Son Bunyola in Banyalbufar Receives Michelin Key 2025

A Key for a House with Stories

On October 8, Paris published a list that made some Mallorcans swell with pride: Son Bunyola Hotel & Villas in Banyalbufar is among the properties awarded a Michelin Key in 2025. Not a star, but an acknowledgment for character, authenticity, and those fine things that are not easily captured in numbers.

What Is Behind the Award?

The new distinction is awarded internationally and sits alongside the well-known restaurant stars. In the first round, globally nearly 2,500 properties were named, around one hundred in Spain. For Son Bunyola, this is partly a validation: the restoration of a historic Mallorcan finca, combined with a high degree of attention to detail.

A Place Between Sea and Mountains

The estate belongs to the Virgin Limited Edition and was developed with involvement from Sir Richard Branson. If you drive along the winding MA-10 from Palma toward the west, you know the rugged coastline and the small coves—Son Bunyola sits in this rugged, green setting of the Serra de Tramuntana on more than 300 hectares of land. The building itself traces back to a 13th-century estate; cypress trees, olive groves, and the scent of rosemary are part of the atmosphere.

Small Houses, Big Kitchen

The hotel has only 27 rooms and three private villas. Two restaurants share the menu: Sa Terrassa, led by Chef Brenda Lisiotti, and Sa Tafona, housed in the old olive mill. Both rely on products from the surrounding area—much from the on-site kitchen garden. When you sit on the terrace in the morning, you see fishing boats on the horizon and hear the Banyalbufar church bell strike the hour. That, more than the price, relates to luxury, but to a personal rhythm.

More than a Pool

Besides the gastronomy, the house offers spa treatments, a warm outdoor pool, and several quiet spaces in historic walls. Such details, the awardees say, make the difference: not just comfort, but the ability to connect history and present.

What Does This Mean for Mallorca?

On the island, several hotels already bear a Michelin Key — names like Cap Rocat, La Residencia, or Can Cera often come up. So far no property has three keys; the highest tier remains rare. For Banyalbufar, the new accolade is still a signal: we are not just talking about bed counts or celebrity guests, but about craftsmanship, regional cuisine, and the preservation of historic houses.

If you’re heading west from Palma soon, pull over briefly, take a deep breath, and enjoy the view. You can sense here: awards come, but the calm remains — at least for a while.