Lisa Bailey and family head for a flagship hotel in Crete.

The pool at night at the Sensatori resort, Crete

We have always been big believers in never returning to a holiday destination, but that’s exactly what we did this year.

After scouring the brochures time and time again and trying to find somewhere to tick all the boxes, we suddenly said: You know, Sensatori, Crete, was a great holiday last year, shall we go back?

Sensatori is Thomson’s flagship Premier hotel and is run in conjunction with Atlantica Hotels. It opened in May last year and is under half an hour from the airport of Heraklion. Thomson now has another Sensatori hotel in Mexico and one in Tenerife is due to open next year.

We like a holiday which has facilities for children, but not that you are surrounded by them. The thought of a kids’ club rounding up everyone the minute you’ve sat by the pool fills us with horror.

With Sensatori you have the luxurious surroundings of a five-star “deluxe” hotel and the opportunity to join in as much or as little as you like. Thomson talks of delivering the four flavours of Sensatori – Sport, Play, Adventure and Relaxation.

You would not expect much to change in a year, but Thomson has listened to all the visitors’ comments and already made substantial changes.

A sunlounger by the pool at the Sensatori resort, Crete.

There is now a splash pool for the young ones, with slides, water pistols (as I found out to my cost) and a huge bucket which empties every few minutes. This year there is a dedicated family zone which has three family swimming pools well away from the adult pools and spas – you can now hear a pin drop in the adult zone.

But, if we didn’t want to go in the splash pool we always had the option of our swim-up room overlooking the sea. You could walk out of your room on to the decking and take a dip straight in to the water. Some of the rooms had private pools and more luxury swim-up rooms have been created this year because Thomson found more people want something a little extra special.

Having a swim-up room is a novel idea and gives you more privacy. It is worth paying extra. Neil and I could happily sunbathe while our three-year-old was taking a nap in the room.

The rooms are out of this world with a huge double bed and plasma TVs. Daniel slept in the living room area with his own plasma TV (ideal for the latest installment of Power Rangers!) while we had a separate room. The bathroom had a power shower and Jacuzzi bath.

There were two sittings at the main restaurant, but it was not frowned upon if you were in the restaurant with a child after 8.30pm. The other restaurants – Red Saffron Taverna, Tex mex and Five Flavours Thai restaurant, Aroma Stone Grill and Al Dente a la carte restaurant all had to be booked in advance.

The hotel was full board, but you had to pay extra to eat at the Aroma Stone Grill and Al Dente a la carte. Aroma Stone Grill was a particular favourite of Daniel’s because one of the waitresses gave him a Spiderman figure which has been a close companion ever since. The only one we didn’t give a try was the Al Dente restaurant – we just didn’t get around to it.

The Aroma Stone Grill was the perfect setting with great views over the seafront. We were armed with a bib and cooked meat on a stone in front of us. It was a bit different and worked well.

This restaurant summed up the atmosphere at Sensatori – it was luxurious with excellent service, but not too stuffy.

In the main restaurant there was a choice of children’s meals and they had a kiddies corner, which normally consisted of spaghetti bolognese, salad, fish fingers and fruit. Daniel thought it was great that he could help himself to a meal at his height.

One of my main complaints was if you were eating in one of the other restaurants, which was not buffet, the choice of children’s meals was chicken nuggets, fish sticks and spaghetti bolognese. Now I was able to improvise a little as our son will eat a varied diet and he would have a mexican wrap, sweet and sour in the Thai restaurant and I would cook him a little meat in the Stone Grill. I still think for a five-star deluxe complex there should be more choice for the youngsters.

Straight after dinner we would be in Playhouse Live to watch Danny and Becky in action. There would be games and lots of fun for the youngsters – and of course the parents got roped in as well.

But, most of our entertainment had to be centred around Chris and Paul, who entertained us on the guitar and keyboard with modern classics on the Boardwalk. We joked that Daniel was Chris’s No 1 fan and would sit mesmerised by his performance.

Neil and I both thought that the entertainment was not as good this year, partly because it seemed to be cast members doing most of the shows, which included ABBA: The Real Story, and Boogie Nights. The cast was great, but sometimes you want more variety.

One night was Cirque Couleurs, which was described as a visual creation of circus skill and beauty. It was fascinating for all three of us.

Neil also fancied trying something different – archery – and had a wonderful time. Other sport activities included yoga, water polo, scuba diving and ultimate beach Frisbee.

For children there was the Play House and there were also parties and sleepovers. Children over five could also try out the Reebok Soccer Academy and Razzmatazz Theatre School.

I did not fancy anything too strenuous and I booked myself in at the spa, where I had a pleasant afternoon having a Tibetan massage. It was lovely and summed up the ambience of Sensatori.

And, if you prefer the beach, you just had to stroll across the road and there it was. Sensatori is in Analipsi, where there are several bars, tavernas and shops to wander around.

To me Sensatori is what a holiday is all about – having the chance to take part in as many or as few activities as you like in luxurious surroundings.

Daniel summed it up when I said to him on holiday: “Isn’t this fantastic, Daniel’” and he replied: “No mummy, it’s not fantastic – it’s amazing.”

TRAVEL FACTS

• Thomson offers seven nights at the 5T Sensatori resort (www.sensatori-resort.com) from £629 per person. This price is based on two adults sharing a double room and departure from London Gatwick on May 6, 2010.

• See www.thomson.co.uk or call 0871 231 4691 for details.