The Ritz-Carlton, Abama

A Solid 4*+ Hotel but lacking the in room amenities and some of the special touches that give Four Seasons, Rosewood, Belmond etc a true 5* experience. What’s stranger is that whilst in a base category room you wouldn’t necessarily expect anything in particular, the same carries through to higher level club ocean view retreat suits where just a welcome note could be left with no drinks or treats as has always been the case when we’ve stayed in a club room, let alone a club suite. I’ve heard the retreat f&b offering is also being watered down next year which is a shame - there are enough wealthy Europeans who would actually be happy paying a higher room rate for better amenities and service, especially in the retreat club area. Nevertheless a decent hotel for Tenerife….but expect 4*+, not 5*+, with scant amenities when you arrive in your room - even if it’s a club suite.

We recently visited the Ritz-Carlton Abama as external guests and were genuinely looking forward to dining at the Verona Restaurant on a Thursday evening. The lobby staff directed us one floor down — only for us to discover that the restaurant was closed. When we returned upstairs, the team then suggested we try the Txoco Restaurant. After walking through what felt like half the resort, we again found a closed restaurant. At this point, we had already walked several hundred meters, only to inform the lobby staff that both restaurants were closed. How is it possible that, in a five-star hotel with such highly acclaimed awards, the front-of-house staff are unaware of their own restaurant closures? And how is it acceptable that, two weeks before Christmas, during high season, two restaurants are closed on a Thursday evening? For a property of this caliber, this is simply a no-go. We were actually planning to book a full week at the Ritz-Carlton Abama in January. However, due to this level of unprofessionalism and poor internal communication, we will now proceed with our reservation at Tivoli La Caleta instead. We sincerely hope that management will reconsider its operational decisions— • ensure proper staff training, • maintain accurate guest information, • and avoid closing multiple restaurants on key evenings. The explanation that restaurants “must be closed two days a week” is not valid in peak season, and certainly not on a Thursday night. If anything, such closures should be scheduled on a Sunday or Monday, not during prime guest dining days.

4 out of 5. The Ritz Carlton, if timed correctly is the place to go for a quiet break away from the U.K. weathers. School holidays can be manic, but it is a great place for adults only. The rooms are comfortable and quiet, cleaned regularly with a turn down service. The adults only pool in the Retreat was a haven, Alberto always on hand to serve drinks, remembering what to bring you before you ask. His infectious laugh and cheery manner is a pleasure The Ambassador service is not as good as it once was. Also the internet is shockingly slow, even paying the €20 per day for faster internet, the speeds were snail like Apart from that the restaurants are good, breakfast fantastic and a good break away

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton Abama for 10 nights over the last week of November and into the first week to December. Family of 3, toddler is 2.5 years old. We stayed in Citadel Deluxe and spent the entire time in the resort. Rooms are good size. Space for a corner little sofa and table. There’s both bath and shower which is helpful for toddlers. Decent size balcony. I travel a fair bit, also for work and I judge hotels by their breakfasts and they do very well here. Omelette station, waffle/pancake station. Good range of juices, meats, cheeses, salads, croissants. Loved the fresh orange juice machine! One minor note is that there’s a small waiting time that is mentioned by other reviews but it really was a non-factor (1-2 min wait max). Staff are wonderful and friendly (this will be a fixture), no exceptions. We will not forget Magda especially! There are a range of pools but we only ever used one, and walked by another. The one by Txoco restaurant has a nice family feel with other families of a similar demographic makes a lot of empathetic overlap and the smiley head nods/brief chats. Always toys around as well (we had our buckets, but lots of overlap again, and some inflatable toys from the house too) Restaurants we did Txoco (x3), Vera Mar, the Italian, Lobby Bar and a bit of room service. Food is great, no complaints. High quality, but expect to pay London prices / premium. You must also book a day or two in advance if you want an early slot due to toddler bed time. Service again is great and at Txoco we felt very welcomed by everyone especially Yaser, Junior and two other gentlemen whose names escape me (one Venezuelan gentleman who played Baseball, and a Spanish gentleman who I am overwhelmed with guilt that I forgot his name. Bald, around 5’9 and was very very nice to my family). Again, staff great minus one stern lady who I think expected us to teleport the pram through closed glass doors on our last night 😅 bit scary….😅 The beach you can access via a bus-train (if a word exists); it comes twice an hour and returns the same. 5-8 minute journey which is actually very pleasant and scenic. I’m not a beach person, but it’s good. The hotel is a large resort. It’s very similar to Al-Qasr in Dubai. There was a multi-day wedding at the time, but it didn’t feel crammed or overwhelming, and I don’t think we scratched the surface in exploring it as we found our comfort zone and stuck to it. One feedback potentially is given the size of the resort, they should have an in-resort supermarket. I understand it takes away some commercial elements, but helps with things like toddler/baby milk! Anyway, very pleasant stay made possible by the staff and service. Probably the best we’ve experienced across European holidays we’ve had. Thank you all and hope to be back.

Another wonderful, relaxing holiday at The Ritz Carlton. All the six restaurants are superb with great service, delicious food and efficient and friendly staff. We would like to especially thank Oscar in The Retreat who’s always upbeat and nothing is too much trouble, George who maintains all the pools, Miguel our poolside attendant and Ajus Bakutis the Manager On Duty who fixed all our personal needs. A fabulous team and a memorable holiday. Thank you to all.