a ----- # Ibiza: Can Lluc boutique hotel ## Hidden in a beautiful Ibizan valley, Can Lluc is boutique hotel with traditional roots. ![Can Lluc is one of several luxury boutique hotels that have sprung up on Ibiza in recent years. ][1] Can Lluc is one of several luxury boutique hotels that have sprung up on Ibiza in recent years. 5:19PM BST 23 Aug 2010 There's nothing I enjoy more, or that raises my expectations more quickly, than when I see a sign to a luxury hotel that points down a rough and bumpy farm track that's never seen sight or smell of tarmac. Can Lluc, slap-bang in the rural centre of the island near the town of Sant Rafel, is one such example. Don't get me wrong. I've nothing against the more obvious comforts of the world's most modern five-star hotels and have been lucky enough to stay in a good few of them over the years. But, ultimately, from the starched uniform of the concierge to the cool marble under foot, there is always a personal home- from-home touch missing from the well-known international chains. Can Lluc, hidden away in a beautiful valley carpeted with pine trees, olive groves and almond trees, couldn't be more different. The property is one of the most recent examples of the growing movement of rural hotels, which have returned to the roots of Ibizan culture. In part a response to the heady growth of the island's resorts, the past decade has seen the opening of about 30 luxurious boutique hotels that have been converted from run-down fincas (farmhouses) built in the traditional Ibicencan style. Most are located in remote rural areas and surrounded by land that has been put to good use to grow organic food, which is later served up to guests from top-class kitchens. ## Related Articles * [Agroturismo: Can Lluc][2] 05 May 2011 The personal touch is very much in the forefront of Can Lluc's style. The hotel's owner, Lucas Prats, likes to greet new arrivals personally and make sure their needs are met. The pride he takes in the hotel and everything it offers, from the design of the rooms to the superb food served up by the kitchen, is evident from the moment you meet him. "The property has been in my family for generations," he told me at breakfast one morning on the sun-drenched terrace overlooking the swimming pool and the valley beyond. "I remember this farmhouse so well as a child. At the time I lived with my parents in what is now Can Jaume, another property we have restored and rent out, but this is where my grandparents lived. I never actually stayed the night - there were too many animals to accommodate! - but I loved this house and still do. My grandfather lived here until he died a few years ago at the grand old age of 99." The original finca was built in the 19th century but had fallen into disrepair. "There was no electricity and no bathrooms," Lucas told me. "In the winter the sheep from neighbouring farms would break down all the fences and eat all the vegetation." Lucas wanted to restore the property and decided that the only way he could afford both the initial renovation cost and the ongoing upkeep was to turn it into a stylish boutique hotel. It opened in May 2003 with just two rooms but the total has now grown to 12, ranging from standard doubles with stone walls to superior doubles with Jacuzzis and a terrace. Not forgetting, of course, the gnarled and beautiful old sabina pine beams that are so typical of Ibiza's traditional old farm buildings. A modern spa has also just opened with[ ][3][**a personal yoga teacher**][4] on hand who comes highly recommended. There are many impressive walks to be enjoyed in the surrounding forest, which in the winter months is covered with the spectacular white blossom of the almond trees. Lucas has also created a small vineyard on the finca's 25 acres and grows the muscatel grape, which is usually used for dessert wines but which he keeps unsweetened and serves to his guests as a delicious alternative to the imported wines in his cellar. The overall result is a hotel with a unique atmosphere that blends in with the rural surroundings but at the same time provides all the facilities expected of a top-class hotel. "When my grandfather was alive, this valley was very arid," said Lucas, showing me the cage in which his grandfather kept a songbird to remind him of the sound. "Now we have an oasis in the middle of the island with trees and the sound of birdsong around us every day of our lives." [X][5] Share & bookmark Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz [What are these?][6] * Share: [Share][5] [ ][7] [ ][8] [Tweet][9] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/796043 0/Ibiza-Can-Lluc-boutique-hotel.html Telegraph ## [Ibiza][10] * ### [Sponsored »][11] * ### [Travel »][12] * ### [Spanish Tourist Board »][13] External Links * ### [Tour Spain][14] * ### [Ibiza Mundo Activo][15] * ### [Can Lluc][16] [X][5] Share & bookmark Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz [What are these?][6] Share: * [ ][5] * [ ][7] * [ ][8] * [Tweet][9] * ![][17] [Ibiza Videos »][18] ### [Watch videos from Ibiza][18] [![Sant Joan Festival Ibiza][19]][18] Get a sneak preview of some of the amazing things you can see and do on a holiday in Ibiza, from agroturismo hotels and summer festivals to mountain biking, kayaking and outdoor yoga. ## [Ibiza hotels »][20] ### [Ibiza: Agroturismo hotels][21] [![A recent celebration of Ibizan culture has brought about a rise in Agroturismo hotels][22] ][21] The recent celebration of Ibizan culture has found powerful expression in the growing number of agroturismo hotels. ### [Ibiza: Can Lluc boutique hotel][23] [![Can Lluc is one of several luxury boutique hotels that have sprung up on Ibiza in recent years. ][24] ][23] Hidden in a beautiful Ibizan valley, Can Lluc is boutique hotel with traditional roots. ### [Festivals in Ibiza][25] [![Ibiza's festivals are both important cultural events and a great excuse for a street party. ][26] ][25] From the festival of Sant Joan to the Festes de la Terra, Ibiza's festivals are vibrant, colourful and often deeply moving. [1]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01701/can-lluc- ibiza_1701582c.jpg [2]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/ibiza-videos/8494651 /Can-Lluc-Agroturismo-Hotel-Ibiza.html [3]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/7960344 [4]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/a/7960344 [5]: # [6]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-article- What-are-these.html [7]: mailto:?subject=A Telegraph reader thought you would be interested in this article&body=Depending on your email program, you may be able to click on the link in the email. Alternatively, you may have to open a web browser, such as Firefox or Internet Explorer, and copy the link over into the address bar. %0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/ 7960430/Ibiza-Can-Lluc-boutique-hotel.html %0A%0AFor the best content online, visit www.telegraph.co.uk [8]: javascript:print() [9]: http://twitter.com/share?via=Telegraph [10]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/ [11]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/ [12]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/ [13]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ [14]: http://www.spain.info/en_GB/ [15]: http://www.ibizamundoactivo.com [16]: http://www.canlluc.com [17]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01454/in-association- wit_1454531a.gif [18]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/ibiza- videos/ [19]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01887/joansum_1887883e.jpg [20]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibi za/7960430/Ibiza-Can-Lluc-boutique-hotel.html [21]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/5918728/Ibiza- Agroturismo-hotels.html [22]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01688/IBIZA- hotels_1688555e.jpg [23]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/7960430/Ibiza-Can-Lluc- boutique-hotel.html [24]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01701/can-lluc- ibiza_1701582g.jpg [25]: /sponsored/travel/spanish_tourist_board/ibiza/7960404/Festivals-in- Ibiza.html [26]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01701/ibiza- festivals_1701576e.jpg