Having arrived in Italy from the UK, less than a couple of hours before, as soon as we stepped into Verdura’s grand, square-angled marble entrance, mum and daughter were desperate for one thing – no, not spa treatments or suntanning – pasta.
Clichés are fine when you’re in Italy. As it was mid-afternoon, and having been given as warm a welcome as they come, we were affectionately guided to a bar seemingly made for grown-ups, La Granita. Settled into our sophisticated sea-view spot our simple spaghetti pomodoro arrived as a feast. Olives, just-baked focaccia – all spread out in a glossy Olga Polizzi-perfected setting for this mum and her lucky five year old. Of course for our next meal, dinner, we were craving pizza – on tap, too – and Verdura delivered that with panache up in Liola.
Since this tribe was there in spring, we put the tranquility of the mod Med resort down to it being off-season. Yet a member of Verdura’s friendly staff assured us that occupancy was actually quite high – this sprawling resort just has that knack of feeling pin-drop peaceful. And there’s always a golf course, beach, spa, tennis courts to lure people away from the main hub so you’ll never be fighting for that sunlounger. No wonder celebrities like to sneak in en famille to enjoy a ‘normal’ holiday. If you call having an award-winning spa, a fully staffed kids club, golf buggies at your beck and call and your own private slice of the Med ‘normal’.
We were only there for a weekend, but it was long enough to feel like an utterly relaxing escape. Within minutes Kitty has made a new best friend the same age in the kids club, while I sneaked off to steal some de-stressing time in the spa. A splash in the outdoor thalassotherapy pools, a sip of herbal tea, a steam in the cavernous hammam – never has a family resort delivered such delicious ‘me time’.
ROOMS: Doubles from £220 per night (coincidentally!), room only