Hello my friends and thank you (muchas gracias) for tuning
in to read about my journey in Tenerife during September.
You may have read my previous blog post ‘A Touch of
Class’, if not, then I would recommend that you take a few minutes of
your time to read it before reading this post, as it will show you exactly what
I mean about a top quality hotel. You will get to feel and vision what I write
about, much quicker and sense the reality of being with me on this trip.
Ok, so let me take you on my journey to Hotel Botanico which is situated in Puerto De La Cruz (northern Tenerife). What did I know about the hotel before I got invited to visit this place? The answer to be honest is, not a lot but I had read on Twitter that it was an award winner for the best hotel. This then prompted me to look it up on the internet and so I checked out the hotel's website and I discovered that the hotel is a winner time after time. It certainly looked first class to me and I was pretty impressed, so I was very intrigued to find out more about this much talked about place to stay.
Firstly, let me introduce you to the location and setting of
the hotel. Puerto De La Cruz is charming, traditional and has not lost any of
its identity through many years of tourism; no it has remained true to what
Tenerife is all about. You will see a lovely old fishing village with its
historic Custom House, elegant terraces and some beautiful coastlines. Simply
stunning and natural. The Orotava Valley has large plants and trees, showing
the island in a more colourful light and this is very different from the the
popular tourist southern part of the island. You will find that once the locals
from the north move away, they tend to return back after many years as it is a
place that is close to their heart and home. The north of the island has
something about it that draws people back and I have been told that it is a
lovely place to live.
The climate is one of the most privileged in the world with
temperatures that rarely exceeds 28°C or falls below 20°C.
The hotel is situated in an exclusive residential area La
Paz in Puerto De La Cruz and I took a little time to walk around to take in the
surrounding area. The hotel is in a tasteful location and is within walking
distance to the town centre, which is at the foot of Mount Teide. You can also
take advantage of the free shuttle bus if you stay at the hotel which will take
you into the town.
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| Hotel Botanico Balcony Views |
As I walked up to the hotel, I immediately caught sight of
the grand entrance and footman outside, ready to welcome or assist guests into
their residence. For me, the statues of elephants at the entrance was a delight
as I have a passion for elephants and I have collected many ornaments from
around the world. The beautiful oriental type flowers paved the way for guests
to enter and added a classy touch to the entrance.
Walking into the hotel, it was delightfully what I expected
and more. Large reception area, neutral colours which shouted out elegance,
sophistication and superiority. WOW! my eyes were immediately
drawn to the flower centrepiece in the reception area which was home to the
thick, expensive circular carpet of gold, red and green. You can tell the
grandeur of a place by the quality of the carpets, marble and finishing touches
and this entrance certainly gave the grand look; complete with a magnificent
spiral staircase which dominated the hotel.
My first impression on entering the Hotel Botanico was
expensive, airy, tranquil and clutter free.
I received a warm welcome from the reception desk and I was
then introduced to an extremely polite and friendly host 'Diego González Álvarez' who was immaculately
dressed in a suit and perfectly presented. At first I thought that I was in
London but the beautiful reminders of elephants and oriental statues convinced
me that I was not in a luxury London hotel but a similar feel to Singapore or
Kuala Lumpur. Past memories from hotels in these areas, soon came back to
me. From this point, I started my tour.
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| Hotel Botanico Reception Area and Host Diego Gonzalez Alvarez |
Diego took me over to the 'wall of fame' which stood proud
in the reception. It was impressive to see that some big names have stayed here
over the years. King and Queen of Spain, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, Julio
Iglesias, Ricky Martin and many more. One of the suites has been named solely
after Bill Clinton, situated on the top floor of the Hotel. The room I visited
had once been occupied by the legendary Michael Jackson who is one of my music
idols.
The tour started with a visit to the top floor and I was
taken to the Penthouse Suites which consisted of a garden and mountain views.
The rooms were very spacious, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It also had a
living and dinning area for guests. Again, the elephant theme was carried out
and included large tapestry elephant cushions with a toy elephant on the bed.
What I liked about the hotel is that they offer you an opportunity to purchase
a toy elephant and any funds raised from this, is sent back to Thailand to help
women for needy causes. This is really thoughtful and a nice touch to humanity
so it shows a caring part of what the hotel has to offer. The bathroom was
beige marble effect and spacious. Little details such as bottles of fresh
water, robes, slippers, added to the luxury feel. To finish off the facilities,
the bathroom included a large corner bath and separate shower. Lots of space
and totally relaxing which is great for hot summer weather when it can be
overpowering in the heat. The space allows a great way for keeping
cooler.
The living area for me, was a little dark and a suggestion
for the future would be that if it was to be refurbished, then it would be good
to take this into consideration and look at some lighter colours. This is by no
way a fault to the living room but purely a point of view from my own personal
taste.
