It's a 5 Star Resort which is kind of unique though in that whether you are a family with young children or teenagers, a young couple or an older couple, then you feel just as comfortable.

Once upon a time if you had little ones, you didn't 'do 5 Star'. Well Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel has changed that perception completely. So many mums and dads out there have had to compromise on holidays for a long, long time. You know what I mean - You're a couple who go on nice short breaks to smart boutique hotels or lovely beach holidays to upmarket resorts. Then you have a baby or horror of horrors another one and all of a sudden you're stuck for where to go for your holidays.

Fine-dining in a 'proper' restaurant seems far less of an attractive proposition. You're worried about what other diners might think if little Alfie or Charlotte get restless or 'play up' but at the same time you don't want to go the chicken nuggets and chips route. Well at Martinhal you can enjoy the 5 Star life, you can eat exquisitely

cooked and beautifully presented food and you can relax in the knowledge that your children will be just fine!

The Martinhal Resort is in Sagres which is one of Portugal's most historic towns and one of The Algarve's least developed regions. We went to Martinhal towards the end of September and the weather in that part of Portugal was perfect. Hot but a good sort of hot and not so hot that you felt permanently exhausted. What I and most of the Mums around liked was that there was a bit of a breeze to keep you nice and comfortable. I think I read somewhere that the area has around 300 sunny days per year so not a bad climate!

I don't think I've ever been on holidays anywhere else and seen quite so many toddlers and babies splashing around yet virtually no tears. Perhaps it's because all the parents were so relaxed and it rubs off on the children. You know the old adage - happy parents make happy children and I suppose vice versa......

Eating at Martinhal

There are 3 restaurants - all different but all top-notch. O Terraco is the one we went to the most

and it's the one where breakfast is served in the mornings. The atmosphere at breakfast being very different to the evening when it really is a full-on candlelit, fine-dining restaurant with superb food and service. If you want fish and seafood then you'll love As Dunas and the Beach Club next door does fantastic cocktails. From a research point of view I felt compelled to try lots of them out for you and can confidently say that all the cocktails tried were excellent and the Mango Mojito are to-die-for! Os Gambozinos, the Italian restaurant on the Village Square, is perfect for families as the little ones can play in the outside play area while the parents dine al fresco.

Accommodation

Martinhal Village really is like a village with a whole range of accommodation. We stayed in Hotel Martinhal but there are also villas of all shapes and sizes from the modest to the downright Dallas-like Luxury Villas! Our room was a Beach Room and we had a stunning view over The Bay as well as our own private patio for chilling and reading in the sunshine.

Children's Facilities

There is so much at Martinhal for children of all ages to do that it would be pretty difficult for any child to say the

dreaded 'I'm bored' words. All the mums and dads we spoke to agreed that The Raposinhos Creche is an absolute lifesaver. The Creche caters for children from 6 to 23 months and the Kids Club is for the 2 to 4 year olds. (‘Raposinhos’, by the way, means 'little foxes' and if you happen to be in The Terrace Restaurant at around ten to nine every morning, Rafi the Fox comes to visit. I don't know who has the most fun - the kids or the adults. It's hilarious watching the range of expressions on the children's faces from utter glee through fascination to sheer terror. Regardless though most of the Dads were snapping away on their cameras determined to capture their little darling's chocolate-spread covered face!) Amongst the children's activities are face-painting, T-Shirt printing, treasure hunts, windsurfing, dolphin-watching, everyday arts and crafts, football, tennis, cycling and more. Unlike any holiday resorts, at Martinhal Tweens & Teens have just as much choice as the younger contingent.

The guests were clearly a well-behaved bunch as there were no sunbed wars all the time we were at the resort. The situation was probably helped by the fact that there were clearly plenty of sunbeds and parasols to go round. The 5 swimming pools were all clean and the grounds well-tended and even though all the pools were lovely, our favourite pool was at Club 98. One afternoon we were quite literally the only ones there and it was bliss!

I was very impressed with the Baby Concierge service Martinhal offers. You can literally pre-book all the baby equipment you can possibly need which means you don't have to schlep the world and his wife from your house to the airport, on the plane, off the plane .....blahblahblah - get the picture? You can even pre-book door protectors and thermometers not just pushchairs and safety gates! And

if you run out of nappies and baby food, then the Mercado onsite shop seems to have just about everything to tide you over!

I had a Precious Nourishing Facial at The Finisterra Spa on one day of our holiday and although it was relaxing, it wasn't the best I've ever had and my face was a tad greasy for most of the day after it. I got the impression that they're still developing the spa's potential and if they do as a good a job of it as the rest of their stunning site then it'll be 'spot on' before you know it!

I can’t recommend The Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel highly enough and I suspect we’ll be returning there in the not too distant future as will half our friends and families!

Kathryn Crawford (Mum & Editor of TheBabyWebsite.com)
October 2012

A 7 night stay at Martinhal in Portugal starts from £1169 for a family of four (excluding flights) from Tots Too, the luxury family holiday specialists. Call them on 020 7284 3344 to speak to one of their family holiday professional advisors.

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