Late September, I was supposed to travel to French Polynesia for a holiday of a lifetime. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing pandemic, that trip was cancelled two weeks prior to departure, so I had to look for a last minute holiday elsewhere. In the end, I choose Spain as a travel destination, where I enjoyed a wonderful time, despite some unusually rainy and dreadful weather. You can read my trip reports here:

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

Today: Review of Six Senses Ibiza Resort

Conceived by architect Jonathan Leitersdorf, Six Senses Ibiza is a year-round destination set in Xarraca bay, a long-hidden secret on Ibiza's northern tip. Integrated into its contours to enjoy unobstructed sunsets, the property features 116 guest rooms and suites. Six Senses Ibiza offers a comprehensive range of amenities and programming, farm-to-table dining, music, art, sustainable fashion, culture, longevity and wellness. Unfortunately, despite it being a brand-new Six Senses Resort, the property did not live up to its hype during my visit, and I would not advise to book a stay there unless it has sorted out its teething problems (which I am sure it will in the coming months, given all the bad Tripadvisor reviews the resort got over the past summer).

Six Senses Ibiza features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in Ibiza.

Have you ever stayed at Six Senses Ibiza? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

I made a YouTube video with my impressions of the hotel, which you can watch below:

In this review (more info and photos below my Youtube clip & slideshow):

LOBBY: FARMERS' MARKET RESTAURANT

LOBBY: FARMERS' MARKET RESTAURANT

SEA VIEW PREMIER JUNIOR SUITE

SEA VIEW PREMIER JUNIOR SUITE: BEDROOM

SEA VIEW PREMIER JUNIOR SUITE: TERRACE

POOL DECK

POOL DECK

SHORELINE

SIX SENSES IBIZA SPA

SIX SENSES IBIZA SPA

PIAZZA: HASALON RESTAURANT

*** Follow me on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter or Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

