Wonderful

One of the leading spa hotels worldwide, so doesn’t come cheap. We used their limousine service to and from the airport which was very smooth. The hotel vibe is welcoming, relaxed and unpretentious. The cleaning team deserve praise for their dedication; everywhere was spotless. The gardens are beautifully tended and provided a screen to the outside urbanisation. There is a free news summary sheet available daily at breakfast, so ordering a newspaper is not necessary unless you really feel the need. There is a small minibus to take you to and from the town, which we only used once and got a taxi back once. The rest of the time we walked, without too much effort. There are enough restaurants and bars nearby if not. Room: Our room was spacious, with a balcony looking towards the outdoor spa pool and the sea and mountains beyond. Comfortable bed with pillow menu. Bathroom with twin sinks, good shower over the bath, toilet and bidet. The hairdryer is fixed in the bathroom (which is a pet hate) but it is more powerful than most of it’s kind, though a plug in one with styling nozzle is always better. Lovely shower gel, shampoo and body lotion (“Noir” by The White Company) supplied, but bring your own conditioner. Robes and slippers provided. There is a turn down service, (which we normally find inconvenient just as you are getting ready to go out) but there is a doorbell if you forget to use your privacy notice and the services were good at accommodating a time to suit. Free bottled water replenished daily. We visited in February and there is no air-conditioning available at this time of year. The balcony door can be left open with a slide across mesh door to keep out insects (though it’s mainly butterflies we saw flying about)! Would have appreciated tea/coffee making facilities in the room. We asked about a kettle but were told they were faulty. We were offered free hot water to our room upon asking. The room service menu I think charges about €3.45 for tea. A fresh flower arrangement appeared a few days into our stay. Breakfast: great range of options including fresh fruit, juice, smoothies, cereal, yoghurt, eggs and hot counter, cakes, cheeses, smoked salmon, hams & bread. There was even a chocolate fountain and champagne! We didn’t eat in the hotel restaurants apart from the pool one. The food was of good quality and the mojitos were also excellent. The Spa: very lovely facility and staff. We had a wonderful aromatherapy massage 50 mins for €75. Various treatments are available and a price list can be viewed at the spa reception (it would have been nice if this was also provided in the room literature, for more leisurely consideration). We enjoyed the spa and the warm water temperatures, both inside and out, which increased the usability and pleasure of swimming/ bathing. We particularly enjoyed being able to relax there without having to endure other people’s cigarette smoke, which we had found a nuisance at the other swimming pool. We also enjoyed the peace of not having children allowed in the spa grounds. There were several returning guests and I can understand why, due to the consistently high standards across the board of facilities and services. The wellness aspect and agreeable climate do tend to attract a mature clientele, particularly those escaping colder climes and who can blame them. The musical entertainment both in the hotel and surrounding bars and restaurants was not to my taste, but then I don’t really fit the wider demographic that they were catering for! I would highly recommend staying here if you can.