We were somewhat wary of the hotel having read the reviews of the service, but decided to go ahead as it ticked many boxes for us.
The hotel is a member of the Relais & Chateaux Group which are small intimate luxury hotels.
The hotel is an intimate hideaway amongst acres of orange groves. It is totally secluded and blissfully peaceful. The pool area is its unique selling point, a lovely pool with beautifully kept lawns and comfortable double beds as loungers. Perfect for two! The terrace under the shade had seating including two Lutyens style wooden frame sofas perfect for dozing in the shade. We ate lunch by the pool here twice from the room service menu. A tuna or casear salad varied from 14e to 18e. Food was nice even if pricey but you pay for the convenience. Just factor it in if you plan to stay poolside much of the day as we did. Yes it took a while to get service but being a small hotel with something like 27 rooms staff were not constantly around which to be honest suited us as we felt like we were staying in a private home rather than a hotel. We always got served when we asked at reception to find someone.
Our initial room was a quaint but small Spanish rustic style room off a pretty courtyard with a private and enclosed garden with table and chairs. We asked at reception if we could have a larger room. They showed us to another room in the new block which was fantastic – uber modern white walls with massive picture windows and terrace with a spectacular view overlooking the orange groves. We had a freestanding bath in front of the window – you could see for miles with no one seeing you. It was spacious with a wet room, double basins and large wardrobe with safe. As previous posters have mentioned these bathroom areas have walls but not all the way up, so noise carries if you get my drift. It wasn’t a problem with ventilation though. Robes were inclusive as was the mini bar (although not re-stocked during your stay). Fresh oranges were re-stocked daily.
We ate in El Cadec restaurant one evening. We knew it would be pricey but wanted the convenience of staying in (the hotel is pretty secluded). The restaurant is stylish in décor: steel, glass with an outside decked terrace. The glassware and linen was of a high quality. Service was impeccable, our waiter spoke excellent English, food & presentation was outstanding, Rioja was sublime. Yes it was expensive, but again the price of convenience.
Breakfast was good too. If you’re after chain hotel style breakfast buffets with wrapped marmite, coco pops & full English then you’ll be disappointed. This was very stylish serving: cereals, nuts and seeds, plain yoghurt, croissants, meats and cheeses, smoked salmon, fresh fruits, juices & jams. Our only disappointment on the Monday morning was that it was scaled it down and was lacking in quantity and choice.
Most of the staff spoke good English and were helpful. We carried our own bags to our rooms which is fine by me but not what many would expect for 5*. Reception staff recommended a restaurant close by (La Pitenza) and booked a table for us. The food was good, menu all in Spanish with no English speaking staff but they got their English speaking waitress on the phone to translate parts for the menu for us – great service!
We didn’t use the spa but it looked lovely and would have been great if the weather had turned cooler.
Does it deserve its 5* rating? Well it is definitely 5* star for its location, pool area and restaurant. The standard courtyard rooms are 4*. A few negatives that let the hotel down are the areas that require maintenance: the finishing of our room was noticeable with peeling woodwork and badly fitted skirting boards. On balance it is a very good 4* with 5* leanings. Let’s face it the prices are 4* too.
We loved it – highly recommend it for a relaxing pool based break in gorgeous surroundings away from the hustle of the city, yet only 25 minutes from the airport.
- Mas De Canicatti Villamarchante
