For many, Marbella conjures up images of the tackier side of tourism: cheap sangria and greasy fry-ups. But a 20-minute drive from the package holiday strip of the Marbellan beachfront, is a hotel a million miles away from this image

With the La Concha Mountain as a backdrop, the Hotel Villa Padierna is an impressive sight and although only six years old, it is reminiscent of a grand Tuscan villa, complete with over 700 pieces of original artwork from the 18th and 19th century.

Grand and beautiful
The hotel sits between its two golf courses and has views to the Mediterranean and despite its size (129 rooms and suites and 11 villas) the setting feels tranquil and uncrowded. Inside the main building the rooms are built around a 20-metre tall glass atrium with a double marble staircase leading up to the luxurious rooms of the first floor.

For all its luxurious modern conveniences, Villa Padierna is all about old-school glamour and staying here it feels like you've stepped back to a time when life was carefree and all there was to worry about was whether to have your gin and tonic by the pool or on the terrace overlooking the golf course.

Spanish flavours
La Veranda is one of three restaurants in the hotel and at its helm is Chef Martin Berasategui, who has three Michelin stars to his name. He has developed a tasting menu that fuses Northern and Southern Spanish cuisine. The dishes are imaginative, and give a flavour of Spain at its best and at €58 it's a chance to taste exquisite food at an affordable price.

Foil cod on parmesan and smoked bacon foam with coffee and hazelnut powder; roasted pigeon breast with wild wheat, parmesan cheese and cherries are just two of the dishes on the current menu. Although beautifully presented, the food here is all about flavours. They've combined unusual ingredients to perfection and matched each course with a wine that adds to the experience. Set in formal, yet relaxed surroundings, La Veranda is a must for foodies.

Indulge your senses
Also on the menu at Villa Padierna is the Thermae Spa with eight steam rooms and saunas and a heated indoor pool. The steam rooms have round-the-world themes. The Indian room is filled with fragrances of ginger, cinnamon, lemongrass and orange and sitting alone on a marble seat with an Indian deity looking over me I felt the stresses of London slip away.

The Turkish Hammam is the largest room and definitely the steamiest - you can barely see your hand in front of you. I imagined that this is what it would have been like in the great London smogs and with alcove seating on different levels you feel all alone, even if you're not and when a figure suddenly emerged through the mist I had to stifle a scream. It was an eerie, but fun experience. The Greek room is more romantic and with a little domed roof, with 'stars' in a night's sky it is 'like looking at heaven,' says Karolina who works in the spa.

Things to do
It would be easy to stay relaxing in the hotel throughout your stay, but of course there's plenty to see and do beyond its walls. The hotel can organise activities including horse riding in the Sierra Blanca mountains, a visit to a sherry bodega to see how the local tipple is made (and how it tastes) or day trips to Morocco. Or if you want to do your bit for local conservation, then you can go on a half-day trip to work as a volunteer for the conservation and reforestation of Sierra Blanca.

If you want to try some local food then jump in a taxi to Marbella Old Town. The Old Town is a good place to get a feel for local life and on a Sunday people stream on to Plaza de la Iglesa and the surrounding streets after Mass.

Wearing their Sunday finest, old and young fill the narrow lanes and alleyways and stop to chat, peer through shop windows or go for lunch at the little bars and restaurants offering traditional and reasonably priced tapas. Restaurante El estrecho on San Lazaro has been open since 1954 and offers local dishes like shrimp Andalusia pilpil, tripe or traditional stews.

Need to know
Marbella's nearest airport is in Malaga, about a half-hour drive away. Various airlines offer reasonably priced fares from the UK, including Monarch and EasyJet. Despite its five star elegance, rooms at Villa Padierna start at €149* per room, per night (including breakfast) and they currently have a 'Happy Hour' deal for the Thermae Spa, where you can get two treatments for €75. So grab your chance to lie back and enjoy some guilt-free indulgence. Now all you have to decide is where to have that gin and tonic.

Rates from €169 per room including breakfast, excluding 7 per cent VAT. Valid from 8th April to 15th July, for a minimum stay of three nights. Rates are non-refundable, and pre-payment is required at time of booking.