Kathryn Otto goes on tour to Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife

As the dark winter nights close in, for many of us our minds start to wander and dream of warmer climes. This is the exact situation I find myself in – looking for a holiday, but unwilling to go through the rigour or expense of a long-haul flight to find the perfect weather during this season.

Luckily for me, Tenerife provides the perfect destination. Located off the northwest coast of Africa, the largest of the Canary Islands offers virtually guaranteed good weather all year round – plus being well-ser ved by many UK airports including Manchester and around 4hrs 45min travel time, it’s an ideal solution to my getaway fix.

After a comfortable journey – kicked off with a brief rest and refreshments at Manchester Airport’s Aspire Lounge – we head to the Hard Rock Hotel, situated on Playa Paraiso. Arriving at night, the exterior, which is in the form of two high-rise buildings, is lit up with a multiple of ever - changing colours that makes for an impressive light show and helps the resort to stand out from the crowd. We enter the huge lobby, which features the iconic Hard Rock logo, and are immediately made to feel like rock stars on arrival. What’s more, rock memorabilia and live music further adds to the atmosphere.

Our home-from-home for our stay is an ultra-modern Deluxe Gold Room, situated on the 12th floor. From here, we have an impressive view of the resort. In the evening, twinkling lights make it look magical, while during the day, the three pools and side sea view means my partner and I can assess from the balcony where to lay our heads for the day.

We decide to soak up the sun on one of the loungers by the pool. And with rock music playing in the background, we can truly switch off and relax. Every now and then we take a dip in the water and swim up to the bar , where we enjoy a cocktail or two. For me, this is one of the ultimate must-dos on holiday, along with reading a few books. However, we also notice plenty of activities on offer for those wanting more entertainment – whether it’s wellness and fitness classes, sports, DJ and guitar lessons, or a day in the Hard Rock Roxity kid’s club for the children, there’s enough to keep the whole family entertained for the entire holiday.

For further rest and relaxation, we head to the Rock Spa, which is an indoor and outdoor wellness space that has stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. My partner opts for a shoulder massage, which leaves him feeling totally relaxed for the rest of the day. Afterwards we take advantage of the spa’s other amenities, with 90-minute access given to guests who have booked a treatment. We focus on the pools; with an indoor hydrotherapy pool and a heated outdoor one with underwater massage beds, there’s plenty of time to soak, and while we don’t get a chance to use some of the other facilities, we pay a brief visit to the snow cabin before we leave, an absolute must-do, which gives us a quick shiver before warming back up in the sun.

Our minds and bodies well and truly restored, we turn our attentions to the evening ahead. We consider taking a trip into town, however with such an abundance of options within the resort itself, we choose to stay close to the hotel. After a brief pre-dinner tipple on the rooftop lounge bar, we weigh up our choices – and there are a lot, with everything from buffet dining of the Sessions restaurant to bar food in the 3rd Half bar; steakhouse vibes at Montauk to Mediterranean cuisine at Aliole.

After much deliberation (over another cocktail, of course), we opt for Narumi, the hotel’s Asian-influenced restaurant. The teppanyaki tables look tempting and no doubt would have provided superb food and entertainment; however, to continue our relaxed feel of the day we instead choose to go alfresco and eat on the terrace with views over the pools we’ve just spend a hard day’s rest by. We take our time looking over the extensive menu, with sushi and sashimi on offer alongside plenty of east Asian classics such as chicken pad Thai and prawn and vegetable tempura. The food is excellent, the dishes superbly presented and offering crisp, fresh flavours, while the service is second to none and really makes the meal that extra bit special.

We retire to our quarters and before a restorative night’s sleep, we reflect on our stay at the Hard Rock Hotel. While we didn’t need to party hard, we certainly relaxed like rock stars.

Rooms at Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife start at £170 per night for a Deluxe Silver Room (room rate only).

To book, please visit www.hardrockhoteltenerife.com

t: +34 971 92 76 91 | e: info@hrhtenerife.com