Happy 10th Anniversary to ME Ibiza!
On a balmy Balearic night, stunning five-star resort ME Ibiza celebrated its 10th anniversary with a spectacular party themed Ancient Future.
As I strolled into beautiful east coast resort ME Ibiza, at the magical golden hour on the evening of its 10th anniversary soirée, I found myself pondering – both to myself, and out loud to some fellow guests – that age old sentiment: where does the time go? It feels like it was not that long ago that islanders were all aflutter about the imminent arrival of the prestigious ME by Meliá five-star brand to our little island, and yet an entire decade has passed since the day the luxurious Santa Eulalia property opened the doors to its very first guests. And so… here we are, 10 years down the line, none of us having aged a day!
In all seriousness however, ME Ibiza has done nothing but improve with age over the last 10 years, evolving to become even more stylish and sophisticated than ever before. A quiet innovator, the globally renowned hotel has made a name for itself among discerning travellers and culture seekers as the place to go in Ibiza for high-end hospitality, avant-garde design, creative gastronomy, holistic wellbeing and cultural get-togethers, in addition to five-star dwellings and those incredible Mediterranean Sea views. For me, visiting the resort is always like an inspiring breath of fresh air – it may only be minutes from one of the island’s busiest towns, but within its picturesque grounds, it feels worlds away.
Greeted with a Chandon Spritz – complete with a freshly plucked sprig of Ibiza rosemary – we meandered our way from the ME Ibiza lobby via the pretty poolside lawn to the ancient stone pine tree – the resort’s crowning glory – that had provided the inspiration for the party’s Ancient Future theme. How could a tree possibly be the protagonist of a five-star resort’s anniversary celebrations, you might be wondering? Well, as it turns out, this particular pine tree holds a very special place in the heart of Gabriel Escarrer Jaume – CEO of Meliá Hotels International and also the brains behind the ME by Meliá brand – who spent many summers playing beneath it as a child on summer holidays.
It was a different island back then, but equally as beautiful and memorable – Gabriel credits these childhood holidays on Ibiza’s east with igniting his passion for hotels and hospitality. In honour of the past, and as a tribute to the future, famed Ibiza author Maya Boyd penned and read a bespoke poem for the occasion – written as an homage to Gabriel, the ME Ibiza tree and the generations of local families and international holidaymakers who have made memories beneath it. The time-honoured tree was given a ceremonious spiritual blessing (with plenty of sage) and then it was onto the party!
DJ Nina Urgell Cloquell set the pre-sunset mood, while actor-turned-artist (and ok, a bit of a heartthrob if we’re honest!) Harlys Becerra took his dab hand to live painting, while surrounded by an impressive exhibition of his recent works entitled Oxygen. Becerra’s works have an otherworldly quality that make you want to jump inside each textural painting, with colour palettes inspired by his Mediterranean surroundings. ME Ibiza has long held a connection with the art world, from its Tanit Gatherings – celebrating local women in the creative arts – and regular exhibitions, to sponsoring the island’s film festival and Becerra’s alfresco work felt like a natural extension of this.
Meanwhile, at a fairy-lit table beneath yet another towering pine tree, famed tarot reader, astrologist and psychic Kerry Ward had a constant queue of partygoers excitedly waiting for her to read their cards. Her words of wisdom certainly resonated deeply with me, although I’m not going to share them here because in my humble opinion, what happens at the tarot table should stay at the tarot table in order for it to come true in the future! All I’m going to say is thank you, ME Ibiza, for inviting Kerry into your spiritual world for the night – the experience will stay with me for a long time!
As the sun went down, the vibes picked up and musical duties were passed over to the island’s DJ du jour (and yes, another very handsome chap!), Pascal Moscheni, who took the tempo up a notch with a mix of Italo-disco, some Studio 54 inspired classics and some lovely Latino beats, dressed all in white for the occasion. Boho-esque dancers in floaty white dresses weaved their way through the poolside crowd, while lasers illuminated the hotel walls with the ME Ibiza Ancient Future message. Drinks were free-flowing, and trays of canapés were circulating non-stop, like a mini-showcase of the hotel’s culinary delights.
As the sun went down, the vibes picked up and musical duties were passed over to the island’s DJ du jour (and yes, another very handsome chap!), Pascal Moscheni, who took the tempo up a notch with a mix of Italo-disco, some Studio 54 inspired classics and some lovely Latino beats, dressed all in white for the occasion. Boho-esque dancers in floaty white dresses weaved their way through the poolside crowd, while lasers illuminated the hotel walls with the ME Ibiza Ancient Future message. Drinks were free-flowing, and trays of canapés were circulating non-stop, like a mini-showcase of the hotel’s culinary delights.
As the clock struck 12, I once again wondered where the time had gone. I guess the oft-cited idiom that time flies when you’re having fun is true. I can only hope that the next decade doesn’t pass by so quickly, or that if it does, it’s because we just keep having this much fun (without ageing too much!). Happy 10th anniversary ME Ibiza, and cheers to the next 10 years!
