Plans for a “NEW” San Antonio

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The problem is that whilst the rest of the island has moved forward San Antonio and Playa den Bossa haven't evolved at all. Part of this is down to the bar owners being confronted with the same customers year upon year wanting the same experience they've always had, but part of it is also short-sightedness on the part of the bar owners AND the Consull. The bar owners need to change their business model but without incentives from the Consull it will be difficult to acheive especially if the bar owners think that even if they do spend money and change things the West End and other areas will still be swarming with looky men, prostitutes, pick-pockets and other assorted scumbags, and likewise with Bossa. Both sides need to meet in the middle and reach some sort of agreement for the benefit of the island as a whole because if you remove the bulk of the tourists from those two areas it's likely to leave a huge hole in the islands economy made worse by increased unemployment levels in both areas. And, with fewer tourists it's also likely that the motley bunch of scumbaggery mentioned above will increase in intensity if there aren't so many people around to pick on.

One thing worth mentioning though is TropiQ in the West End which transformed from a tiny little trance bar into a nice little cafe bar and for their first season they did really well. It's the way forward I believe.

Needs to be a big increase in Police numbers in San An to clampdown on the scum elements, you then get a nicer town for everyone and can start nudging the bars and clientele in to something better.

Hoping that bars will just willingly spend money to gamble on a new concept that might alienate their customer base and lose them custom won't work. It has to be a more gradual change.
 
The problem is that whilst the rest of the island has moved forward San Antonio and Playa den Bossa haven't evolved at all. Part of this is down to the bar owners being confronted with the same customers year upon year wanting the same experience they've always had, but part of it is also short-sightedness on the part of the bar owners AND the Consull. The bar owners need to change their business model but without incentives from the Consull it will be difficult to acheive especially if the bar owners think that even if they do spend money and change things the West End and other areas will still be swarming with looky men, prostitutes, pick-pockets and other assorted scumbags, and likewise with Bossa. Both sides need to meet in the middle and reach some sort of agreement for the benefit of the island as a whole because if you remove the bulk of the tourists from those two areas it's likely to leave a huge hole in the islands economy made worse by increased unemployment levels in both areas. And, with fewer tourists it's also likely that the motley bunch of scumbaggery mentioned above will increase in intensity if there aren't so many people around to pick on.

One thing worth mentioning though is TropiQ in the West End which transformed from a tiny little trance bar into a nice little cafe bar and for their first season they did really well. It's the way forward I believe.

good to hear about tropi
 
Needs to be a big increase in Police numbers in San An to clampdown on the scum elements, you then get a nicer town for everyone and can start nudging the bars and clientele in to something better.

Hoping that bars will just willingly spend money to gamble on a new concept that might alienate their customer base and lose them custom won't work. It has to be a more gradual change.
a customer base for 6 months would be better then the 2 month they are busy

they need to up the game unfortunately they won't
 
a customer base for 6 months would be better then the 2 month they are busy

they need to up the game unfortunately they won't

Absolutely, but if you owned a 'trashy' Westend bar that had made you good money over the years would you gamble right now on spending thousands renovating to either go upmarket, or in to a restaurant or cafe/bar in this uncertain climate?

You risk putting off your regular customers, with no guarantee new 'upmarket' customers come and spend enough to take their place.

There has to be some sort of incentive such as grants, or at least a plan from the council of 'this is the vision for the area, join in' before these Bar owners invest in their premises.

The council seem to know they want rid of the current 'trashy' nightlife, but im still unclear on what they want to replace it. Is it young upmarket 'VIP' guests, older guests, families?

I don't feel San An can move upmarket until the crime is sorted out, 2018 was the worst i've known it for pickpockets, prozzies and general hassle on the streets day and night.
 
Well, been there in 2017 and 2018. So, not that much, but enough to know it's not Orlando (where I go every year with my girls).
No it's not Orlando, and imo thank feck for that. My one and only daughter went to SA loads when younger, no harm came to her, I guess it's because she is sensible :rolleyes:. Nowadays she takes me.....and pays for the drinks!!
 