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| Suite once occupied by Michael Jackson |
Typical rooms on offer at the hotel include:
- 200 Deluxe
double rooms with balcony
- 5 Penthouse
rooms with terrace
- 32 Ambassador
Junior Suites with sitting areas, bathrooms and walk in wardrobes, bath
& Shower
- 8 Senator
Suites which have wooden sliding doors between the lounge and bedroom
- 4 Penthouse
Suites which are located on the top floor with a large salon and terrace
- 2
Presidential Suites with large terrace and private outdoor whirlpool
- 1 Bill
Clinton Suite with private indoor jacuzzi, 3 bedrooms, lounge, dining
room, kitchen
Walking around the top floor, it was explained
that on each floor level, the hotel has different local works of art on
display, some very famous artists. Again, this is something unique and
carefully planned into the design for finishing touches. It gave the hotel a
different style and personality from other hotels and it was really interesting
seeing art in different formats, colours and style. The art is something I
would not have had the opportunity to have seen and so it was an added bonus
for me and hotel guests; a bit like being in a mini art gallery for a display on
local artist's work.
The next floor consisted of comfortable seating areas,
library and pool tables. This was a place to chill out with friends or sit and
select a book to read. It also had a large restaurant and peering in through
the window, it looked very inviting. Unfortunately, at the time of my arrival,
this was not open so I cannot comment or write about any of the restaurants or the quality of the food at
the hotel.
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| Guest's Library and Restaurant Entrance |
When reaching the downstairs via the long and beautiful
spiral staircase, I was taken to see the restaurant which was used for morning
breakfast and lunches. This allowed guest to sit inside or outside in the
Oriental Garden. The restaurant was well laid out and spacious and on the day
of my visit, the Oriental seating area was the favourite spot for the guests.
The hotel even has their own designer boutique for guests to
buy anything from clothes, jewellery etc. Beautiful and a service you would not expect in a hotel in Tenerife.
The main reception leads to a spacious and well maintained
seating area and bar, known as the Bar Hall. The facilities are available for
tea, coffee, refreshments, pastries and sandwiches throughout the day. There is
a large piano set at the back of the room and you can enjoy panoramic views of
the hotel's beautiful gardens and exhibition of nineteenth and twentieth
century Canarian artwork. It is used for evening entertainment, exotic
cocktails and live music shows on a regular basis.
The room is very comfortable with a high standard of decor
and again, followed by the theme of Thailand statues and local Tenerife
paintings. Somehow you would think this would not work as there is two
different cultures throughout but strangely, it does.
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| Ground Level Bar & Lounge Area |
Walking around and seeing so much expense and detailed
thought which has been put into this building, I now started to understand why
this hotel was so widely recognised. I had already witnessed the surprise
expressions from quite a few hotel Directors and management from the south of
Tenerife when I mentioned I was to visit this hotel, so I had an idea it would
be grand. I also got lots of feedback from people on the island that this hotel
is well known throughout the world, especially in Spain and so this tells you
how much effort is put in to it day after day to maintain the standards and for
the winning awards achieved.
At the time of my visit, the hotel had around 70% occupancy
but walking around, you would think that it was in low season with little
guests. This is because of the space, planning and size of the hotel which
allows the guests plenty of personal space; you would not feel any personal
intrusion or be uncomfortable. If you want privacy, relaxation and high standards
then this is the choice of hotel that would tick these boxes. This all comes at
a price but then it does fall into the luxury category of a holiday. A few
people I spoke to have stayed here one night only just, to experience the feel
of what it has to offer; because of the recognition it has received. Later I
will give you an idea on some basic costs but for now, let us just enjoy what
it has to offer and live in the moment.
Let us go to the Oriental Spa Garden and this is where nature is at
its best. It is inspired by an Asian theme which has a little magical feel to
the setting and by this I mean that it gives you an exciting little buzz of
delight as you are walking around it.
I have the pleasure of taking in so much greenery and
natural beauty. Large palms, plants, shrugs and flowers which are all
maintained and in perfect order. I witnessed a lady working in the garden who I
was told had been doing the same job at the hotel for 30 years; ensuring the
hotel garden is kept pristine and healthy. She looked so much at ease and
content with her flower in her hair and it was if she was in her own back
garden, working peacefully to enjoy each moment. That tells you something about
working at the hotel if a person can stay employed for that length of time.
The large centrepiece feature of the elephant statue,
surrounded by luxury mattresses which is available for a massage treatment,
stands tall and proud for every guest to see. You would think you were in
Thailand and not Tenerife. The little wooden bridges, surrounded by masses of
green shrubs, flowers and palms, enhances the feel and look of the outside
area. The atmosphere is healthy, relaxing and tranquil. I immediately thought
that this was an ideal setting for holiday makers who wanted to get away from
high stressed jobs or possibly somewhere peaceful to write or work in a calm,
quiet atmosphere.
