Hotel Botanico & The Oriental Spa Garden

Just back from a short stay at Hotel Botanico - and all I can say is - fabulous!. From the beautiful grounds, (complete with black swans, and colourful fish and herb garden), the incredible breakfast, the beautiful art work, ultra comfortable quiet bedroom, fabulous bathroom complete with lovely toiletries - it is all a feast for the senses. Throw in a top class spa, with amazing pool and one of the best massages I have ever had, and staff who without exception really can not enough to make sure you are happy and well looked after - well, I just can't wait to go back. A really perfect stay.

Slim program at Botanico hotel and spa offers : Wonderful 5star hotel with all comfort you can wish for ; very friendly staff with a smile at all times. Excellent healthy kitchen without compromising on taste offering good portions while assuring a diet-like calories intake. It???s almost unbelievable that such wonderful and tasty food can be prepared within the slim-fit concept. Day starts with a healthy breakfast (as you can compose yourself every day) which is brought to your room every morning punctually at the time you can indicate the evening before. Every lunch and diner a 3 course meal is served that can easily match Michelin star restaurant quality. Both kitchen staff and waitrons are extremely friendly and proud of what they bring to the table and give explanation with program and recipes. Beautiful setting for outdoor swimming pool and indoor spa landscape (with variety of sauna???s). Also professional gym available. Professional spa service with wonderful relaxing treatments by highly skilled staff. A daily moment (of 1-1.5 hrs) of luxurious relaxation. This slim program only exists a couple of months but it is already a well-oiled machine aimed at providing the perfect environment to recharge your batteries and be able to focus on your body (a healthy mind in a healthy body).

This is a superb hotel - one that ticks every conceivable box for service, cleanliness, friendliness and impeccable standards, all in a quiet, convenient location. Indeed, after our fourth stay recently ??? which was every bit as good as our first - we couldn???t recommend this hotel more highly. That said, it very much depends on what you want from a hotel. If you revel in the glitz of waterfalls in foyers and a bathroom big enough to wash a limousine then this hotel is probably not for you. But if you prefer one where your custom is valued, where staff are warm, courteous and efficient (and immaculately groomed), where every carpet and surface is spotlessly clean, where high quality food and drinks are beautifully presented and where flowers, plants and art are in great abundance, then this is for you. As with so many experiences in life, it???s the little things that count: such as fresh flowers on every table, a daily news-sheet at breakfast, Cava with breakfast at weekends, canap??s with evening cocktails, fresh fruit and bottled water replenished daily in the in your room, free daily exercise classes and spa and gym facilities included in the room rate. Oh yes, and there are tennis courts and a putting green too. Recommendations? Each evening at 6pm there???s a different presentation in the bar. For example, how to make the best gin and tonic or how to make the best Sangria or cocktail, plus cheese and wine tasting - all free to hotel guests. It???s a thought-provoking way to start the evening. Additionally, there are guided tours of the gardens with a botanist and, if you ask, a guide will take you on a tour of the hotel as well. The manager hosts a weekly drinks reception for hotel guests and from Monday to Saturday there???s a free bus service to and from Puerto de la Cruz. If you need softer pillows, a firmer mattress or a kettle to make a hot drink in your room, just ask. It???s all done with warm efficiency. The hotel???s tropical garden is another special feature. It???s immaculately kept and so peaceful to walk around any time of day. Criticisms? Yes, a few. Some bathrooms begin to look a little tired now, particularly the bath and shower. Showers used to be incorporated in the bath but now they have been fitted in a cubicle shoehorned into the space where the bidet was, so when it???s used it makes the surrounding floor wet and slippery. A rubber mat is provided, but a towel is needed to step on when leaving the shower. Everything works, but it???s not the best arrangement. The non-smoking area outside at breakfast could be better separated from the smoking one. Tea and coffee in the rooms can be provided for a small charge. But you can also bring your own and ask for a kettle, which the staff will provide for free. We also think some of the stair carpet needs replacing and the sofa and chairs in the foyer near The Oriental restaurant are badly worn and need replacing. The hotel also has a wonderfully comfortable bar/lounge area which is seldom used as well as it deserves to be - possibly because drinks are now just a little too expensive when compared with bars nearby. A happy hour incorporating cheaper drinks for hotel guests would be a welcome addition. That said, we like this hotel for the way it makes you feel. Unlike so many hotels this one has a homely and comfortable charm. It???s not huge (around 250 rooms) yet it???s informally sophisticated, civilised and welcoming. We love it.