Tips for Booking a Holiday in Ibiza

There are Three ways to book a Holiday in Ibiza; 
There has been a gradual shift in the way holidaymakers now book their Holiday. The High Street Travel Agency, traditionally sold the package holiday as its most popular product in Ibiza. However, in recent years, with the advent of online booking solutions, there has been a big increase in the number of Holidaymakers now booking online, omitting the middle man and thus saving on costs.

Booking Online is a safe and secure option, especially with the added insurance cover associated with the use of major credit cards. In Ibiza, there are a whole range of online Travel Reservation Websites to choose from all in competition with each other, which is good news for the consumer.

I have found that the best and easiest websites to use are Ibiza Spotlight, Travel Republic and Expedia. The local Ibiza Hoteliers Association, has its own official website, called Ibizahotelsguide. To secure the best price, its always best to check with all the website reservation sites to compare prices, as different companies have different rates with certain hotels.

15% is the normal commission rate that Ibiza Hoteliers pay to website reservation sites that book rooms with them, so thats the margin that the online booking sites have to play around with. Some will offer 5% to the customer others 10%, so its well worth taking the time to check around and compare prices.

Ibiza Spotlight, is based on the Island and only deals with Ibiza bookings. The website does not book rooms in other countries, so the customer can avail of dedicated on the ground service. Selling just one product, Ibiza, provides them with an advantage, in that they are dealing direct with local hotels on a daily basis.The booking process is completed in a clear format and is easy to use. The customer pays a refundable deposit (conditions apply), to secure the booking and the balance is paid to the Hotel by the customer when they arrive. The site is consumer friendly and has a customer support service that is both multilingual and prompt with reply to queries and problems.

In some cases, Travel Republic and Expedia along with other larger sites, seem to offer the best prices on a more diverse range of  Hotels across the Island.  Make sure to contact the hotel to confirm that your booking was received nearer your departure date, as some reservation booking websites may offer rooms when there is none available, mainly due to communication issues between the Hotel and Reservation website.

In my experience, one of the best times to book, is usually a month before you intend to Travel, as hotels will discount rooms to shift them, especially if they are low on bookings. They seem to go back up to their normal price after this time and do not get discounted again. The risk here is that the better hotel rooms may be booked out due to their popularity, but you will always find plenty of rooms available. The only resort that may be difficult to find accommodation in is Playa Den Bossa during the month of  August, so book early there to ensure a good hotel.

August is peak season in Ibiza so book well in advance for this month, as the Island is full to capacity,especially with the young clubbing generation.

In January, April and May, many Hotels in Ibiza offer their best discounts to encourage early bookings. In recent years Free Child Places were common in many offers along with 20% discounts, especially with the larger Hotel chains like Fiesta and Sirenis who have 1000's of rooms to try and sell.

It is a good idea to sign up to hotel chains e-mailing list so that special offers can be sent direct to the customer when they first become available.

Always take the time to enter personal needs in the Special Requirements box of the booking. Seaview, secluded , top floor or specific rooms can be accommodated if asked because if you dont do it somebody else will!

Never rush into a booking, always consider the many different options available to the consumer. In Ibiza there is always a Hotel looking for your buisness.