Sound and vision: Hard Rock Hotel, Playa d'en Bossa

Hard Rock Hotel room, light wood floor, white double bed with blue light underneath, white chair, dining table and chairs, black frame window and balcony door, view of surrounding area, stone coloured and patterned walls, wall lights, round white coffee table

The Hard Rock Hotel has launched a plush, paper-free, planning-free resort on the white-sand Playa d’en Bossa that jives with Ibiza’s barefoot image

(Image credit: TBC)

By Melina Keays

last updated 2 September 2022

Ibiza is a free spirit of an island, shaking her tail feathers until dawn without a thought for tomorrow. Alas, getting into that Ibiza spirit requires a ton of forward planning behind the freewheeling scene.

Ah, but that’s where the island’s biggest five-star comes in. The Hard Rock Hotel – the upgraded, upmarket version of the American icon – has launched a plush, paper-free, planning-free resort on the white-sand Playa d’en Bossa that jives with Ibiza’s barefoot image.

Where else but music-mad Ibiza would Hard Rock target for its first European hotel? The luxury retreat, designed by London practice Jestico + Whiles and local firm Flaquer Arquitectos (with landscaping by Cesar Alonso), has the apartment-sized rooms, the indoor-outdoor spa and the headline-making restaurants that befit its prime location, with the skill for backstage coordination that brings the party to you. HRH is a magnet for the island’s pleasure-seekers, with a main stage that attracts heavyweights like Tinie Tempah, Nile Rodgers, Icona Pop and Kylie Minogue and seven bars that make it hard for establishments down the beach to compete.

The hotel’s 493 rooms start at 33 sq m and go up from there; nearly half are suites, with swim-up pool access, private terraces and outdoor spa tubs. Residents can put away their purses and strap on the pioneering smart bracelet called VIB (very important bracelet), which replaces the dreaded room key and connects to the four in-house restaurants, the rooftop lounge, all boutiques and sport facilities. The VIB can also connect to social media, rendering smartphones superfluous.

It’s not all bass beats and flashing lights. The pools are extensive and tranquil, with vast lounge beds by Belgian designers Tribù. Inside is a mini museum with the sort of rock memorabilia Hard Rock is known for (David Bowie, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga headline a collection too crowded to mention here). There are quiet meeting rooms and a kid’s club to help with the essential lie-in.

What truly elevates the property to a first-class destination, though, is the food. Two-Michelin-star chef Paco Roncero runs a version of his legendary Madrid tapas restaurant Estado Puro in a dazzling ocean-view space designed by estudi{H}ac. And this year Roncero’s 12-seat experiential restaurant Sublimotion – which connects all the senses with video projections, infused scents and diner participation – won the esteemed Worldwide European Award for best F&B innovation.

It’s all orchestrated to eliminate the drag of holiday-planning in the name of pure pleasure. And that’s a spirit nobody can argue with.

Hard Rock Hotel room, light wood floor, Black glossed bar and stools, cream 2 seater sofa, windows with white voile curtains, black standing floor lamp, patterned rug, two oval wooden coffee tables, potted plant, framed picture, doorway leading to corridor, ceiling lights — The luxury retreat, designed by London practice Jestico + Whiles, has the apartment-sized rooms that befit its prime location

Natural solid wood long dining table , six dark grey chairs,, book and apple on the table top, framed picture of David Bowie on the left wall, black ceiling lights suspended over the table, brown curtains, window with view of the sea and red and blue sky, ceiling spotlights — Inside is a mini museum with the sort of rock memorabilia Hard Rock is known for (David Bowie, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga headline a collection too crowded to mention here)

Hard Rock Hotel room, Neytral meable floor, two sinlge beds set together, large brown padded headboard, white covers, brown throws and red cushions, white walls, pictures framed, ceiling lights, two mirrors reflecting the sea view, padded leather bench seating at the end of the bed — Residents can put away their purses and strap on the pioneering smart bracelet called VIB (very important bracelet), which replaces the dreaded room key and connects to the four in-house restaurants, the rooftop lounge, all boutiques and sport facilities

Hotel room with glass wall balcony, sea view, round white bath tub with floor standing arched tap, wooden floor, large soft armchairs , patterned wallpaper, grey rug, black side table with candles, glasses and bottle of wine, white column, white flowers in a vase — The hotel’s 493 rooms start at 33 sq m and go up from there; nearly half are suites, with swim-up pool access, private terraces and outdoor spa tubs

Bathroom image, white sink and units, wooden floor, large mirror above the sink, tinted blue glass wall, white toilet, white flowered plant in a black pot, candles, stone wall reflected in the mirror, ceiling spotlights — The luxuriously designed rooms feature cool, relaxing tones

Beach image, white sand, wooden pathway, wooden sunloungers with white cusgions, blue and green parasols, blue sea, blue sky with small white clouds — Hard Rock Hotel is a magnet for the island’s pleasure-seekers

Michelin-star chef Paco Roncero version of his Tapas dishes in a white round ceramic pot — What truly elevates the property to a first-class destination, though, is the food. Here, two-Michelin-star chef Paco Roncero runs a version of his legendary Madrid tapas restaurant Estado Puro

Long white dining table and 12 chairs, landscape images in different colours projected onto the walls and table — And this year Roncero’s 12-seat experiential restaurant Sublimotion – which connects all the senses with video projections, infused scents and diner participation – won the esteemed Worldwide European Award for best F&B innovation

Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms

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