Ibiza Gran Hotel Hotel

Ibiza, Spain

The high level of luxury, including a stellar restaurant, governing procedures at a design-led resort on Spain‘s most chilled Balearic island does nothing to diminish the free-spirited style synonymous with Ibiza

For a masterclass in understated luxury, look no further than Ibiza Gran Hotel, where design-driven spaces, show-stealing views and outstanding food are on the agenda. The scene is set on arrival, with sleek marble notes, glass accents and, hanging from above, a huge, site-specific art installation by Mallorcan artist Antoni Esteva: Fecundació (fertilisation). The work joins 400 bespoke art pieces waiting to be discovered here.

Then to your suite, where private balconies offer views spanning Ibiza’s marina and across to the Unesco-listed Dalt Vila (Old Town). Inside, 187 rooms and suites have all the space to play, plus Diptyque products, Jacuzzi-style bathtubs and, in some, a pool for room-side plunges. Cabanas and sun loungers gather around two main pools – the
upstairs version is an adults-only affair – where you can order grilled seafood from the Pool Restaurant in between dips and trips to the hydrotherapy-style Open Spa.

Service is so natural you barely notice it – and that’s before you consider the food. Reimagining Ibiza as a go-to destination for the epicurean, the hotel’s flagship restaurant La Gaia holds Ibiza’s first Michelin star. Here, Óscar Molina’s extravagant tasting menu pulls out all the stops, calling on Mediterranean and Spanish produce and Asian
influence. Expect flavourful bites of goats’ milk, pistachio and honey, oyster tempura, grilled lobster, a Balearic Black pork trilogy and chocolate and citrus dessert. There’s also Zuma, the modern Japanese pop-up restaurant, perched on the rooftop for more informal evenings before, perhaps, trying your luck at Casino de Ibiza below.

Culinary excellence continues come breakfast: pick from chocolate-dipped croissants, oysters and champagne on ice, and made-to-order omelettes. Days might be spent shopping at the marina, marvelling at ancient architecture in the Old Town, taking guided hikes or boat trips and wine tasting at nearby winery Can Rich.

Most importantly, perhaps, is that amid the luxury and superlative gastronomy, the relaxed, bohemian feel that defines the white isle never gets lost in translation.

Doubles from £411. 00 34 971 806806, ibizagranhotel.com

Words by Megan Dickson.

This review was taken from the August/September 2023 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.