The warm waters of the Mediterranean are speckled with bucolic islands, each offering a slice of paradise for visitors. This year, the Balearic island of Ibiza is exuding a particular magnetism, as a handful of new hotels and resorts prepare to open their doors.
In a beautifully choreographed collaboration between some of the leading names in luxury lifestyle and sustainable living, Six Senses Ibiza will open this summer, marking the start of a new chapter in grown-up luxury on the island. Set along 20 acres of Mediterranean coast above Cala Xarraca bay in northern Ibiza, the resort will bring together Six Senses’ signature sustainable ethos with local culture and character, creating a heady blend of music, art, wellness and culinary exploration. Or, as architect/owner Jonathan Leitersdorf puts it: “the authentic Ibiza experience of community, spirituality and celebration.”
The credentials speak for themselves. The Farm is a 400-year-old olive press and agricultural estate that will produce fresh organic food for the Farmer’s Market, The Orchard and The Piazza, all overseen by Israeli super-chef Eyal Shani; the Agora is a retail, entertainment and education complex curated by fashion editors Daniela Agnelli and Tiffanie Darke; and Beach Caves is a waterfront music venue and recording studio that will host live events and emerging artist sessions. Check into the Cave Royale suite for direct access to the studio and its impressive collection of vinyl. Six Senses Spa will host a year-round programme of events and visiting practitioners and the collection of 116 rooms, suites and villas, all furnished in local fabrics and materials, will make this a distinctly Ibizan experience.
Opening this month, OKU Ibiza offers a different flavour of life on the White Isle. Derived from the Japanese term for inner space, oku is an architectural philosophy that champions minimal design and the creation of spaces in which to pause and reflect. Here, the concept is interpreted as a vision of barefoot beach luxury, with natural materials, neutral colours and clever use of light and space.
Set within a lush hillside above Cala Gracio beach, OKU Ibiza is home to 184 guestrooms decked out in earthy tones and natural materials, with private balconies, Marshall speakers and locally crafted accents. Six of the rooms share direct access to a swim-up pool, while the penthouses feature a spacious ocean-view terrace; the Private Villa is located in a quiet corner of the property, with four bedrooms and a huge outdoor living space and pool.
Encouraging the notion of slow living, the hotel holds daily yoga sessions on the rooftop and is home to four swimming pools (one of which is the largest in Ibiza), a fitness studio with beautiful wooden equipment by NOHrD and all-natural spa. Dining is overseen by executive chef and SUSHISAMBA alumnus Mark Vaessen, who promises a refined, Asian inspired menu at OKU Restaurant and casual Mediterranean fare at poolside To Kima.
On the southern coast, at the point where the river Santa Eulalia meets the Med, Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio welcomes Hotel Riomar Ibiza in June, a boutique lifestyle hotel with pared-back rooms and suites featuring private balconies that let Mediterranean views do the talking, and a garden oasis with cocktails and live DJ sessions.