The History of Hotel Formentor: A Testament to Visionary Hospitality and Cultural Preservation

The story of Hotel Formentor is a fascinating tale of vision, passion, and appreciation for culture and nature. Opened in 1929, the hotel is situated on the Formentor peninsula in Mallorca, a land once owned by the Mallorcan poet Miquel Costa i Llobera. He immortalized this landscape in his poetry, particularly in Lo Pi de Formentor, which is still recited in schools today.

The hotel was founded by Adan Diehl, an Argentinian humanist and art enthusiast. At the time, Mallorca was not a popular travel destination, especially the remote Formentor area, which was largely unexplored. Diehl arrived in Pollença from Paris in search of adventure and inspiration. He fell in love with Formentor and envisioned creating a hotel that blended art, culture and natural beauty.

In 1926, he settled in Mallorca with his wife, María Elena Popolicio, whom he met on the ship to Europe. The hotel was completed in just a year and a half, featuring revolutionary amenities for its time, such as telephones, hot water, electric lighting, heating, and refined furnishings chosen by María Elena. These included handcrafted linens from Pollença nuns, silver cutlery, Baccarat crystal, and Limoges china.

When the hotel opened on August 24, 1929, guests arrived by boat because the road connecting Formentor to Pollença was not finished until six months later. The hotel quickly became a sanctuary for artists, poets, musicians and Nobel laureates. It hosted seminars in philosophy, literature and poetry, attracting literary figures such as Camilo José Cela and Carlos Fuentes. Events such as the Conversaciones Poéticas de Formentor and the Formentor Novel Prize brought together luminaries such as Mario Vargas Llosa and Octavio Paz. The Formentor Prizes, established in 1961, recognized authors whose works elevated literature’s prestige, with winners including Jorge Luis Borges and Samuel Beckett. The hotel’s inspiring environment provided a retreat for thinkers and creators to exchange ideas. Notably Winston Churchill, and European and Hollywood stars such as Charles Chaplin, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale and Jane Birkin, also frequented the hotel. The French fashion designer Jean Patou found inspiration here, creating the iconic Formentor pants.

Over the years, the hotel has undergone various ownership changes and challenges, yet it has preserved its essence as a cultural haven. Now reopening as Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor, this restoration aims to uphold Diehl’s vision of luxury intertwined with cultural and natural heritage.