Ibiza

STANDING confidently on the north-west coast of Ibiza, Amare cuts a striking presence — white-washed, tall, broad and surrounded by swaying palm trees. 

Deliberately designed to follow the bend of the bay, the 4-star hotel benefits from unbroken views of the bluest of oceans, and I just couldn’t get enough of them. 

I was visiting for a long weekend — eager to soak up everything the White Isle has to offer, but with some much-needed downtime, too. 

Amare Ibiza was just the ticket. 

Every sleek room has been thoughtfully designed with light fabrics and local limestone that bring subtle drama as well as specific music and fragrances.  

This isn’t style over substance, though. Handy USB ports sit next to the bed, balconies face the ocean so the views are always spectacular and rooms come with a mini-bar, meaning you won’t need to wander far for a drink after a wild night out at one of the island’s famous superclubs.

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I was staying in a “Keep The Secret” room, which had a smart design that maximised the space and allowed light to pour in. Whatever room they are staying in, guests are waited on hand and foot. But those after a more premium experience can book a room in the hotel’s “The One” category. 

This will give you access to a private lounge where you can enjoy complimentary drinks, as well as a robe, Molton Brown toiletries and a coffee machine. 

The invisible army of housekeeping and maintenance staff do an incredible job of making the hotel look great.  

And the food and drinks here was a highlight across the board. 

There’s a swanky rooftop for fine dining, a casual evening buffet and award-winning sushi — tuna sashimi and spicy margaritas are a match made in heaven.  

Breakfast is right on the money, too, and well worth waking up for.  

Although if you have stayed out until the early hours, fret not, as Amare has taken Ibiza’s lifestyle into consideration and the service runs until 11am every day. 

The buffet has manned stations for personalised omelettes, pancakes and waffles, and there’s every topping for toast you could imagine, plus pastries, yoghurts and fruit, all regularly replenished. 

Fancy a little hair of the dog? You can knock back a Buck’s Fizz with your brekkie, as well as the typical tea, coffee and juices. 

And when you’re ready to explore the island — whether by day or night — take advantage of the excellent concierge cab service. 

Regular boat taxis run to San Antonio, too — and they’re much cheaper than road taxis.  

The historic Old Town, with its winding streets, panoramic views and restaurants serving some of the best grub on the island, is just a 30-minute taxi away. 

And from the Old Town marina, you can head off to the island of Formentera for the day, or hire a boat to cruise around the bay.  

My group chose a classic sailboat and it was the perfect way to take in Ibiza’s distinctive rocky coastline and clear blue waters — and experience a side that most visitors don’t.  

Our skipper took us to a deserted cove, providing a chance to swim while lunch and drinks were prepared.  

It was a welcome moment of peace away from the usual crowds. 

What Amare does so well, however, is make it so very hard to want to leave. 

With those stunning sunset views every evening, as well as an excellent spa and free rooftop yoga sessions, this spot is undoubtedly the perfect antidote to Ibiza’s party side. 

A HAPPY Mondays star has been forced to cancel work and an Ibiza holiday – as they revealed their mother is in hospital after a fall.

The singer, 60, performed with the iconic alternative dance band across two stints.

Rowetta – ful name Rowetta Idah was part of the group from 1990 to 1993 and again from 2012 to 2024.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a photo of her mother lying in a hospital bed, sipping a drink.

Rowetta captioned her post: “Apologies to friends & family but my mum has had another fall.

“She has 3 broken ribs and her left lung needs to heal, so I won’t be on here much and studio & Ibiza are on hold.

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“She’s in a great place so hopefully back soon.”

One person commented: “Thinking of ye both. I hope she gets better soon.”

Another wrote: “Wishing her a speedy recovery and sending you lots of love, strength and courage.

“Please do get in touch if I can help with anything.”

A third said: “Hope she feels better soon.”

Aside from her work with the Happy Mondays, Rowetta is the vocalist on 1989 track Reach Out.

It has since been sampled by other artists including The Black Eyed Peas and Steve Angello.

Meanwhile, Rowetta competed on The X Factor‘s inaugural 2004 series, placing fourth and being the highest placed female contestant.

When partygoers in Ibiza were enjoying a fun evening of drinks and good music, the last thing they expected was for a 90s icon to take to the stage and start DJing

Ibiza is the perfect holiday destination for people who want to let their hair down and dance the nights (and maybe days) away. From Pacha to Amnesia, there are so many clubs to choose from that will guarantee you a good night filled with good music, and whoever is DJing is likely to put on a really good show.

But people were left gobsmacked when a woman got up to DJ in the party capital, and they realised who was performing. She’s a complete legend who has a whopping nine number one singles under her belt and two number one albums.

