The Hotel Torre del Mar takes its name from an old defense tower, declared of Cultural Interest (BIC) by the Consell de Ibiza, today surrounded by its iconic swimming pool on the seafront of Playa den Bossa in Ibiza.
Fifty years after its inauguration, it is one of the references of the hotel offer in Ibiza, thanks, but not only, to its annexed conference center, which allows it to host all kinds of events for up to 500 people without interfering with the accommodation activity of the establishment.
All of this is a source of pride for the Torres Marí family, majority partners in the property and the third generation to manage the iconic establishment. iconic establishment.
We are attended by its manager, Juana María Torres Marí (Ibiza, 1970). It is Thursday morning. Spectacular day in spite of what has happened in Valencia. Nobody would say that we are at the end of the season for the activity that is breathed by the four corners.
You can tell Torres Marí is not used to the spotlight. She makes up for it by transmitting the satisfaction and contentment she exudes for a job well done, a fierce pride in the family legacy, which continues to expand brilliantly.
Today the Torre del Mar family celebrates the golden jubilee party with current employees, retirees, suppliers, collaborators and friends.
The current manager joined the company, which was founded by her grandfather in 2004, in the accounting department: “Numbers were my thing. I studied economics and started in that area”.
At that time, her father held what is now her position and replaced him in 2006 following his death. She and her brother Rafael are at the head of the hotel: she in the management, he in the direction.
Angel Pine, commercial director and president of the product club of the Fomento del Turismo Ibiza Convention Bureau, is also a key player in this company, she points out.
Juana María Torres Marí, in front of the iconic defense tower that gives its name to the Torre del Mar hotel.
Juana María Torres Marí, one of the driving forces of the iconic Torre del Mar
-Define the Torre del Mar Hotel.
-The Torre del Mar is our life. It was built by our grandfather in 1974. He was a very enterprising person and built several hotels. In addition to the Mare Nostrum, he also participated in the birth of the Goleta, the Tres Carabelas, the Ereso, the Tanit. In addition, he had other businesses such as the Philips appliance store. He also worked in Telefónica, he worked in many areas.
The Torre del Mar was his reference hotel. When it was built it was one of the few four-star hotels in Ibiza. Torre del Mar and Hacienda Na Xamena were the highest category hotels in Ibiza at that time. It resembled a five-star hotel. And since then we have worked to ensure that its good name continues through these 50 years we are celebrating.
-Do you remember when the hotel opened?
-No, I was four years old, I was very young when the hotel opened on June 7, 1974. I have memories of family conversations at home about the hotel. Since I was a little girl, I got used to hearing my father, with my grandfather and my mother, talking about it. And they were always good conversations, with that pride in running this establishment.
-Did you go through other departments before joining the accounting department?
-No, I was very focused on numbers. I worked in a consulting firm before joining the hotel, and then I joined the accounting department. Going in, I always had my eye on all departments.
Hotel Torre del Mar: family pride and fierce independence, a formula for success
-Why did your father get rid of the shares in the other hotels?
-He kept this one because it was the one he was most fond of and proudest of.
-In the current market context, with the proliferation of international chains with many brands, is it difficult to operate alone?
-No. Many people have contacted us to be part of their group, but we don’t want to be. We are very clear about that: we are a family hotel and we want to remain so. As long as we can, we will continue to be the only ones in charge of Torre del Mar. And, to tell the truth, we are doing very well, we have no need, we are very proud and we work hard here. So we are calm and we do not want it to pass to other hands. For us it would be a pity.
-I imagine they must have had a lot of offers to sell.
-Yes, but we don’t want to.
-Have you considered the possibility of partnering with a brand without losing ownership or management?
-No. We don’t need it, thank God the hotel is running very well. The average occupancy during the whole season is over 90%. With an occupancy rate like that, you don’t need to depend on anyone. Whoever associates himself with an international brand is because he has no other choice, because nobody likes to depend on a third party. The important thing about a company is that it is independent. When you depend on someone else, you are no longer you. So, the work that has been done over the years is precisely to maintain this independence and reinforce it.
-What do you attribute this success to?
-To the work that has been done over the years in terms of positioning the hotel in different segments, both in the vacation segment and in the MICE segment. In addition, we have a high reputation and a high rate of repeat customers. That helps us to have these high occupancies and that they are very stable, that they are not fluctuating in any period of the season, from March 22 when we open to November 4 when we close. We are one of the hotels on the island with the longest season and we are among those with the highest average occupancy.
-How has the hotel changed since its opening?
-In essence, nothing has changed. It was built as a landmark hotel and we want it to remain that way, modernized, of course. It should be noted that Torre del Mar could not be what it is without its staff, who have been here for a long time. Every year we have several retirements, people who start and finish their careers at the hotel. For us that is a satisfaction, knowing that they are comfortable here. In short, between the facilities and the staff, I think this is the essence that characterizes us and we want it to continue.
Do you plan to be a ‘five-star’?
-We are very comfortable like this. With the renovations, we went from four stars to four stars superior. We could be a five-star because we meet everything but we are happy where we are. We believe we have customers who are aiming for both a four and a five star. For the moment we are not considering changing.
