Putting the buzz in Biniorella

Perched on a beautiful wooded hilltop overlooking the ‘cala’ – the small bay of Camp de Mar, in the island’s charming and fashionable south-west corner – La Reserva de Biniorella, the Bond’s Balearic Island home, has 98 properties consisting of 34 one-bed apartments, 14 one-bed bungalows, 42 two-bed apartments, six three-bed villas (with shared outdoor pool) and two four-bed villas (each with private outdoor pool). Set against a beautiful backdrop of pine tree-studded mountains, Biniorella enjoys a benign year-round climate.

A restful retreat then – for those as wants it. But those looking for a more active holiday need look no further than site manager Javier Ceballos.

If there is such a thing as a typical Spaniard, then Javier is it: bursting with vitality, jumping with joie-de-vivre, Javier does not so much take life by the throat as leave it dazed in his wake, wondering how to keep up. And Javier puts as much energy into looking after holidaying Bondholders as he does into everything else. “If my guests are having a good time, then I’m having a good time,” he says.

We caught up with Javier in a rare moment of downtime, and took the opportunity to pose a few questions…

We know you’ve been involved with HPB for many years – but how did it all start? What did you do before?

I am an economist by degree and started my career working for a bank. Then I moved to the UK for four years as financial manager of a company that owned several colleges. Then for 10 years I worked for an American company as manager for South America – buying, running and selling private universities. I lived in Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. After that back to good old Europe, working for a Swiss company with educational and hospitality centres in Spain.

What persuaded you to apply for the site manager’s job?

I don’t really know! At some stage I met [HPB property director] Rupert Seager, had an interview with him and was offered this job. It was the luckiest day in my life! I have never enjoyed working so much as I do now.

Tell us a bit about Javier, the person – hobbies and interests, that kind of thing. Married? Kids? Pets?

I would define myself as a very vital person. I enjoy every minute of life. I devour books (I do not have a TV at home), love art and history and beating any one at any sport. But what I enjoy most in life is a nice candle-lit dinner with my wife (especially if my daughters are more or less behaving well).

Yes, I have daughters: just the five, from 21 down to nine years old. This makes me very poor; but how much I laugh with them cannot be taken from me. I also have two very energetic dogs and three horses. May be too-energetic horses…

Do you have any particular plans for improving Biniorella – the site itself, or the “holiday experience” – or is it more a case of maintaining standards?

There is always room for improvement – the day we attain perfection is the day I quit – but I am committed to giving Bondholders the best holidays possible. I see many repeat visitors; whether it’s the site that draws them back, or the island, or a mixture of both, I don’t know – but I’d like to think I had just a little bit to do with it!