by Jan Beukes

Created on: November 03, 2009

First impressions of this hotel are delightful. Friendly welcome, lush tropical gardens and several pools on different levels all set at the foot of Mount Sinai. The rooms are spacious, most with large balconies and views either over the gardens or the sea. The rooms are clean, comfortable, modern, well-equipped and serviced daily. There is not the usual tea and coffee making facilities, but on asking reception on arrival, a kettle and ironing board will be provided in your room. It is therefore a good idea to bring tea and coffee if this is an important part of your holiday. Large packs of water can also be purchased from reception and kept in the fridge in your room as this works out cheaper than having to keep purchasing single bottles.

Most packages for this five-star hotel are half board. On reading several online reviews of this hotel, it seems some guests were not completely happy with the food and said it lacked variety. These reviews were from holidays taken mid to late season. We took our holiday in February - a winter break instead of the usual Canaries trip. During this time, the food was varied daily and of a very high standard. Taking advantage of 'happy hour' helps to keep down the cost of buying expensive drinks in the dining room although they don't like you taking these into dinner and therefore have to be finished at the bar. The dining hall has a nice outdoor terrace which most people prefer to the buzz of the dining hall. They keep bird boxes around this area which means you can watch pretty birds coming and going around the hedges nearby as you eat. There are also other restaurants on the hotel complex where you can pay for your dining in a different atmosphere. There are a few bars to choose from on the hotel site, one which offers occasional entertainment. There is not a lot in the way of evening entertainment on the whole complex of Taba Heights, so if this is important for holidaymakers, they could be disappointed. For those who prefer peace and quiet, then this is ideal.

There were ample sunbeds around the complex and several pools to choose from, including a long Olympic sized pool with Jacuzzi and a salt water lagoon right on the beach. The warm Jacuzzi is a great place to relax at the end of the day - particularly out of season when the evening can get cool - gazing at the beautiful mountain scenery as the sun sets. There is also a fabulous spa on site.

The beach is stunning - again with plenty of private sunbeds. The hotel

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