Probably the saddest thing about the whole Branson episode and Majorca is that the Son Bunyola estate in Banyalbufar will never be transformed into a luxury hotel. It now appears that Son Bunyola will also be sold alongside the Hotel La Residencia in Deià. Branson bought Son Bunyola almost eight years ago and planned to transform it into one of the most luxurious hotels in the Mediterranean, catering for the rich and famous. About seven years ago I walked round Son Bunyola with Branson and I was privileged enough to hear his plans and his excitement for the project. I remember him pointing around the estate and saying we are going to transform that old barn into an Italian restaurant, and we are even thinking of ferrying guests around the estate in horse drawn carriages. He was deeply in love with the project and was willing to invest $25 million and even produce Virgin olive oil on the estate, reviving an ancient tradition. More than 100 new jobs would have been created, in a village where most of the young people have been forced to move away because of the lack of employment. But the endless planning disputes, despite the local ministry for tourism's desire to take the industry up-market, has effectively meant that the project, will perhaps never be built, or if it is it will probably be without Branson.
A sad state of affairs
15/12/2001 00:00
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