Holiday Inn Andorra ★★★★★

There is certainly more to the tiny Pyrenean mountain country of Andorra, sandwiched between France and Spain, than its best-known role as a tax haven. The mountain peaks and pristine air make it an absolute heaven for nature lovers and those who appreciate dramatic mountain scenery from their luxury hotel room!

A bright modern exterior and spacious ultra-contemporary reception area greet you when you arrive at the Holiday Inn. Our rather large party had a warm greeting from the staff who were especially welcoming to the children, which was encouraging as too often they are ignored, or worse, regarded warily as potential trouble! We were shown to our various rooms and suites. Our room was impressive – very large, with a separate sleeping and lounge area. The design was modern, clean and minimalist, with wooden floors, a big leather sofa and coffee table and a nice desk space. We were really pleased with the simplicity and background luxury details, which made us feel this was a place to be pampered. We had our own little kitchenette, with a mini-bar, fridge and tea and coffee-maker. Our son’s family room had space-age bunks for the children, and they loved them.

We all met up briefly in the hotel lounge, before the children dashed off to one of the Kids’ Club spaces, under the supervision of a friendly and well-trained member of staff. That left the adults to enjoy an apéritif before dinner in the hotel’s buffet restaurant. It was very good, with a great variety of European-themed dishes to choose from and plenty of things to appeal to the children as well. We chatted over dinner and made plans for our activities for the next few days.

My son and daughter were going to be out on the pistes just as soon as they could, and were cheerfully comparing notes on the skiing resorts they had been to, and how the Grandvalira would compare. My husband and I were planning on taking a bracing walk in the mountains, and had come prepared with some trails printed out. We knew from our little bit of research that the trails are safe and well signposted, and we were looking forward to being in the midst of those huge sweeping Pyrenean vistas all around us. We were really hoping the children would come with us, at least for a short morning walk, but they had set their hearts on meeting up with some friends they had already found in the children’s recreation room. As for my daughter in law – well, we all guessed where she would be. She is known affectionately as the Spa Queen and sure enough, she had already booked herself in for a massage and a session in the Hammam.

We spent the next few days doing exactly what pleased us most, and gathering every evening for some fun as a family. The Holiday Inn Andorra gave us exactly what we wanted!