It's eight in the morning and in the garden of Can Pocovi only the sound of the birds is heard. We take the first sips of coffee among lemon trees, medlars and native plants.
While inside this Majorcan mansion built in the 20th century , Pepi (responsible for breakfasts, right hand in management and a fundamental part of everyday life in this small family) prepares us some scrambled eggs and satisfies the requests of today's guests.
This familiar and relaxed atmosphere is one of the hallmarks of East Boutique hotel , which was born in the midst of a pandemic in a Majorcan town that is not usually on tourist routes: Sant Llorenç des Cardassar.
Today we wake up in Can Pocovi.
Only 12 kilometers separate this accommodation from Cala Millor, the tourist epicenter of the east coast of Mallorca. But your proposal is light years away from the big hotel complexes with all-inclusive service that we find on that beachfront.
eight rooms -each one is different-, a patio where tradition is breathed and details that make the difference, such as the Majorcan handmade hydraulic tile floors, give shape to this very special accommodation. Welcome to Can Pocovi.
Eight rooms are enough for Can Pocovi to conquer us.
A HOME WITH DECADES OF HISTORY
To understand the true essence of this accommodation we must go back to the 20th century , when a Chilean soccer player built this building, very opulent for the time in the area. Few years later, a family from the village bought it and thus began a story that continues to the present.
This space was the home of the school principal of the town and of her husband, the practitioner of Sant Llorenç, so it was very frequented by the locals and everyone had passed through there on occasion.
Over the years and the arrival of new generations of the Pocovi family, many things have changed on this farm, but there is one that has remained intact: the unmistakable yellow windows and doors . "The normal thing in Mallorca is that they are blue, green... but there are hardly any examples of yellow," he explains. Carolina Artieda, director of the Can Pocovi hotel.
Its hallmark: its yellow doors and windows.
It is still today the hallmark of a space that could have become many things before it was a hotel. The Pocovi family, who he lived there although he traveled frequently , invested a lot of money in keeping the place habitable, especially during the winter. Therefore, they thought of transforming the building in a school or nursing home.
It was a neighbor of the town who proposed the idea of transform it into a tourist accommodation . “The family loved the idea, they thought it fit, and they got down to business. They called the architect Bel Jaume and they began to work on the plans”, explains Artieda.
But, how to transform a country house from 1902 -of great sentimental value- respecting its true essence and making it attractive for the visitor? A great challenge began that would last two years.
Relaxing in the garden of Can Pocovi is all we want.
TRADITION, MODERNITY AND A CANTILEVER POOL
It seems that the secret of the success of Can Pocovi, which can already boast a high occupancy rate, is precisely having known how to keep the soul of each space.
What was once a two-bedroom family home has been transformed into a two-story lodge, with a large dining space and a rooftop terrace with a bar and hammocks. But the jewel in the crown and the most complex space to define was the swimming pool : “A hotel of this category required a swimming pool. Initially, it was thought to locate it on the ground floor, where the garden is currently located. Magdalena, who goes to take care of her family garden almost daily, was not convinced by her idea. For this reason, we began to evaluate other options and the proposal to do it on the roof became the best option”.
Your strong point? Your floating pool.
Now, this disruptive decision has made that pool that stands out among the rooftops in the area one of the most commented details among visitors.
Can Pocovi is part of an upward trend on the largest island of the Balearic Islands: a boutique hotel boom that have been born in all corners, from Palma itself to the most rural areas of the island in recent years. One more reason (although we recognize that we did not need it) to fall in love with the Majorca that we like the most.