Matt Woods
a brilliant sports bar less than a five-minute walk away for your Premier League, beer and burger fix. It’s handy for easy journeys to the Tottenham and Arsenal stadiums too.
QUIBBLES In a no-frills hotel, you expect to pay for some extras, but I was appalled to find out that the add-ons include using the in-room TV.
Remotes are locked away at reception and you need to fork out £5 to borrow one and receive a code so you can access the TV channels.
Even for the cheapest hotel rooms I’d expect the TV to be included in the price, and if you’re also paying for other extras, such as wi-fi and breakfast, those costs can quickly add up, diminishing the budget-friendly appeal. VERDICT: All of the add-ons let it down – but at least we didn’t have to pay for a towel in the shower! 7/10
When I was a youngster, it seemed as if the Balearic island of Menorca was often ignored in favour of its noisier neighbours Majorca and Ibiza.
Menorcans appeared to enjoy the slower, relaxed pace of life – as if they wanted the exclusivity offered by that way of life. And to a point they still do.
From the airport, it was just a short hop to the beautifully fresh-feeling adults’ only Artiem Carlos III hotel in Es Castell. It opened in 2012 and is close to the capital Mahon, overlooking its harbour. It isn’t Vegas or Blackpool and there’s no disco lights or DJs here.
The hotel boasts 89 rooms, many with a stunning port view, a wellness spa, pool, fitness centre, massage – everything you’d expect from a high-end four-star rating.
Out in the 25C air (not bad for autumn) Menorca is stunning, with just short of 100 beaches, beautiful boutique hotels, bars and restaurants, wonderful historic sites and the second largest natural harbour in Europe.
It’s the perfect getaway for couples wanting the high life without the high costs (for now, prices are going up).
The island is a strategic point in the Mediterranean and has been invaded countless times from everyone from the Vandals and Moors to the British and French – but it does not have a road all around the coast. Instead there’s a 115mile long horse path, the Cami de Cavalls, now open to walkers and cyclists, and cut into around 20 sections dotted with fantastically constructed look-out points.
You should look out for Menorca’s amazing food, much of which is locally sourced and exclusive to the island. Try gins, cheeses and cured meats such as the fantastic sobrassada made with ground pork and seasoned with paprika. And then there’s the fine seafood such as clams and squid. Essentially everything you would expect from a fiercely independent Spanish island. A magnificent example for foodies can be found at Torralbenc, a charming restaurant with rooms near the town of Alaior, where residents and restaurant customers alike can dine on roasted Menorcan red prawns, marinated suckling pig with shallots and aged steak.
Back in town, I headed to the harbour at Mahon (also known as Mao), for a trip on a glass-bottomed boat with Yellow Catamarans (yellowcatamarans. com, from €12.50) along its full four-mile length taking in views of Es Castell, Sant Antoni and Cala Llonga, a lot of it looking like a coastal millionaires’ row.
Another must for visitors to the second largest Balearic island is Ciutadella, a port city on the west coast.
It was Menorca’s old capital before the then ruling British moved it to Mahon in 1722, largely for economic reasons. It is
It’s just the perfect getaway for the high life without the high prices