Nice hotel with lots of good points, but pool more for grown ups.

We’ve just returned from a two week stay at a the Botanico…here’s my honest review of the stay. Hotel Pro’s - [ ] Surroundings. There are a number of pros to this hotel, but as many have already mentioned I would say the main attraction is the surroundings. The gardens are beautiful, there are fish and turtles enjoying the water, and a massive array of fauna and flora. - [ ] Rooms. These are kept impeccably clean and tidy by the friendly cleaning team (I’m not sure the ladies name who we spoke to frequently, but she was amazing with our boys, with a great sense of humour, always ready with a chocolate and a smile for them). The rooms are an ideal set up for families with interconnecting rooms - meaning we knew our 8 and 7 year old were safe (and could reach us) whilst having a bit of our own space too. The decor wasn’t massively to our taste as it’s classic and in honesty a little bit tired in places for a 5* but it was a good layout and served the purpose well. - [ ] The staff. We didn’t meet one member of staff who wasn’t friendly and helpful. There are plenty of staff to help you with your needs and each time your request is met with a smile. - [ ] Location. The hotel is a short walk from the town (probably around 15 mins) although it’s quite hilly. There is also a beach and a lovely square in the old town which is worth the walk. There are a number of eateries and a supermarket just down the road too. - [ ] Spa. We made use of this whilst the kids were in kids club. This is a nice, relaxing, adult only space with lovely pools. We didn’t have any treatments but I’m sure they would be good. The people there seem very professional and friendly. - [ ] Breakfast. We did B&B at the hotel. The breakfast buffet was good and had a large choice of items. - [ ] Kids Club. The girls made sure our boys had fun whenever they were there. It was a shame it wasn’t better attended but most of the kids at the hotel were a little older. - [ ] Facilities. We played ping pong, golf, pool and tennis during our stay, and had great fun! All of this added to our break as it meant we weren’t just lazing around (although we still did plenty of that!!)…the golf and tennis had a small charge but the green/court was in good condition, and the charge made was a lot less than you’d pay in the UK. Hotel Cons - [ ] The pool. As many have mentioned, this is a mixed bag. This main pool is the only family pool, but what you are allowed to do seems to depend on who attends the pool. In week 1 day 2 we were told off for playing with a small inflatable beach ball. Another family were told off for playing with a small ping pong type ball. It seems silly, we got told off and there were around 5 families with kids at the pool, 4 families told us they had also been told off for the same thing. We were told they can use inflatables in the ‘kids pool’. This is a pool with about 40cm of water, around 2sqm meant for toddlers…not suitable for any child over that…the water hardly covers their ankles! Even on their own TV ad on the hotel screens it shows a child in a rubber inflatable ring. Week 2, different attendant and it seemed like inflatables and blow up balls were fine - although we didn’t bother after being told off. Sorry to go on, but it did have an impact on our break. Also the shallow end is pretty deep for a family pool. My youngest is 7 and he couldn’t stand even in the shallows (1.2m at the shallowest point). Our kids can both swim so it was fine but something to bear in mind. It’s probably better for older kids, maybe 8/9+ - [ ] Nightly Entertainment. As many have already mentioned, this could do with a bit of a shake up. It was pretty empty in the hotel most nights. With the right entertainment I think more families and couples might get involved. - [ ] Internet. Not the end of the world, but this is pretty shaky. I ended up using 4G most of the time as it was a lot more reliable. The other bits We went in late July/August, and it was cloudy around 50% of the time. Obviously this isn’t something the hotel can influence at all, and it was perfect for me (still mid to late 20s temp) but if you are going for major sunbathing…this side of the island probably isn’t for you. Can’t really comment on the food from the hotel restaurants as we went out to eat every night, but it did look nice. All in all I think the hotel was nice, but compared to other hotels we have stayed in wasn’t quite as modern. There are many good points but those small tweaks (especially around the pool rules) would make it a truly 5* experience.