Menorca is the second largest Balearic island, but it’s the least crowded, partly because it was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993. The landscapes here are pristine and mesmerizing—from the rocky coves and untouched beaches to the megalithic stone monuments left behind by ancient civilizations.
It’s into this Mediterranean paradise that Frédéric Biousse and Guillaume Foucher, owners of the talked-about hospitality collection Les Domaines de Fontenille, will unveil two complementary boutique hotels on July 12. (Biousse is the former founder and CEO of clothing group Sandro Maje Claudie Pierlot (SMCP) and Foucher is an art dealer.) Their first foray into the hotel business was the Domaine de Fontenille, a boutique property which opened inside a centuries-old manor house in Provence in 2015.
What the duo's latest project? Surrounded by more than 740 acres, Fontenille Menorca comprises two fincas: Santa Ponsa, an 18th-century palace, and Torre Vella, a traditional white-washed hideaway. Like the Provençal domain, this retreat is a working farm and offers guests an immersion into chic agritourism. There are vineyards, acres of aromatic plants, hundreds of orange and lemon trees and olive groves, not to mention the organic vegetable garden that uses permaculture. Guests will also find a winery, a distillery for making essential oils and an olive oil press.
While Santa Ponsa will offer a colonial-style grandeur in its 22 guestrooms, spa facilities and gourmet Spanish restaurant, Torre Vella will channel a bohemian spirit in its 17 guestrooms, many equipped with private pools. On the menu? Yoga and meditation, surrounded by the island’s raw natural beauty.
The philosophy behind this new venture? Fontenille Menorca is all about the Mediterranean good life—starting first thing in the morning with the breakfast juice freshly pressed from garden oranges.
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