Hotel Sheraton Caleta Resort and Spa

La Caleta has a privileged position away from the town centre, but still within its reach, in a quiet zone of the same name at the western end of the southern resort of Costa Adeja. The immediate vicinity of the hotel holds a handful of other hotels, but otherwise the closest action is to be found on the town centre a short taxi ride away. The closest beach, Playa del Duque, is just a couple minutes' walk away. If you are arriving by car there's no need to worry about finding a space as there will be someone to do this for you. The island's southern airport is 15miles away while the northern airport is 53 miles away.

The hotel offers a special area known as the Club Lounge which offers drinks, snacks, daily press, meeting rooms, internet access and lounge to members only. Anyone can buy in to the scheme by paying a supplement of 25? and have unlimited access to this quiet, exclusive area of the hotel.

The external architecture of the hotel is certainly a matter of taste, the building being a ghastly (in our opinion) light brick colour. Luckily though, things improve somewhat once inside the lobby (aside from the fact that the reception is hidden to the right hand side, which is a pet hate of ours). It is a refreshingly light space with greenery hanging down from the galleries above and with smart seating placed all around. From the ceiling hang oversize lamps and the shiny marble floors are impeccable. Check in is done swiftly, professionally and with a smile but depending on where your room is it may take a while to get settled in such is the size of the property. Outside at lobby level is a terrace with a pond and a waterfall which pours into one of the pools below. There are three pools in total here with one salt water pool, around which there is much more space to sunbathe than the other two. Exposure to the sun is very good with the surrounding buildings not blocking the rays and it is quiet and calm (when there are no children in town anyway). Adjacent to the pool area are beautiful gardens from which there are magnificent views of the island's interior.

Kids are given their own special area at La Caleta. Situated in the gardens, Los Delfines comprises a kids pool, a playground and an undercover miniclub where all sorts of activities are put on by the monitors: t-shirt painting, kite-making, games and sports. In the evenings they can enjoy their own mini disco while for the adults, the hotel prefers to hold events rather than put on a show. For example one night a week there is a champagne and sea food evening with a musician while on another night there may be a Japanese themed-evening. For those looking to wind down and treat themselves to a massage or beauty treatment there aren't many better places than the Caroli Health Club. As well as a full range of treatments for the face and body, it offers aesthetics, reflexology, aromatherapy and several spa programs especially for couples in the VIP room. There are in addition several types of pool for hydrotherapy, jacuzzis, sauna and a relaxation area with fountain. There was a small gym when we visited but this is being converted to a new Sheraton fitness room.

Other amenities at La Caleta include a mini golf course, a hairdresser and a games room with ping pong, darts and pool. The overall upkeep of the hotel is superb and it is a pleasant place to spend time should you not want to venture outside the hotel walls.

There are several different categories of room and suite at La Caleta. Amongst the guest rooms the main differences are the type of view, height within the building and size of balcony or terrace. The standard room is relatively spacious and boasts well dressed beds with smart bedside tables, headboard, desk table and armchairs, as well as amenities including safe, fridge, minibar, iron and ironing board, tea and coffee facilities and magazines. The balcony is fairly small but does have plants on it and a wicker table and chair. The bathroom has both a bathtub and shower, branded toiletries, hairdryer, robes and slippers, complimentary water and a separate loo and bidet. Rooms in higher categories have either oblique or direct sea views from higher up in the hotel, larger, private terraces with sun loungers and the possibility of access to the Club Lounge. The suites all have separate living areas with sofas, coffee table and flatscreen television, as well as larger terraces or balconies, double vanities in the bathroom and other advantages such as dining tables, Bose clock radios, cordless phone, and walk-in wardrobes.

For a hotel of medium size such as La Caleta, it is impressive that there are four restaurants to choose from. The main buffet restaurant where breakfast and dinner is served, El Parador, is not hugely different to many other buffet restaurants on the island, except that every night there is a different theme for dinner including Caribbean, seafood and Canarian. As well as a large selection of wines, à la carte dining is also possible here. For lunch, the poolside restaurant Vivace is the only option. With both inside and al fresco dining, this is a very pleasant place to enjoy a wide range of dishes such as salads, burgers, fish or pizzas direct from the oven. From here you can also catch a glimpse of the sea and the island of Gomera. If you don't fancy a buffet dinner then you have two options: La Venta and Kamakura. The former is a typical Spanish and Canarian restaurant where you can enjoy a range of tapas and wines chosen by chefs from Sheraton hotels across Spain. A supplement is applicable here for those on a half board basis if they go over their allowance, while those on a bed and breakfast deal pay full price. Kamakura is a Japanese restaurant which also attracts clients from outside the hotel. It has a beautiful authentic interior where you can sample sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki as well as Japanese beers and sake.

Playa del Duque and its grey sand stretches for half a mile and boats straw parasols, loungers (both at a charge), public toilets and showers. There is also a water sports centre and games for kids as well as a bar/restaurant called Chiringito. The large beach is monitored, well set up and you can stroll easily to the other beaches in the area further down in Playa de las Americas. You'll also find a host of shops, bars, restaurants and games arcades.