Accommodation - a few recommendations and useful tips

Accommodation! Tenerife relies on the tourist trade for its economy, so the
island is absolutely chock-a-block
with all manner of hotels, self-catering apartments, villas (both standard and
luxury) and basic hostels (or "pensions").

Do you think Las Americas has enough holiday accommodation?
Photo: Eaglestein

When I and my then wife first started holidaying in Tenerife, we stayed at a very nice complex in Los Cristianos, called Paloma Beach. I'd stayed there previously, with a musician partner, when we worked on the island for a few weeks. I loved the place so much, I insisted we holiday there every time we could take a break.

Paloma Beach is typical of the many complexes that can be found liberally scattered about the island. Many of the rental apartments are privately owned and are, as a result, very well maintained. The poolside bar is a family owned business, the family in question being English and, subsequently, friends of mine. The complex boasts a laundry and an office, dealing with rentals, such services as sending/receiving faxes and emails and selling small holiday items such as postcards and second-hand books. As complexes go, I'd say it was well above average.

I (by now minus wife), eventually left Paloma Beach and, having begun a relationship with another young lady, moved with her to a rather nice duplex on the Fairways complex, part of the Amarilla Golf urbanization. More impersonal than Paloma Beach, the complex boasts a selection of bars, shops and eateries, is gated and has extremely nice, two-floor accommodations. We actually had patio doors leading onto a lawn! The only drawback to Amarilla Golf and, indeed its neighbour, Golf del Sur, is that you need a car or a taxi to get to it, or get away from it to go out for a meal, say.

Then it was from Fairways to our most luxurious accommodation yet. Just down the road, still on Amarilla Golf, to a complex called La Quinta . It was a villa, in its own grounds and with its own pool! It brought it home what a difference having a bit of space makes. The villa had three bedrooms, and a separate kitchen. Backing onto the golf course, there were fine views, even though you had to be careful not to get smacked on the head with a ball! All in all, very nice indeed.

However, as is usually the case, things come to an end. My new relationship ended and so did my association with the luxurious environment of the villa.

There followed a period of austerity and, when money's a bit of an issue, you could do worse than book into a hostel, or pension. These are very basic accommodation blocks, containing small rooms with, sometimes, just a bed and a sink. The beauty of them is that you get a roof over your head for very little money. They're ideal for backpackers.

One I stayed in a few times was La Estrella (the star), situated on the road into Las Galletas. Back then, the place was run by a teutonic gentleman who wondered around in his braces (plus the rest of his clothes, of course). For all I know, he's still there now.

La Estrella, like most pensions, has shower rooms situated on each floor, so you grab your towel, shampoo and soap and off you go!

Down on the ground floor, there was a typical Canarian tapas bar/restaurant, serving, as usual, excellent food quite cheaply.

Subsequently, the restaurant was taken over by a Chinese family, so La Estrella became a place of cheap accommodation, with a Chinese restaurant for good measure.

As pensions go, La Estrella is one of the better ones.

Eventually, I grew tired of such a nomadic existence and managed to secure myself accommodation in an apartment on Green Park, a complex in Golf del Sur.

Essentially a studio apartment, it had the living room, bedroom and kitchen all in one area, with a separate bathroom.

One noteworthy feature of this place was the presence of a phone. Back in the days before mobile phones (cellphones) were commonplace, it was really handy to be staying somewhere where people could actually phone me up!

Green Park is a very pleasant complex, with a nice bar to be found across the other side of the pool area. Called "The Caddyshack", it serves drinks and snacks. As I recall, the complex possesses a laundry, too. You leave your washing and two nice ladies take care of it and you get it back all washed, dried and ironed.

Regarding Green Park, if I'm going to be picky at all about it, there is a poolside fashion show early on a Sunday morning, with someone talking very loudly over a PA system. This might not be a problem for most holidaymakers, but I like my lie-in!

It was around that time that I met my current partner, Alison. She was living in Los Cristianos, in her own apartment. Our relationship blossomed and I eventually moved in with her.

