Located on Santa Eulalia beach, the ME Ibiza hotel is a refuge for families and partygoers who want downtime with a buzz during their stay on the Balearic island. Jenny Southan reports
Earlier this summer, my wife and young daughter did a two-week trip to Ibiza, renting a car and moving from hotel to hotel to compare and contrast a variety of hospitality experiences. We even stayed two nights at a farm on Airbnb, although that was a little too rustic for my liking.
After a few nights at the Nobu hotel, near Pacha nightclub, we moved to the ME Ibiza, which is on the east coast of the island and is much more peaceful. Saying that, Nikki Beach is right next door to the hotel so those wanting to dabble a toe in the party atmosphere can do so.
That’s not to say that the ME Ibiza is lacking a buzz. It’s got personality and a convivial atmosphere with a central pool providing the focal point for the beachside block, and a rooftop bar for sunset cocktails with a view. Although it’s modern, it also features stylish interior design and quirky artwork (the Nobu was pretty bland in comparison).
With stays from £330 during high season, we thought it offered excellent value for a five-star hotel. We were also impressed at how welcoming they were of us as a family (Ibiza is know for embracing the LGBTQ community but the staff at this property were also super thoughtful and kind to our daughter).
There never seemed to be any confusion about the fact we were two mums. We were pleased to find there was a kids’ club on-site (although this could do with a bit of a revamp). For toddlers there is also a decent expanse of lawn with swing chairs to spend time in.
The ME Ibiza has ten room categories ranging from compact Aura rooms to expansive suites with outdoor terraces. The top ones even come with private pools. We were staying in a Chic suite with a balcony in a prime position in the centre of the hotel, looking down on the pool and with a beautiful sea view.
In addition to an open-plan bathroom with a freestanding egg-shaped bath and a double walk-in rainshower, there was a large walk-in wardrobe, a dining area and a sofa bed at the end of our own bed that was made up for our daughter to sleep on. She loved it. (She also devoured the fruit platter that they left in our room on arrival.)
In the evenings, my wife and I took it in turns to put our daughter to bed while the other went downstairs to eat an early dinner. Then we swapped over. The benefit of having a terrace or balcony when you have a young child is that you don’t feel you are missing out – you can order a G&T while your son or daughter is asleep and read a book. (The ME Ibiza also does great room service pizzas.)
One evening we also had a sunset supper together at the ground-floor Origens restaurant – the staff were relaxed and happy to bring a few food items that were off-menu (we were vegetarian and there wasn’t much in the way of meat/fish-free dishes). The breakfast buffet was abundant, though, with an overwhelming choice of fruit, smoothies, pastries, cereals, yoghurts and hot items.
I was also appreciative of the fact that one evening I needed to do an important Zoom call and they organised for me to have access to one of their meeting rooms. It was a little echoey but I was grateful of the privacy as couldn’t do it in our room.
The only downside to the beachside location of the ME Ibiza is that there is a lot of seaweed – you can jump off a jetty into the sea, though. It’s not necessarily the best for kids but our daughter was more than happy to be in the pool, which is surrounded by loungers and double beds.
Although the hotel is not a wellness resort, you can get a Thai massage in a room cabin the entrance. The therapist was very good but I felt the environment itself (a kind of shed-like space) could be elevated and even expanded.
As the editor of Globetrender, I am always on the look-out for innovations – at the ME Ibiza, I discovered they have a partnership with low emission charter boat company SAY Carbon Yachts. (You can read more about them here.) I was also pleased to find they have refillable bottles of bathing products in the room.
VERDICT:
A great all-round lifestyle hotel, especially for Millennial parents who don’t want to feel they are missing out on all the fun.