My past two summer holidays have been spent on the beautiful Balearic island of Mallorca and this year I tried to switch up destinations, but then Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel Port de Soller came along!
As a lover of design hotels, I often plan my trips around inspiring accommodation and I was keen to see what this resort inspired by San Francisco’s sixties hippie movement was all about.
Opened just last summer, Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel Port de Soller is the creative vision of four hospitality experts, including the two masterminds behind Germany’s pioneering 25hours hotels. There are a few familiar touches that guests of the urban hotel group will recognise.
Arrival
We spent three night in Palma, staying at our old favourite Innside Palma Center, and took a scenic 45-minute bus ride over to Port de Soller to stay at Bikini for the remaining two nights (remind me to book for longer next time).
A quick taxi ride up the hill and we were checking in to Bikini heaven. Many of the friendly staff have come over from Germany from the summer season and we found the reception staff particularly efficient and welcoming.
The Room
Our Bayside Room on the second floor was bigger than I’d expected with a ‘college dorm meets surf shack’ style with turquoise walls, pine shelving and a pink peace sign on the ceiling.
Room features include a large flatscreen TV, king-size bed with cheeky ‘make love, not war’ cushions, Nespresso machine, minibar and a colourful beach bag and cotton beach towels to use during your stay. Fast wifi and powerful air-conditioning made everything tick along nicely.
Though the bathroom was petite, it had an exotic spa feel with a powerful walk-in shower, full size ILoveEcoEssentials bathroom products, fluffy towels and cotton waffle bathrobes.
Best of all was the private balcony with a day bed and hand-woven cream cushions that you’d expect to see in Tulum. Incense and tea light candles were thoughtfully provided free of charge to make the balcony all twinkling and fragrant at night.
The Pool
The jewel of the hotel is the fabulous swimming pool with a floral peace sign, which is suprisingly deep and surrounded by sunbeds shaded by raffia parasols and a few cabanas. Bikini is adults-only and the vibe is purposely chilled, so there aren’t any screaming childen or stag parties to contend with, just those cheeky sunbed hoggers (to the hotel’s credit, they have signs up discouraging it).
For the ultimate wellness break, there’s also morning yoga classes, a rooftop gym, sauna and steam room and Santaverde Spa with aloe vera treatments to cool down any sunburn.
Pikkini Bar
Among the pretty gardens punctuated with vivid bougainvillea is the Pikkini Bar, where you can refuel with burgers, salads and smoothies. We loved the enormous Club sandwich and the Loaded sweet potato fries with avocado and jalapenos – more than enough for two to share.
The colourful Donkey Bar, created by Joerg Meyer of Hamburg’s Le Lion Bar, is another cool retreat serving cocktails and snacks from late-afternoon into the night.
Dinner at NENI
A big deciding factor in staying at Bikini was the hotel restaurant, NENI Mallorca, part of a boutique chain by Tel Aviv-born chef Haya Molcho and her sons (I love their restaurants in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg). This made it very appealing to eat at the hotel morning and night and truly relax.
The restaurant is absolutely beautiful, covered in bottle green tiles with hanging plants in colourful pots and comfy garden-style seating. Of course, the outdoor terrace is the place to be, with spectacular views over the port and mountains, and we were fortune to have the same lovely front row table for two each time we dined there (make sure you book in advance).
NENI is all about Balagan-style social eating and everything is made to share around the table. Go for the Best of NENI (39 Euros per person) and let the chef prepare a dazzling feast for you, or go for a few mezze and mains like we did.
Highlights from our two dinners there were crispy Moroccan cigars, tender Marinated lamb steak with Mallorcan oranges and char-grilled broccoli, my usual favourite Jerusalem plate with spiced chicken, hummus, roasted red peppers and Har Bracha tahini with pita bread and the most fantastic grilled Gambas with tomato seeds, spinach and garlic.
We also loved the refreshing NENI iced tea and Limonana served in one-litre pitchers, New York-style cheesecake and the labneh with olives and pita bread served at the start of the meal.
Breakfast
Breakfast was equally impressive with a self-service buffet laden with Mallorcan and Middle Eastern treats. Alongside the typical breakfast items were Shakshuka, Spanish tortilla, traditional coca bread, fresh hummus, tahini and guacamole, high quality jamon Iberico and fresh yoghurt with granola.
Other highlights were little squares of sticky pistachio cake, the most luscious freshly-squeezed Soller orange juice, home-baked breads and loose leaf teas.
Location
To really get the most out of your stay at Bikini, you can hire Steven’s bicycles for free or take a spin in a cute Mercedes Benz convertible to explore the pretty town of Soller and charming, artistic villages of Valldemossa and Deià. Port de Soller, with its promenade full of restaurants, cafes and shops, is just 5-minutes walk downhill and you can hike in the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel Port de Soller is a great addition to this beautiful part of the island and its boho-luxe vibe is matched with unparalleled facilities and warm staff. Life is Better in Bikini, as they say!
Planning a trip to Mallorca? Check out my guide on Where to Visit, Eat and Shop in Palma de Mallorca and Soller.
All photos by Chérie City
