Its a growing trend in Ibiza these days, the wolf like pursuit by investors of traditional Spanish hotels for sale, with the intention of refurbishment into a trendy adults only hotel. In the last few seasons, the general direction of those in the hotel business market in Ibiza, is to ditch the family and middle market business model, in favour of the Dinky couples one. When I say dinky, I do not refer to its insignificant meaning, but instead to its abbreviation, Double Income No Kids. This social demograph prefers Mojitos to pints of San Miguel, restaurant terraces to all inclusive dining, and modern facilities compared to outdated pinewood furniture rooms. Most importantly, compared to budget conscious families, they have lots of disposable income to spend on luxury services.
In San Antonio, the demand by investors for old hotels is high, so much so that a crumbling building which has laid derelict for decades, is about to receive a multi million euro refurbishment. The creaking, squatter friendly Acor Hotel, also know as the Acor Playa Apartments, has reportably been sold for a thrice of millions. The new owners are rumoured to be a Dutch Hotel group who have already invested substantially in the Acor’s close neighbour, The Marble Stella Maris. The old Acor Hotel was owned by a well know Ibicenco family, Roca, who like to use palindromes of its surname to christen their hotels. The nearby Abrat Hotel is another Ibicenco family palindrome example.
The Acor is located just up the road from the Tanit Hotel (also due a multi million refurb) and work has already started on renovations which are expected to be completed for next season. It will join the ever increasing ranks of adult clubbing themed hotels. In Portinax, which was traditionally a family resort, only one hotel, The Presidente, now caters to the family market. In Playa den Bossa, also a traditional family resort in the 80’s, one of the last survivors in the middle family market, Hotel Club Bahamas, has been sold to a trendy hotel chain with plans to upgrade the venue to a Dinky friendly hotel. Ibiza it seems is happy to leave the family market behind, a trend that is the root of the islands new upmarket growth.
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