"Good enough, but not 5* by any stretch of the imagination"
This was a repeat visit from last yr, however this yrs the experience was not as good.
The positives:
The breakfasts and evening buffet - reliably good with plenty of choice
The location- easy access to promenade at back of hotel for lovely walks along the sea
The pools
The staff - almost by exception, friendly and helpful
The negatives:
The cockroaches - should have learnt the lesson from last yr. Room was fumigated 3 times, made no difference, every night but one we had at least two in the rooms. (we had 2 rooms next to each other, 353,354). Avoid these, there is a patch of garden outside the rooms. The daily blocking of all inlets - we had to put wet flannel over shower plug hole, plug up the sinks, and put a towel on floor to block gaps under / at side of door, to do that daily was a real annoyance. And it didn’t work. We were offered a room change with 2 days to go, too late given impending departure.
Worrying approach to hygiene.
I noticed / reported no soap in the gents toilets next to bar and pool. Nothing was done.
I reported it 3 times: at the bar, twice at reception and on a call from my room.
On day 6, it was finally filled. It would appear that there was someone else equally disgusted at how anyone using the toilet would then not be washing their hands properly before spreading germs everywhere - they had written ‘no soap for 6 days’ in green marker on the wall, which was quickly removed.
Curiously, the clear plastic soap dispenser was then exchanged for an opaque one, with a tiny glass window, impossible to see the level. Maybe an attempt to reduce number of complaints that it’s empty??
In any event, worryingly lapse. The potential consequences are horrendous.
Unable to keep a room for a couple of hours departure day.
The hotel was very aware I had some very specific medical needs, (IV infusions etc), and explained that it was €20 / hr to retain a room, so I could do what I needed to between 12-2. Yet day before, I called to confirm as requested, it was declined, hotel was “too full” and they “couldn’t please everybody.”
But if check-in is 3pm, and check out is midday, that’s a 3 hr window, that could have easily been accommodated. There appeared to be only one other couple that was departing at the time we were. In any event, for the exceptional circumstances I shared with them, ie needing to run an important IV infusion, that could have been agreed with a little effort, planning and willingness to please. A real 5* hotel would have made that happen.
Maybe it was hotel’s response to my repeated requests to replace the soap.
Entertainment -
Found it a bit ‘butlins’, but enough guests seemed to enjoy it.
The pianist in the lounge, however, was great, talented and very pleasant.
Tip for anyone booked - after the inevitable delayed tui flight from Bournemouth, the coach transfer mystery tour from the airport would have resulted in missing dinner, so we opted for a private minibus at airport, $40, a bargain.
I wish we’d book it on way back, that was painful on the coach. Hotel is practically at the end of route, so last to be dropped off, first to be collected. After going past the same hotels round and round, we were still in Costa Adeje after 1hr and 20 mins. Only then did we get onto the road to the airport. An hour and 40, dreadful. Take a taxi.
Decent enough hotel. And an OK holiday. Thank goodness for the weather and in the main, the buffets. But very unlikely to return.
