Known for their crystal blue waters and charming historic cityscapes, the Spanish Balearic Islands are havens for summer tourism. While Majorca and Ibiza tend to attract a livelier crowd, neighboring Menorca sports a more relaxing reputation. Its capital, the port city of Mahón has a rich history dating back to Ancient Rome. For visitors looking to explore this history, a quaint lodging destination has recently come online. Renovated by local Emma Martí Arquitectura, The Hevresac Hotel can be found on a narrow lot along one of the city’s central, winding corridors. Occupying an 18th-century former single-family residence, the modest trapezoidal structure was converted into an eight-room hotel with a cozy vaulted breakfast room. Drawing inspiration from the building’s previous tenant, storied local Enlightenment author Joan Roca Vivent, the renovation imbues a sense of tranquility through curated minimalism and a balance between old and new.
The 5,554-square-foot adaptive reuse project included the careful restoration of a number of timeless original features and the incorporation of new sustainable materials to increase energy efficiency. To better showcase the 18th century wooden beams, mosaic floor tiles, staircase, and parquet flooring, EMA carved away at the existing floorplates and expanded the original central stairway to disperse natural light throughout each of the hotel’s four floors, basement included. To penetrate this sub-ground level, the team removed a portion of the pre-existing marès stone ceiling vaults common in homes of this era. “The building was in a state that called for action—it was very dark,” the client noted. “It was also not very functional, but the real magic and personality of the place were very much alive.”
To improve acoustics, cork and fir wood were incorporated throughout the atrium and eight guest rooms. These materials also offer a warm touch contrasting the tile flooring and steel railing that climbs the grand central staircase. A subtle pink hue coats the sizable historic beams, a comforting complement to the soft cream walls. Solid Flanders pine timber framing and three-ply spruce boards function as partitions separating bathrooms, closets, and bedrooms. Each room is finished with a tasteful mix of reclaimed antiques from across the continent and carefully curated Danish furnishings that communicate the meticulous minimalistic craft typical of Scandinavian design.
Standing at nearly three hundred years old, the Hevresac Hotel offers a fresh yet authentic stay in the heart of Mahón. The formerly dilapidated home demonstrates both the power of preservation and the impact of carefully curated modern interventions.