There is nothing like a spontaneous trip to a beautiful island. When The Wolf suggested we take a holiday to Ibiza and Formentera…I was overjoyed. Sun. Sand. DJ’s.

YES it was a short (8 day) trip and YES it was at the end of July. We knew it was going to be busy. But we could survive busy, right? We booked 3 hotels – 2 nights in Ibiza town, 4 nights in a quieter area of the island and 3 nights to unwind and relax on Formentera before coming home. It was a bit more running around than we usually would do, but we wanted to see everything.

Here are my observations about the islands and the hotels…what they promised and what they delivered.

IBIZA

Hotel 1: Ushuaïa aka The Party Zone
What it promised: Super DJ’s night after night, the ultimate party spot.
What it delivered: A line up of DJ’s that blew my mind – and that finished at 11:30pm, which was super good for us oldies. Soundproof rooms. An amazing breakfast. Sea view from the room. Lots of matching leisure suits.
What it did well: Friendly staff, hotel guests get free entry to the gigs.
Would we do it again? 100%. We stayed in the tower: the “quieter” zone…hello mirrors on the ceiling, next time we would get a room with a balcony that looks into the club, because the club gets so packed (and I get wound up by pushy Gen Z’s). No pushing and access to your own bar at all times is a big win. But…you must be aware…everyone here looks like a professional athlete. In matching leisure suits.

Hotel 2: 7 Pines aka The Relax Zone
What it promised: Laid back luxury
What it delivered: Relaxation and nice drinks. Sea views. Sunsets and Es Vedra.
What it did well: Although it was booked to capacity, it never felt full or busy. We always got an umbrella and deck chairs and a seat at breakfast. The View restaurant was excellent and there was always poolside service. There is a separate pool for families. Sunset DJ’s played chilled out music. Less matching clothing.
Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. The only “negative” thing I can say is that there isn’t beach access from the hotel…it’s a little walk. Or, hire a bike from reception and go a little further afield.

In general, I liked Ibiza. It was not cheap, but it was fun and the food was delicious.

FORMENTERA

Hotel 3: Casa Formentera aka The Confusion Zone
What it promised: Physical, spiritual and emotional alchemy
What it delivered: A Saturday night party akin to an end of year high school blow out. Screeching, yelling and drinks served in plastic cups. This was not the alchemy we were looking for. We seriously considered moving hotels – even though we had paid in full, this was our first night and this was the most expensive hotel of our stay.
What it did well: The staff were helpful, friendly and really seemed to understand our complaint. The view is excellent and the rooms are cute. It is directly on the beach. Although Saturday was (in our minds) a disaster, Sunday and Monday night were vastly different. They actually delivered what the website promises. These nights were lovely.
Would we do it again? Probably not. Definitely not on a Saturday. The price value proposition was not up to it.

In general Formentera didn’t handle the crowds as well as Ibiza. In places it looks like a super yacht parking lot in the water and a nudist colony on the beach. I missed the matching leisure suits.

Have you been to these isalnds? What was your impression.