Spain

The Hotel Spa Senator España lives up to its name by being both an excellent hotel and one of the premiere spas in Madrid. The Hotel Spa Senator España is located on Gran Via a short distance from the major sites and about 30 yards from the metro. It is a perfect place to base yourself for a Madrid holiday. Inside, the hotel rooms seem to fall into two categories: slightly smaller rooms with the only window in the room leading into a hallway or perfectly sized rooms with balconies that open up onto Gran Via. While the rooms with a hallway window are perfectly adequate in size and amenities, do yourself a favor and try to request a room with a balcony; the rooms are well-insulated so nighttime noises are minimal and the balcony views of Madrid from the upper floors are great. All of the rooms are all clean with large comfortable beds, a minibar that is restocked daily, and the bathrooms are well appointed.

The spa portion of the hotel is really something to write home about. There are multiple heated pools, a pool with fruit in it, a Turkish and Finnish Sauna, an Indo-Roman bath, a bubble “hydromassage”, an outdoor rooftop Jacuzzi with great nighttime views (Does it get any better than that?), and a frosted ice and water station for a refreshing splash. Beyond the variety of ways to indulge in warm water and steam, you can also get beauty treatments, invigorating massages or relaxation massages. The bottom line here is to make sure you bring your bathing suit and enjoy yourself at the Hotel Spa Senator España.

Barcelona offers a wealth of cultural attractions for visitors to this Catalan city, with Antoni Gaudi's buildings, artwork and parks decorating this vibrant metropolis.Salvador Dali's influence is also clear for all to see, as the abstract artist spent some years of his life in Barcelona. However, there are some hidden cultural gems in the city that are not as well known as the work of these Spanish artists.The Caixa Forum is housed in the Modernista Casa Ramona and boasts 3,000 sq m of exhibition space.A former textile factory, the design of this building may be worth a look on its own, particularly as Japanese architect Arata Isozaki has added a new main entrance to the venue.Another highlight of Barcelona is la Sagrada Familia, a huge Roman Catholic church that is still under construction after it was started in 1882 by Gaudi.

Leave the sat-nav in the rental car - Mallorca offers one holiday experience where getting lost is part of the fun.Amaze'n Laberintos is located on Playa de Muro and comprises a giant wooden labyrinth stretching over 1,350m.Visitors are issued entry tickets that must be validated at four hidden checkpoints inside the maze before boasting they have completed one of the biggest labyrinths in the whole of Europe.Upon starting the trail, four raised platforms can be mounted to allow confused explorers to get their bearings. Further clues lie in remembering the fairytale-type pictures posted on the walls of the maze.Confident visitors can enter a race against the clock with prizes up for grabs to those who complete the challenge fastest.For more labyrinthine laughs, visit Northern Ireland's Peace Maze in Castlewellan Forest Park. It is the largest permanent hedge maze in the world and constructed from 6,000 yew trees planted by people from around the country.

Seville's renowned attraction, its Alcazar (or castle), is the oldest royal residence in Europe still in use, built in 1364.The spectacularly decorated palace has undergone a number of expansions, having first been build as a fortress in 913 AD, enduring a number of rebuilds by successive Muslim rulers before Catholic kings took over the site in the 14th century.Adorned with the luxurious ornamentation that one might expect of a regal residence, the Spanish royal family sojourns here on their visits to the southern Spanish city.As a result of the number of kings who have made this their home, there are a range of artistic influences in the building itself, with the largely Islamic style contrasting with Charles V's gothic additions. The palace is also home to extensive, stunning gardens as well as the rainwater tanks of the Baths of Lady Maria de Padilla.Film director Ridley Scott used the building's paved courtyard as a set for the court of the King of Jerusalem for his movie Kingdom of Heaven.