Cap Rocat | ANTONIO OBRADOR

Location: Cap Rocat was created from a former 19th century military fortress, set on an incredibly secluded headland on the Bay of Palma de Mallorca. Stunningly blended into the landscape, the magnificent fortress has been totally transformed, whilst retaining the integrity of its architecture and the natural environment

Management: Cap Rocat opened on 18 June 2010, the latest in the Marugal portfolio of hotels, which specialises in the development, launch and management of independent hotels. The portfolio comprises the recently-opened Hotel Viura in Rioja Alavesa (April 2010); Villa Soro and Astoria7 in San Sebastian; Iturregi in Getaria (Guipúzcoa); and Torralbenc in Menorca (open May 2013).

Architecture & design
Architect Antonio Obrador (www.aodenario.com) is responsible for the interiors of the luxury boutique hotel, Cap Rocat, which opened in 2010 in Mallorca just outside Palma. The retreat was created from a former 19th century military fortress, stunningly blended into the landscape. The fortress was so ingeniously built into the cliffs that despite its huge walls and ramparts, the building cannot be seen from the mainland or the sea. Only the canopies of the rooftop lounges on the terrace are visible on the horizon.
In renovating the historic fort, Antonio’s carefully thought out design maintains the structure’s charm whilst adding functionality. The magnificent fortress has been totally transformed, whilst retaining the integrity of its architecture and the natural environment.
Set above the Mallorca’s Bay of Palma, this project is a stunning example of historic re-use. The former fortress is set on 88 acres of private land at the point of the Bay of Palma. The entire fortress has been converted into a boutique hotel with 24 luxury rooms and maintains 2 km of private coastline.
Antonio’s subtle interiors include playful touches that give a nod to the building’s less serene past: bullets used as door handles and gun carriages as coffee tables. The former arsenals or munitions stores were converted into thick-walled suites, gun emplacements are now roof terraces; each with their own private patio and terraces, and the fortress former kitchen has been converted to a private kitchen for wine tastings and cooking lessons. The hotel also retains and highlights some of the original 19th-century bones of the fortress and its defensive strategies remain: drawbridge, bunkers, trenches and excavated vaults for weaponry.

Inside the peaceful cool lounges and guestrooms, Obrador uses local fabrics, Moroccan rugs and vintage black and white photos of Mallorca to brilliant effect. Every room is an oasis of comfort and calm, with private terraces and views. Outside, terraces, patios and restaurants benefit from the mild Mediterranean climate and sea breezes. Food for the two restaurants is sourced from local and organic farms and recycling has been set at a high priority. The natural swimming pool is a refreshing salt water pool, set atop the old Fortress walls - and eliminating the need for unhealthy chlorine to keep the water clean.
The landscaping and vegetation for the fort was carefully planned to be regionally appropriate with little to no watering necessary.
Antonio was born in Palma de Mallorca, 1956, and he is the founder of Denario Diseño Integral, leading a team of engineers,
architects, interior designers and landscape artists. Together with a team of craftsmen in stone, iron and wood, the company
offers a multi-disciplinary service of design and architecture. Antonio Obrador specializes in working with old buildings, subtly
restoring them so that any new addition to the structure appears to have grown organically from the original. The result is a
unified style which highlights tradition and has a natural, calm elegance, with no ostentation.
Amongst Antonio´s projects is the restoration of many traditional buildings in Mallorca, such as the Ca´n Nadal, a house from the 17th Century that received the award “Premio Ciudad de Palma”, for its restoration. In the art and cultural world, Antonio collaborated with the development of a project for the Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation, recognized internationally for its collection. Antonio also consulted on the Centro Cultural Contemporáneo Pelaires, in Palma, opened by Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, in 1990.
Other projects include Hotel Son Net in Puigpunyent, Mallorca, which was listed by Condé Nast Traveller in the top 25 best restoration works in the world; the restoration of part of Hotel Son Vida, and the extension of La Residencia, in Deià. Antonio’s private clients include: President Adolfo Juárez; Sebastián and Gabriel Escarrer (owners of Hoteles Sol Melia); Miguel Fluxá (owner of Iberostar holding) and Claudia Schiffer.