Spain golf and hotels

Golf holidays en spain , best hotels and acommodations

2011-04-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

When booking your VILLAS IN ALICANTE, stay at the La Plays San Juan golf course designed by none other than Severiano Ballesteros. You have got to see the course to believe the magic he worked in creating this masterpiece.

When considering the place for your next golfing holiday, there are so many options! World class courses to test your skill and keep your game sharp are located in so many countries. Many golfers consider Spain to be a wonderful place to vacation and play golf. The coastline of Spain is beautiful with lush green surrounds and of course, the ocean. Another benefit to visiting Europe, and Spain in particular, is if you are travelling with your family or a non golfer, there are plenty of activities for them while you enjoy your round of golf.
Andalusia, in the southern part of Costa del Sol also has some great champion ship courses. The best destinations are Marbella, Puerto Banus and Malaga with the golfing resorts Westin La Quinta, Marbella Golf & Country Club and Atalaya Park top on the list of places to play.

So you are searching the internet looking for a golf holiday! You decide upon Spain. Why? Well, if you live in Northern Europe you know that it isn't going to cost you a fortune to get there. You know that there's a good chance the weather will be good and you will get some sunshine and you know the quality of golf courses will be excellent and Spanish golf holidays have been assured for years!

But wait! Isn't it expensive to play golf in Spain now? Last time I heard people were paying upwards of 100 Euros for a round of golf especially on the Costa del Sol! So is there an alternative?

Yes, there is an alternative location than the Costa del Sol for your Spanish Golf Holidays and that location is the region of Murcia the Costa Calida, set in south Eastern Spain. Here you will find an abundance of stunning golf courses all with a variety of terrain. Whether it be water or mountain golf this area fits the bill and with a variety of courses all within a 20 minute drive you can play as many as you wish within 7 days.

La Torre Golf Resort offers fantastic fairways, sumptuous greens and stunning holes built around lakes on the resort itself. It is part of the Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail, because the course itself was designed by Mr.Golden Bear himself.

Golfing Holiday Tenerife

2010-05-22T04:29:00.000-07:00

Tenerife is Tops

When Brits fancy a short break, Tenerife, it seems, is often top of their list and with its year-round promise of sunshine, and short flight times, it’s perhaps not too surprising.

In fact, the island took first place in a poll of UK travel agents, for a survey by travel industry magazine Short Breaks and Holidays. Tenerife was the short getaway destination of choice for groups of friends and families, and an award in recognition was presented to the island’s tourism authorities at the 2007 World Travel Market in London.

According to the island’s government statistics, since year 2000 numbers of visitors have grown from 4.7 million to 5.45 million this year, these last two years seeing the biggest increases. Almost 2 million Tenerife tourists are from the UK.

Growth of tourism has transformed the island but not hidden its considerable charms. Its 2,034 square metres cover a wide variety of climates and terrains with a wealth of ecosystems; the whole dominated by Spain’s highest point, the Pico del Teide, standing at 3,718 metres.

Beach tourists, as well as those more interested in culture, history and art, are not disappointed when they visit the island, while accommodations, entertainment venues and shopping centres tend increasingly toward the luxurious and modern.

It’s no accident that Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels, with more than 50,000 mostly British members and 22 resorts in Europe, has focused attention on the island establishing four quality resorts, close to the vibrant holiday centre of Playa Las Americas in three cases and the top-class golfing area of Golf del Sur in the fourth.

These resorts, like the island, receive many, many repeat visitors. They are attracted by the year-round climate and short, cheap and plentiful flights from many airports in the UK, for sure, but also by the guaranteed quality of Club La Costa resorts and the high levels of service they receive. Often, according to Club La Costa Standards Controller Daniel Li, they say: “It’s like coming home with all the friendly and familiar faces” and that they are delighted, if surprised, at the way waiters and reception staff “even remember our names”.

Club La Costa acquired Sunningdale Village resort in Golf del Sur, plus adjoining land for development, in 2001 and went on to acquire its other resorts on the island in 2003. It currently has 376 apartments on Tenerife and this year arranged holidays at its resorts there for more than 54,000 people.

About the Author

Richard Fletcher has worked for Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels for the past fourteen years as Resorts Management Director, overseeing the running of 22 resorts in the UK, Spain, Austria and Tenerife. He worked in hotel management in England from 1966 until his arrival in Spain in 1984 and operated resorts in Tenerife, Mallorca, Portugal and Marbella prior to joining Club La Costa

Hotel Stars Spain Guide

2009-12-26T05:50:00.000-08:00

Can you expect all star rating in Spain to be the same?

The short answer is definitely NO. Each of the seventeen regions in Spain give official ratings according their own criteria therefore making it impossible to make an informed choice ( based just on the classification alone ) when deciding where to stay. The only common factor of all regions is that they rate hotels as one, two, three, four or five star according to facilities offered.

In general five star hotels will usually live up to customers expectations as these are the luxury end of the market and are mostly offered by international or national hotel chains who have a quality brand image to live up to. Being the high end market they are of course only for those who can afford them a customer base with high expectations.

Four and three star hotels in Spain tend to be the establishments with the most disappointment when it comes to customers expectations as these vary greatly from region to region and town to town. It is not unusual to find a three star which customers review as a four star and indeed a four star which customers review as a three.

To add to the confusion the official rating given to a hotel is not necessarily that which customers see, as most hotels are booked online or through tour company brochures who have their own star ratings criteria ( or sun, crown, key, moon, diamond etc ). It is also widespread for customers to have their own idea of what a classification actually means based on the services and comfort of hotels in their own country. In Spain the service and especially the type of food offered differs from that of other European destinations and or course is “ typically Spanish “ as you would expect.

A rough guide of what to expect for each star rating.

1 Star – Basic rooms some with a bathroom or shared facilities. Often no amenities such as lounge, swimming pool, television, room telephone, safe or reception services. Generally small rooms most without balconies or sea views. Although basic this can be a good option if on a budget holiday. You may be pleasantly surprised in this type of hotel if you ask to see your room before payment. Expect dining to be simple Spanish meals with limited choice sometimes only on a bed and breakfast rate or room only. Limited fire safety standards.

2 Star – Basic comfortable acceptable accommodation with some rooms en-suite. Many will offer better services and even perhaps a small swimming pool. Rooms may have a television, air conditioning, bigger restaurant, better style of food with perhaps more choice usually on a buffet basis. Many two star hotels in good sea front locations are unable to gain a 3 star due to restraints with the building but do offer a 3 star service with good quality but smaller rooms. Limited fire safety standards but most do have fire escapes now.

3 Star – Here you will get a larger hotel with better facilities such as T. V games room, pool and gardens or sun terrace, 24 hour reception, lounge, separate bar. Generally with larger restaurant with a comprehensive choice food served buffet style for breakfast through to dinner. Rooms will all be en-suite usually with full bathroom facilities, TV, room safe, balcony, air conditioning, telephone and large enough to accommodate twin beds. Most do not offer room service. Many three star hotels do now offer limited gym facilities. Better fire escape standards and better equipment such as hoses extinguishers can be expected.

4 Star – Large formal hotels with well deigned ambient decor to public areas. Usually offer a choice of bars and large restaurant with buffet service plus a´la carte dining choice in many. Most offer outdoor and indoor heated pool with gym, sauna facilities too. Rooms are well appointed with balcony or terrace (unless city center based). All will provide air conditioning, room service, large bathrooms with hairdryer and toiletries plus luxury towels. Many have a mini bar or fridge but not all. Expect satellite T. V with a good range of channels and an in room telephone. Concierge service to book theatres, car hire etc does tend to be available in most 4 star hotels. Most are now up to the EU fire safety standards.

5 Star – These are the best offering a high level of personal service, luxury and high end premises with landscaped gardens ( unless city center based). You will expect luxury rooms with mini bar, trouser press, fine quality furnishings and specially designed luxurious beds and bed linen. Bathrooms will be of the highest quality and large with luxury toiletries and towels. World T. V and pay per view films / games available. 24 hour full room service. A selection of bars and dining areas with award wining food. Usually have a golf course on site or nearby and full spa / wellness centers. Expect a bell boy service and full 24 hour concierge. All will have good fire safety and evacuation procedures in place.

Hostal & Pension Accommodation

For the budget traveller you may also consider a Spanish one or two star hostal or simple pension. These are often the cheapest with two star hostals offering the best with en-suite shower rooms. Many have small restaurants or bars which serve food. Most are bed and breakfast only and offer very limited services with no pools or garden areas.

Pensions tend to very basic with some en-suite shower rooms or shared facilities. Most pensions do not offer food but some may offer bar snacks or a small continental breakfast. With these you do get what you pay for so do not expect too much other than clean accommodation. Best suited to back packers or those who just need somewhere to sleep in between all night partying. Best advice is too ask to see the room first before deciding to stay.

Many of these older establishments do not offer a high standard of fire safety when compared to many countries. Not many have separate fire escapes a point worth considering.

Concerning food, service, expectations, safety

Generally hotels in Spain below three star will offer limited “international” food, which, if not important can be a good thing depending on your taste and willingness to experiment. If however you want food “like it is at home” then you would be best to go three or four star with four being the best choice for good quality international food. The thing to remember is that Spain is Spain and you should be prepared to immerse yourself into the way things are rather than come with expectations of a home from home. This way you will enjoy a much more pleasant stay. If you are concerned about safety Spain does have an excellent record of fire safety and is a very safe place to be with violent crime extremely rare. The plumbing is different, water tastes different but is safe, things are slower, service is – well – Spanish and tomorrow is another day. Enjoy your visit to Spain and the large choice of hotels.

Winter’s golf and tennis events return to La Manga Club

2009-11-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

With a fantastic tournament programme, great prizes and an entertaining companions’ programme, this year’s Murcia Turística Opens are the ideal opportunity to enjoy some competitive winter golf or tennis in the sun at exceptional value prices.

For golfers, the 9th Murcia Turistica Golf Open takes place from December 7th to 12th, with a 3-day Individual Stableford competition with men’s and ladies’ categories and prizes valued at over 8000 euros.

If tennis is your game, the 7th Murcia Turística Seniors’ Tennis Open is an official ITF tournament (category 3) with singles and doubles competitions open to all standards of player aged 35 or over. Date: December 6th to 12th. Prizes valued at over 8000 euros.

Marbella Golf Holidays With Car Rental

2009-09-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

The vacation rental website focussing on Marbella Apartment Rental has began focussing on the golfing holiday market for the 2009 season.

Tourism is slightly down for the Costa Del Sol region of Spain which, in reality, offers great value for money for all of those people still looking to take a holiday in 2009 as pricing will be more competitive and bargains more widespread.

With this in mind, it is a clear goal of the rentin-marbella.com site to continue to grow its market share by holding ground in the holiday rental sector for mainstream holiday makers whilst also tapping into the niche market of golfing holidays and the high quality golfing facilities scattered everywhere around Marbella and the Estepona area of the Costa Del Sol.

Some of the finest Golf Hotels in Marbella combine luxurious living with onsite golf course. Hotels like Marbella Golf & Country Club; The Golf Club Marbella and Arcos Gardens are all examples of fine hotel accommodation with designer golf courses.. the Golf Club Marbella for instance is dhird party templatedesigned by Robert Trent Jones it is a long golf course with opening holes crossed by ravines and gulleys which require accurate and brave teeshots. Others specialise in wonderful landscaping with a mix of fairways/greens and encorporate relaxing spa’s.

The Marbella website Rentin-Marbella.com specialises in giving you a wide choice of quality accommodation away from the hotel scene allowing you to run your holiday on your timing and freedom. Many have maid cleaning services, spa’s; swimming pools; etc but offer a more private and relaxed atmosphere for the discerning client who realises the extra value afforded by being home from home.

Recently, the Marbella accommodation rental site negotiated a long term contract for providing highly competitive Malaga taxi transfers with a leading private hire firm in the Costa Del Sol area as well as contracting with the internationally acclaimed CarTrawler car rental booking system to ensure that Rentin-Marbella’s customers get the most competitively priced and newest car models to rent in Marbella at bargain prices with no hidden extra fees!!

The Best Golf Resorts Spain

2009-08-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

If you are searching for the perfect golf resorts Spain has an awesome selection to choose from, and achieving the right balance between location, facilities and accommodations will be the main factor in judging the success of your Spanish golf vacation. I want to take a look at 3 very different golf hotels Spain is famous for.

Hyatt Regency La Manga Club - 5 Star

La Manga Club is without doubt one of Europe’s top golf and sports resorts, which boasts something to do for virtually everyone. There are 3 championship level golf courses at La Manga (home of 5 Spanish Opens), as well as a first class tennis academy with 22 courts. There truly is no better place in Spain to test out your new ping golf clubs - the setting is perfect.

The resort also includes a diving school, large outdoor pool, squash courts and a fully equipped gymnasium.

If you are less energetic, choose from a wide range of massage therapies or beauty treatments in the day spa - you will love it.

The St. Regis Mardavall Resort Majorca - 5 Star

The St. Regis Mardavall Resort is something special, set against the beautiful Tramuntana Mountains facing the Mediterranean Sea, this place is a real Majorcan gem. The suites are luxurious with custom designed furnishings, and feature spacious balconies overlooking the Mediterranean or the tropical gardens.

As well as golf, other sporting options include tennis, water skiing, diving, windsurfing and sailing.

If you prefer less strenuous activities, the Arabella Spa will provide everything from Chinese medicine specialists through to an indoor pure mineral water swimming pool.

If you really want to dedicate yourself to idyllic relaxation, why not just settle down on one of their private yachts.

La Cala Golf & Resort Spa Mijas - 5 Star

Ideally situated between the 3 Mijas golf courses, this traditional Andalucian style resort is the largest golf resort in Spain. It’s 107 bedrooms boast wonderful views of the South Course which, in my opinion, are best viewed from your private terrace while you’re enjoying breakfast.

If you want to immerse yourself in golf, then this is undoubtedly the place for you. For the non golfers there is floodlit tennis, fully equipped gym and squash.

No golf resort nowadays is complete without a spa, and La Cala is no different. La Caracala Spa offers the chance to relax in beautiful surroundings and choose from the extensive and innovative treatments.

If I were to recommend golf resorts Spain has a number of first class resorts that would be top of my list. If you have any questions regarding any of the resorts I have mentioned please contact me at the Golf Vacations Spain Guide and I will do my best to help.

Spain golf

2009-07-26T12:40:00.000-07:00

Spain golf is on the rise and ever more people are looking for a golf holiday Spain is becoming their chosen destination. With its sunny climate and stunning landscapes, Spain has long been a popular golfers destination for Europeans, especially the Costa del Sol, the Costa Blanca, Costa Brava, Costa Calida and the Costa de la Luz. To cater for a sizeable ex-pat and tourist interest, notably British, Irish and Scnadinavian, Spain has a fine selection of golf courses in the popular areas. There are so many to choose from that this is quite often the hardest part of choosing you golf holidays in Spain.

A longtime favorite of golfers from all over Europe, Spain's Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca are home to one of the highest concentrations of top-class golf courses to be found anywhere in the world.

Located in the region of Andalucia in southern Spain, the Costa del Sol is often referred to as the Costa del Golf, offering more than sixty golf courses within a small area. If linked together in a straight line, the courses would stretch from one end of the Costa del Sol to the other, but designed by famous names such as Nicklaus, Sevi Ballesteros and Olazabal, the golf courses run from the beaches to the hills, through forests and over lakes.

Valderrama is among the many beautiful courses located along this stretch of the Mediterranean coast , where the 1997 Ryder Cup Matches were held, and San Roque golf course, the winter home of the European PGA.

The Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca are a melting pot of culture, golf and entertainment. With flamenco dancing, bull fighting, tapas bars and lively, fun-loving and friendly people, Spain has all the ingredients for a truly memorable golf holiday, on and off the golf course.

We'll keep you posted on more news for the golf holiday Spain section.