A family break made special

Eight of us ranging in age from 9 to 70 descended on Hotel Botanico for a week-long celebration - and the place did us proud. This is a five star hotel with lots on offer but with a staff which always seemed eager to help without being obsequious. Two rooms linked together for family accommodation were provided for the grandsons and their parents, The rest of us were in large comfortable double rooms. The only complaint I heard here was that the beds were too soft, Everything you might expect was provided apart from tea making facilities which came at an extra charge, The hotel offers a large family swimming pool adjoining the bar and one of the dining areas. The spa, which is limited to adults, had heated indoor and outdoor pools. The grounds also offered an 18-hole putting green and a subtropical lake and garden area. The grandchildren made use of a children's club which left their parents free to have a massage and relax in the spa. There are three dining areas, one of which has a glassed aviary at its heart. Breakfasts were large and notable for the originality injected into providing a large buffet. So, for example, a fish-loving daughter-in-law was able to take roll-mop herring and salmon (and was tempted by the cava) while confections as well as meat and fruit appealed to the youngsters, Eggs of all sorts and sizes were cooked to order as were pancakes. Coffee was plentiful but tea chocolate, and infusions were on offer too. Local cheeses and meats were there by rotation. With so diverse a party, it was inevitable that we wanted different attractions. While the children went off to Europe's largest water park, we took the hotel bus into town (a 10 minute journey) to explore Puerto de la Cruz. The town is a delight, blending traditional with the demands of tourism and coming up with a clean, up to date mixture. It is very different from the southern side of the island. Other activities involved scuba diving and visiting Mount Tieide. We needed to hire cars to deal with some activities easily. For most of these we were given helpful advice by the hotel staff. We only ate dinners in the hotel on one evening. The food was fine and the price as one might expect from a five-star establishment. For the rest of the time we explored the bars and restaurants which are just a short walk from the hotel's front door. There is even a supermarket hidden away in the basement of a nearby shopping centre where we made our initial gasps at the cheapness of drink. So the day would start by watching from our room balcony as the children swam. We would wander down for a breakfast together around a big table and then set off to fulfil the plans of the day. Lunch perhaps in a bar (there is a wide range of tapas to be had) and eventually back to base. We might go for a swim before deciding where to eat that evening while sampling what the bar had to offer (the gin tray proved attractive to the younger ladies in the party). A self-indulgent relaxing week in which the hotel allowed a family to enjoy one another's company.