Arguably one of Ibiza’s coolest hotels, Wersha Bharadwa checks in to OD Talamanca and finds a five star luxury honeymoon hotel with plenty of style and maximum chill.
Location
Relaxation comes in droves at OD Talamanca – mainly because of its location in Playa De Talamanca, a quieter, upmarket residential area situated only 50 yards from sandy Talamanca Beach, one of the island’s most gorgeous bays in the South East. Here, even though you’ll find a smattering of cute bars, beach clubs and cafes, the quieter side of life rules.
You’re in the best place literally for a walk to the seafront (mere minutes away), leisurely, romantic strolls into the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ibiza Town (half an hour away on foot) and for exploring Ibiza by car.
The airport is just a short 15 minute taxi ride away from the hotel, as are the beaches in Es Cavallet and Playa D’en Bossa. You can easily walk to the upmarket Botofoch Marina and hop on a boat to Formentera for the day too. A bus which travels direct to Ibiza Town can also be found 25 metres up the road from OD Talamanca.
First Impressions
The scene is set to leave formalities as soon as you rock up at OD Talamanca. Belonging to the Spanish OD group of boutique hotels, it’s the group’s third hotel in Ibiza after Ocean Drive Ibiza and chi-chi boutique property, Can Jaume.
They’ve turned the place in to an impressive, illustrious and funky escape ideal for honeymooners who are also arts and culture connoisseurs. While a major pull may be the location, visually, the hotel interiors are just as attractive.
Designed by Mayte Matutes, the hotel revels in tasteful and serene natural tones and just as you’d expect from a five-star, the amenities are first class. It’s tough to fault the stylish 70s standout minimalist property (a former block tower, redesigned by acclaimed Catalan architect, Victor Rahola).
Filled with fashionista excellence and suave service to match; this is the kind of grownup jazzy establishment helping to keep Ibiza’s image as a prominent ground for emerging and midcareer artists locally and internationally to come and showcase their talents.
Throughout the season (the hotel is open between April until November each year) OD Talamanca also hosts exhibitions featuring the works of international and local painters and sculptors too. The lobby and gift shop are all peppered with artworks guests can purchase and the surrounding décor on the ground floor is tastefully muted to allow those works to stand out to full effect.
After our hire car is parked (complimentary parking is available for all guests staying at OD Talamanca) by the valet, extremely gracious staff greet us on arrival in the airy, high ceilings of the contemporary and light filled lobby which has an indoor-outdoor feel and leads temptingly right to one of the main pools.
The reception staff are only too happy to hand us chilled glasses of fizz, and once our bags are swiftly taken up to our room, they help curate a few experiences as well as our table bookings for dinner and breakfast during our stay.
The three high-end split level pools are truly out of this world and like a pick your own adventure of what kind of pool day you fancy. The main spacious pool on the hotel’s ground floor has a DJ spinning a laid back chill-out soundtrack, and there are often pop up pool-side fashion shows hosted here too.
More gorgeous loungers and complimentary pool towels can be found at the Rooftop pool which offers colourful vistas of the Dalt Vila, the beach and the Mediterranean Sea and a Ceviche bar. It’s also the perfect spot to sink your teeth into a cocktail from the Sky Bar and watch the sun set or rise especially if you’ve decided to sample the white Isle’s famed nightlife.
And about that, should you be inclined to head over to Pacha or any of the other upmarket super clubs, OD’s wonderful concierge can organise VIP tickets for you. Even better, the hotel is fully committed to eco-friendly practices with a high-tech geothermal energy system providing heating and sustainably-sourced bamboo and cedar wood in all the design elements.
Rooms at Od Talamanca, Ibiza
The suites are the coolest and straight out of a design magazine – albeit one that is an A grade lesson in contemporary Scandinavian style. All sharp lines and Euro chic, you’ll be sure to raise the romance in your own modern Ibizan fairytale.
All of the vast 117 rooms exude a sense of calm and serenity with inviting white and mushroom-toned walls and low hanging mood lighting. You needn’t worry about booking a room a with the best view either; many offer paradisical views of the glittering Med and so are perfect for honeymooners on every budget.
Balconies are made up of floor-to-ceiling glass doors that slide back access your own private outdoor area and are thoughtfully covered with Plush midnight blue black-out curtains that echo the hues of the plump sofas, retro mid-century Danish and Eames chairs and ottomans in the living areas.
Flatscreen smart TV’s come with Netflix and every room is equipped with a Nespresso machine and tower stereo. The beds are so good you may risk not wanting to getting out and are bedecked in buttery cotton sheets and marshmallow soft Egyptian cotton, while bathrooms come kitted out with huge tubs for wallowing in, powerful overhead monsoon showers and twin sinks.
Book for the free mini-bar alone where inside, fresh milk, more chocolates, bottles of quality sparkling Cava and still spring water, and premium beers all wait to be guzzled. We were especially lucky to have been gifted lots of free stationery, and thoughtfully, and in a wonderful tribute to how OD Hotels embrace all things tech, a Bluetooth mouse and complimentary SSD memory storage banks for uploading photos onto.
