Montesol Experimental - Ibiza Town

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this pioneering hotel in Dalt Vila and unpacked their floaty daywear and glow-under-a-blacklight nightwear, a full account of their mostly sophisticated getaway will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Montesol Experimental? by the capital’s marina…

It’s hard to believe there was a time when beloved holiday hotspot Ibiza didn’t have a place for hedonistic revellers to snooze in after danced-away nights, but this was the case until 1933, when the island’s first hideaway Montesol Experimental opened its doors. With art deco styling, an expansive roof terrace with all-around views of the old town, marina and leafy promenading spot Paseo de Vara de Rey – plus elegant Café Montesol – it started at the top of its game and stayed there when the competition rolled in. It spent a few brief forays as a military barracks during the Spanish Civil War and World War II (lucky soldiers), but largely it was a magnet for celebs, royals (Orson Welles, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Pink Floyd are among the most notable) and guests with similar aspirations to spend genteel breaks, exploring the capital’s café culture, wine bars and historical intrigues with sojourns into the undeveloped countryside. 

And now, this Unesco Property of Cultural Interest has been taken over by the super-cool French Experimental group – the empire of chic hideaways, beach clubs, restaurants and bars that sprang from the Parisian cocktail club. So, you may see a few more sleepyhead club kids at breakfast. The balcony-studded, lemon-hued, neo-colonial façade and chatter from tables spilling out onto the terrace remains much the same, but now the rooftop will ring with live music as you work your way through a sure-to-be-iconic cocktail list, and the downstairs restaurant – remade over by group designer Dorothée Meilichzon – will serve Med-Israeli cuisine from the noted chef behind London’s Palomar and Paris’s Balagan. You can still step back in time in the rooms and suites, where Spanish designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán has restored rooms to their deco decadence in dark woods and luxe finishes, but with further updates planned, this is a stay that keeps innovating while remaining an important Ibizan landmark.