Her apartment is on an extremely nice complex, called Victoria Court 2. If you are familiar with Los Cristianos, to find it, you set off up the hill round the corner past "Charley" bar and it's a few yards further on, on the right.

Victoria Court 2 is an above average complex, housing both holidaymakers and residents. It has all the usual amenities - pool (with children's area), office and information centre, including internet access, laundry, photocopying and "odd jobs" and a bar/restaurant.

The Victoria bar/restaurant was run for many years by a Spanish couple, Salvador and Mercedes, whom Alison knew very well and I got to know too. In recent years, though, the bar has been taken over by some British owners and now is geared much more to British tastes. Whether that's a good thing or not is a subject for debate.

At any rate, the bar is open seven days a week, is manned by very friendly staff, who get to know you if you're a regular at the complex and serves meals and snacks as well as drinks throughout the day.

There is a takeaway food service, which is handy if you just fancy a night in, watching the TV.

Prices are very reasonable and there are big TV screens showing major sporting events, such as Premier League matches.

Since Alison and I moved back to the UK, although we visit Tenerife often, staying in her apartment, her one-bedroom accommodation is available for holiday rent. You can visit her website at Alison's Apartment.

Anyway, as things were going quite well, we decided to move out of Alison's apartment, leaving it free to be rented out, and enlisted the services of an estate agent we had come across, named Lee. He runs an agency called Sovereign Properties and he showed us a number of possibilites for our new home. Places away from the tourist areas, therefore offering bigger accommodation.

We eventually settled on a property in Guargacho, which is not far from Las Galletas. With three good-sized bedrooms (one with en-suite bathroom), lounge, huge kitchen/dining room, conservatory, main bathroom and large roof terrace, all for less than you would pay for a one-bedroom studio apartment in the centre of one of the tourist towns, it shows what sort of place you can get if you're prepared not to be in the centre of things.

It was there that Alison and I lived right up until we returned to the UK.

For those of you just visiting Tenerife on holiday, not wanting self-catering, there is the option of hotel accommodation. There are, of course, hundreds of these all over the island, ranging from economy to full five-star. A browse through travel agents' sites will show you what is on offer.

For my part, I'll just try and give you some idea of the more prestigious ones.

Hotel Botanico

Situated in Puerto de la Cruz, this five-star hotel is one of the best, if not the best in Tenerife.

Bahia del Duque

Built rising from the beachfront at Adeje, this resort village is the jewel in the crown of the south coast.

Europe Villa Cortes

Situated at the north end of Las Americas, this luxury hotel is modelled on Mexican and Mayan architecture.

Sir Anthony Hotel

Luxury 5-star accommodation right on the seafront, between Los Cristianos and Las Americas.

Jardines de Nivaria

Five-star luxury, situated in Costa Adeje, with direct access to Playa Fañabe.

Gran Melia Palacio de Isora

Quite a mouthful for a name, but this luxury hotel complex is tucked away from the main tourist areas on the coast in the small village of Alcala, on the south-west coast.

Arona Gran Hotel

Found right at the eastern end of Los Cristianos, this luxury hotel is a short taxi ride or a brisk walk from the centre of Las Americas.

Have A Great Story About Tenerife Accommodation?

Have you stayed in any of the hotels featured on this page? Are these top hotels are as good as they make out? Do you have any good experiences with accommodation in Tenerife - or any really bad ones? Then tell us all about it!

Cheap holiday in the Costa Adeje - find low cost holidays, budget flights and discounted hotels in the Costa Adeje and other popular locations, all bookable online with no hidden extras at sunshine.co.uk.

Melbourne Tourist Guide - Travel & Tourism - Melbourne Tourist Guide provides all the service information for the Tourist. Use our Guide to research and plan your Melbourne vacation.

Rent a Chalet in 4 Vallees, Switzerland
Includes articles and information about skiing, snowboarding, golf and other summer sports.

return from accommodation to homepage