Pampered and preened on ...and it's tough, too, for a five-year-old in a five-star Kid's Club!

PAMPERED and preened in luxurious surroundings! Yes, life is tough when you are a five year old in a five star kids club in Portugal!

If you're looking for ideas for the 2008 family holiday look no further than the Algarve. Having spent a week living in the lap of luxury at five star Sao Raphael Suites near Albuferia - believe me, it's ideal!

The Sao Raphael is a superb hotel. It's about 10 minute taxi ride from the centre of bustling Albufeira - a bonus for me as one night of the bars along the strip is more than enough - and it's nothing to do with age!

Let's face it, why would you leave the salubrious surroundings of the hotel to slurp two pint glasses of pinacoladas for 10 euro. OK, sad to say, it's everything to do with age!

Truthfully though, I\'m glad to say those days are well behind me. However, if you do like your nightlife expect a bit of a wait for taxis from the hotel - particularly in high season.

Anyway back to civilisation and my hotel. Now, all too often family rooms are described as compact but well equipped. In other words you couldn\'t swing a cat in them!

Well, hello Sao Raphael suite! You could swing a whole zoo in this joint! The family suite in which my partner, my little girl and myself stayed was absolutely amazing - two double bedrooms, two double bathrooms, a lounge, dining area, and three - yes three balconies!

Food in the hotel restaurant was what you\'d expect of a five star hotel but mind you what you quite often don\'t get. Fabulously fresh - and as for breakfast, buffet style but if you preferred an omelette that was no trouble at all for the friendly and efficient staff.

Ah, yes breakfast washed down with a glass of bucks fizz thank you very much. Made with freshly squeezed oranges? But of course!

What to do after breakfast, was a tough decision! Well, no it wasn\'t really! I was quite content to laze in a sun lounger and dip my perfectly pedicured toes (check out the hotel\'s spa and beauty salon) in and out of one of the three pools.

My position by the toddler pool was perfection personified for keeping an eye on the little princess who was so content I thought she\'d never want to bother with the kids club. However, by day three we were tempted to check it out - so off we went hand by hand.

I\'d read up on the khama kids club - and by all accounts it sounded and looked fantastic. But you have to remember, that at the time of booking our holidays the whole country was reeling as a result of the disappearance of poor little Maddy McCann.

I had a dilemma. Regardless of how wonderful, safe or secure the kids club was, in the back of my mind was the question do I leave my child with complete strangers?

Now, believe me the kids club has always been an important part of my holiday. My boys are older now, but when younger, it was a godsend!

Of course it\'s a family holiday, but there has to be a bit of Â"me timeÂ" in the mix. So, off I went, princess by the hand to check things out.

The club was quiet, but the children who were there were busy designing their own t-shirts no less!

Checking into the khama kids club was straight forward. All the right health and safety checks were done - the staff / children ratio was excellent - 1 to 2 - but even then I didn\'t particularly want to leave junior.

The staff were very understanding and quit happy for me to remain at the club, but as the morning wore on I felt much more relaxed and content. By the time the princess was having her yoga -yes, her yoga lesson I was back by the pool and either myself or dad took it in turn to stroll along and see that madam was happy.

She wasÂ…blissfully! However the beach beckoned - although not before the princess had her hair braided by one of the kids club reps!

Isn\'t it funny though how the simplest of things are the best? Armed with her bucket and spade, which was bought in a shop across the road, we hopped on board the courtesy bus for the hotel\'s private patch of the beach.

Incidentally, it was only later in the day that we realised the hotel would have given a bucket and spade free of charge. I know it\'s only a small thing but I thought it was a nice touch - and let\'s face it, the way baggage allowances are at the moment, the last thing you are going to try and get into your case is a bucket and spade regardless of whether or not it\'s shaped like a shark!

Anyway a few minute later (you could walk but that would mean carrying a pair of little legs at some stage or manoeuvring a buggy) we arrived at the beach. Towels, sand loungers and parasols were all provided.

The beach bar and restaurant served delicious food including a mouth-watering mozzarella salad - and what would the Algarve be without sardines? Our day was spent with the little darling happily digging her way to Australia.

The beach was beautiful. However the water extremely rough, and I must say there was no way I would have ventured in. The current was much too strong. No - any swimming would have to be saved for the hotel pool.

It\'s difficult to drag yourself away from the hotel. Why would you when you\'ve fabulous food, a spa - or for the more athletic a tennis court and an 18 hole putting green all in the grounds of the hotel? But we did succumb to just one of the many day trips available. We steered clear of the water parks- one of which is aptly named Â"The Big OneÂ" because it\'s boasts the biggest water slide in Europe. I visited this many years ago with my boys who absolutely loved it.

We decided to give the jeep safari and the excursion to Gibraltar a miss, venturing instead the Zoo Marine. For a very special treat you can book to swim with the dolphins here but on this occasion we were quite happy to watch.

I have to say I\'m not a big fan of these sort of places but the 5 years old had a ball and it really was educational in a fun way. The 4D cinema is an absolute must and there is a small water park within the grounds as well!

But take me back to the hotel - via Algarve Shopping!!! Yes a shopping paradise with not a tatty souvenir in sight. Even better - the stores stay open until 12 o\'clock every night. It should come with a warning though - Algarve shopping can do serious damage to your credit card.

As I mentioned before the food in the hotel was excellent, but there are some really decent restaurants within walking distance.

The new marina with its brightly coloured buildings has a particularly good Italian - or you might bump into Sir Cliff Richards if you decide to dine in the nearby village of Gale

All to soon my week my incredibly relaxing week at the Sao Raphael Suite Hotel in Albufeira was at the end. Did I enjoy it? Thoroughly. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Will I be back? Try and stop me!!!

SIOBHAN McGARRY travelled from Belfast International Airport to Faro and stayed at the Sao Raphael Suite Hotel courtesy of Topflight. For more information www.topflight.ie