"Family tourism" in San An? Jesus I would never bring my daughters in San An for a family vacation!

The Bay needs new investment and is ideal for family holidays. Decent beaches, bars and restaurants already there but need a boost in trade, and of course the chance for older kids (and their middle aged parents on the Ibiza rebound!) to catch the aqua bus to the Sunset strip and have a small taste of the club scene.

I can't see San An itself being a family resort, the beach in town is poor, far better options in other resorts. Even with a new promenade Cala Gracio is too far of a walk with young kids. Most of the hotels structurally couldn't take being turned for twin to family rooms without millions of investment. Pools are generally small etc.

Unsurprisingly in his 'Man in San An' blog Martin Makepeace describes the meeting the other day as chaos with no agreement on the way forward for the town.
 
No it's not Orlando, and imo thank feck for that. My one and only daughter went to SA loads when younger, no harm came to her, I guess it's because she is sensible :rolleyes:. Nowadays she takes me.....and pays for the drinks!!
I mean, I just can not imagine myself on the island with my girls, going to sleep before midnight and missing all the parties at Pacha, Amnesia or Hï. That would be way, way, way too painfull!
 
Needs to be a big increase in Police numbers in San An to clampdown on the scum elements, you then get a nicer town for everyone and can start nudging the bars and clientele in to something better.

Hoping that bars will just willingly spend money to gamble on a new concept that might alienate their customer base and lose them custom won't work. It has to be a more gradual change.
Like I say, the businesses and Consull need to meet in the middle. Solid assurances from the consull in writing that they will clean the place up and help to work on new business models and the businesses need to give assurances that they will comply and put the hard work in. It's not rocket science and whilst the businesses can get bank loans large or small to help the consull can apply to the EU for regeneration grants. It's not just possible, there aren't really any excuses for NOT doing it.
 

Started reading and thought i'd disagree with the article, but by the end they make a sensible suggestion. The the hotels gradually refurb and move upmarket, attracting a better customer and the Westend then gradually adapts to be more of a glass of wine/cocktail and sit outside and chat type of place then it now.

But as ive said before the Bar owners in the Westend need help to do that with grants and a refurb of the streets. Opening a posh Wine bar right now would flop, the guests aren't ready for it, and it wouldent be nice sit outside a posh wine bar with the current lively nightlife going on around it.

I hope the council can find a way to help the long established Westend bar owners who want to adapt and change.
 
Started reading and thought i'd disagree with the article, but by the end they make a sensible suggestion. The the hotels gradually refurb and move upmarket, attracting a better customer and the Westend then gradually adapts to be more of a glass of wine/cocktail and sit outside and chat type of place then it now.

But as ive said before the Bar owners in the Westend need help to do that with grants and a refurb of the streets. Opening a posh Wine bar right now would flop, the guests aren't ready for it, and it wouldent be nice sit outside a posh wine bar with the current lively nightlife going on around it.

I hope the council can find a way to help the long established Westend bar owners who want to adapt and change.

But nice wine bars exist all around the island already... The west end is the one street where nearly all the cheesy types of bars are concentrated across Ibiza. Everyone knows what it’s about and plenty of people love it - especially a lot of the younger workers in San An who can’t afford to drink anywhere else.

Whilst I wouldn’t necessarily like to see the west end expand from what it is now, it has come to represent a classic peice of modern Ibiza culture - for better of for worse, depending on your viewpoint. Leave it as it is, the island definitely doesn’t need another gentrified strip of unaffordable, pretentious wine bars in my opinion.
 
One thing worth mentioning though is TropiQ in the West End which transformed from a tiny little trance bar into a nice little cafe bar and for their first season they did really well. It's the way forward I believe.

I have to say, this was awful news for me. For me, musically, ibiza is trance and they've now forced out the only bar I can hear it in for yet another restaurant :(
 
I have to say, this was awful news for me. For me, musically, ibiza is trance and they've now forced out the only bar I can hear it in for yet another restaurant :(

Tropicana opposite still plays trance, it was meant to be Thursdays only but every night we went there it was always trance :) Owned by the same people as Tropi too so the same faces are still around :)
 
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