My friend and I have friends living in the town centre so we needed to stay close by. I was very nervous about the fact this is a hostal with shared toilets (yes I am a divie) but was surprised with the quality of the place.

I bet we got the worse room in the place- we booked last minute and wanted a twin room (most of the very nice rooms are doubles).

Still the room was very confortable, two good beds, wardrobe, sink, mirror, air conditioning and a small window where you could see the church at the top of the hill.

Rooms were cleaned everyday, I left stuff everywhere and nothing went missing. The toilets were plenty and my friend and I always used the comunal showers and we never had to share it with anyone - despite the place beeing full.

The location is fabulous and although I went prepared with ear plugs It's very quiet to sleep... I guess their old buildings have very good sound insulation!

For breakfast, I loved to go to the plaza at the back of the hotel and have coffee with their fresh bread, rubbed tomato, olive oil and parma ham!

We were picked up at the airport by a lovely Agentinian guy and the lady at reception was always very helpful with information.

I stayed 11 days and didn't want to leave !

I didn't find anyone rude but I do speak Spanish :o)

Ibiza is expensive and if you want to stay in town it will cost you the same as a hotel on the outskirts on a half board basis.

However, if you really want to experience Ibiza and your budget allows - this is totally worth it!!

It required a lot of effort to make a reservation at this hostal – the online booking button on their site didn’t work; my initial email was not replied to; when I reached them finally by phone, they advised they had no internet connection that day, but not to worry they would get my email/reservation request the next day. I called a second time the following day and spoke with a man who said he would see that someone respond to my reservation request. Finally, the email arrived, to which I had to then send my credit card details to secure the reservation. 80€ per night, for nine nights. Serious money for a room in a hostel for one person, with no bathroom.

At this point I received another email stating that should I arrive after 22h00, it was obligatory to accept the hostel’s airport transfer as no one would be at reception. I replied, declining the arrival transfer and advising my airport arrival time of 4:10 pm. I also sent a further two emails requesting other information, which were not replied to.

Two weeks later, when I arrived at the hostel at 5:10pm, the woman at the front desk said she knew nothing about reservations or arrivals and when she called the owner for help, he didn’t respond. Apparently he was out in his boat. I asked if I could leave my bags, and come back at 7:30pm. She said I was welcome to, but that I might not be able to get into the hotel at 7:30pm as she wouldn’t be there.

Extremely exasperated, I left and found alternative accommodation close by.

The following day when I returned to request a refund, the Argentinian owner, Luis, stated it was not a proper hotel, but a hostel, so I shouldn’t expect reception to function at 5pm. Declining to listen to me explain for him the facts of the situation, he accused me of coming to Spain and only speaking English, and refused to speak any more English with me. Fortunately I speak Spanish, so I was able to respond as he proceeded to get more hostile in his native tongue. He said he could charge me for the remaining 8 nights if he wanted to, and suggested I report him to the Office of Tourism and the Police. He refused to refund the deposit.

This little gem of a hotel is quite somthing. We stayed here as it was central to everything we wanted for a quick weekend break and we left wishing we had booked at least as long again. This Hotel (its actualy a hostal but dont let that cloud your judgment) is a fantastic periodic place with each of its rooms restored to what i guess it was like in the 20th century, each room with its own theme.
Right in the middle of 'Vara Del Rey' you will not fail to be impressed by the constant 'trendy and sophisticated' yet relaxed and easy going atmosphere.
Added bonus was how fantasticly cool all the local bars and retaurants were - only trouble is you dont want to leave as they only really come to life about 10.30 so make sure you catch an afternoon siesta !
We have been coming to Ibiza for many years now as it is just a delightful island , and we will without doubt be using the 'Casa De Huespedes' again ....and again.

If you like a touch of culture, class and fun you will love the location. ....and for those braver than us, Pacha is only a short walk away.

We are booked to return in September for the local fiestas and some vino !

I would highly recommend this great little pension. Each room is throughtfully and individually decorated and, whilst they can be a little small, the rooms are more than adequate for a stay in the centre of Ibiza town. There are several bathrooms, meaning we never had to wait as in some hostels, and everything was extremely clean. The air conditioning works well and the entire hostel is kept at a very pleasant temperature. For those that do not like air conditioning, each room has a window and/or balcony door and there is an excellent ceiling fan. We experienced no noise issues despite the very central location (although we were out until early morning every night).

In addition to the very good standard of accomodation, Vara de Rey must be the best-located pension in Ibiza Town! It is right on the corner of the Marina where all the bars and restaurants are located. It therefore sits right on the edge of the stunning old town, in a pretty and quiet square. It is also located near the main street where all the buses run from (including to Portinax, Las Salinas and San Antonio (should you be crazy enough to venture to the dark side...) and the airport).

The pension's best asset its Argentinian proprietor, Lia. She is a fount of local knowledge and a real Ibiza veteran. Her enthusiasm and love of the island is contagious. She will recommend the best beaches, tell you how to get everywhere and even how to secure discounted club tickets.

Overall, remembering this is not a 5 star hotel and is ridiculosuly resonably priced, this is about as good as it gets!