Ibiza’s Parador to open…17 years later

Nearly 17 years after work first started and with an investment of more than 27 million euros, Ibiza’s much lauded ‘Parador’ at the top of Dalt Vila is close to finally being finished

For those that don’t know a ‘Parador’ is ‘a state-owned luxury hotel located in an historic or modern building in a natural area with a special appeal or panoramic view of a historic and monumental city’. The World Heritage Site of Dalt Vila ticks all these particular boxes.

The crane that had been an eyesore on the top of Dalt Vila for so many years is now confined to history, the hotel is now in its final phase and slated to be completed in the next few months with an opening date of late 2024 or early 2025.

The Parador de Ibiza will have 66 rooms, be open all year round and will generate all year round employment and will hopefully contribute significantly to the economic revitalisation of the area.

The original Parador project was first unveiled in 2004 when it was announced that it would be built at the very top of Ibiza’s famous Old Town in an existing 16th century building that closed in the 1980s. The work has been exclusively funded by central government in Madrid after the local government signed over the rights.

In 2008 as the initial works started amid much fanfare the project soon uncovered archaeological remains which forced worked to be stopped at the end of 2012. The wheels continued to turn slowly and after much modifications to the initial project that significantly increased the budget, work finally resumed in December 2019. The long and complex process is now coming to an end and the much anticipated luxury hotel can finally open its doors to the public.

The complicated project also incorporates a car park directly below which is accessed by a tunnel that led some to question whether it was the entrance to Mordor rather than a luxury hotel.

Rosana Morillo, Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism recently viewed the Parador and was delighted with what she saw saying “We are celebrating because this will be one of the most emblematic of the network of Spain’s Paradors with incomparable architectural and technical characteristics” emphasising the investment made by the Spanish Government to “preserve the historical heritage of the jewel that is Ibiza.”

Meanwhile Ibiza Mayor Rafael Triguero reiterated the City Council’s willingness to advance the execution of joint projects that are “very important for our city and our historic neighbourhoods.” He also expressed his desire that Ibiza’s Parador open its doors as soon as possible, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the declaration of Dalt Vila as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The silver lining to this drawn out affair is that the archeological discoveries will be the cultural centrepiece of the establishment celebrating Ibiza’s rich history and heritage. There will be 9 exhibits showcasing the findings open to the public plus a space to show other artefacts giving the hotel a museum feel.

The Parador de Ibiza should be a great addition to Ibiza’s move towards sustainable 12 month tourism. After nearly 2 decades in the making it will soon be time to see if it was worth the wait.