Royal Tenerife Country Club

Our terrace overlooked the ocean and airport, but the wind made it impossible to enjoy. This is apparently a very windy golf course microclimate: even when nearby towns were calm, we had gusts up to 45 km/h. Management wouldn't move us to another room or hotel, saying, "it's always windy here." The pools were cold, the gym very poorly equipped, and the SPA area underwhelming. The steam room barely worked, and gym and spa use required a reservation, so you couldn't just go whenever you wanted. The apartment itself was spacious and clean, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a well-equipped kitchen. But frequent power cuts and mornings without running water made the stay disappointing. Staff were uninterested and unhelpful when we reported it. Other drawbacks were a €100 deposit that hadn't been mentioned beforehand, a small paid parking lot, and another paid lot much farther away if the first was full. Facilities for children were poor, with small playgrounds and a concrete sports field. It's a 30-minute walk to the ocean, with a steep uphill climb on the way back. Expect significant airport noise as well. Good rooms, but poor service and technical standards. I don't recommend this hotel and won't visit again.

We stayed in a spacious, comfortable two-bedroom villa with our family of four. There was a large patio, two places to eat for up to six people indoors and out, two sun loungers alongside the table and chairs, and covers in an outdoor closet. The villa also had a spot to hang clothes in the sun, and the kitchen washer was a big help when packing light with kids. The small kitchen was well appointed. Extra linens and pillows were provided for the pull-out sofa even though we didn't need them. One bedroom had two separate twins and the other had two twins pushed together as a king. The area was very quiet, surrounded by a golf course, with a view of Teide. Cleaning staff came twice during our week and did a thorough job, leaving extra laundry and dishwasher pods, paper towels and clean towels. Reception's WhatsApp concierge was convenient for simple questions, such as whether the tennis court was available. Replies usually came within a minute or two and were friendly and helpful. There are several lovely pools, but only one small one is heated, so over Christmas, and presumably during the whole shoulder season, everyone used that pool. It got crowded and looked cloudy some days. Though the pool is meant to close at 5pm, the lifeguard began closing it and putting on the cover around 4:30 or 4:45, which was disappointing. The jacuzzi spa needs to be booked ahead in exclusive 1.5-hour slots for each unit, but children aren't allowed. It was always booked when we asked, so we couldn't use it. Shorter slots, perhaps 30 minutes to an hour, would let more guests use it. Since it's a private booking, I think children should be allowed if guests pay a deposit or sign a waiver about any concerns. The resort could also use more family and children's activities. There's not much to do on site, and the somewhat remote location makes a car essential for day trips, activities and groceries unless you like very long walks or public transit. Even some board or card games to borrow or rent would help. Guest parking is off site down a hill, about a five-minute walk away. The on-site spaces seemed to be mostly for condo owners. Parking down the hill was inconvenient, and we weren't told its cost until the end, since we assumed the off-site lot was free. Our friends were told to park at the bottom of the hill closer to town, about a 2.5 km or 30-minute walk from us. On arrival, the layout felt odd. Reception was tucked off to the side and hard to find, while most of the resort frontage was private businesses like a hair salon and convenience store. It gave the place a disjointed look and feel. There was a BBQ on the patio, but it was locked and we had to pay a deposit for a key. Even after jumping through that hoop, it was just an ordinary charcoal BBQ that needed cleaning before use. The resort's on-site parking had the best sunset view, so we stood there to watch one evening. It'd be nice to have benches or another spot to enjoy that view. Being near the airport is handy on arrival and departure. Planes do fly above the resort all day, every day, though it wasn't a big deal to us and we barely noticed after the first day or two. (The villa had four bedrooms and TVs in each, two ensuite rooms, plus another large shower room and toilet.)

Casa Palmera at number 23 lived up to the beautiful photos, and we loved our stay. It sleeps eight comfortably and is well equipped, with four bedrooms, a TV in each, two ensuite rooms and another large shower room and toilet. It's bright and airy. The ensuites each have a large atrium that brings in daylight, with a curtain to keep the morning sun from waking you. The big patio looks across the golf course and ocean. Royal Tenerife Country Club is quiet and relaxing, with a small supermarket, a pool bar and The Med restaurant, both serving good food, plus a large pool area with plenty of sun loungers. Casa Palmera and The Royal Tenerife Country Club are both highly recommended. The villa is excellent value for money.

The apartment was clean and great, and staff were there to help whenever we needed anything. They were friendly and helpful, and we had a great few days relaxing with everything we needed. Communication could have been better, though. We asked about a late checkout when we arrived, but it was handled badly. We only learned we could leave late after being woken on checkout morning, and then we were charged 20 euros. Aside from that, I couldn't fault the stay.