COULD THIS BE THE ALGARVE’S MOST STYLISH RESORT?

If you’re someone that thinks resorts are a bit ‘Groundhog Day’ - think breakfast, pool time, lunch, showers, al la carte dinner: rinse; repeat – then look no further than Quinta do Lago, a gigantic yet upmarket resort in The Algarve with everything on hand for a fantastic holiday.

Unfathomably three times the size of Monaco – yep, we double checked – the resort is so large you’ll need to hire a car if you have small children; or get ready for lots of cycling if they are a little older. Never a bad thing.

Big really is beautiful here with more to see, do and eat than you can possibly fit into one trip, including three 18-hole golf courses, several big-named hotels, 13 restaurants, a professional sports centre, a beautiful lake, a pristine beach, several boutique shops, a farm supplying the restaurants with seasonal veg, and rows of envy-inducing mansions where the rich and famous live. You won’t hear the words “I’m bored during your entire stay – or we’ll give you your money back.*

* not really

We stayed at the four-star Magnolia Hotel, an art-deco, pastel-hued beauty with some incredible design ideas and mid Century pieces that I would gladly have folded up and put in my suitcase.

What the hotel lacks in size, it makes up for in bijou with a statement entrance, a relaxing lounge, an outdoor heated pool with colourful loungers, a buzzing bar and a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. You won’t find the usual British holidaymakers here; instead your fellow guests will be a cultural mix of sporty families and groups here to play golf, tennis or do water-sports.

Accommodation is housed in a separate block containing 74 rooms and three suites; a wellness area with Jacuzzi, steam and sauna; a play room with table tennis; and a cinema for throwing Netflix onto a big screen. Beyond the accommodation, and down a set of stairs, you’ll find two tennis courts, some swings and seven pastel-hued, self contained cottages.

Our cottage had two double bedrooms; an open plan lounge with terrace accessed via sliding doors; a fully-equipped kitchen with fridge, microwave and SMEG kettle; and a large bathroom with rain shower. Room service is available, or walk to the local shop and grab bread, cheese, wine and snacks for a song.

The only constant on our trip was breakfast in the hotel restaurant, a buffet of juices, fresh coffee, cheeses, meats and pastries together with a cooked option. Lily-Jane began each day with pancakes topped with berries and chocolate sauce; I went for the sourdough toast with spicy guacamole and poached eggs. Fuel for the day ahead.

We spent our first day being shown around the resort (which took three full hours even by car), before lunching at Shack, a beach bar serving the best fish tacos I’ve ever eaten in my life – tangy, spicy, crispy, and washed down with a cold local beer. Let the holiday begin.

An afternoon of water-sports on the lake took the day to another level, with Lily-Jane trying kayaking for the first time, while I relaxed on a small slither of beach. Guests can try anything from kayaking and paddle-boarding to sailing.

If you want to spend time on a jaw-dropping beach, cross the long wooden bridge until you reach a stretch of pristine caramel sand as far as the eye can see, with hardly anybody on it. The secret obviously isn’t out - yet.

That evening we dined at Bovino Steakhouse (pictured below), a fabulous restaurant with a wine cellar large enough to get lost in and an outdoor terrace with open fire pits. I still salivate over my New York steak drizzled in blue cheese sauce, tangy cauliflower cheese, and fresh rocket and pine nut salad, served with a glass of local red chosen by the sommelier. Lily-Jane’s burger kept her quiet for at least 20 minutes - worth every penny.

If you’re sport, make good use of The Campus during your stay, an indoor-outdoor professional sports facility with a football and rugby pitch; six tennis courts; four paddle courts (a cross between tennis and squash); a golf pro shop; a 25-metre outdoor pool; a spa area with sauna, steam, Jacuzzi and plunge pool; changing rooms; two studios; two gyms; a café; and a restaurant.

After a cup of coffee and a muffin we checked in for our half-hour tennis lesson on court 1 with a charming English-speaking coach. Uber patient and good with my feisty nine-year-old, we took it in turns to practice our fore-hand and backhand before enjoying a rally. The hour whizzed by.

After, we worked up an appetite for lunch in the outdoor pool with its leafy views and lanes for swimming leisurely lengths. Water too cold? (it was certainly on the refreshing side), hop inside and warm up in the Jacuzzi, sauna or steam room.

More upmarket than The Shack, restaurant Casa do Lago (pictured below) probably isn’t ideal for toddlers that like to run around – although we did see families with young children during our lunch. Lily-Jane’s fish and chips were perfect; my salted cod croquettes, prawn tempura and tomato salad, washed down with a chilled white, was perfect after an active morning.

Another phrase you won’t hear during a holiday at Casa do Lago is “I’m hungry” with food options aplenty. Dinner at Dano’s Sportsbar was another highlight - a great option for noisy kids wanting to watch live tennis or sport on a screen. My chicken wings with blue sauce, apple slaw and cold beers was just what the post-tennis, post-swimming doctor ordered. That night I slept better than I had in years.

We spent our final day beside the pool of our hotel which, despite the October sunshine and being heated, was freezing. But you know kids… in she went without a care in the world, while I spent several blissful hours on a lounger with a book and a glass of chilled Vinho Verde.

With its lack of evening entertainment and splash parks, a holiday at Quinta do Lago might not be for everyone but if, like me, you have a sporty child who is constantly bored (and always hungry) then this is a great option. The hotel is as cool as a cumber, the food outstanding and the pools top notch. And with all that action on hand, you’ll return feeling healthier than before you went. We will definitely be returning.

Prices start at £100 per night for a double room on a B&B basis; family cottages start at £180 per night with breakfast included
www.magnoliahotelqdl.com; www.quintadolago.com/en