However, at least seen from the outside, the main advantage of a five-star is that it can charge higher rates.
-It’s not about charging more, it’s about the customer paying and having the amenities they expect to receive for that price. In fact, we have rooms that are above the price of a five-star hotel, the suites on the top floor. That shows that the price does not depend only on the stars. On the other hand, the customer looking for a five-star expects a very personalized type of service. With 230 rooms, providing that service would be a challenge. We prefer to be the best 4-star superior hotel in Ibiza and not one more 5-star, now that there are so many of them.
-How do you see Torre del Mar in another 50 years?
-I hope that the new generations will continue and that it will remain in the hands of the family. I have two daughters. We are five sibling owners, although only two of us are in charge of the hotel. My daughters, at home, listen to me talk a lot about the hotel, as I listened to my parents, and they ask me a lot of questions too, so I have that faith.
-Sometimes the management of a family business has some added difficulties due to this condition. Do you have some kind of family protocol?
No. We are a well-adjusted family and it is not necessary.
Spectacular” 2024 season for Hotel Torre del Mar
-How was the season?
-Spectacular. The best in the history of the hotel. Every year we have been improving, but this one was even better than last year’s, which was wonderful. Everything is the result of the renovations, you can see how they have helped. There were a few years when we were a bit stagnant. The reforms helped us to get out of it and improve every year.
-What is your typical customer?
-It is very varied, although it is mostly adult. We are not an adults-only hotel, but we do not provide any specific services for children or families, which is a natural selection of clientele. Most are between 35 and 40 years old and there are many couples, but also groups of friends. Depending on the time of year, there is more of one nationality. Now, in the low season, most of the clients are German, British and nationals. The hotel has also positioned itself well in the Dutch, French and Italian markets. Having such a powerful brand as Ibiza, we also have clients from outside Europe, many North and Central Americans, as well as some from Asia and Oceania. In season, in fact, we receive many Australians and New Zealanders who travel around Europe. In addition, the congress tourism in which we specialize is by nature very varied.
Congress tourism
-Did Torre del Mar bet on congresses and conventions from the beginning?
-Yes, when the hotel opened we already had some small rooms. In 2000, we renovated the hotel and added three convention rooms with large capacity and advanced technology. Now, with the latest renovation, even more. Work on the Convention Center began in 2020 and was inaugurated in 2021.
-Was there a before and after the Convention Center?
-We could say yes, because we went from having a capacity for events for 250 people to 500 people. We took advantage of the space in the halls to build thirteen new rooms and we built an annex for congresses and conventions. We can also serve large celebrations.
Enhancing the low season
-Does the second phase of the Palacio de Congresos benefit or harm Torre del Mar?
-We absolutely support the project because it is a different product from ours. We have the capacity to cater for a maximum of 500 people. We are the largest on the island and then there is no other place in Ibiza that can accommodate more multitudinous events, so we see it as something very necessary for the Ibiza destination to reach more congress audiences that we are not able to reach now. It is a complement and directly benefits us all, because those people have to stay somewhere. It will benefit more those who are closer, but also us because part of the clients will stay here or some complementary activity will be held here. We have the capacity to host gala dinners for up to 350 people.
-Is opening all year round a pipe dream?
-Yes. Besides, the months we close are good for resting and making the necessary adjustments to the hotel. In fact, we have few vacations, because when we close at the beginning of November, then there are a few weeks of work left and we almost go into December. And by opening in March, we are already up and running in February.
-Is there room for growth in the low season?
-That’s what we would like. In summer we go to the limit. We are betting on growing in March, April, October and, God willing, one day in November.
-Talking about November sounded like science fiction not so many years ago in Ibiza.
-That’s right. We have made great strides in deseasonalization. Fourteen years ago, the hotel was open five months a year. Now we are open almost eight months. This is appreciated by the client, who can come at other times of the year, and by the staff, who have more months of work. The peak months are the slowest, but then the numbers are not so important, but the benefit for the clients and the Ibicencan people. That is the difference between an independent family hotel that does not depend on a third party, and the hotels that depend on a third party, which have the yoke of profitability in the final numbers. Fortunately, a hotel like the Torre del Mar, family-run and so consolidated, can have other values besides economic profitability.
-Let’s talk about the destination. How do you see Ibiza?
-We have to take care of Ibiza. We have to talk about sustainability first of all, because Ibiza is a limited territory that we must take care of. We must avoid bad publicity of Ibiza. Ibiza is a beautiful place, I love being from Ibiza and living in Ibiza and that pride has to continue. Those of us who are from here or live here have to maintain the good name of Ibiza at all costs.
We have improved a lot in excess tourism. The challenge is to put an end to the scourge of illegal supply . Hay que combatir todas estas irregularidades que tanto daño nos hacen.
-You have told me about a consolidated staff, so I imagine that your workers are mostly Ibiza residents and, therefore, they are getting rid of the staffing problems derived from the lack of housing so common lately.
-Unfortunately, we are beginning to notice it. Until now we have never had any problems, but this is the first year that we are noticing the lack of housing among the workers. In addition, when we expand the facilities we have to increase the number of employees, so it is becoming more evident.
