Meet the Hoteliers: Dawn Hindle, owner of legendary Ibiza party hotel Pikes
If you've ever been to Ibiza, no doubt you would have experienced a night designed by Dawn Hindle.
Along with long-term business partner Andy McKay, Hindle co-founded super-club Manumission and is the creative director of Ibiza Rocks, before buying Pikes Hotel from another White Isle icon, the late Tony Pike.
Famous for being the backdrop to Wham's Club Tropicana video, Pikes is a living, working piece of rock n roll history. Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, George Michael, Julio Iglesias, and Grace Jones are former guests and Freddie Mercury threw his now-famous, epic, three-day 41st birthday bash there (there were gallons of champagne, guests were reportedly offered cocaine sprinkled on their cornflakes in the morning and the fireworks display could be seen 90 miles away in Mallorca).
Now in the hands of another Ibiza legend, Pikes Hotel has gone through a few changes (it now throws an annual literary festival and has plans for a wellness retreat called Rockovery), but it still channels the same soulful, hedonistic charm that keeps devotees flocking back year after year.
Here, in our new Meet the Hoteliers series which aims to shine a light on the brilliant people behind the places we love, we chat to Hindle about her most-loved travel destinations...
Your favourite place in the world to go on holiday:
Joshua tree in California. The desert is a place of ultimate relaxation and contemplation, it's pure heaven. There is a great little place a friend owns called the Desert Yacht Club, I love to stay there when I go or the Little PioneerTown motel next to Pappy and Harriet's restaurant. Ultimate desert vibes.
Other than your own, the best hotel in the world:
I love staying at Petite Hermitage in L.A. It’s the perfect place to explore the city, ultimate mini bar and a great hangout and chill out vibe. It actually really reminds me of Pikes in many ways, with its cool clientele, Mediterranean aesthetic, great service, pool vibes and great food.
Your favourite little-known, secret hotel in the world:
I absolutely love the artist community of Can7 on Formentera off the coast of Ibiza. It's the ultimate boho on the beach vibe. Formentera is like Ibiza was 40 years ago - so peaceful, few people and cars but some of the best waters in Europe to swim in.
The most heartwarming thing a guest has ever said to you:
It feels like home. We hear it a lot. We have clients that come back four or five times a year and they actually feel like family. A big dysfunctional family!
Best part of your job:
It rarely feels like at job, more like an eternal excuse to wake up in Ibiza, the place most people escape to, to get away from everyday life. It's literally Club Tropicana on tap, everyday.
Maddest request you’ve ever had from a guest:
We once had a group of Americans over from LA who requested four hookers and 10 grams of coke in check in. Even we were utterly shocked!
Tell us about a time you cried happy tears in your hotel:
The day we managed to buy the hotel, after renting it for five years, from the founder Tony Pikes, who sadly died at 82 last year. It meant we could finally make it ours. My partner at the time said he had bought it for me because he knew how much it meant to me - although actually we both paid for it - possibly the most romantic gesture.
Best view in the world:
I love an elevated view and usually go to the highest view point in a city to get a grounding to explore the landscape and extent of the horizon. My favourite skyline has to be Manhattan, either from Brooklyn Heights or the top of the One World Trade Centre building.
Best meal you’ve ever eaten and where:
I recently ate at the Park Hyatt in Toyoko with DJ Harvey and his girlfriend, Sam. It was impeccable both in service and quality. It's the hotel I would most love to live in! The New York bar has live jazz and stunning views of the city. It's opulent and decadent and a perfect contrast to the madness of Tokyo.
Your favourite city:
New York every time. It’s the electricity, the energy, the cultures, the buildings, the food, the districts, Central Park. All packed onto a tiny island.
What’s next on your travel wish?
Hawaii for a low key, beach experience. Or Costa Rica for a bit of exploring.
Most beautiful beach in the world:
The Maldives, even seen from just getting in the sea planes and flying low over the islands. You don’t even need to touch the sand to understand the beauty.
Most treasured childhood holiday memory:
I remember a very early family trip to the Isle of Man. It rained a lot and I love rain. I vividly remember having kippers for breakfast; the intense flavour, strange texture and colour of them. I still love them to this day and it takes me back there every time I eat them.
Your ultimate bucketlist destination:
At age 10 my son, Zachary, wrote his bucket list and number one was breaking into North Korea. So because I promised all my kids the holiday of their individual desire, I would have to say it's making his bucket list dream come true. There is one specialist North Korea company and I’m seriously looking into it.
Best place in your own country for a staycation:
Barcelona, Soho house for a city staycation. An agrotourismo in the Sierra De Tramuntana mountains in Mallorca for ultimate relaxation.
Finish this sentence:
Travel makes me feel… alive.
The Pikes Cocktail books, Rock ‘n’ roll cocktails from one of the world’s most iconic hotels; published by Ryland Peters & Small, 30 June 2020, £16.99
