Described as “The Unexpected Hotel” in the hotel’s promotional material, Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel is certainly that. The resort includes three swimming pools, five restaurants and a wellness area. It mainly attracts party goers as it hosts the most exclusive parties and events where music is provided by the world’s most renowned DJs.
Arrive at Ibiza Airport and take the ten minute taxi drive to the hotel. At reception you are issued with a wristband, and I am not talking the tacky plastic neon ones that some all-inclusive resorts issue to guests to identify which board basis you are booked under. The Ushuaïa wristbands are quite unique. Mine had the title “The Queen” emblazoned across it, which was very apt given that the very definition of my name “Raj” is the queen. Great start!
The #SMARTVIB wristband must be worn at all times, it is personal to you and is non-transferable, I had no intention of giving it to anybody else, and wore mine with pride!
One of our pet hates when staying at hotels is keycards. We lose them on a daily basis, accidentally have them next to our cell phones which de-magnetizes them, and end up having numerous trips to reception to rectify this. Thankfully Ushuaïa has found a way round this and it’s all thanks to the wristband, swipe it at the lock and voila your door is magically open, absolute genius! Such a simple thing, and definitely something that all hotels should have.
The wristband also allows you to charge expenses, gives you access to events at the Ushuaïa Club, it is basically every traveler’s dream come true. No need to carry a single dime, as with one swipe of your band, key in your PIN and the expenses are added to your tab.
When you come to Ushuaïa you will find everything you need at the resort, they even have their very own fashion collection, with a boutique on site. The hotel is located on the beachfront in Playa d’en Bossa, and the sister hotel The Ushuaïa Tower is next door. There are 415 luxurious rooms and suites to choose from. We got lucky and were offered an upgrade to a lovely suite, complete with its very own transparent glass bathtub which was the centrepiece, and a fully stocked bar. There was not a miniature bottle of booze in sight. The solid granite in-suite drinks bar is stocked with full sized and super-sized bottles of the finest premium alcohol, referred to as a “maxi bar” at Ushuaïa the term “mini bar” is obselete. With a terrace overlooking the stage it is the best spot if you are here for a music event. The famous Ushuaïa symbol the humming-bird is printed on the fabrics, which were designed by Designers Guild. Bath products are by beauty skin care brand, Clarins.
The complex includes its very own Club with and if you wish to avoid the general public, slip in through the VIP entrance. You can basically go from room to Club in minus five minutes, no need to give a thought to queuing for a taxi to get back.
Ushuaïa hosts the world’s most exclusive music/dance events, despite this, we were actually there for the fashion, in particular to attend Mercedes Benz Fashion Weekender. And in typical Ibiza fashion, it was to showcase the crème de la crème of beach wear. Headlining designers including Melissa Odabash, Alvarno and Jorge Vazquez showed off the very best in swim wear in a very funky evening catwalk show.
The hotel staff are perhaps its most outstanding feature. It is almost as if a single member of staff has been assigned personally to you. We were very fortunate as we had the lovely Claudia looking after all our needs and catering for our every whim. I doubt that this is a service that is offered, it is just how our stay transpired. I guess we got lucky. Julita at reception was also most helpful, from the minute we checked in when she kindly upgraded us to the moment we left.
The downside was an experience at the Minami Japanese restaurant, we found the manager to be quite rude, and the food did not meet the standard we had experienced in the hotel. We tried not to let it color our overall experience, but it did ruin what had been a perfectly wonderful evening.
In the daytime head to Ushuaïa’s beach for a pre-party experience, there is a fabulous atmosphere, very laid back, relaxing and sipping on chilled champers, whilst enjoying delicious Spanish cuisine, seems to be the theme.
Ibiza has a reputation for being a clubber’s paradise, we found Ushuaïa to cater for clubbers and non-clubbers in equal measure. With wonderful staff, a great location and suite loving, we are very much looking forward to going back to this resort.
For more information, please visit www.Ushuaïabeachhotel.com