Royal Garden Villas & Spa

At this late date Tenerife isn’t exactly uncharted territory, which means that here, more than many places, it’s worth going a bit out of one’s way. Royal Garden Villas & Spa certainly provides a bit of that “city on a hill” feeling. Here, overlooking the Costa Adeje and the sea beyond, is not just a luxury hotel, but one that comprises some twenty-eight villas, each with its own private pool, piling seclusion on seclusion in a way that couldn’t be more at odds with the typical picture of Spanish mass tourism.

The style is eclectic, and each villa has a look all its own. Functionally, though, they’re quite similar, differing mostly in size and capacity — whether one-, two- or three-bedroom, they’re all plush as can be, with king beds, plasma televisions, solariums and heated private pools.

Frankly it’s more like what we’ve come to expect from the villa resorts of the Far East than the Canary Islands. Not that we’re complaining. Royal Garden does a brisk trade in business travel, helped, no doubt, by its frontage on the Costa Adeje golf course, and its close proximity to eight others. But we’re most envious of the leisure guests who’ll have time to make the most of this place, from the main pool to the villas’ plunge pools to the spa — and it goes without saying that the golf courses are by no means for business travelers only.