65 Years of Son Vida: Celebration, New Restaurant and Plans for Ibiza and Tarragona

65 Years of Son Vida: Celebration, New Restaurant and Plans for Ibiza and Tarragona

A summer evening on the hill above Palma, renovation and a small international expansion

On the terrace of Castillo Son Vida, high above Palma Bay, the chirping of cicadas, the clinking of glasses and the distant roar of the Ma-13 blended together on that hot July evening. Around 300 invited guests gathered to celebrate the house's 65th anniversary – an evening that felt more like familiar tradition than a sober anniversary event.

The hotel, which has been part of the island for decades, as covered in Lights over Palma: Castillo Son Vida launches the Christmas season with concerts, cinema and festive menus, and is regarded as a five-star address, used the occasion to present a few visible changes: the restaurant received a new name and a noticeably more open layout. The dining room gained a conservatory, there is now an additional outdoor terrace with views over Palma, and the venue will be called Es Balcó going forward. Important for on-site visitors: the dining room is not only open to overnight guests – neighbors and passersby are also welcome.

The hosts showed that they care not only about tradition but also about their public image. A new image video with the Spanish title "La buena vida" was part of the presentation; the message this time clearly centered on the interplay of hospitality, the environment and working conditions. These themes were not presented as abstract buzzwords but as guiding principles to be implemented across the group's operations.

Alongside the celebratory atmosphere, there was news about geographic direction: the group's Responsible Hospitality department is planning projects outside Mallorca for the first time. On Ibiza, the company will soon take over operation of a hotel that is already being refurbished and that has a certain reputation on the island for lively parties. And on the Spanish mainland, in the province of Tarragona, a golf course with an attached five-star hotel is planned to be operated from 2027.

For the island, such steps mean more than just names in a brochure: they stand for jobs in hotels, gastronomy and landscape maintenance. In conversations on the terrace it was clear that many attendees value this connection between the local economy and tourism. Gardeners, service staff and kitchen personnel were just as much part of the scene as political and business representatives, in a way similar to other local celebrations such as Ritzi turns 20: A Harbour Evening of Champagne, Sea Air and Old Friends.

Anyone spending a summer evening in Son Vida knows the small everyday scenes: gardeners prune bougainvillea in the morning, delivery vans roll up the driveway before sunrise, and in the late afternoon joggers and older residents meet to enjoy the view over Palma with their dogs. Such details make it clear why operators must rely on continuity and consideration.

The tone of the evening was optimistic: instead of loud manifestos there were practical announcements about the further development of the properties and the care of the landscape and neighborhood. The announced projects on Ibiza and in Tarragona appear to be an attempt to diversify the group's offerings while also providing impulses for employment and regional value creation.

This is doubly useful for Mallorca: a large property that invests in its stance on the environment and employees sends signals to suppliers, craftsmen and the island's gastronomy. Those who try something new here often bring local businesses on board, as seen in initiatives like 300,000 euros at the Born: Cappuccino Group revives the bar in Casal Solleric — opportunities, risks and open questions.

At the end of the evening the city continued as usual. In Palma the lights did not fade, but the message remained: a piece of island history is being actively continued, and what began as a celebration today could bring jobs, new guests and a boost for the local gastronomy in the coming years. A small, heartfelt suggestion to finish: next time you are in Son Vida, take a moment on the terrace, breathe the warm air and look out over the bay – that is also part of the "good life" that was celebrated here.