I was even shown a little herb garden where the chefs come
and visit each day, to collect their stock for their day's cooking. All
homegrown within the hotel and in perfect order. This looked onto the golf
putting green which is offered free to guests and which is an
area of around 5,000 sqm. If guests want to take up a game of golf, they have a
choice to visit The Royal Golf Cub "El Penon" in Tacoronte which is
only 15 minutes from the hotel and is an 18 hole golf course. Guests can
benefit from a reduction on fees (excluding weekends and bank holidays).
Another choice would be in Buenavista "La Isla Baja" which is 40
minutes from the hotel and this is an 18 hole golf course designed by Severiano
Ballesteros. These can be booked via Hotel Botanico along with many other golf
courses and a benefit of a reduced fee on most of the golf courses in Tenerife.
Walking back from the garden and into the hotel, guests can
see some lovely ponds full of lily leaves and Kio carp fish. The carps are
extremely beautiful and quite a size but the fish look very much at home in the
cold water ponds. Another luxury feel to the exotic gardens.
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| A few of the garden features
The
Oriental Spa is available to anyone 16 years and over and has a massive range
of facilities which include Japanese Sauna, Whirlpools, Turkish bath, Water
beds with bubbles and beds for relaxation. Guests can take advantage of the
aromatherapy room, ice temple, gym, solarium, facial & body treatment
rooms, Thai Pagoda for open air massages and a private spa for couples. There
is even a Thai Chi room available which was simply stunning.
Moving from the outside
of the garden and walking to the Oriental Spa was like a feeling of what
paradise could be like. Not your normal exotic beaches which are frequently
advertised, no a different exotic feeling. A one full of fresh air, healthy
atmosphere and a taste of what life should be like without the busy life of the
city and pollution. This is captured in the essence of the air moving from one
area to another. My eyes were transfixed from one beauty spot to another,
moving from plants to ornaments and then to the beautiful selection of
furniture that has been carefully selected.
I have never experiences so much greenery in one hotel
before and I was a little sorry that I only had a few hours to enjoy this
beauty. I would have like to take in much more facts such as the people behind
the scenes who makes this place work, the service, food, evening atmosphere but
to be fair, I took in a lot of what I wanted to capture and my host was
really good at filling me in with all the details. Delightful!
Restaurants & Staff  La Parrilla offers Spanish and regional foods with a great selection of local and Spanish wines. Guests can enjoy the Andalucian design of this restaurant and dress code is informal. |
IL Pappagallo serves classic Italian/Mediterranean cuisine and is used for
dinner purposes only. It offers a Mediterranean atmosphere and stunning views
of Puerto De La Cruz. Part of the year, guests can enjoy eating outside
on the pool terrace or in the exotic garden.
The Oriental is a feature of pride and joy and it was opened in 1996 by
the Queen Sirikit of Thailand. This offers a range of Asian dining with a wide
range of oriental dishes which includes Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Chinese
and Japanese cuisine. Gentlemen guests are kindly requested to wear a shirt
with a collar during May to September and a Jacket between October to April.
Palmera Real serves lunch only in the open-air restaurant and it is
located in the heart of the hotel's tropical gardens, near the swimming pool.
Guests are offered a range of food from light bites to full lunch. Breakfast
buffet is available in the morning.
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| Photograph supplied by Hotel Botanico - Real Palma Restaurant |
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| Hotel Reception Staff |
So to summarise the Hotel Botanico, it is Thailand in the heart of Tenerife. Well done to the owner of this hotel as it is simply stunning, cleverly designed, tasteful and different. It is not easy to capture the right atmosphere in such a large building but you have certainly got this one spot on! 10/10 for beauty and exotic feel.
Further information can be found at http://hotelbotanico.com/en/ and trip advisor
Hotel prices vary and can be anything from £200 plus for one night (without breakfast and evening meal). At the time of this blog post. Thomas Cook has a package deal, flying from Gatwick and staying 1 week at the Hotel, BB board for £758 per person.
Hotel prices vary and can be anything from £200 plus for one night (without breakfast and evening meal). At the time of this blog post. Thomas Cook has a package deal, flying from Gatwick and staying 1 week at the Hotel, BB board for £758 per person.
Please note: The above information is based on my own experience, feelings and opinions only and I have included my photographs to show a true reflection of what I have written. Photographs of the food have been supplied by the hotel, as I was unable to cover this write up at the time of my visit.
Thank you to my good friend Nita (a local lady of Tenerife) for attending the visit with me, Diego González Álvarez for his professionalism, information and as a host and Mabel Jiménez for inviting me.
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| My Good Friend Nita (Left) and me |
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