Getting to Mallorca from Toronto was a quest, but the moment the door into my Hotel BonSol suite swung open, I felt a surge of energy and excitement. Bags carelessly dropped at the entry, I ran around the room with childish glee, petting pillows, inspecting the carved furniture finishes, and hanging over the balcony edge in anticipation of everything this trip was about to bring.
Hotel BonSol Resort & Spa is an eco-friendly property, located in Illetas on the southwest coast of Mallorca, Spain, a 20-30 minute drive from the Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), depending on the traffic. The resort was founded by the Xamena family in 1953 and is currently operated by its third generation. The BonSol theme is luxury with a vintage flair, which is exactly what you get on arrival, with fresh and renewed touches.
Yellow parasols might be the unintended mascot of the hotel, but attention to detail through intricate branding is everywhere: embossed on white tablecloths and yellow beach towels, printed on custom coasters, sweet treat packaging, and sparkling wine labels.
All images by Kateryna Topol.
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This experience was hosted by Hotel BonSol, which did not review or approve this story.
Hotel BonSol Mallorca is a beach resort with a small sandy cove. The resort wraps around the water, with two other hotels picking up the rocky shore on each side. Everything you need can be found at the hotel, one of the many reasons families have been coming here for decades. “We’ve been coming here for 32 years, my kids basically grew up here,” an English woman shared with me unprompted at the pool bar over piña coladas. The resort is a family-friendly, full-service property offering babysitting, fresh flower deliveries, ironing and mending services, and access to on-premises medical staff.
“First visit?” a Scottish couple asked in the elevator, noticing the resort map in my hands. I nodded yes with a smile. “We’ve been coming here for seven years. You’ll find your footing around in no time,” she added, returning the twinkle.
By definition, Hotel BonSol is a boutique property. Cascading down towards the water, most rooms have a sea view. A ten-thousand-square-meter garden fills in the spaces between the buildings, pools, and other amenities. Heavy palm trees and other vegetation indigenous to Mallorca trails through the terrace gardens. Designed to reduce the hotel’s water consumption and support Mallorca’s natural ecosystem, the gardens are their own unique attraction.
Spread across its many levels are the resort’s many amenities: tennis and squash courts, table tennis and billiard tables, and on the upper deck in a rainforest garden is mini golf. It takes no effort to lose track of time, and aside from knowing the time of your dinner reservation, the fluidity of time can be – and should be – easily embraced.
Above: Various sitting areas on the first floor of Hotel BonSol. Below: Table tennis room.
Under the yellow parasole
Looking at Hotel BonSol, the yellow umbrellas are at the forefront of most images. Their bright and welcoming appearance is naturally photogenic, dotting the seaside with colourful contrast. The yellow motif carries through in all beach accessories. Branded yellow beach towels are prepared for a day out in the room, folded inside a large BonSol beach bag. Stuffed with books, water, and sunblock lotion, the beach bag is a token of voluntary uniform embraced by the hotel guests.
Guests spread on sunbeds in layers around the sea, taking turns aimlessly floating in the ocean in the striped yellow tire beach floaties, stacked to the side of the beach steps. The hotel’s regulars find serenity by the shaded garden pool or up on the adults-only terrace. Rearranging furniture to their own liking for a full day of reading and relaxation. Having fully committed to a beach day, I took my turn out in the sea, letting the waves gently rock my yellow floaty across the cove.
A glimpse of the garden pool, beach steps with sunbeds layered on different levels, in the background are guest suites.
Last image, with the white roof, is the seaside restaurant, Cala Brugit.
Balance in paradise
In coastal environments like these, wellness comes naturally, but Hotel BonSol is also a Spa, so here, wellness is dialled up. Every weekday morning, guests are invited to join the in-house yoga instructor, Saraj Jane, for a yoga session out on the terrace. This spacious open-air yoga room looks out to the sea, creating an ideal atmosphere for relaxation and exercise. Both of which were high on my list after a 24-hour travel day. The hotel also offers occasional yoga retreats as complete wellness packages, and the next one is coming up in October (23-26, reservation by email).
Tucked away near the small gym is Nirvana Spa, available by appointment. Here guests can access a sauna, sanarium, Turkish baths, footbaths, and a jacuzzi, in addition to a full massage services menu. Modelled after a Moroccan wellness centre, this area is a great place to escape from your escape.
