Coya Ibiza is bringing grown-up hedonism to Playa d’en Bossa
You may know Coya for its London restaurants, but the group is exploring new shores in Ibiza with the launch of its first ever rooms. Anna Moloney checks in to find a new kind of refined hedonism on Playa d’en Bossa
From posh hippies drawn to its “magnetic energy” to vomiting 18-year-olds drawn to its jaeger bombs, Ibiza is an island with a split personality. So the question for any new arrival is where to fit in. For Coya, the upmarket Peruvian restaurant group founded in Mayfair which just launched its first-ever rooms and beach club on the island, the answer lies in a more grown up Ibizan hedonism, where drunk 18-year-olds are certainly scarce. Think long lunches, sunset cocktails, but still the convenience of being just steps away from the island’s party scene if the moment takes you.
THE HOTEL
Coya sits within ‘Bless Ibiza The Site’, a terrible name for the new beachfront resort replacing what was formerly the Hard Rock Hotel. Among the resort’s 461 rooms are the 10 Coya rooms, including two rooftop suites, situated in their own enclave close to the beach and Coya restaurant. Tucked away in the corner of the resort, it feels almost as if you’re in a hotel within the hotel, with its own unique, boutiquey-feel style (the rooms themselves have a refined, bohemian feel designed to tie in with the restaurant, with earthy fabrics, burnt orange accents and splashes of green tiling), but with access to all the trimmings that come with a bigger resort (three outdoor pools, five restaurants, a spa, gym, rooftop bar etc, etc).
Likewise, the resort itself is perched right on Playa d’en Bossa, known for its upscale superclubs, namely Hi and Ushuaia, meaning you can easily go out out if you want to, but likewise have a quiet room to return to afterwards. It’s also just a short taxi ride (Around 10-15 minutes) away from Ibiza Old Town, if you suffer from resort-induced cabin fever.
THE FOOD
Founded in London, inspired by Peru, cooked with Japanese techniques and located in Ibiza, the cuisine at Coya is anything but bland. From fresh ceviche to wagyu empanadas, Coya offers a social, sharing-style of cuisine that makes it more than easy to settle in for lunch and stay there all day. It stands head and shoulders particularly above Bless The Site’s main restaurant Tatel, where the food is very average and also likely to be swooped on (or even defecated on as happened to one of my very unfortunate companions) by one of the many passing seagulls that seem to flock there.
At Coya, you can enjoy lunch either sat down at the ocean-side restaurant, or be even more indulgent (read: lazy) and order it straight to your sunbed (guilty). I didn’t eat a single undelicious thing and the fundamentals, particularly, are exceptional, not least the guacamole, which comes with the added flair of a waiter who will dramatically chop it up in front of you.
THE DRINK
At night, the main restaurant and rooftop pisco bar are open until 1am with a more high energy, party atmosphere. The head mixologist pitches his cocktails as intentionally playing second fiddle to the food but I think he was just being modest. Many stood out in their own right, both for their experimental compositions (the coco y choclo uniquely combines corn and pineapple to create a distilled pina colada) and playful presentation. One cocktail comes served in a not-small, light-up Mayan – sorry ‘Coyan’ – temple in a bid of unapologetic tackiness (I urge anyone who goes to try ordering 11, as the waiter admitted they understandably only had room to store 10 of these temple cocktail structures).
TOP TIP
The ‘Coya Selva’ room comes with an outdoor bathtub, but not much of a view, so opt for the ‘Vista’ room if you want to see the sea!