It’s the small touches that make a stay truly memorable and that OD Talamanca have thought out all these wonderful extras so considerably is welcome touch. Couples booking into a duplex suite – essentially a huge two storey apartment – which come with a separate living rooms, separate service entrances, full kitchens, jacuzzi bathtubs, steam showers, huge wrap around terraces and a rooftop private plunge pool – also have use of complimentary Smart Cars for the duration of their stay.
Food at Od Talamanca, Ibiza
The main ground floor restaurant overlooks the main poolside area and serves Mediterranean style tapas and casual plates for lunch used sourcing local, seasonal ingredients. Most of the offerings are super health conscious too and there’s an extensive juice bar you’ll love tucking into – try the organic smoothies, they’re divine.
The piece de resistance is the OD Skybar which encompasses, an ultra-cool secluded roof top pool (which we always seem to have all to ourselves), a stylish bar and a fine dining eaterie offering panoramic views of the skyline.
As it’s all about the views and the drinks at the Sky Bar, expect lots of laid-back relaxation as you sample your way through the menu and enjoy panoramic views across Talamanca Bay, the Dalt Vila and on cloud-free days, right across to Formentera too. Starters of freshly caught rock oysters are faultless as are beautifully presented mains of Wagyu beef filet steaks.
They do an excellent job on the desserts too; try the white chocolate bombe – it’s a creamy creation perfect to gorge on and best shared between two. An impressive wine list matches the menu and servers Sergio and Carlos are super knowledgeable and helpful in guiding you with pairings.
Theologian Thomas Aquinas claimed that eating too early in the day was sinful and self-indulgent, so here, breakfast is an absolute gluttonous feast of edible wonders available every day right up until the guilt-free time of 12pm (a treat for frazzled newly-weds in need of some lie-ins after a wedding party blow-out).
OD’s famous pancake and waffle station goes far beyond the ordinary offerings of maple syrup, Nutella and strawberries berries. Here the toppings are a full-on sweet shop style display of edible spoils including gummy cola bottles, marshmallows, Haribo’s and super-sized jelly worms (we’re talking Willy Wonka epic level offerings here too btw).
Parents staying at the hotel with children may not be impressed, but rest assured this treat is for you; maybe after you’ve downed too many sangrias the night before and need to balance your sugar levels or if you’ve spent the first few days here on a wellness and detox cleanse and need a little wiggle room.
What You’ll Love
- Charismatic staff are aces in efficiency with most coming back to the hotel every season.
- The private library is open for guests staying at the hotel and features daily newspaper as well as international magazines and design and art journals
- If you’re up to it, there are daily yoga sessions over by the rooftop pool and hotel guests can explore the Island’s many beauty spots by borrowing complimentary bicycles too.
- OD Talamanca also hosts special painting masterclass events with artists and wine tasting events – be sure to enquire when making your booking
How to Book
Visit OD Talamanca, 28 Calle de Jesus, Playa Talamanca, Ibiza, Spain. To book your room directly, visit www.odtalamanca.com or email [email protected] or call (+34) 971 311 912. Jet2holidays offer 7 nights room-only departing from Birmingham from £1,349 per person based on 2 adults sharing, including a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers. For more information, visit www.jet2.com or call 0800 408 5599.
Getting to Ibiza
Jet2.com offers friendly low fares alongside honeymooner friendly flight times to Ibiza from ten UK Airports, including Birmingham Airport and London Stansted Airport. Flights start from £36pp one way including taxes. As one of the UK’s leading airlines, Jet2 is also currently offering 32 weekly flights to the Balearic Islands under its new 2023 expansion programme and 32 weekly flights to the Canary Islands too. This will add onto flight programmes to existing favourite destinations for summer 2023 including Antalya, Rome, Halkidiki, Crete (Heraklion) and Tenerife.
Online Booking
Booking online is simple with the options to upgrade to seats with extra legroom (recommended for the shopping you’re likely to do in Ibiza town) and add in up 22kg baggage allowance for a checked in bag/ suitcase. You can pre-order hot meals for the flight too.
Check In
Check in at Birmingham Airport is a breeze with extra helpful staff on the desks. The in-flight team are cool and collected, helping passengers with storing luggage in overhead lockers, safety demonstrations and later on with snacks and drinks too. It’s worth upgrading for access to the beautifully-designed Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2.
Interior of Plane
The plane interior is light and clean with warm and super friendly staff who help make boarding quick for passengers on our early morning flight. The seats are comfortable enough to nap in and stretch your toes underneath for a short haul flight. We’re really impressed and highly recommend the airline and flying from Birmingham is a cinch too.
Jet2 Holidays
Jet2.com, Jet2holidays and Jet2CityBreaks all operate from UK Airports including Birmingham Airport and for summer 2023, new routes will include Amsterdam, Prague, Krakow, Budapest and Nice.
With award-winning customer service, Jet2 Holidays is now Britain’s biggest tour operator for sun and sand holidays. The company offer high quality holidays with many leading five star hotels with flights, transfers and accommodation including OD Talamanca, Hostal La Torre and Cubanito in Ibiza.