Romanticising dinner
Strongly encouraged to make a dinner reservation upon arrival, I opted for the main dining room, Las Antorchas Restaurant. As the main restaurant and a local dining destination, Las Antorchas has a dress code and live entertainment. Throughout the evening, a piano player accompanied by a talented vocalist, set the mood for a tasteful evening, surrounded by live flowers and white table cloths.
This particular evening, Chef Mr. Egea prepared a special tasting menu featuring seasonal selections. My dinner lineup began with an anglerfish and mussels cream soup, poured over the fish at the table. This dish was decadently light and delicious, despite its typically heavy composition. My second course, a shrimp cocktail, arrived paired with Can Axartell Blanc-Premsal Blanc, a typical Mallorcan grape, crisp and refreshing.
Options for the main included four types of protein: hake, sirloin, duck, and lamb. The BonSol-style Wellington sirloin called my name. The sirloin medallion came with a side of vegetables and a flaky wellington pastry, nested on a shallow pool of juicy steak sauce. For the wine pairing, MX ∞ Edición Especial 80 Aniversario D. Martín Xamena, an organic red wine with aromas of dark fruit and minerality in the background, perfectly capturing the essence of Mallorca.
Morning and afternoon meals are served on the beach at the Cala Brugit restaurant or in the Winter Garden on the first floor. Cala Brugit restaurant (open April – October, weather permitting) overlooks the beach and offers guests a la carte or buffet lunch options. The half-board meal plan at the hotel includes breakfast and a choice of lunch or dinner, encouraging guests to try other nearby restaurants.
Throughout the day, beachgoers flock to the Gala Brugit pool bar, tucked away by the larger pool, to order tropical cocktails and cold beers. People looking for afternoon aperitifs, nightcaps, and a cooler atmosphere gather at the Piano Bar. This space, located directly to the right of the main entrance, is a gorgeously decorated lounge with a spacious terrace, adorned with colourful flowers. In the middle of the summer, however, the heat made it nearly impossible to sit outside, but on a cool fall afternoon, this terrace would be a dream.
Below: Interior lounge of the Piano Bar.
Home away from home
There are 73 rooms at Hotel BonSol, spread across various levels of the resort, looking into the garden or facing the sea. All rooms are spacious, thoughtfully decorated, and have at least a small balcony (Classic Double). The room that took my breath away, however, is the Family Suite. This large hotel room has a full-size bedroom with a sitting area, a living room, and a private terrace with sun loungers. The two bathrooms allowed us each to have a personal vanity, while the living room was ideal for late-night catch-up and inevitable remote work.
Two small TVs are available in both rooms, but with a view like that, accompanied by the sounds of nature and the star-dotted sky, turning them on felt unnecessary. Every morning began with a moment on the terrace, looking at the sea, setting a calm mood for the day.
Everything is green
The hotel’s commitment to the environment is particularly noticeable in the guest suites. All guests are encouraged to be conscientious with the use of electricity and AC, thoughtful with water consumption, and use of towels. The shower runoff water is reused to flush the toilets. Much of the electricity is gathered with solar power, one of Hotel BonSol’s many environmental initiatives.
Three euros from each guest booking is dedicated to the upkeep of 220,000 teak trees Xamena family planted in Costa Rica in 2005, to make up for the air travel impact of their international guests.
Leaving the resort
Illetas is a resort town, close to other resorts, public beaches, and family restaurants serving fresh fish and cold Spanish wine. If a city day out is on your agenda, a bus just outside one of the main street entrances will take you directly to Palma de Mallorca (by bus: 45 min, by car: 30 min).
Other beaches nearby: Main Illetas beach 500 meters away, Cala Comtessa 800 meters away, and Es Forti is 1050 meters away.
Getting to Mallorca
From Canada, all trips to Mallorca will have at least one stopover. Multiple airlines fly to the island with stopovers in various cities across Europe. If you are planning to visit multiple countries, consider booking a return trip to the major city with a side trip to Mallorca. For example, a return flight to London, England, paired with a return flight to Mallorca from there can be a cheaper and more flexible option than a combination stopover or an open-jaw flight.
As of June 2026, Air Canada will introduce a new route to Palma de Mallorca (PIM) on board the new Airbus A321XLR. This flight also seems to include 1-2 stops, depending on the route.
