SERENDIPITY

The title of this blog article is no coincidence; after all, who better than our many loyal British guests could truly understand the meaning of “serendipity”?

Serendipity refers to fortunate and unexpected discoveries — completely unplanned, exceeding every expectation, appearing while one is doing or searching for something entirely different.

Throughout its more than 70-year history, the Bonsol has surely experienced many small and great moments of “serendipity”. But today we want to share two fortuitous and fascinating discoveries that recently resurfaced.

Every finding —whether an object, a document or a photograph— carries a story, and the first one we want to tell happened last winter, even though it takes us back to another era.

Like every accidental discovery, it happened purely by chance. While filming the documentary about the life of Don Martin Xamena, one of his friends brought a beautiful book on the history of Plaza Gomila, which in the 60s and 70s was the heart of Palma’s nightlife. As we flipped through its pages, in the very first black-and-white photo of the iconic square, a vintage advertising poster of HOTEL BONSOL suddenly appeared, attached to a lamppost at the bus stop.

The second story also involves an old advertising sign. It was autumn 2023, the season had just come to an end and, as every year during the hotel’s closure, maintenance and garden restoration works had begun. It was decided to prune the limonastrum plants that cascaded down like green waterfalls almost reaching the sea. The intervention was necessary, as the plants could eventually create structural issues in the perimeter walls; therefore, all the branches touching the ground were cut back drastically, like trimming a living painting. It was heartbreaking. Fortunately, two years later, that beautiful silhouette is once again shining by the sea. But at the time, watching those Mediterranean shrubs —a true gift from nature— being cut back was a sad moment for us.

And yet, from that pruning came a discovery that deeply moved us and transported us straight into the 1960s: a beautiful hand-painted advertising sign, still clearly showing the Hotel Bonsol’s sun emblem. Back then, the “Bonsol bay” functioned almost like a balneario: the sand reached nearly to the end of the aluminium railings, and that stone ramp visible from the sea was used to transport “sea sand” to regenerate the coastline and extend the beach. Sun loungers were placed directly on the sand, which explains the need for that old and charming sign we “rediscovered” while pruning the limonastrum. A perfect example of serendipity — an unexpected finding with a surprising outcome that no one anticipated, uncovered during a simple gardening task.

There is a nostalgic charm in seeing how the Bonsol of 60 years ago promoted its niche services: “mini golf”, “swimming pool”, and “snack bar”. But what is truly wonderful is realising that the sun painted on that wall is still there, and despite the passage of time, its warm rays continue to illuminate the long entrepreneurial journey of one family. They shine over the hotel’s generational legacy — in the past (Don Antonio and Roghelia Xamena), in the present (Don Martin and Lorraine), and in the future (Alejandro and Natalia Xamena).

CURIOSITY

The word “serendipity” comes from the ancient Persian name for Sri Lanka, “Serendip” (or Serendippo), and was coined in 1754 by the English writer Horace Walpole. Walpole created the term inspired by the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, in which the protagonists continuously make unexpected and fortunate discoveries while searching for something else.

Over time, the word entered common language, finding use in many fields — from science to art and everyday life. In science, one of the greatest examples of serendipity was the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming, who noticed by chance that a mould had contaminated one of his bacterial cultures and was killing the bacteria. This accidental event led to the discovery of penicillin and the beginning of the antibiotic era.

Serendipity is also the title of a 2001 American film directed by Peter Chelsom — a romantic comedy that tells a love story brought to life by a series of unexpected events.

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