Review: Castillo Hotel Son Vida, a Luxury Collection hotel, Mallorca

This is our review of the Castillo Hotel Son Vida, a Luxury Collection hotel in Mallorca, Spain.

It is the third part of our ‘HfP in the Balearics’ series in partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, which provided – in this case – a free dinner. We also reviewed the St Regis Mardavall as well as the W Ibiza (review here).

I was given a tour of the hotel whilst staying at the Sheraton Mallorca Arabella hotel (review here) just down the road. We were also able to try out the restaurant one evening. I did not stay overnight overnight, however.

As the name suggests, the Castillo Hotel Son Vida is situated in a 13th Century castle that got its name from the Vida family in the 1500s. After changing hands several times over the centuries it finally opened as a luxury hotel in 1961 and opened as a Starwood / Marriott Luxury Collection property in 2005.

As of last year, the hotel has advertised itself as a 16+ adults-only resort. Whilst it cannot legally restrict children from staying under Spanish law it has ripped out the kids club and there is now very little left for children. Families are encouraged to stay at the Sheraton Mallorca Arabella, just 2 minutes away, which we reviewed here.

The hotel website is here.

Location

Son Vida, as the area is now known, is located just outside Palma in an elevated position and boasts fantastic views of the Bay of Palma. These days the area is home to an upmarket residential neighbourhood, three golf courses and of course the Sheraton and Castillo hotels.

The Castillo Hotel Son Vida is just 20 minutes from Palma airport, which is on the other side of the city. The town centre itself is much closer.

Castillo Hotel Son Vida

The hotel lives up to its name and a number of heritage features make for a grand entrance:

and

Although the tower is not from the 13th Century – ‘only’ the 20th Century according to the hotel history.

Inside is a large atrium with grand staircase and beautifully stained glass ceiling:

There’s also a beautiful banqueting room available for private dinners or events:

Rooms at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida

There are 164 rooms at the Castillo Hotel, which makes it substantially larger than the nearby Sheraton.

The hotel is divided into two different room types: rooms with more traditional styling in the heritage wing of the hotel, facing towards Palma, and the more modern wing with slightly fresher decor and resort views. Both have their charms, although you don’t get the same stunning views from the modern wing.

Here is a very spacious modern room:

As you can see, these rooms are light and airy, with light green tones. Here is the modern bathroom:

Whilst the view from these is across the resort gardens:

The heritage rooms are a lot darker with dark-stained wood panelling:

…. and more traditional, often antique, furniture:

The bathroom is large and has a lovely green marble tops:

Toiletries in both rooms are Herbas de Mallorca:

Whilst here is the view from the balcony:

It is expected that the heritage rooms will undergo a soft refurbish in the next few years, whilst the modern wing was refreshed a few years ago.

Pool, spa and gym at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida

There are three pools at the hotel. The two main pools are on the lowest terrace:

It is a pleasant pool, although slightly voyeuristic with the restaurant terraces overlooking above. I’m not sure how crowded the loungers would be with the hotel at higher occupancy rates.

The spa and gym are brand new and underneath the pool. Whilst not the largest, they are very modern and stylish with a slightly Nordic feel. Here is a treatment room:

Whilst hotel guests also get access to an indoor pool:

…. as well as sauna, steam room etc.

The gym again features mostly cardio equipment:

Dining at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida

There are a range of food and beverage options at the Castillo Hotel, virtually all of which make use of the fantastic views across Palma.

The bar terrace is gigantic and has the best views of Palma Cathedral:

and

Underneath the terrace is the Es Castell restaurant, with massive floor-to-ceiling windows:

You can also sit outside, as we did, and you still get an exceptional view:

Es Castell has also just introduced a brand new menu which I liked: it was fairly inventive and there were several dishes I would have had.

Dinner starts with an amuse bouche:

We then had the tuna tartare as well as fresh anchovies with tomatoes, both of which were delicious:

For the main course I had a duck lasagne, recommended to me by the hotel GM:

Before rounding off the evening with a dessert featuring mango in different styles:

There is another restaurant, Es Vi, as well as a pool bar, which occupy similar locations above the pool. Fundamentally, the restaurants are all within 20 metres of each other.

All let you enjoy the beautiful sunsets:

Conclusion

It’s very easy to compare the Sheraton Mallorca Arabella and the Castillo Hotel Son Vida given their close proximity and access to the same three golf courses. Fundamentally, however, the two hotels offer different experiences: the Castillo Hotel is targetted at adults and has exceptional views across Palma whilst the Sheraton is far more family oriented and has views across the golf courses.

If you’re just coming for the golf, the Sheraton is marginally closer to the golf club although a regular shuttle bus runs between both hotels and the courses.

In terms of style, the Castillo Hotel has a little more character and heritage thanks to its affiliation with Luxury Collection, which means it doesn’t have to follow stringent brand standards as closely.

The Castillo Hotel Son Vida, a Luxury Collection hotel, is a Category 6 redemption with Marriott Bonvoy. This means that you will need between 40,000 and 60,000 Bonvoy points per night. Cash prices start at €318 for a weekday night in September. You can book on the hotel website here.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)