Rigat Park & Spa Beach Hotel - Lloret de Mar, Spain     

I've stayed in hotels in 25 countries and this is by far one of my top 10. It's unofficially classed as a 5 star... I'm an American expat living in England, so personally I think Americans would view it a very nice 4 star and Brits a 5 star. The service has always been good; I've stayed in this hotel at least 6 times in 5 years.... and keep going back because the food is brilliant, the service excellent and unobtrusive, and the location is peaceful. Lloret de Mar is not the nicest resort area in Spain (I'd rate the area 2-3 stars in American standards, safe but a bit on the wild side, shopping is so-so, no Prada to be found here unless it's in the hotel boutique), but this hotel sits on a cliff and feels very secluded. You could easily spend a week and never leave the hotel. The beach looks sandy, but is very fine pebble (slightly painful to walk in bare feet). Swim shoes are not helpful.. the little rocks tend to find their way in somehow. The pool is lovely, but can be cold outside of summer. It is heated, but uses some sort of sand-heat system that isn't very effective when the weather is in the 60's/70's. There is a small indoor pool and jaccuzzi/sauna/steam room with a treatment area for massage etc. The hotel rules state no children in the indoor pool/spa area, but they were fairly lax about this rule when I was there last. The food is magnificent but a tad on the expensive side. We enjoyed walking down to Lloret for lunch/dinner every day, as there are plenty of cafes and restaurants within very easy walking distance. Parking is pretty good, and I recommend having a car to go on long drives up the coastline or down to Barcelona. Our last trip there we flew Ryanair into Girona and took a 45Euro taxi. Not too bad, and much cheaper than hiring a car for a weekend... but we regretted not being able to jet off to neighboring towns for meals. We arrived grouchy... because Ryanair charged us 77 euros for luggage fees being overweight. I would not have even classed the bags as being heavy, and you cannot "buy" extra bags.. there is a weight limit per person, not per bag. Check the fine print carefully... if you're headed to the beach for a week you might get caught out with too much stuff. There are two water taxi services that stop right on the beach and take you south to Blanes and north to Tossa de Mar (with stops between as well). Tossa has a lovely old town to visit as well as nice shops and good waterfront cafes. Try the last cafe on the right as you disembark off the boat... they make a mean Sangria de Cava. The breakfasts must be seen to be believed... and if you prefer eggs cooked another way, just ask. The coffee is to die for. Starbucks eat your heart out. Breakfast on the terrace is a treat., and look out for the glass dolphins. I like the rooms facing away from the pool better, as they're quiet and it's nicer at night (less lights). If you get one on the end, you'll have windows directly on the Med, and a balcony with a very nice side view. They have larger suites as well; we found that we didn't spend enough time in our room to enjoy it. It's good value for money (esp. if you eat cheaply in Lloret, rather than the hotel restaurant every night), the service is very good, and if you're like us you'll go home more relaxed and tanned than you've been in a while.

Great vacation. Relaxed on the sea. Friendly people and good food ( even for an American!!!). I wrote an other review with my photos but it is not... it is a pity.