Hotel Sant Francesc Singular is a true family affair, launched this past March by Majestic Hotel Group in Majorca, Spain. Owned by the Soldevila family—a group with a long history, having opened Barcelona’s Hotel Majestic in 1918—the luxury boutique hotel was repurposed from a 19th-century manor home that had gone unchanged since it was built by a wealthy merchant in 1880. Maria Jose Cabré of Barcelona-based MJC Arquitectura was called upon to imbue the property with a timeless aesthetic that honored its key historic qualities. She collaborated with Nuria Ferrer Klein, a Soldevila family member who also curated a majority of the hotel’s distinct artwork.
“The idea was to preserve the feeling of living in a true Majorcan manor house that looks modern, feels warm and comfortable, yet doesn’t fall into all of the current trends,” explains Cabré. “We wanted to create something that would never go out of fashion.”
Cabré’s team started by scouting the area to ensure Hotel Sant Francesc Singular fit within the cultural context, deciding to use the same salmon color as one of the existing buildings in Sant Francesc Square for the façade. “It was not about standing out, but blending in a building that had been there for so long,” says Cabré.
Guests enter upon a lobby floor decked out in locally sourced polished stone and black granite laid out in a checkerboard pattern, while the original ceiling’s intricate geometric molding was retained and restored in a slate color. A stone fireplace with an inset candle installation serves as the focal point and juxtaposes antique mirrors and textural, Italian leather-upholstered reception tables and benches. Glass box-like light fixtures flank the check-in area, which pops with abstract art specially commissioned by Klein to honor the manor’s legacy.
The adjacent reception area features another statement piece sourced by Klein to add flair in a space dominated by a neutral color palette. This area connects to an open central courtyard with outdoor seating set amongst lush landscaping and an entrance to the property’s signature Quadrat Restaurant & Garden.
The restaurant is sparsely decorated, its look relying instead on its structural aspects. A subterranean dining area stands out with poured concrete ceilings that arch above hand-stitched linen-upholstered seating and banquettes, while a separate dining area upstairs features white wood-beam ceilings. Windows provide rear-garden views, and ornate cast-iron horse hitches were retained, “in our quest to relay the past use of the space to where we are today,” says Cabré.
The hotel’s 42 guestrooms each feature a unique configuration and cover three floors, along with a separate three-story tower suite that offers a private terrace with panoramic island views. In select rooms and suites, ceiling frescos depicting romantic nature-inspired motifs were preserved, while other rooms feature slanting wood-beam ceilings and upholstered headboards that span one wall along with minimalist light fixtures.
However, the hotel’s highlight is an approximately 30-foot-long rooftop pool that proved a challenge to construct. “In addition to creating three levels—the pool deck, lounge area, and bar—we had to reinforce the structure and retain the original balustrade,” says Cabré. Natural sandstone tiling is abundant across each level, while the pool itself is highlighted in green sandstone. “The biggest challenge was preserving the building’s original architectural beauty,” Cabré adds. “But the feel of the house is relatively unspoiled.”
