Tucked away at the end of Menorca's longest sandy beach, Hotel Santo Tomas is an oasis of relaxation. It's set amid carefully tended lawns and swaying palms, overlooking a pleasant pool. Step through a little gate beside the pool and you're face to face with a sweep of soft sand and the sparkling Mediterranean. Whitewashed and featuring criss-cross-patterned verandas, the hotel has the air of a stately Spanish hacienda. Inside, it's calm and comfortably decked out, dressed in creamy décor with marble and wood features. Potted plants add splashes of greenery to the scene.
Factor in guest rooms in generous sizes and a buffet restaurant dishing up hearty breakfasts and dinners, and all the right boxes are ticked. The restaurant opens out into a wide terrace of wicker chairs and tables dressed in crisp white linens. Plus there's an à la carte option from the little bar-restaurant nestled between the pool and the beach. The spa deserves a special mention, too. With its mosaic-tiled indoor pool, sauna and steam bath, it helps the wind-down process along nicely. To end the day, low-key entertainment is laid on down by the pool. But with a setting as spectacular as this, it would be criminal not to finish with a moonlit stroll along the beach.