Life certainly changes when you have a baby. Once upon a time, in a different chapter of my life, I used to fly around the world as a member of the pop group S Club, dashing off to Los Angeles or playing in big cities all across the world. But since my daughter Amelie came along two-and-a-half years ago, travelling has become a slower process. Everything, now, seems to revolve around preparation. I have always liked to pack a lot when I go away, but with a toddler, there is so much more to think about. You have to consider food choices and the amount of time that will be spent on a plane – and then think about options that will keep your child entertained for the duration of the journey. However, I’m still keen to go away on holiday. Last year, my husband Alex and I took Amelie on her first overseas adventure – a trip to Halkidiki in Greece. It was a gorgeous week, and Amelie seemed to cope pretty well with the odd experience of being up in the air. So, as summer 2013 finally started to appear, we began dreaming of our next escape. Portugal seemed a good choice. It is only two hours away by plane, it is in the same time zone as the UK – and we knew the weather would be reliable. I had also, despite my previous globe-trotting, never been to the country – and I wanted to see what it offers.

A friend had mentioned the Conrad Algarve – a luxury property that opened in May, and sits neatly between Albufeira and Faro towards the southern edge of Portugal. They suggested it as a hotel with a good balance – a comfortable place to stay for children and young families, but also a really stylish retreat. Ideal for mums needing a little glamour! So we armed ourselves with everything we could imagine – snacks, books and toys. We downloaded a million episodes of Peppa Pig onto the iPad, scooped up Amelie, and headed for the airport. A couple of hours later, we landed in Faro, and were met on touch-down for the swift transfer to the resort. Before I knew it, we were checking in. My first impression was that everything was very new, and beautifully arranged. We had a pair of interconnecting rooms – one for me and Alex, another for Amelie – so space was never going to be an issue. It was like an apartment. Amelie even had her own bathroom – she was pretty kitted out for a two-year-old. I recall standing on the balcony, looking out over the swimming pool, and thinking that it was going to be a great week. Amelie settled in quickly – and so did we. The main point of the holiday was for us to relax. On one day, we took Amelie to Zoomarine, a nearby aquarium theme park, where she was fascinated by the thousands of fishes. But for the main part, we were happy to take our stay at a leisurely pace, splashing in the pool and enjoying long, lazy lunches. However, Alex and I did manage to grab a spot of ‘adult time’. The hotel has excellent facilities for children, with a kids’ club and a baby-sitting service. Amelie would go to the club for an hour or so every other day, and she formed such a bond with one of the girls, Fernanda, that she ended up baby-sitting for us on a couple of evenings. Perfect. I also managed to flit to the spa. The hotel offers a brilliant app, the Conrad Concierge App, which allows you to book treatments from your smartphone, and I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to be pampered. I had a facial and a full-body massage, and could have spent most of my week there – until I remembered that I have responsibilities now! Alex and I did make good use of our final night, when Amelie was being looked after, and we slipped away to the hotel’s main restaurant. We tried all the dining options over the week, but Gusto is something special – a true gourmet hotspot under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck.

We had a proper grown-up dinner, with plenty of fresh local seafood. The restaurant even has a water menu that lets you pick from an array of spring waters from across the world – something that I have never encountered before. We ended our stay fully revived and refreshed – which were not sensations I always felt in the giddy whirl of my S Club days. Back then, on some trips, it was a case of making things happen as fast as possible – in and out of the car, the hotel, the studio, the show. But I was lucky enough to visit some amazing places. I spent a good deal of time in Los Angeles, and really fell in love with it. It took me time to understand the city – it is such a huge, sprawling place, impossible to absorb it in one stay – but I had a few friends there, and gradually, it worked its magic. Knowing a city is about finding those little places that make you feel that you fit in. There is something great about going to Malibu for the weekend, or spending the afternoon in Santa Monica. I have such good memories of it all. My favourite trip, though, was probably the one that took me out to Siberia. At one point, S Club worked with the World Wildlife Fund, and I went to deepest, furthest Russia to publicise the plight of the Siberian tiger. That was quite a journey. I cried for a whole day before I had to board the plane, thinking about how many miles I was going to fly, and how long it would take. And when we landed, the airport was scarcely more than a wooden shack. I also remember it being incredibly hot. I don’t think anyone believed me, because they assumed it would be snowing. But to see these graceful creatures – not, sadly, in the wild, but at least in their part of the planet – was something I will not forget. I still do the occasional long-haul trip, when Amelie lets me! I recently travelled to the opposite side of the globe to appear on the New Zealand version of The X-Factor. It’s a very long distance, but I’m a definite fan of the show, and it was great to be involved with it. I had a chance for a shopping session or two while I was there, and I really liked Auckland. It’s quite a large city, but I caught a glimpse of the cafes and the lifestyle. I’d like to return and see some of the South Island. I know that it’s meant to be spectacular. Maybe I will go back with Amelie. I would love to show her the world – and I will definitely take her to Italy at some point. It is my favourite destination in Europe. I’ve been to Positano and Capri – and one of my first holidays, when I was quite young, was in Rimini. I must only have been seven, but I can clearly remember how delicious the food was, all those bowls of pasta. Alex and I also got engaged in Puglia, so Italy has played a significant role in my life. Perhaps, next year, we will take a tour as a family.
– Daily Mail