PROS & THINGS I LIKE
  • Located just 30 minutes from the airport, Six Senses Ibiza is tucked away in a picturesque cove on the northern tip of Ibiza. Famous for its laidback lifestyle and raw, unspoiled nature, the island's sleepier north side is a world away from the party scene and legendary nightlife on the southern shores. Ibiza's north side also has a reputation as a wellness and healing destination, offering several excellent yoga and spa retreats. Ibiza's quieter, more rural and calmer north side is also the place that most often is connected with the hippie movement and the bohemian culture. For example, the whitewashed hamlet of San Juan with its happy, hippy Sunday market is a 10-minute drive away from the resort.
  • Sprawled across a pine-clad hillside, the vast property is comprised of several pavilions which tumble down the cliffs towards the crystalline waters of Cala Xarraca Bay. Due to its hillside position, most hotel areas enjoy unobstructed and dramatic views of Ibiza's northern shoreline, the Mediterranean Sea, and spectacular sunsets. On top of the hill is the hotel's massive welcome pavilion, which houses the reception area and the Farmers' Market Restaurant. From here, a walkway leads to the hotel's central piazza, which is home to the main pool area, the activity center with library, and HaSalon Restaurant. Below the pool area, just above the shoreline, are the spa and caves rooms (more on that below).
  • Blending into its brilliant natural surroundings, Six Senses Ibiza is designed to look like an utopian village. The resort's unique exterior was conceived by architect, developer and owner Jonathan Leitersdorf, who drew on themes of spirituality, celebration and community. The result is a tactile Finca-style aesthetic which mimics the tonal colors and textures of the Balearics, from shifting rust hues of the walls that mirror those of the cliffs across the bay to bamboo-clad roofs that resemble Ibiza's traditional fisherman huts. All hotel pavilions are immersed in greenery with living roofs and bougainvillea trailing across walls, while the surrounding Mediterranean landscape is dotted with of lemon, fig and pomegranate trees.
  • Also designed by Leiterdorf, the Six Senses Ibiza's slick and understated interiors are largely inspired by the local landscape and traditional Ibizan craft. The resort's chic, contemporary dwellings are decorated in a soothing color palette dominated by rustic stone and earth tones. Public and private areas are fitted with the highest quality features, midcentury furniture and modern finishes, while natural materials like rattan, wood, leather cushions and woven fiber add an authentic touch. The walls of the hotel's corridors are adorned with classy Magnum black-and-white photograph. Design aficionados will be able to identify iconic furniture pieces like Michel Ducaroy's Togo sofas or Herman Miller's Eames chair.
  • Six Senses Ibiza features 116 guest rooms and suites, including a couple of cave suites built into the cliffs. For guests in need of more space, three-, four- and five-bedroom townhouses are also available, each with private pools, indoor-outdoor living spaces and garages. For my holiday at the resort, I had booked a 'Sea View Premium Junior Suite'. Featuring a locally-sourced décor, the gorgeous suite had a modern yet cozy atmosphere. A generously sized bedroom gave way to an outdoor sitting area and private rooftop garden terrace, providing extra living space from sunrise to sunset. The large ensuite open-plan bathroom was fitted with his and her sinks, a rain shower, and standalone bathtub. Floral robes by Milan-based brand La Double J were provided.
  • Leitersdorf's design of the resort was guided by the following motto: "a perfect day consists of 12 hours to connect with yourself and 12 hours spent with the rest of the world." As a consequence, half of Six Senses Ibiza's spaces are meant for solace and privacy, while the other half are dedicated to convivial, community socialization. The heart of the hotel's social areas is the main pool area, which features a fabulous infinity pool lined by two rows of comfy loungers. Curving alongside Cala Xarraca Bay, the pool decks enjoys some of the most spectacular views on the entire island and is in the sun until sunset. It's the perfect place to unwind with a book and order a cocktail, on condition that you are able to secure a lounger (more on that below).
  • Six Senses Ibiza offers four restaurants:
    • Located within the minimalist lobby is the Farmers' Market Restaurant. Replete with red Porsche tractor and a twisted ceiling-height olive tree, the venue is an informal all-day dining destination, surrounded by a juice & veggies bar, a coffee shop offering the Dalgona coffee, a bakery, a pizza stall, and a pinchos station.
    • Located next to the Farmers' Market Restaurant is Orchard, an outdoor venue with communal tables beautifully laid in the shade of our citrus trees. It's the property's most intimate dining venue, blending classic, local cuisine with Mexican-Peruvian cocktails.
    • Helmed by Israeli chef Eyal Shani , the resort's signature restaurant HaSalon showcases plant-based dining, hereby harnessing the island's natural abundance of ingredients - from avocados to watermelons, oranges, lemons and Ibiza rock salt. The venue features a stunning 50-seat chef's table in the shade of 100-year-old olive trees.
    • Beach Caves is a stunning feat of design and architecture built into the rock overlooking the sea on the edge of Xarraca Bay. The complex comprises a series of caves, including two dining rooms where Hip New York sushi outfit BondST offers a menu of sushi and sashimi alongside a range of Japanese-inspired dishes.
  • The highlight of the resort is the Six Senses Spa, which is built into the cliffs below the main pool area. From tailored treatments provided by global practitioners and expert yogic masters to multi-day immersive retreats, everything is centered around the wellbeing of guests.  Spa facilities include a steam room, hammam, indoor pool, and several treatment rooms along with a state-of-the-art fitness area, café and juice bar. The spa is also home to the Rose Bar, a one-of-a-kind destination for impactful longevity programs, combining diagnostics with nutritional guidance and modern healing methods. Outdoors there are massage catacombs with direct access to organic gardens, where ingredients for the spa botanicals are grown.
  • Powered by its own renewable energy source - up to 51 percent at any given moment – and with punchy zero waste and zero single-use plastic targets, the Six Senses Ibiza has sustainability at its core. The result is the Balearic Islands' first resort to achieve certification by BREEAM, the world's original and leading assessment of sustainability within the built environment. For example, 298 solar panels cover 10% of the resort's electricity needs and10 Olympic sized swimming pools of water are saved each year by using modern geothermal cooling systems. The property also supports a local hedgehog sanctuary that takes care of the spiky little animals populating Ibiza Island when injured or in need.
CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

Due to its spectacular views, fabulous design, brand new facilities, and management by the Six Senses brand, you would expect Six Senses Ibiza to be the best resort on the island. Unfortunately, it's not. I am writing this review with a heavy heart as I wanted to love the property so much but there are just too many kinks the resort needs to work out first before positioning itself as Ibiza's top hotel.

Read more of this post