The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel

About The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel

The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel suits travellers who want the long beach and the late nights of Playa d'en Bossa without a long transfer. Couples who move between sand and pool, groups drawn by the music behind the beach, and families who want Ibiza Town within easy reach all fit the same address. The building is five-star, and its position south of the capital keeps the run from the airport short, which counts on a weekend break as much as on a fortnight.

The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel is a five-star hotel, not a resort or an apartment block, so the stay is built around a front desk that stays open, listed bars and restaurants, and an outdoor pool with a pool bar. Guests have scored it 4.6 out of 5 across 429 reviews. Expect a full-service operation: concierge, housekeeping, room service and a long list of extras that runs from massage to a night club on site.

Location: Playa d'en Bossa

Playa d'en Bossa is the longest beach on Ibiza, and the big clubs stand directly behind the sand. The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel sits on the Carretera Playa D'en Bossa, about 0.8 km from the beach in a straight line, so the sea is a short walk rather than the end of the garden. The street itself is a strip of hotels, shops and places to eat that keeps going late in summer.

Walking covers the beach and the surrounding streets, though the return is hot at midday in August. For Ibiza Town and Dalt Vila, about 3.6 km away in a straight line, a bus, a taxi or the hire car arranged at the desk is simpler. Talamanca bay lies 5.3 km off in a straight line and needs wheels. High summer brings traffic on the coast road and a beach that fills early; May, June and late September are calmer, with warm water and fewer queues.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms at The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel are listed with air conditioning, a balcony, a desk, coffee, a minibar, a safe, a TV and a telephone, plus a bath, bathrobe, slippers, a hairdryer and toiletries. Couples can treat the balcony as the evening's first stop; families should ask which configurations sleep everyone comfortably. Late arrivals are covered by the 24-hour front desk, wake-up service, luggage storage and room service, and non-smoking rooms are listed for those who want them.

The wider list covers an outdoor pool, a pool bar, a fitness centre, a jacuzzi, massage, a solarium, a beauty salon, bars and a night club, all on site, which means a wet afternoon needs no planning. Shuttle service, parking and car rental appear too. Confirm with the property which room types face the sea, whether pool use is included in the room rate, how parking is allocated in August and what the shuttle covers.

Getting there

Ibiza Airport (IBZ) lies 3.1 km away in a straight line, so the transfer at either end of a trip is brief. A taxi is the simplest option with bags, and the car rental service listed at The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel covers those who want a car from the first hour. Buses link the airport with Ibiza Town, Sant Antoni, Santa Eulària and the south beaches, with more lines in summer; check the island bus operator for current times.

Ibiza Town port is 4.2 km away in a straight line, with ferries to Formentera (La Savina), Palma, Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia. For Formentera, the crossing to La Savina takes about 30-35 minutes on a fast ferry and about an hour on a conventional one, with frequent sailings in season and fewer in winter; check the operators. Flights and ferries thin out from November onwards, so build the day around the timetable rather than the other way round.

Beaches, sights and food nearby

The sand at Playa d'en Bossa begins about 0.8 km from the door in a straight line and runs long enough for a proper walk. Talamanca, a calm shallow bay across the marina from Ibiza Town, is 5.3 km away in a straight line, and the dunes of Ses Salines are 5.7 km off, where the salt pans are still worked and the natural park has protected the juniper and sand since 2001.

Two sights sit within easy reach: the Phoenician-Punic necropolis of Puig des Molins at 2.9 km in a straight line and the walls of Dalt Vila at 3.6 km, both part of the UNESCO listing of 1999. Eating out means island cooking, bullit de peix or arròs a banda served in two courses, fresh fish and rice dishes, with the beach strip and Ibiza Town holding most of the choice.

A day from The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel

Start with a swim at Playa d'en Bossa, roughly 0.8 km away in a straight line, before the sun is high and the sand is busy. Return for the pool and the pool bar, then take a bus or taxi the 3.6 km to Dalt Vila and walk the Renaissance walls up to the cathedral at the top, with the harbour below and the roofs of Ibiza Town spread out. Come down through the old town for a coffee before the afternoon heat settles.

Later, drop into Ibiza Town, 3.6 km off in a straight line, for a late lunch, then return to the hotel for the jacuzzi, a massage or a session in the fitness centre. Evenings belong to the beach strip: a drink at one of the listed bars, dinner on site, then the night club on site or the clubs behind the sand, with a taxi back if the walk feels long after midnight.

Practical tips

Much of the island's tourism business closes roughly from November to April, so confirm the opening dates of The Unexpected Ibiza Hotel before booking a winter stay; the main towns stay open, but flights and ferries are fewer. July and August are the peak. The Balearic sustainable tourism tax is charged per person per night by the accommodation, at rates that vary with the type of property and the season and are reduced in low season and for longer stays, with children under 16 exempt; check the Govern de les Illes Balears for current rates.

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