Don Carlos Leisure Resort and Spa

There is a receptionist named Maggie who was wonderful. She was very kind and helped me feel comfortable and settle in, especially since I attended 12 classes. She made the whole experience pleasant and welcoming. She is truly a credit to this place.

One of the best family resorts we have ever stayed at — we absolutely loved it

We spent ten nights at Don Carlos as a family of four, with our daughters aged 9 and 7, and I can say without hesitation that this was one of the best hotel experiences we have had in a long time.

What struck me most was that whoever is running this hotel really knows what they are doing. There is a coherence to the whole place — the service, facilities, restaurants, sport, children's activities and atmosphere all work together incredibly well. The recent renovation is spectacular and the hotel feels fresh, stylish and beautifully thought through.

For us, the pool area became the centre of the holiday. The kids club is conveniently right beside it, as are the children's pool and three water slides. The slides even have lifeguards positioned at both the top and bottom. One of my favourite memories of the entire holiday was my seven-year-old repeatedly asking me (at age 50+) to go down the slides with her. It sounds like a small thing, but those are exactly the moments you remember from a family holiday.

The girls loved the kids club, while my wife and I could relax by the pool knowing they were nearby and having a wonderful time. We also went to Lucía Summer Club twice for lunch and really enjoyed it, although with children we ultimately found the main hotel pool area so good that there was very little reason to leave it.

I am a very keen tennis player and the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center was another highlight. I played for two hours on six of our ten days — usually two consecutive days followed by a rest day — which was about as much tennis as I could possibly have wanted. Leandro, Carolina, Gabriel and Jeremy were all memorable and helped make the tennis experience exceptional.

Ironically, I am also a regular gym user but while I checked it had everything you need, I didn't set foot in the gym once during the entire holiday because I was playing so much tennis. My wife used it a couple of times and was impressed.

The food was another strength. Breakfast at Los Naranjos was wonderful, and we really enjoyed Sol & Sombra by the pool, including its evening transformation. Daniela at Concierge also gave us some excellent recommendations outside the hotel. El Barracón de las Tapas did not look particularly remarkable from the outside, but the food was superb, while Luna Beach served some of the best fish we had during the entire holiday.

A special mention should go to the staff generally. Service throughout was warm, polished and efficient without feeling forced. Daniela at Concierge and Leandro, Carolina, Gabriel and Jeremy at the tennis centre particularly stood out to us.

We had a Junior Suite for the four of us. We had deliberately been cost-conscious with the room choice, so it wasn't enormous for a family of four, but frankly we didn't care. We were barely in it except to shower and sleep because there was so much to enjoy elsewhere in the resort.

The clientele also contributed to the atmosphere. It is an upmarket, attractive and very well-behaved crowd, and the whole resort simply feels like a lovely environment in which to spend time.

But what really made Don Carlos special for me was something less tangible.

This holiday gave us exactly the kind of family connection we needed. We spent our days swimming, playing tennis, eating together, watching our daughters having a fantastic time and simply enjoying being together. I felt that quite deeply.

Towards the end of each day, I repeatedly had the same thought: I wished I could press rewind and simply do that day all over again.

And then, happily, we woke up the next morning and more or less did.

I absolutely loved Don Carlos. It is a superbly run resort, the renovation has produced something exceptional, and for families who also value excellent food, sport, service and a genuinely sophisticated environment, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

We will be back.