner among the vines? Spend the day on the terrace of your room? Sure, remember this is your home. So, feel the caress of the sun, the tickling of the wind, the aroma of the flowers... and how good it feels to rest!