Hotel Boutiques are more and more becoming hubs for the well experienced shopper who travels far and has a great understanding of what is unique and worth taking home. We met Susanne Börjesson, founder of the Hotel Boutique of Cap Rocat in Palma de Mallorca. She has her own fashion label Little Big India and was asked by the owner and architect Mr Antonio Obrador to curate the hotel Boutique, with a selection of everything you might need during your vacation and much more.
IRMA: Which brands do you sell?
SUSANNE BÖRJESSON: We have developed our own line “Cap Rocat” of men’s and women’s wear, and while our main goal today is to develop our own brand/identity further and continuously, we also search to provide equally attractive brands that complement our own.
Our present choices are: Little India for women’s wear – a high-end brand made in India, ladies’ swimwear with Dos Mares, an established brand from Barcelona. We carry Orlebar Brown from the UK and OAS from Sweden for men’s swimwear, the Mallorcan brand “Monge” for ladies’ and men’s footwear, NIMU beach towels from Italy and bags from the French brand Rue de Verneuil. We also offer a range of exclusive hats made by bespoke hatmaker Ana Lamata from Madrid.
We also have our own, steadily growing, merchandising range.
IRMA: After which concept did you curate the brands in the boutique?
SUSANNE BÖRJESSON: The owner of the hotel, Mr Antonio Obrador, a prominent architect and interior designer, is the person with the most exquisite taste that I ever met in my professional career.
Through the years that we have worked together, he has incited me to capture and “feel” the identity of the hotel, to catch and expand its essence and to adapt the choice of brands accordingly.
I of course observe the guests, how they dress, what they like, I also like the idea that you can get completely equipped in our boutique if ever your luggage were to be deviated.
I use the walls, the furniture, the colours, and the fittings for inspiration; I might design swimsuits matching the rug! 😉
IRMA: How does holiday shopping differs from regular shopping experience?
SUSANNE BÖRJESSON: It is impulsive and done in a positive frequency; people are relaxed, they don’t worry much about mundane things like money so they would pretty much “allow themselves” to buy anything they like and not worry about the cost. A lot of guests also buy gifts to take home to near and dear ones. The Boutique at Cap Rocat has become a regular visit for most our guests, both in-house and dining at our restaurants or indulging in a spa treatment.
IRMA: The atmosphere in your shops has a discovering touch; how important is the curation and ambiance in your shop?
SUSANNE BÖRJESSON: Curation is the key to success in exclusive environments like Cap Rocat. We want our guests to enter a universe of “the best of” feeling when it comes to choice of brands and decoration.
An omnipresent atmosphere of “voyage” is what we are aiming at, where the guest feels as if he/she goes shopping worldwide in one singular space. I often have conversations with guests on the materials; where they come from, how they are made and how I integrated them in the shop and why…. The Boutique has somehow become an educational and intellectual hub in the hotel, which is another very pleasant “bonus”. Most guests have travelled a lot and have some knowledge about textiles too and we often end up having passionate conversations about our experiences abroad. My send home is India, so I often tell people about my experiences there….
IRMA: Is the Resort Boutique the next shopping destination trend. What is your opinion on that?
SUSANNE BÖRJESSON: I believe that Resort Boutiques will become more frequent, but not necessarily a “trend”. I have always ignored trends and fashion. I like timeless.
Coco Chanel said: ”La mode se démode, le style jamais” – “Fashion goes out of fashion, style never does”.
IRMA: Where do you look for inspiration and new brands?
SUSANNE BÖRJESSON: For some reason, I am most creative in India, surrounded by colours, people, spices and heat – but inspiration can come anytime. I check brands on Instagram and do substantial research on Google.
I also observe people every day, whether here in Mallorca or while travelling; I am always checking what people wear. I just can’t help it.
