Live Like Royalty in Menorca

FOR 15 YEARS, Victor Madera, a Spanish doctor who made his fortune in health care, and his wife, Maria Obdulia Fernández, have been acquiring and renovating historic homes throughout Spain.

- Gisela Williams

Their two dozen properties include a 13th-century castle in Extremadura and a 20th-century Modernist villa in Asturias. Three years ago, the couple sat down with their four daughters to decide what to do with these exceptional buildings-and how to maintain them for future generations.

That was when the idea for a hospitality brand, Vestige Collection, was born. Inspired by Spain's Paradores-a group of state-owned hotels founded by King Alfonso XIII in 1928-the family wants to protect the nation's heritage while also providing a luxurious guest experience. "For my parents, saving and restoring these buildings is a deep passion," says Claudia, the second-oldest daughter.

The first hotel, Son Vell (doubles from $720), opened last June on a 450-acre estate in northwestern Menorca. The long driveway gives it a slow, dramatic reveal: from behind olive groves and orchards of leafy citrus trees, a stone gate emerges, followed by an elegant 18th-century three-story villa built of golden marés limestone.