Es Raco d'Artà

Spain’s Balearic islands are home to a special homegrown style of hospitality; here many an old farmhouse has been transformed into a luxe and exceedingly private escape. Even in this context, though, Es Racó d’Artà is something special: in the size of the estate, which comprises not just a farmhouse but nearly two dozen outlying casas and casitas, as well as in the sheer excellence of its design, by the well-known local architect Toni Esteva. More than a hotel, it’s a wellness-oriented retreat, complete with a spa, yoga and meditation instruction, and a location adjoining the Parc Natural de Llevant, for easy access to a Mallorcan-style variation on the Japanese concept of “forest bathing.”

The main building’s rooms and suites are surprisingly large, every one of them different, and they’re as well-equipped as those you’d find in any purpose-built luxury resort. Casitas add private plunge pools and plentiful outdoor lounge space, and the two Casas are self-contained, self-sufficient residences, complete with swimming pools, and are set half a kilometer from the rest of the hotel, for maximum privacy.

A restaurant serves three sustainable, health-conscious meals a day, drawing from the estate’s organic garden, fruit and olive trees, and its vineyards; what can’t be grown on site is sourced from local “zero-kilometer” suppliers. And the spa is an extensive one, including an indoor pool, a Turkish bath, and “Watsu,” a waterborne form of Shiatsu massage, among its offerings.