Binissaida Boutique Hotel

I recently spent a week at San Joan de Binissaida alone and it was one of my most memorable vacations. Every single staff member offered me exceptional service and warm hospitality. I felt as though I was a guest at their home. The property is well located near Mahon,the airport, and several beaches, yet it is remote and serene. I enjoyed being woken up by the sheep in the morning! and going for runs on Cami de Cavallis which runs behind the property and almost circles the entire island. I must say that the greatest surprise was the restaurant. It was the best food I ate on Menorca and a real treat having it on the property. I also enjoyed the yoga classes offered outdoors. I thank the staff and commend the owners for ensuring that my stay was perfect in every way. I will absolutely return to Sant Joan de Binissaida soon!

The view from the hotel across farmland to the sea is lovely. There's a main building with a restaurant inside and on terraces facing two ways. In addition there is an annex with rooms facing the view all with a small outdoor space. We were upgraded to a suite which was a large room in the main house with a couple of chairs desk and jacuzzi as well as a small shower room. It had a lovely view but no outside space so swimsuits never quite dried. The restaurant was excellent. True, the menu didn't change but the choice was good and the food some of the best we've had in Menorca. Breakfasts were fine. Though as some reviewers have pointed out somewhat understaffed. We found the receptionists particularly helpful and pleasant. Cars can't be parked outside the hotel but one of the staff brought a trolly for our cases. We were there for school holidays and our only complaint was that there was no quiet outdoor space to sit apart from around the (noisy) pool or close to it so this rather defeated the point of the tranquil location. This seemed particularly strange as the grounds are extensive and it would be quite easy to create a quiet corner with some seats.

I have written direct email to the management of the hotel and have received no reply.

Small family run hotel on a working farm. Wonderful peaceful setting. Really welcoming staff who went out of there way to make sure we had a great time both at reception and during all meals. We had room 6 - the junior suite. Lovely sitting areas with views over the countryside. Loved our light-filled bathroom. Great bed - really comfortable. Breakfast has been the best we've had so far (better than the 5 star in town). Loved sitting on the patio above the manicured lawns with the gentle breeze. The pool is superb. The restaurant meal has been so far one of the best both in quality and value since we've been on the island. We loved it!

Wouldn't pay this again Pros: - super family friendly; restaurant staff went out of their way to make it easy for us with a small baby - clean, good sized rooms - nice outdoor areas & pool, never crowded as small number of rooms - location: close to airport, Mahon port & nice beaches Cons: - main issue: check if there are events on in the venue at time of your stay; this is just a stone's throw from the bedrooms and they are permitted to play loud party music until 2am. We were woken up twice out of a 7 night stay... - management/checking in: didn't offer any help with luggage eventhough parking is a 5 min gravel walk from rooms; took ages to clean room and then stood there talking to eachother for 30 mins while we waited to change and put baby to sleep - the manager checked us in and made no offer of help booking restaurants, info on time of breakfast/lunch, hotel ammenities, etc - restaurant is very nice and tasting menu not bad, but it's limited and never changes (if you stay a while) Basically: not what you expect at this end of the price range and certainly not great service from the top of the house.

Un lugar encantador en un entorno inmejorable. Todo en la visita ha sido excelente, empezando por un personal muy amable y acabando por los deliciosos productos locales en el desayuno.

Sant Joan de Binissaida markets and prices itself as luxury hotel accommodation, but having stayed at three different hotels in the same category during our time in Minorca, it was by far the worst in various ways. In fairness, it is perhaps a bit unfair to describe it as poor in absolute terms, as there is quite a lot to like about it, but in terms of the level of service and accommodation it purports to offer and the comparison with other places I think it fairly represents our experience. On the plus side, it has a lovely setting, attractive grounds and views together with an appealing pool area. The first problem was the room we stayed in. We paid a premium to stay in a junior suite, room 4 the Verdi suite. The room was spacious with a separate sitting area. The bed was comfortable and the bedroom area was ok, if not remarkable. However the bathroom was very dated and in need of refurbishment with modern fittings. The shower was over a bath. The shower head was a poor fit and the screen did not have a proper seal. The unavoidable consequence was water pouring over the floor during every shower. The floor itself had indelible stains and the mirror was silvered with little spots indicating it has been there for a very long time. Similarly the sitting area was dated and unwelcoming. It had virtually no soft furnishings other than what seemed to be a sofa bed, which was virtually impossible to use as a sofa as it was too wide to sit on comfortably. It had one unappealing rug and an ugly mirror on the wall. The overall effect was prison cell spartan rather than rural luxury. The problems weren't confined to the room. The service left a lot to be desired too. Some of the staff, notably the woman who checked us in, were pleasant and efficient. However this was not universal. On two out of three days, the room service staff failed to top up our tea and coffee in the rooms or leave the complimentary water. The beakers which were provided for hot drinks had no handles and were impossible to pick up with hot liquid in them. As I consequence I very nearly scalded myself when one slipped out of my hand. Waitress service at breakfast was surly and it was quite an effort to get a top up of coffee as the waitress tended to disappear without trace. It was clear she was never going to offer another cup so the only option was to lay in wait for her to come past. Breakfast was supposed to be served from 8am and on the morning we left we came down at 8.15 to find that many of the items had not yet been laid out, including the cutlery! When I politely asked for a spoon, it was provided with bad grace and no apology. By 8.25 various things still hasn't appeared and my husband had to go into the kitchen in search of jam, to be told it was still being made. That seemed to mean it was being decanted into small jars. The jam eventually appeared also without apology. It was a pity, as the quality of the breakfast was good, although as others have commented the fly protection left a lot to be desired. I doubt I am alone in preferring yogurt which hasn't had flies crawling around in it. They clearly had lids for the yogurt pots, which were there one morning but missing on two. The evening meals were of very mixed quality. Some of the food was quite nice, but some of the portion sizes were really tiny with with small helpings of meat and virtually nothing else on the plate. Also, almost everything we ate was significantly over salted. I noticed that there was no salt on the table, and goodness knows it wasn't necessary, but I would say that the chef's confidence that he or she had the seasoning just right was misplaced. We ate far better food at one of the other places we stayed. Another thing which was not to our taste was the loud music playing at all times. So all in all it was a disappointing experience. Many of the problems could have been corrected fairly easily with closer attention to service standards across the board, although the need to refurbish at least some of the rooms is a bigger issue. I certainly don't think it is reasonable to charge a premium for a room so clearly in need of updating. We would certainly not return or recommend the hotel to other travellers.

Wonderful setting, superb pool, welcoming staff and superb restaurant. This really is a nice place, with the restaurant sourcing local produce, much of which comes from their own farm - the best meals we had on the island and excellent value compared with the many places adjacent to the port/capital.

Notre séjour a été très agréable. Je connaissais déjà l'hôtel mais pas les chambres de la demeure principale. Le service est très attentif et aimable. Il n'y a qu'un jour ou en raison d'un mariage qui avait lieu mais qui ne dérangeait absolument pas les personnes de l'hôtel, que le service a été un peu trop occupé.

I couldn't go back home without returning for lunch at St Joan de Binissaida. I stayed here last October and it was utter perfection and yesterday had the best lunch that I have had for a very long time - I travel a lot! As well as delicious food the staff are utterly charming and super efficient. The ambience is glorious and just to sit there is good for the soul. I hope to be back soon again.