Arriving at the Marina Playa Apartments, there was a definite feeling of the unexpected. Here you find a smart and stylish-looking place to stay where modernity meets comfort - the two are not always necessarily intertwined, in these apartments it is.
Entering the bright white, airy reception you are greeted by an aura of calm and peace where at check-in, the receptionist immediately puts you at ease with a very warm welcome. In fact, this is one of the aces of the hotel, that of having a great and friendly staff; you get the feeling that everyone who works there wants you to have the best holiday possible.
Whilst calm is what greets you inside, the outside is lot more livelier. The “Aperture” terrace is long, sweeping and gorgeous and where some great Ibiza sounds wait to waft over you. Guests here are looking for something that's that certain cut above more regular places to stay and that is what you get.
ROOMS WITH A VIEW
Great sea views with the sea reflected in the swathes of turquoise
There's also a restaurant and brand new bar on site, both just down below at street level. All around, there's also a bunch of other restaurants to eat at and turning left or right you can easily get into the bay area of San Antonio itself for more restaurants or the buzzy nightlife.
The room was a lovely revelation: lots of space, two big very comfortable beds, a sizeable balcony, a lovely bathroom with lots of great bathroom products and all around lovely swathes of turquoise against white, a signature of the Marina Playa. Then, there's the view: a big wide expanse of bay that is the most delicious panorama you could hope for. Being on the fourth floor, our view was uninterrupted, majestic and serene.
Greeting us on arrival was a handwritten note sat atop two champagne flutes that wished us a good stay and pointed to a little gift, a welcome bottle of cava chilling in the fridge. What a welcome and only in the first half hour of being there. It's one of those personal touches that the hotel likes to do for guests when someone is celebrating a birthday or anniversary of some kind. We popped open the cork and sipped on the cool sweet nectar as we enjoyed those marvellous views. Paradise found.
LITTLE PIECES OF HEAVEN
A window on the world from bed and balcony
The apartments all have a kitchenette with hot plates, a microwave, good sized fridge and plenty of room to prepare a nice meal. This gives guests flexibility on when and how to eat and the balcony area certainly makes for a lovely spot for a sunset dinner.
Later, we slipped down to spend some time on the terrace to check out the facilities there. Lined around all the outside are those big Balinese beds, that are little pieces of heaven. In between are rows of sun loungers, plus there's a pool and a fabulous open bar.
Sipping on a cold San Miguel beer, we sank back onto one of the beds, whilst we listened to some cool beats. A shisha lady passed by to see if we fancied a bit of North African relaxation, whilst my friend decided whether to have a massage or have her nails done - or both - in the booth in the corner. Relaxation, tick!
BAY VIEW BLISS
The evening we went, it was time for the weekly “Flowers” party, when after donning the obligatory Hawaiian-style garland we got into the fun, dancing and just enjoying those Ibiza good vibes. Non-guests are welcome to join in the fun, which makes for a great and vibrant pre-party spot before heading out into the night.
Here is one of the best vantage points to get the famous sunset of San Antonio Bay and indeed on the night we went, a magnificent light show of bright orange was there just for us.
An excellent breakfast buffet is put on each day in the big reception area. A pretty cart is full of pastries, fresh fruit, hot food, plus yoghurts, hams and cheese - in fact whatever you want is there to start the day. Available till midday, you don't have to bother getting up too early either.
This was also the first night that the hotel's new bar, Torö was opening and we were keen to check it out. Torö looks like one of the smart joints that you find in the centre of Madrid or Barcelona, with its blue and yellow tiled walls. Again, the staff is lovely and super friendly and helped us in deciding on what to try.
The food is light and fresh with some great salads, wraps and fun sharing things like nachos. A great stop for whenever you don't want too large a meal. That said, you could always choose more than one thing per person, we did.
By day San Antonio has a world of boat trips and watersports to tempt you. Being right opposite the charming beach of Es Pouet, you don't even have to go very far if swimming in the sea and chilling out is what you came to do.
INTO THE NIGHT
If you need to go on from here, the location is a dream. A taxi rank is right next door to the apartments or you could walk the short distance to places like Ocean Beach or the bay bars and even head into San Antonio for a night at one of the super-clubs.
With lots of things on site and close-by, you might not go too far from this lovely bay oasis. This was a terrific stay in a place where we were made to feel nice and super special.
If you want a swish pad with peace and fun at the same time - and be near to everything, the Marina Playa Apartments makes a superb choice.
