lounge

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.

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. 

This spot, just a short stroll from the Long Beach Museum of Art Downtown, doesn’t bother trying to graft cafe culture onto the cat-visiting experience, choosing instead to double-down on a whimsical cat motif that includes kitty murals and paw prints splashed across interior and exterior walls. (If you need a caffeine fix, there is a Starbucks a few blocks away.) The central element inside the space is a wooden tree-like structure where you’ll find many of the 50-plus cats provided by rescue partner Long Beach Felines lounging or climbing, while others roam about, pouncing on toys, wiggling through fabric tunnels or prancing on a cat exercise wheel the size of a truck tire.

Up to 25 people can kick it with the kitties at any one time, and the 50-minute sessions can be booked online. Other offerings include: Cats & Mats yoga (offered one Friday evening a month), Crochet With Cats (one Sunday afternoon a month) and cat-accompanied sound baths. (An employee I chatted with said the crochet class, with its preponderance of dangling yarn, is particularly popular with the cats.)

Price: $19.99 for 50-minute sessions, which start at the top of the hour

Hours: Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (reservations end 1 hour before closing)

Pro tip: A shorter and less expensive option — $10 for 20 minutes — is available on a walk-in basis only at the top of the hour, depending on capacity.

A NEW premium economy seat is set to change the way you fly – with business class-like privacy screens.

Emirates has revealed its new seats, with premium usually only a small jump up from economy (often with more legroom and better food).

However, the designs show something much closer to a business class seat too.

Launching on the Airbus A350, they will be the first fully electrically powered premium economy seats.

This means with a flick of the button, you can choose from ‘lounge mode’ to ‘meal mode’.

Don’t worry about annoying the person behind you when you recline – each seat is built into a ‘cradle’ so it doesn’t affect them.

But the highlight is the privacy screen between seats, the first ever for premium economy seats.

The divider can be lowered if sitting with family or friends, or raised and locked into position.

The new seats will be laid out in a 2-3-2 layout, with 28 seats in the cabin.

Pitch will be up to 39 inches – compared to most having around 38 inches – as well as 50.8cm width.

Other perks include wireless charging – a first for premium economy – as well as USB-C chargers and phone holders.

The new premium seats are part of wider regeneration of the plane cabins.

Recently, the airline unveiled the new economy seats with built in adjustable headrests.

Called the U-Dream Headrest, it means you can ditch the travel pillow as the headrest pulls down to offer neck support.

There are also plans to launch the world’s first ever private bathrooms onboard, albeit only for first class passengers.

Here’s what it is like to fly business class with Emirates.

THIS travel club can save you a whole lot of money when going on holiday – and Sun readers can try it out for just £1.

Ever wanted to swap those noisy airport cafes and hard airport seats for somewhere a little more comfy and relaxed, where free food and drink is flowing?

Try Travelzoo for 30 days for £1

For £1, you could bypass the airport chaos entirely and kick back in a stylish, comfy airport lounge with ice-cold drinks, super-fast Wi-Fi and somewhere to put your feet up

Travelzoo are a money-saving club where members can bag a load of travel benefits, including free airport lounge access if your flight is delayed.

The membership costs £30 for the year, which is already a steal.

But Sun readers can bag a 30 day free trial for only £1 by clicking here.

So before your next holiday, you could be chilling in an airport lounge with bottomless food and drinks (including alcohol) in exchange for that quid rattling around in your pocket.

We all know the dreaded feeling. You’ve dragged your bags through the terminal, braved the queues, and finally made it to the gate – only to look up at the screen and see the dreaded words: DELAYED.

Suddenly, you’re searching for a seat in a packed airport terminal, clutching a soggy-yet-expensive airport sandwich.

But if you’re a Travelzoo member, you get access to over 1,600 lounges across 500+ airports in more than 100 countries.

The way this works is simple. When your flight is delayed by one hour or more, you get airport lounge tickets automatically sent to you by email or text.

Inside these stylish lounges you’ll find things like private and comfy seating, free Wi-Fi and charging points, and even showers, desks and sleep pods in some locations.

Try Travelzoo for 30 days for £1

You’ll also get complimentary food and drink, which includes alcohol.

So even if your flight is delayed for multiple hours, you know you’ll have access to good-quality food, drinks and even somewhere to nap.

“As soon as I got the delay notification from Delta, I received an email with lounge pass PDFs” writes one Travelzoo member, Holly.

“Our flight ended up being delayed six times and the lounge pass was a lifesaver.

“This lounge had free food, drinks, snacks, Wi-Fi, showers, etc. It was worth it!”.

Another member, Angela, said she used it at London Heathrow after a delayed flight saga.

She said: “Travelzoo notified me of our delay and sent vouchers to a lounge that was way better than the one my credit card had.”

Usually, access to these airport lounges would require an elite membership status with an airline, or an expensive day pass.

However you can access these lounges with Travelzoo no matter who you are flying with, even with economy class tickets.

Airport lounge day passed typically cost between £30 – £40, whereas a Travelzoo membership costs £30 for an entire year.

That means just one delayed flight would justify the cost of an entire year’s membership.

You could easily spend over £30 on meals and drinks for the family in the airport Wetherspoons, but instead you’ll have your own less-crowded, more comfy zone with access to all the snacks and drinks you’ll need.

Best of all, you can register up to three travel companions on your itinerary for free – meaning your family or mates get the VIP treatment right alongside you.

Travelzoo members don’t just get airport lounge benefits – they also get access to super cheap holidays.

There are members-only sales and hand-picked holiday deals that give members access to some of the best holiday bargains out there.

For example, members can bag Benidorm package holidays for £179pp, a two-night staycation for two in Northumberland for £89, or a charming English inn stay for £59.

Members will be alerted when flash holiday sales go live, and can bag these exclusive discounts before anyone else.

Sun readers can try Travelzoo for 30 days for just £1 by clicking the button below.

Try Travelzoo for 30 days for £1

Prices correct at the time of publication.