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Sunshine, Sport and Relaxation at La Manga Club Spain
Looking for a perfect location for some out of season sunshine? How about a trip to Spain? La Manga Club is situated in a quiet corner in the south east of the country, just north of Cartagena and to the south west of La Manga strip. It’s a delightfully lush paradise filled with palm trees and colourful vegetation which gets around 3,000 hours of sunshine a year – equivalent to 320 days per year. We recently enjoyed a short break in early October and the weather was sunny and in the mid to high twenties throughout our stay.
The Club comprises 1,400 acres, with a total of three 18 hole golf courses, multiple swimming pools, a spa and gym, a tennis academy with 28 courts, and eight FIFA-regulation football pitches. Accommodation is arranged in self contained apartments and villas in the four star Los Lomas Village or at the five star Hotel Principe Felipe.
Hotel Principe Felipe
We stayed at the Hotel Principe Felipe which is beautiful, luxurious and relaxing. The entrance and lobby is very spacious and decorated in sophistiated netural tones with high ceilings and lots of comfortable seating.
From the windows you get stunning views of the golf course and hotel pool just a few steps away.
Our Room
After an efficient and quick check in, we were offered a refreshing welcome drink in the lobby before being taken to our room where we were given a quick run through of all the facilities. The front of desk were extremely courteous and super helpful at all times.
The room was a Royal Club and very conveniently located close to the lobby, the restaurant and piano bar and the pool. It was a good size, tastefully decorated in relaxing tones. The bed was extremely comfortble and as well as plenty of sockets, there were tea and coffee making facilities and a small balcony equipped with a couple of chairs.
The rooms at Hotel Principe Felipe are also equipped with great wifi. This is something I often take for granted in this day and age, but surprisingly during this same trip to South Eastern Spain, I wasn’t able to enjoy the same high standard of wifi at other hotels we stayed at in the area.
The bathroom was fully tiled in beige stone with a powerful stand alone shower, a separate toilet and something I really like (which seems to be dying out in many hotels), a bath tub too.
Restaurants
There is a large choice of restaurants and bars on site – 15 in total. From bar snacks at the hotel pool, to traditional Mediterranean cuisine to Asian food, you have plenty of choice at the Club without having to leave the resort. There is also the the 37 Spike & Sports Bar, next to the Club House and ideal for golfers, offering a wide range of hamburgers, sandwiches and salads as well as breakfasts.
The breakfast in the hotel dining room and adjoining outdoor patio is a sumptuous affair with everything from traditional Spanish pastries, breads and cereals, through to hot and cold plates and eggs cooked to order in a variety of ways. You can wash it all down with an array of juices and vitamin drinks or maybe a glass of Cava. Tea and Nespresso-capsule coffee machines are all available at help yourself stations, along with both cold and hot milk.
The Grounds
The grounds are well established and mature. Palm trees swayed in the breeeze and the October sunshine exuded an intensity quite unexpected in Autumn. The views in the gardens are beautiful with lots of colour with flowers, plants and shrubs and of course the green golf courses and the hotel pool are just a few steps away.
The three golf courses make this a great draw for golf players, of whom there were many staying at the hotel. However, if like me you don’t play there are still plenty of things to do. The outdoor hotel pool is close by and the spa area is a few minutes ride in the hotel shuttle bus (or if like us you have a hire car you can simply drive over in a couple of minutes as there is ample parking).
The area from which the La Manga Club draws its name refers to the to “the sleeve”, the nearby 14-mile strip of land which separates the Mar Menor from the Mediterrranean sea. Occupied mainly by high-rise hotels and apartment blocks, it also offers restaurants, bars and beaches as well as local markets and is worth a drive if only to catch one of the beautiful sunsets over the Mar Menor.
Outside the Club
There’s plenty to see and do outside La Manga Club too – local markets, historic towns and beautiful beaches. See our article here for more ideas on towns to visit and local restaurants.
La Manga Club Awards
You may also be interested to know that La Manga Club Golf Resort has received a number of awards this year. It has just been presented with the prize for “Europe’s Leading Luxury Resort & Villas 2017” in the World Travel Awards in October 2017. Also Golf Digest magazine gave the resort the “Editors’ Choice Award for the Best International Resort 2017”. In addition, for the sixth consecutive year they were awarded “Spain’s Best Golf Resort” by readers of Today’s Golfer.
Conclusion
We totally enjoyed our break in October and would definitely go back. We were surprised at how hot and sunny the weather was – we even had to buy more sunscreen! The atmosphere at Club La Manga was relaxing and it was the perfect place to unwind. There is plenty to do if you’re sporty but if you just fancy relaxing by the pool with a good book and a drink in your hand it’s great too. The spa and gym necessitate a 3 minute ride with the hotel shuttle bus or you can drive there yourself.
Getting There
The nearest airports are Murcia which is about 25 minutes away and and Alicante which is just under an hour and a half away. It’s a short drive or taxi ride to the sea and during the Summer the hotel operates a shuttle every hour from 11am onwards to take guests to their private beach 4km away.
La Manga Club Principe Felipe Hotel
La Manga Club
Address: 30389 Los Belones, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Prices vary depending on time of year so for full information call the hotel or visit the website below.
Visit the La Manga website here.
Tel: +34 968 33 12 34
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All photos taken on Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk iii
We were invited to stay at the Hotel Principe Felipe but all views are entirely our own.
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