Myself and three friends stayed in Ca n'Arabi at the end of July for 4 nights. It pretty much lived up to our expectations from our research online and TA reviews although there are one or two things to be aware of-more below.
Location
The agro-turismo is located in a small town/village outside Ibiza Town called Puig d’en Valls which took about 10/15 minute drive to Ibiza Town and only cost around €8-10 in a taxi. We didn’t hire a car so knew we would be using a lot of taxis over the weekend so for the most part it worked out well although sometimes we struggled to get taxis to come and pick us up as they were too busy and we would have to wait a while. When there were no taxi’s on one occasion to bring us into town, the hotel very kindly gave us a complimentary lift which we were not expecting. There was never any problems asking the staff to call a taxi for us and they were very accommodating in this respect.
Very rural and peaceful location (for the most part) and surrounded by orange, lemon and lime groves. Perfect for lounging by the pool during the day. This is the sister hotel of Can Jaume which is located further along the road Can Arabi is located on. It looks like a very similar set up to CA although we didn’t get a chance to investigate while there.
Accommodation
Even though we made our reservation in Feb/March this year there was still confusion on arrival. We had made a reservation for two twin rooms for four friends sharing. We arrived to be given two double rooms which although not the end of the world was not ideal especially as it was not a last minute booking and we were paying peak rates of €250 per night. After much discussion etc with the hotel staff we managed the next day to get one twin room which two of us moved too but the remaining two had to share the double for the 4 nights as we were informed there was no other availability. The hotel has a minimum five night policy in peak periods and even though we were only staying for 4 we were being made pay for 5 nights which we reluctantly agreed to when we made the booking earlier this year as the hotel seemed to suit all our requirements. However, as a way of apologising for the confusion over the room mix up etc the hotel did agree to waive the 5th nights cost so I guess that was something of a gesture.
One thing to be aware of is that we experienced alot of noise in the hotel generally early in the morning. Children are allowed in this hotel so if you are looking for adults only this is not for you. Do not expect to be able to lie in here as from the early hours of the morning you could hear everything from the adjacent rooms and those above from people showering and generally talking/moving about. There was also alot of general noise from the maids cleaning rooms etc. The maids also seemed to want to clean the rooms super early every morning which was not ideal and not really necessary. They missed the point that just because families were up and about at 8/9am did not mean everyone else was or if we were it was a case of just getting back after a nights clubbing! This was not ideal as we got to bed quite late most nights so wanted a lie in which didn’t prove possible. We were on holiday after all! Most afternoons spent by the pool were very chilled and peaceful although there were a number of small children around the pool area making noise one afternoon but thankfully we didn’t see them again during our stay. Some days we had the pool to ourselves which was lovely although I would hate to see it too busy as there were a limited number of loungers and day beds so you could turn up and not actually have a lounger.
There was a number of small supermarkets in the town of Puig d’en Valls itself which was around 15 minute walk from the hotel so easy enough to walk there to pick up some provisions.
Breakfast/Food Offer
Breakfasts are included in the advertised rate and are really nice. Lots of fresh fruits, pastries, cereals, breads and most importantly a Nespresso machine for those coffee lovers like myself! B/fast was served until 11am but they were pretty relaxed about this and you could often still eat it after this time. In addition during the day fresh fruit, cakes, water would be left out for people to help themselves. There was a lovely terrace to eat breakfast on or you could eat inside the main house/reception area.
Each room gets a complimentary bottle of water every day which was helpful. There is also a mini bar/fridge where there was enough room to store your own provisions too.
The hotel offers an array of snacks throughout the day and has a limited menu offering pizza and salads to hamburgers. We ordered a selection of food on two occasions and unfortunately it was really average and disappointing. It would be so simple to offer some fresh food and nibbles during the day which is what you want when you are chilling by the pool. I think this factor let the place down. The only reason we ordered food a second time was because we were so hungover and tired and couldn’t be bothered getting in a taxi to go someplace and eat but it was as average as the first occasion. It seems strange to me as the hotel offers such a nice breakfast, it’s surprising this standard of food cannot be provided during the day.
General Comments
Overall this hotel was great for its location and offering the best of both worlds ie rural location but close and cheap enough to get around as it was very accessible to Ibiza Town and other locations on the island by taxi if you do not intend to hire a car. However I have stayed in a number of agro turismo’s throughout the island over the years and taking all the factors into account I would probably look to stay elsewhere next time I am back in Ibiza but I would not completely rule this one out. The hotel could definitely improve in my opinion by creating more sound proof rooms, arranging for the room service to be carried out much later in the day so as not to disturb guests, more loungers/day beds/parasols by the pool and offering better quality of food/snacks during the day but I guess some people will not be concerned about things like this so it’s very much what type of hotel and set up you are seeking!
Good websites I found useful for hotels/restaurants/general etc are www.white-ibiza.com
and http://www.ibiza-spotlight.com/
Room Tip: I would request a room in the single level block on the way to to the pool-no first floor so less no...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC