Dolce CampoReal Lisboa ★★★★★

The expansive terracotta and yellow building sits nestled in the middle of a golf course. It exudes an air of calm, tranquillity and comfort in this exhilarating setting of beautiful open countryside and fresh air. I thought of my childhood hero Dylan Thomas in Fern Hill: “As I was young and easy under the apple boughs, About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green …” So far, the childhood dreams were being fulfilled, and with an added ingredient of luxury at that.

Our standard double room was spacious and beautifully furnished, and the hotel was happy to supply an extra bed for the young family member we had in tow. The room came with an espresso machine, dressing gowns, slippers and free Wi-Fi, so we were all well catered for. The bathroom was large and up to the high standard you would expect in a five-star hotel.

We had a choice of three restaurants: the Manjapão serves a breakfast and a dinner buffet, the Grande Escolha serves chef-inspired Mediterranean and international dishes, while the Sports Club overlooks the golf course and the hills beyond, serving up tapas and excellent local wine in the open air.

Even though we are not golfers, it was fun watching people setting out on the course. We spent some lovely lazy days in and around the fabulous swimming pool and the Eagle Pool Bar, breathtakingly lovely in the evening with the lights reflected in the water and the surrounding starry darkness. I treated myself to a day in the aptly named DiVine Spa with all the trimmings and a massage, which really was absolute heaven.

We also spent some more energetic days out and about. For discovering the lovely Portuguese countryside, the equestrian centre is stocked with all the necessary equipment, and they have some lovely horses which are well trained and safe but not so docile that it would make for dull riding. We dragged ourselves away from this little paradise for day trips to lively Lisbon and to the picturesque beach at Peniche!