Grand Palladium White Island Resort and Spa

My friends and I visited here in October for a three night stay, six in total, to celebrate our 40th birthdays. The resort is clean, there are plenty of loungers, the rooms and clean and well maintained and the staff are quick to provide you with (strong!) drinks. The location is excellent - right on the beach (get up for the sun rising!). The food is also very good. Lots of fresh fruit and veg, huge variety and authentic dishes as well as cuisine for kids and more cautious adults. The ONLY negative thing about our whole stay was that the swimming pool was cold, but that's because we went in October!

I had never been to Europe and am not fluent in Spanish. As a vegetarian, I was also concerned that I would constantly be searching for meal options at restaurants. This was a great way to ease into the culture. The location is unbeatable and the entertainment keeps everything self contained if you choose to stay on property. Food- I'm not a foodie, but there was plenty of healthy variety. If you eat fish, the options were endless. We liked the Mexican and Italian restaurants as well. Room- We upgraded to the superior through Travelocity for a negligible amount of money. It was bigger than the standard room, but still a bit small compared to our Caribbean vacations. I don't think you can get these rooms with an ocean view. Transport- Take a cab for 10 Euro to/from the airport. Hop on the bus for about 5 Euro for 2 people. It goes everywhere you need to visit and leaves every 30 minutes or so. You can exchange money at the front desk for a pretty reasonable exchange rate. Beach- Nice views, soft sand, swimmable in warm weather. You can take a long walk and hit the famous Bora Bora free beach party. Spa- Book a massage and enjoy the spa pools for free. Pretty good massage, nice spa pools and sauna. Reasonable prices for a resort. Service- Fine. Its not what we were used to from Caribbean resorts. No one is going to fill your glass during buffet meals, but feel free to do it yourself. They will smile and greet you in the halls, but there's no one worried about making this the best vacation ever. If its a really special trip (it was our 10 year anniversary) plan things yourself and enjoy the island. Entertainment- The shows are fun, even better if you start drinking early. There's no disco so you're on your own promptly at 10pm. Probably not a problem if you're here for the nightlife because there are more bars than people downtown. Excursions- MOST IMPORTANT TIP- Don't pay for the excursions. They're not offering anything you can't easily do on your own. And it will be a lot cheaper and more fun. Ibiza is incredibly easy to navigate with a simple tourist map. Take the bus from the property to Old Ibiza Town and walk the streets for free. Maps are available at the tourist info booth on the dock. Hop on a ferry and go to formentera for $40-60 for two. Rent a scooter and see the coolest little island for about $18. Stop at a grocery store for bread, cheese, and wine- catch the sunset and go back to the hotel. Great trip- very good hotel.