Morirse de Envidia in Ibiza

Lusso believes in luxury with a conscience which is why we’re launching a new green column to find out if it’s possible to marry environmental sensitivity and an eco-friendly ethos with state-of-the-art luxury. Forget earning their stars, at a time when some are downgrading theirs, can hotels and destinations earn their green stripes to match their claims? Vanessa Threapleton-Horrocks travels to Europe’s party capital, Ibiza, to showcase a brand new luxury hotel, the Aguas de Ibiza - proud to be leading the way in the Spanish hotel industry with its sustainable practices - but just how can a hotel be eco sexy, exciting and sought after? Invaded by everyone from the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and Catalans, right up to the hippies of the late 1960s and today’s clubbers drawn to party with world-class DJ’s, the White Island of Ibiza (the third largest and arguably the prettiest of the Balearic Archipelago) has managed to retain its old world charm and rustic nature.

The island may only be just over 220 square miles but has 50 different hotels to choose from and is certainly large enough to be a land of contrasts where a compelling mix of drinking and partying seamlessly co-exist with the more sombre arts, crafts and culture. The island’s capital, Eivissa (Ibiza Town) and neighboring hilltop village, Dalt Vila, are probably the best places to start an Ibiza cultural tour. The site of the Old Town has been UNESCO World Heritage-protected since 1999, presenting impressive fortifications, including high Renaissance walls (of Arabic origins) and seven mighty bastions, for visitors. Weave your way through this magnificent open-air museum’s narrow cobbled streets and charming plazas to discover yet more treasures inside the walls: the austere and immense Cathedral of Santa Maria (started in the 14th century and completed in the 18th century) the Episcopal Palace, an old 16th century Dominican monastery, a convent and a sprawling castle; whilst the second city, Santa Eulalia, found in the east of the island and our hotel base, is surrounded by an altogether more verdant mountain interior.

Perched above the marina, overlooking a dreamy expanse of cobalt blue Mediterranean, lies the brand-new, five-star hotel, Aguas de Ibiza. Each Zen-inspired suite offers a sense of serenity and style with its effortless avant-garde aesthetic, complemented by interiors channelling shades of cream and silver tones, with riotous dashes of turquoise. But let’s not forget the pleasing cosmetic enhancements by top-notch branding, courtesy of Bang & Olufson widescreen TVs and Bizzaro mosaic-work in the bathing areas. But, for pure decadence, reserve a room with a private terrace hot tub and submerge Ophelia-like in the bubbles while soaking up the vista of open sea and the island of Formentera beyond. The luxurious waterside resort claims to save 35% of energy consumption with its eco-measures. So let’s take a look at just how green it is. The whole building has been designed with nature and environmental considerations in mind, from the foundations up. Local “eco-tect”, Juan de los Rios, has built the hotel using eco-friendly, local, sustainable materials (minimising the use of energy-hungry plastics and conventional glass) to effectively take advantage of the particular climatic conditions found on Ibiza. The Aguas de Ibiza’s state-of-the-art bio-climatic technology must have demanded an eye-watering budget and this includes high-performance, non-toxic atmospheric LED lighting, which reduces energy consumption by anything from 40-60% compared to ordinary lighting.

This, therefore means the building’s carbon footprint is dramatically reduced and also has the added benefit of having a much longer lifespan. The scene control creates the right mood and ambience and for those absent-minded types, the inherent domotics or home automation for those of us who aren’t up with the latest buzz words, basically means that all guest room lighting is subject to an automatic turn-off device minutes after people leave their guest suites - a great green detail which avoids the unnecessary power consumption of lights being left on by mistake. Another clever detail I discovered during my first night at Aguas de Ibiza was the rather comforting subdued lighting which automatically switches on whenever you leave your bed, although it has to be said, with the huge Feng Shui decorative symbol on the ceiling designed to enhance a peaceful and restorative sleep, the possibilities of insomnia remain remote. The environmental light detector even controls the hotel’s lighting system by following astronomical time, ie recognising sunrise and sunset and, in doing so, only creates light in public areas and the exterior when needed and hence saving yet more energy.

The penthouse-style suites all exude airy spaciousness and this has a lot to do with the huge window panels leading out on to the terrace. Fortunately, window glazing provides suites with lots of natural light and the perfect vista of the marina and Ibizan coast. I found it especially soothing to view the coastal sunrise from the comfort of my bed on my first morning - and how? The mere touch of a remote control button prompts the curtains’ automatic operation! But there’s more to the windows than access to the sea-view terrace and its hot tub – solar protection reduces heat entering the room via radiation and therefore saves having to turn on the air conditioning by keeping the rooms cool and dry. Likewise, the window filters reduce the amount of cold passing through the glass which has five times more thermal insulation efficiency than ordinary glass. The use of photovoltaic modules means that all the glass-panelled balconies are solar powered, with the excess being used to power both the hotel’s air-conditioning and exterior lighting, including garden, façades and outdoor areas.

Together with a strong recycling policy throughout the hotel and the use of hybrid or electric courtesy cars, the Aguas de Ibiza proudly claims to be saving 35% of energy used by hotels of a similar size but without ever compromising on quality or luxury. The finishing gloss is more than five-star slick. The Aguas de Ibiza oozes style and state-of-the-art glamour. From the neo-Baroque La Sal restaurant interior, with its Michelin-esque gastro-presentation, to the brand new Revival spa, which is good enough to rival the best in terms of treatments offered and innovative décor, simmering with elemental undertones (think hydrotherapy and aqua-infused interior details) and, last but not least, the latest addition to the cool quotient, the new rooftop chill-out area, replete with terrace bar adjoining the swimming pool, sky-scape and lounging area, all offering spectacular views of the Santa Eulalia bay and marina – definitely the place to be for cocktails at sunset or sunrise for those less-disciplined types! Five-star luxury may come at a price but what’s tough on the pocket is arguably good for the planet, so what’s not to like?! Luxury, after all, is knowledge and to think that whilst spoiling oneself in the lap of the modern European Epicurean idyll, the environment is not being compromised unnecessarily for the thrill. Surely, this has to be the ultimate in luxury retreats for the noughties traveller. www.ibiza.travel