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She rose to fame with four other bandmates, and their hits included ‘Too Much,’ ‘Holler / Let Love Lead the Way,’ and, of course, if you hadn’t already guessed it, ‘Wannabe’.

But it was 52-year-old Mel C holding it down on the decks playing millennial banger after banger in Ibiza, and her set went down a storm with fans.

Mel C was bringing the vibes and the sass as she boogied in an outfit that showed her rock-hard abs – she is Sporty Spice after all.

Kevin Coundon, who posts on Instagram as @mr.kevin.at.home, shares lifestyle content and more, and on top of his video of Mel C, he wrote: “POV: Ibiza finally starts playing music for the millennials”.

First off, Mel remixed ‘King of my Castle’ by Wamdue Project, which came out in 1997, then a snippet of ‘You’ve Got the Love’ by Candi Staton was remixed, too. Then, the last snippet showed Mel C singing along to DJ Rui Da Silva’s ‘Touch Me’.

Kevin captioned his video: “Who decided Ibiza had an age limit anyway? Good music, an incredible crowd and one of those nights where you completely forget what time it is… and we did!”

In the comments, people raved about how much of a “legend” she is, saying “she was the most last Saturday” when they saw her DJing.

“Wow, I wish I was there,” someone wrote, with another saying that she was “an icon and goals”.

Another wrote: “What a night”. Someone else noted: “Our kind of party.”

A different social media user also said: “Always thought Mel would smash it as a DJ. Mixy Spice now. I liked her solo stuff.”

One more also responded: “That’s Sporty Spice? Wow, playing the tuuuunnnneeesss.”

A spate of ‘extreme weather’ in Ibiza has left many locals and tourists experiencing heavy rainfall, flooding and strong winds – and some are now worried about their flights home

A mum who booked a trip to Ibiza is having regrets after a spate of “extreme weather” has left her worried her “flight may be delayed”. Ibiza is widely regarded as the party capital of the world, with images of vibrant clubs packed with keen revellers moving to beats spun by world famous DJs most often coming to mind when hearing its name.

But that’s not all it’s known for – its pristine, serene beaches offer a breathtaking retreat for those craving a spot of relaxation; hikers are spoiled for choice with rugged yet scenic cliffs, coastal paths, pine forests and other dramatic areas; while the UNESCO-listed walled old town of Dalt Vila is a haven for history lovers; with plenty more on offer too.

It’s no surprise then that the destination is a top choice for a wide range of holidays, with its usually hot summers and mild, gentle winters making it a decent getaway destination all year round.

This August, however, is a different story entirely. A sudden change in sea levels has led to flooding, heavy rainfall and strong winds.

There’s been reports of locals and tourists alike bolting from Platja de s’Arenal beach, which can be found in the town of Sant Antoni de Portmany, while an event planned to honour the music of a Spanish rock band was cancelled by San Antonio Town Hall “for security reasons”, after the stage was surrounded by sea water.

The flooding followed previous warnings from weather chiefs on the threat of ‘mini tsunamis’ – or rissagas, as they’re known locally – due to hit parts of the Balearic Islands at the beginning of the week.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reported: “Mallorca experienced two minor ‘rissagas’, also known as meteotsunamis, in the ports of Andratx and Soller on Monday, as the Balearic Islands remained under watch for sudden sea level changes.”

How have holidaymakers fared?

Many visitors to Ibiza have shared their experiences of the “extreme weather” online. One mum captured footage of the pool area around her hotel, with winds whipping the palm trees and the cushions strapped to the sun loungers, and shared it to TikTok.

In text written over the top of the clip, the mum penned: “Go to Ibiza in August they said!!!” while in the caption, she added: “Think our flight may be delayed!”

In the comments section, fellow TikTok users were keen to share their thoughts. One person said: “I went in August and it was so sunny and hot 33 degrees.”

Another shared: “Mate last year we were caught in the worst storm’s Ibiza’s had in decades.”

A third said: “We are doing 12 hours in Ibiza with no hotel THIS SATURDAY.”

To which, the mum replied: “Saturday will be beautiful I’m sure! Don’t worry, it’s very rarely like this!”

But someone else said: “Everyone knows around this time of year there is a chance for extreme weather.”

And another agreed: “It rains every year by this time so it’s nothing new and won’t stop anything either.”

Another Ibiza-holidaymaker shared a light-hearted clip mocking herself after sharing envious clips of her getaway before being “humbled” by the torrential downpour.

In the caption, she explained: “Yesterday: ‘Basically, I’m in Ibiza… and you’re not.’

“Today: Ibiza humbled me. We held out under that umbrella for FAR longer than was sensible before admitting defeat!”