Rafael Nadal, the tennis champion, encourages you to unwind the Mediterranean way. The two-time Olympic gold winner collaborated with Meliá Hotels International to launch ZEL, which launched its first location on June 28. The coastal hideaway, located near the white sands of Palma Nova Beach in Nadal’s native Mallorca, Spain, was expressly created to “embrace the ‘fiesta and siesta’ concepts that are essential to the Mediterranean lifestyle,” according to a recent press release. In keeping with that purpose, the design is calm and nature-inspired, and there is a long list of activities offered to visitors, including concerts, training programs, and island trips handpicked by Nadal.
Twenty-one of the hotel’s 165 rooms offer views of the Mediterranean Sea
Courtesy of Meliá Hotels International
ASAH Studio’s Lvaro and Adriana Sans oversaw the hotel’s refurbishment and interior design, filling the room with lots of wood, woven linens, and colors found near the lake. “The sea is always present in all places, and it’s what guests seek in the Mediterranean,” Alvaro Sans wrote in an email to AD. Many of the ceilings around the resort are wrapped in a sandy-hued burlap-like cloth topped with small wood beams, offering an added touch of warmth.
A cozy spot to sit in the open-air lobby
At the heart of the hotel, an airy indoor-outdoor patio space greets guests in lieu of a traditional lobby. “The patio has been a staple of Mediterranean culture since the ancient Greeks, serving as a space for socializing,” says Sans. “As architects, we find it to be the most beautiful place. By enclosing the open space, the patio creates a stage that is controlled by the architecture, with olive trees and the sound of water that relaxes the senses, inviting the sensations of vacation.” The unique set-up was inspired by the welcoming, open-plan layout of Mediterranean homes. Rather than holding a reception area, the patio contains a concept store, a café serving up coffee from fair-trade Barcelona brand Syra Coffee, and space to lounge amidst a chic take on beachy decor (to check in, guests use a digital kiosk).
The indoor portion of the onsite restaurant, Beso Beach Mallorca, which also offers outdoor tables right on the sand
In addition to two swimming pools and an inviting stretch of sandy beach, the hotel has a spa equipped with two jacuzzis, a steam room, and a sauna. There are also well-appointed workout facilities with personal trainers available to guests. The beach-club-style restaurant on site, Beso Beach Mallorca, serves Mediterranean and Basque Country seafood dishes such as Carabinero prawns, lobster tails, and mussels.
“With our first ZEL hotel in Mallorca and the concept that we have created for the brand, we are looking to offer those moments in life that I personally enjoy so much: sailing, particularly in the Mediterranean; eating on the beach, at a beach bar, or in a beach club; and relaxing while spending time with friends and family, feeling at home,” the tennis star said in a press release. “This is what’s most important to me, what I wanted to bring to guests with ZEL, and I believe we have achieved it.”
ZEL Mallorca has two swimming pools, one of which offers panoramic ocean views
At a party commemorating the resort’s opening, Meliá Hotels International CEO Gabriel Escarrer announced ZEL’s next locale: ZEL Sayulita is set to open in Mexico in 2025. Nadal and Meliá plan to open a total of 20 ZEL hotels across the globe over the next five years.