Thanks for all the great recommendations so far! A bit of background. I'm travelling with my 20 year old Daughter. She is studying abroad in England this semester and has an extra week off in May in addition to the 4 weeks she has off for spring break. She speaks spanish and portugese, and she is interested in Spain or Portugal. She already spent a long weekend in Madrid, and loved it. We'd like to go somewhere with a great resort, but also a little bit of nightlife. Good service is really important to me. A nice spa would be great, but not required. Good food would be important. My Daughter has a self catering dorm in Leeds, so some good meals she doesn't have to cook would be a real treat for her.
They are big hotels, so may be slightly lacking in terms of service personalisation, but they tend to have some rather well-appointed suites, often with cutting-edge design themes (the Puerta America in MAD is a bit like an art gallery). I've stayed at the Al-Andalus in SVQ, and have made frequent visits to the roof bar of the Puerta America in Madrid, and have had uniformly positive experiences (but please note that I am nowhere near as fussy/detail-conscious as others on this board).
With regards to choosing a destination, I really can't like the Costa Del Sol- I know there are some nice places there, but the whole place feels a bit vulgar to me. I also think that in May the nightlife will be better in cities than around the beach. Maybe go to Valencia that combines both?
Of course, VLC doesn't seem to have any real high-end hotels (and the Silken property there looks rather pedestrian), with the exception of Las Arenas, a LHW member which looks good on the website and has quite good write-ups on tripadvisor (though I haven't even been to VLC- something that will change soon- and consequently I can't personally vouch for said hotel).
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Thanks for all the great recommendations so far! A bit of background. I'm travelling with my 20 year old Daughter. She is studying abroad in England this semester and has an extra week off in May in addition to the 4 weeks she has off for spring break. She speaks spanish and portugese, and she is interested in Spain or Portugal. She already spent a long weekend in Madrid, and loved it. We'd like to go somewhere with a great resort, but also a little bit of nightlife. Good service is really important to me. A nice spa would be great, but not required. Good food would be important. My Daughter has a self catering dorm in Leeds, so some good meals she doesn't have to cook would be a real treat for her.
Both places i can party like a Rockstar and eat like a king
Im 25 and marbella has some good nightlife spots and restaurants heres a few spots! The spa at Marbella club hotel is very relaxing and has a large range of treatments and there are many restaurants around the harbour
Luxury hotels and Spain do not really go together. However, for better than average quality, try the Hospes group of hotels - they have some very nice properties all over the country, including Mallorca.
Otherwise, Spanish city hotels are not great. Best resorts are on Mallorca - Hospes Maricel, Gran Hotel Son Net.
I agree with this. Even the supposed good city hotels (like the Hotel Arts in BCN) are not terribly good value and have spotty service. Unless, of course, you simply give in - and then places like the Maria Cristina in San Sebastian begin to look good...
03 April 2009 Spanish hospitality group Fuenso, creators of the greatly admired Hospes Hotels, is launching its second hotel brand Quilibra Hotels. Quilibra Aguas de Ibiza, the first Quilibra hotel, opens in Ibiza on 26 March 2009.
Quilibra concept balance and freedom
Quilibra Hotels are modern, urban hotels which offer leisure and business guests spacious surroundings in harmony with nature. The Quilibra philosophy combines technology with a strong ecological stance, employing the latest eco-design techniques to create natural, soothing environs. Central to the Quilibra concept is the creation of a healthy relaxing environment with pure air, natural light and sound-pollution control.
The goal is to escape the artificial atmosphere associated with urban hotels and instead leave guests feeling revived and refreshed within natural surroundings.
The first Quilibra Quilibra Aguas de Ibiza
Located in Santa Eulalia del Riu, 15 minutes from Ibiza airport, Quilibra Aguas de Ibiza is a 36 room and 76 suite hotel with views over the seafront. Fuenso choose Aguas de Ibiza to be the first Quilibra as the existing design was completely within fitting of the Quilibra concept. Original architecture, spacious public areas with contemporary design elements and the use of natural materials are at the core of this hotel. Sustainable practices are employed across the hotel from low-energy ventilation systems, electric cars, herb gardens, recycling and minimal plastic usage.
Through seamless, bespoke service each guest is treated as an individual and rooms are chosen according to the guests needs rest or revitalisation to ensure the Quilibra experience sets the standard for their future hotel experiences.
The hotel features three in-door swimming pools all with sub-aquatic sound systems, a Bodyna spa and wellness-centre dedicated to the therapeutic properties of sea water and a Senzone restaurant offering traditional Ibizan food with a modern twist.
Facts and future plans for Quilibra
This new five star hotel group will include hotels that range from 90-120 rooms and will sit within the same price bracket as its sister brand Hospes. Following the opening of Quilibra Aguas de Ibiza, the second Quilibra will open in Murcia, Spain in 2010. Further to this, Quilibra are looking to expand into Northern Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The target for Fuenso is to have 30 hotels across the Quilibra and Hospes brands within the next ten years.
No - I'm not really into villas unless they are part of a hotel. I also worry about Mr Branson's ability to run hotels. He runs a great airline, but my experience of the hotels he has operated has not been good.
Thanks for all the great recommendations so far! A bit of background. I'm travelling with my 20 year old Daughter. She is studying abroad in England this semester and has an extra week off in May in addition to the 4 weeks she has off for spring break. She speaks spanish and portugese, and she is interested in Spain or Portugal. She already spent a long weekend in Madrid, and loved it. We'd like to go somewhere with a great resort, but also a little bit of nightlife. Good service is really important to me. A nice spa would be great, but not required. Good food would be important. My Daughter has a self catering dorm in Leeds, so some good meals she doesn't have to cook would be a real treat for her.
Somewhere that fulfills all your requirements is Hospes Maricel on Mallorca. Contemporary but accessible style (historic building, modern interiors), close to the nightlife, nice new spa, excellent food. Right on the edge of the sea, with a great pool. Service, for Spain, is pretty good.
We decided to go to Lisbon instead. We'll be staying at the FS in Lisbon. My Daughter has been to Spain a few times already while she has been in England, so we decided to go somehwere neither of us has been. My D is also studying Portugese as a 3rd language, so this will give her an opportunity to use it.
I found the service at the FS Lisbon to be outstanding. The location is unbeatable, and the staff extremely friendly.
Have a great time!
edit: If you're looking for a really special place to eat, I can highly recommend Olivier Restaurant in the Barrio Alto. A wonderful setting and excellent food. A bit pricey, but well worth it.
We decided to go to Lisbon instead. We'll be staying at the FS in Lisbon. My Daughter has been to Spain a few times already while she has been in England, so we decided to go somehwere neither of us has been. My D is also studying Portugese as a 3rd language, so this will give her an opportunity to use it.
Thanks for all your great suggestions!
Last edited by jcherney; Apr 24, 09 at 11:11 pm.
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