A relaxed holiday

We have just returned from a two week stay at Hotel Botanico. Our stay was booked through Thomson holidays and included was a taxi transfer which was good as it is just under an hour's drive from Tenerife South airport. Our reception by the Doorman and Receptionist was good with a welcome drink whilst the paperwork was sorted. Our room was 136. There are a couple of wings for guest rooms which are at right angles so there are rooms facing all four points of the compass. We faced the pool and had a side view of Mount Teide. Once the sun came over the central ridge we had sun on the balcony from breakfast till early afternoon. We were located immediately above a large avery with picture windows onto the breakfast room. We loved being woken to the sound of the Bali Myna. The breakfast room is self service but for dinner there are three restaurants for which booking is essential. We thought the Spanish restaurant was best for food quality, standard of service and atmosphere. The Oriental restaurant came second and the Italian third, being in the basement with a low ceiling. All three restaurants were open till the last couple of days and they were not crowded and pleasant. On the last couple of nights only two restaurants were open per night (which we were told was the norm) and this meant they were full to capacity and less pleasurable for a quiet dinner. The staff were very pleasant and nothing was too much trouble. We were a little surprised that the 'top team' we're not very visible. We went to the weekly welcome party and three of them were stood behind the drinks table and not circulating. It would be useful for a board with pictures of the top team at reception so we knew who was who when we did see someone walking around. The hotel gardens were a dream, containing lakes full of koi carp and two Black Swans, a herb garden, statutes and lots of interesting plants. There were plenty of places to sit if you didn't want to go around the pool. The hotel is located at the opposite corner of a road junction to the town Botanical Gardens which are well worth a visit. Although surrounded by four roads there is little noise from outside the hotel site. Down one side of the hotel is a small 18 hole putting green. The grass surface is like a billiard table! There is a Spa and residents can visit the Spa garden and pool without the need for a treatment. The weather in Puerto de la Cruz is influenced by Mount Teide and the central ridge. The sun doesn't rise over the hills till breakfast time and there is often cloud affecting the sun. We suffered with quite a lot of cloud and three days of storms as a front went through. Once the cloud cleared after the front we found that it had snowed on the high ground and roads were closed! The evening entertainment was low key and different every night with musician singing in the bar lounge. On one night we also had Canarian dancers and another a Flamenco troup. Hotel Botanico is a member of the leading hotels of the world. It was certainly the best we have stayed on the Canary Islands. We recommend the hotel.