Opening its doors for its second season is the stylish, modern LGBT hotel with a purple theme, The Purple. The first and only hotel of its kind in San Antonio, the hotel provides a unique venue for the gay community with sparkling accommodation, a restaurant, two bars and a courtyard area and pool to chill out in.
All rooms are bright, mainly white and airy with the hotel's trademark colour purple featuring throughout in the fixtures and fittings - always in a tastefully balanced, never overbearing way. Each room boasts large queen size beds for both double and single occupancy, with complimentary Wi-Fi, air con, satellite TV and private bathrooms.
This year most of the staff are gay: The Purple prides itself on its welcoming and cosy atmosphere and its clear that they want guests to feel at home. Plans are in place to make this stylish hostel into a nexus for the LGBT market, using its bar and restaurant area as a meeting point for gay travellers and the local community.
Open from May to the end of September, manager Dirk is keen to keep it open as long as people want to come. Weekly events will be on the menu, with a Purple Pool Party featuring retro 70's and 80s music in the planning. He says: “The LGBT market has been overlooked and we saw a great opportunity to do something that wasn't just about clubbing and drinking, of course guests have easy access to that if they want it. We have had some very positive comments so far and we are continually working to make things even better.”
Located in central San Antonio, The Purple is close to much of the action in the town. It is walking distance to the Paseo Maritimo waterfront and the famous Sunset Strip. Anyone staying here also has easy access to the famous strip of gay bars in Ibiza town, via buses which run 24/7 at the height of summer or by taxi.
The colour scheme throughout is supremely funky with lime green, bright yellows, hot pink and of course Purple. Its Pinch of Purple restaurant features traditional dishes like hamburgers and sandwiches with some more local Mediterranean style food as a complement. The hotel also offers quality full English and continental breakfasts at all guests' disposal. There are two bars, one inside and one outside, so people can choose to sample one of the hotel's delicious cocktails poolside and you can also dine outside al fresco. The choice is yours.
The Purple is a great oasis for relaxing and simply having fun – you might find you never want to leave.
WORDS | Julian Heathcote
