Meet the owners of Can Sastre

Can Sastre Ibiza, is one of the purest examples of an Agroturismo boutique hotel you will find on the island. Breath-takingly designed and a thoughtfully crafted restored finca, which is set in an idyllic and lush garden close to Santa Gertrudis – a jewel in the crown of the island’s hospitality that is steeped in history – and a reflection of how a place to stay can make you feel like you are visiting paradise. Surrounded by beautiful orange trees and rustic olive trees, vibrant bougainvillea, tropical palms, and fertile farmland its setting could not be more perfect.

 

Can Sastre came from the hearts and minds of owners, Raymond and Bibi, the couple that first opened the doors to this beautiful oasis in 2018, and since then it has built a formidable reputation as one of the most desirable places to stay for travellers from around the world. But what is their story? And how have they created a hotel with a loyal collective of returning visitors? Raymond and Bibi, the owners of Can Sastre, tell it how it is…

 

Moving to Ibiza

“We moved to Ibiza in 2017 after selling a beach club in Scheveningen, which is one of the eight districts of The Hague in the Netherlands, a modern seaside resort with long sandy beaches, and a very popular location in the area, we successfully built up the business for more than 12 years. After the sale we decided to rent an apartment in Ibiza to relax and take time away to restock and decide our next adventure. Together with our two young children we fell in love with the island. We explored and embraced what the island had to offer, using the time and the energy of the place, we began to really feel at home.
Their first opportunity came during this time, Raymond and Bibi tell us about the course of events that will lead them to Can Sastre, and to continue their new life in Ibiza.

 

Beachclub on Ibiza

“Together with friends from Holland we had the chance to take over a beach club in Talamanca. As we had a great deal of relevant experience with running a beach club, we decided to take the next step, with what we felt was a natural decision and to go for the opportunity.

 

Under the name of Rehab, we worked very hard, and we had an exceptional first season. But the biggest challenge we discovered was the the paperwork and permits required for a venture of this kind, it wasn’t as easy as we envisaged. We made the decision eventually that we didn’t want to proceed with the beach club, and we sold it. But our kids loved the island so much, as did we both, and we really didn’t want to leave it. Together we decided we would like to explore the option of managing a small hotel. We contacted a real estate agent we knew to begin the process of discovering what could be possible. Our trusted contact came back to us with a truly unique property that we just had to see.”

 

Beginning of the hotel

The decision to move into the hotel world for Raymond and Bibi was now beginning to take form, and alongside their detailed research and newfound love of Ibiza, the formalities of the next step for their journey really began. They continue…

 

“Without any expectations we visited the spot and immediately saw the potential. The previous owners lived there for more than 20 years and painted every wall in a different color. We had an immediate vision for this stunning place we had found and the excitement we felt was palpable from our first viewing. We were lucky to have some furniture from the beach club that we could use, because we needed to completely overhaul the place to make it work as a boutique hotel. In a very short yet intense ten days we worked with a team of twenty people to give it a completely new look and feel. The difference was huge. The transformation meant it was unrecognizable from its previous incarnation, and quite remarkably, on the 11th day we welcomed our first guests.”

 

It was this point that marked the successful beginnings of Can Sastre…

 

Feel at home

“Over the last three years we work hard to make our guests feel at home. Our main goal is they feel pampered, they experience a world away from their day-to-day lives, and that they feel at home within the walls of our hotel. It is the perfect place to unwind and recharge during their stay. We enjoy running the hotel every day, because it is so nice to constantly meet new people and see them enjoy what we have created. It is genuinely a labour of love for us, and we can see that our guests feel this ethos.

 

Running a hotel with a big garden requires a lot a work. Each year we work on the rooms and the garden. This winter we have also undergone further renovation on the reconstruction of some of the bathrooms and added some more touches with the furnishings.We recently added new heaters with timers to all rooms to create a more consistent and conscious heat on colder evenings and nights. We are also working on building our outside gym and a new playground for the children in our garden. We continue to evolve, we listen to guests’ feedback and take all of this onboard so we can to offer the best possible service. And when we see the return bookings, that is the biggest compliment we can receive. It makes us realise every day that the decision to create Can Sastre was the right one.”

 

Would you like to book your stay at Can Sastre Hotel? Have a look at our suites.