A feast for the senses in Tenerife

Apr 30 2010 By Edward Stephens

Edward Stephens becomes immersed in a sensational new holiday concept taking hold in the Canary Islands.

The stars will be shinning bright in Tenerife this summer – and I’m not talking heavenly bodies here.

From next month, stars from West End productions will be jetting out on a fortnightly basis to entertain UK holidaymakers enjoying a totally new holiday concept in the Canary Islands.

It’s all part of a multi-million-pound gamble by holiday giant Thomson, called Sensatori.

But companies like Thomson are not really in the business of gambling unless the odds are stacked in their favour.

And as Sensatori proved to be a winning formula in Crete and in Mexico when it was launched there two years ago, odds on it will work in Tenerife. In fact, judging by the number of advance bookings, it is already working.

From early May the stunningly beautiful 609-bedroom Gran Melia Palacio hotel, on Tenerife’s South-west coast will take on the mantle of Thomson’s third Sensatori hotel – and more than 700 guests will arrive to experience it.

So what is it and what makes it so special? I visited the Gran Melia ahead of the crowds to find out.

Sensatori translates as ‘enlighten the senses’ and those senses are certainly in for some enlightenment in a very unspoiled, low rise part of a traditionally high-rise island.

The Sensatori formula is made up of three essential parts.

Part one: Take a new five-star-plus hotel – in this case the two-year old Gran Melia with its vast Roman colannade-fringed central plaza, 14 spectacular fountains and myriad teracotta-roofed towers.

The cool – in every sense of the word – split level marble lobby area has a huge domed roof with a giant mobile of solid silver leaves hanging from it.

This hotel is a style sensation. It’s so eye-poppingly beautiful, waif-like models from the men’s magazine FHM were using it as a backdrop for a fashion shoot during my visit.

Part two: Pick a stunning location. The Gran Melia is a 26-acre, ocean-front property with the longest swimming pool – or rather lagoon – in Spain and one of the longest in Europe.

Part three: Sprinkle the Sensatori magic dust onto the property to transform it into something even more special.