You are reading

Menorca Experimental: Summer Is Just Getting Going at this Chic Island Resort

SearchJoinLogin
Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Menorca Experimental: Summer Is Just Getting Going at this Chic Island Resort

SearchJoinLogin

Start typing to search...

Search
Advertisement
Remodel & RenovationIssue 33 — Keep Cool

Menorca Experimental: Summer Is Just Getting Going at this Chic Island Resort

by Published: August 16, 2023

For the many of us with mid-August blues: Summer has barely begun at Menorca Experimental, a resort designed by Remodelista favorite Dorothée Meilichzon. Set on a former finca, or agricultural estate, on the Spanish island of Menorca, the appealingly low-key alternative to neighboring Mallorca and Ibiza, the hotel was created from a Palladian-style, cliff-top house and cluster of whitewashed farm villas.

All were reconceived by Meilichzon, who runs her own Paris design studio, Chzon, as a dream agroturismo retreat: the sort of place Picasso, Miró, and cronies would go to live it up in the sun. The results are both grand and playful—and filled with happiness-inducing details and earthy colors we want to apply at home. Join us for a tour.

Photography by Karel Balas, courtesy of Menorca Experimental.

The Hotel

built for a military captain at the turn of the \19th century, the main structu 17
Above: Built for a military captain at the turn of the 19th century, the main structure sits amid groves of pine and juniper on nearly 75 acres overlooking the Mediterranean (the beach is a 10 minute walk down the hill). It’s now home to indoor and outdoor restaurants, a cocktail lounge, and 34 guest rooms.

Menorca Experimental is part of the 10-hotel portfolio of  the Paris-based Experimental Group; Meilichzon is married to one of its three founders—they all met as students—and she herself, at 40, has a dozen top-to-bottom hotel designs to her credit (see Paris’s Hotel des Grands Boulevards and The Henrietta in London). This year, the Experimental Group opened Regina Experimental Biarritz and Cowley Manor Experimental in Gloucestershire.

in the lobby, portuguese tiles line a dividing wall with a seating ensemble tha 18
Above: In the lobby, Portuguese tiles line a dividing wall with a seating ensemble that includes Borge Mogensen Spanish Chairs and a concrete banquette that echoes the lines of the surrounding archways. Meilichzon put teams of local craftsmen to work on the custom furnishings.

She also turned to makers around the world for accessories. The circular wood sconces, the Concentric 20″ and Concentric 15″,  are an American import: they’re by Allied Maker of Long Island, NY. (Read the workshop’s creation story here.)

meilichzon says her use of archways, alcoves, and curves throughout was &a 19
Above: Meilichzon says her use of archways, alcoves, and curves throughout was “inspired by the sunset on the sea.”
bring friends: this communal table seats \20. above: most of the boldly pattern 20
Above: Bring friends: this communal table seats 20. bring friends: this communal table seats \20. above: most of the boldly pattern 21Above: Most of the boldly patterned ceramic tableware is by Casa Cubista of Portugal.
for those who want to bring home a piece of the hotel, there&#8\2\17;s an i 22
Above: For those who want to bring home a piece of the hotel, there’s an in-house shop. The straw hats, however, are not for sale—they’re for guests to borrow.

Admiring the rattan column? It’s the Medici Pedestal and Vase by Atelier Vime: see our post Atelier Vime’s Emporium in a Restored House in Provence. The faceted celadon tiles are from Portugal.

guest rooms have modern rustic paneled doors in meilichzon&#8\2\17;s bold r 23
Above: Guest rooms have modern-rustic paneled doors in Meilichzon’s bold riff on terra-cotta. Hooks whittled from twigs on the property hold accessories guests might want to use while exploring, including a Carrie Portable LED Lantern.
meilichzon is known for her inventive beds—and never repeats herself. at 24
Above: Meilichzon is known for her inventive beds—and never repeats herself. At Menorca Experimental, she built altar-like concrete alcoves finished in white lime and inset with upholstered headrests in two shades of terra-cotta. The embroidered cotton bedspreads were made for the hotel by textile and ceramic studio LRNCE of Morocco. The herringbone floor is composed of terra-cotta.
 &#8\2\20;i wanted to do something very drawn with a lot of shapes but 25
Above: “I wanted to do something very drawn with a lot of shapes but very simple shapes,” Meilichzon says of the headboards. This room has a microcement floor.
the headboards have built in torchères and fontini ceramic switches. the y 26
Above: The headboards have built-in torchères and Fontini ceramic switches. The Yves Klein blue vases that can spotted throughout are by London ceramic artist Sophie Alda.
the bathrooms are meilichzon&#8\2\17;s celebration of the local sunset over 27
Above: The bathrooms are Meilichzon’s celebration of the local sunset over the sea. There was also another surprise inspiration: Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin, a stone building with colored glass windows at the Blanton Museum in Austin, Texas—”it’s a chapel of joy.”
the painted arches are a clever way to introduce color without fully going 28
Above: The painted arches are a clever way to introduce color without fully going to town. The sinks are made of local stone finished with a thin layer of concrete. French enameled tiles serve as a backsplash.
a freestanding modern tub, the evolve bath \1850 from british company claybrook 29
Above: A freestanding modern tub, the Evolve Bath 1850 from British company Claybrook, is set in its own niche. The two-toned floor is microcement.
 a grand opening with pocket doors in another guest room. 30
Above: A grand opening with pocket doors in another guest room.

The Villas

there are nine private villas on the property, each with its own dipping pool. 31
Above: There are nine private villas on the property, each with its own dipping pool.
the villas were rebuilt from historic farm structures: &#8\2\20;they&#8 32
Above: The villas were rebuilt from historic farm structures: “they’re inspired by traditional Menorcan architecture but with some twists,” says Meilichzon. The stepped stair walls were her idea—”they’re something you may have seen in Greece.”
meilichzon used shades of green in the villas. 33
Above: Meilichzon used shades of green in the villas.
a peek inside a villa. (they were still being completed at the time of photogra 34
Above: A peek inside a villa. (They were still being completed at the time of photography.)

The Surroundings

the original chapel on the property has been converted into guest quarters 35
Above: The original chapel on the property has been converted into guest quarters—but weddings here are also welcome.
canopied mattresses for one and two surround the \26 meter pool. 36
Above: Canopied mattresses for one and two surround the 26-meter pool.
this way to menorca experimental. 37
Above: This way to Menorca Experimental.
the beaches on the island are all public. go to menorca experimental for reserv 38
Above: The beaches on the island are all public. Go to Menorca Experimental for reservation details.

We’re longstanding fans of Quintana Partners, a design firm on Menorca. Here are some of their island projects:

Looking for a late-summer getaway? Consult our Design Travel archive for more ideas.

N.B.: This story originally ran on August 28, 2019, and has been updated with new links and information.

(Visited 9,769 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection
Show Bookmarks

Frequently asked questions

You can find more information about the Menorca Experimental Summer beach resort on their official website or by reading the related article on Remodelista.

Product summary  

2226 oak v1
Outdoor & Patio Furniture

The Spanish Chair

€4,499.00 EUR from Fredericia Furniture

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

10 Easy Pieces: Floor Standing Air Drying Racks

August 16, 2023
Next Post

Kitchen of the Week: Everything Is Illuminated in a Light-Flooded Kitchen in Copenhagen

August 17, 2023

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation (0)

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on Menorca Experimental Summer Is Just Getting Going at this Chic Island Resort portrait 9 39

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Login to your account

Lost your password?

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack