One might be surprised to come across a jewel of modernist architecture on an island in the western Mediterranean Sea. But Majorca is a wondrous place. The Gran Meliá de Mar designed by Catalán master architect, José Antonio Coderch, lies on a tranquil bay; and though it’s a mere 15 minutes from Palma by car or taxi, the bustling capital seems worlds away.
Known for his design of residences and country estates, Coderch imagined houses “as refuges of intimacy and privacy,” says Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International. “He designed buildings made to human scale, taking advantage of precise, geometric lines, vertical and horizontal, and maximizing light.”
There is an ongoing sense of discovery at the Gran Meliá de Mar. A quiet cove with crystalline water leads to the Mediterranean.
Coderch’s ideas are reflected uniquely in the Gran Meliá de Mar, whose façade, oriented to the sea, unfolds along staggered, right angles, affording each room seclusion, and focusing views toward trees, sky, and sea.
The Gran Meliá de Mar’s distinctive design is a showcase, too, for its restaurants and bars:
There is an ongoing sense of discovery at the resort. A quiet cove with crystalline waters leads to the Mediterranean. Escarrer’s favorite times span the day. “In the morning, the hotel takes on a golden, caramel color, reflecting the bay’s sunlight. It’s so quiet, you do not sense the ocean breeze. At sunset, as the lights come up on the hotel and the sea’s scent hangs in the air, live music emanates from the lounge, mixing with the blur of conversations, guests having dinner at one of the terraces.”