The Ritz-Carlton, Abama

I stayed at the Adults-only section in The Retreat, I would not pay the uplift to stay here again and am not sure I would recommend it. There were lots of service issues. The service issues were quite varied actually. It was a lot of little things which added up to an overall impression that the hotel needed to improve its standards. I’ve stayed in other Ritz-Carlton’s which have been exceptional, so this one let the side down a little. I’d had my eye on this property for a while and finally decided to give it a whirl. The first thing I was very surprised by was that the “adult” section of The Retreat (TR) only applied to the “lane” you were staying at and the pool behind it. Each lane had its own pool with its own pool bar. However, to enjoy the complimentary midday and afternoon treats, you had to wander down to the main Retreat area which it turned out included families. It was the same at breakfast. This is not how the explanation for TR comes across and I relayed this concern to the concierge there who unfortunately, had no response. I got the impression that mine was not a novel complaint. Despite staying in the adult section therefore, you regularly find yourself exposed to the rowdiness and raucousness of young families, which was tiresome, especially in the mornings at breakfast time. The service around the pool in my lane was poor. Bar staff spent most of the day hiding out in a storage area nearby and were often missing in action when you needed them – or they were occupied on their phones. There pool bar staff came across as being disinterested and lazy. This service was supposed to start at 10am, but was often late and you would have to hang around to wait for towels to be brought up. The hotel was not full, so the staff could have used their initiative and walked around to ask if guests needed anything as is common at other high end properties, but they took the lazy option of hiding away instead. On one occasion a family with children came along and were very loud in the pool. Staff did not ask them to move to another pool in the family part of TR which was very annoying for those of us seeking peace and quiet. The food was very meat-based. I follow a vegan diet at home , but will exceptionally eat fish where vegan/vegetarian options are limited. There was very little that might satisfy a plant-based diet. The snacks at TR were very repetitive with very limited vegetarian options. Since this is part of what you pay extra for at TR, I found this a little disappointing. Empanadas were brought around in the afternoon – always meat-based. Breakfast service at TR was poor. You’d often be waiting around to get someone’s attention and staff were not trained well enough eg dirty plates would be taken away and food brought from the a la cart menu, but the staff would not have the foresight to replace cutlery, so you’d have to seek them out again to ask for more or to replace a missing knife, etc. This is basic stuff for a 5* property. One (possibly Scandinavian) waitress seemed more interested in flirting with a single parent with his child than serving guests. I spent 20 mins trying to get her attention while she stood around chatting with this individual. After waiting for ages, I left my serviette on my chair to visit the buffet in what is internationally understood in the hospitality business to mean “I’ll be back” (as opposed to leaving your serviette on the table, which means you have finished). I returned with some fruit a few minutes later only to find that my coffee, juice and pastries had been cleared away, as the same waitress had assumed I had left. It would have taken a few seconds to look to see that I was at the buffet a few feet away (wearing a bright red top no less!). The food was inconsistent. At one of the restaurants, Miramar, I had a wonderful first night’s dinner which should have set the tone. Unfortunately, this standard was not maintained either at Miramar again or the other restaurants. I had the same dish on another night and it was barely edible. On my last night, I was seated at a table that had a pile of salt left in the middle from the last diners - some dishes were salt-baked and served at the table with gusto. No one thought to clean this up, even though it was clearly there to be seen. I had to ask wait staff three times before it was cleaned, some 15 minutes later. I wouldn’t eat at a dirty table in my own home let alone in a restaurant! This sort of laxness was mirrored across the restaurants. At Akira Back, it took staff ages to remove used plates and glasses and to take away a used, wet towel, even though the restaurant was not busy when I visited. I think overall the problem is of a lack of focused training. I thought the food was very hit and miss overall. The one (mainly) vegetarian restaurant was disappointing as it was needlessly confused and over-imaginative. The rooms were fine, but noise is a big issue; you can hear doors, etc in the adjacent rooms and the sound of cupboards opening and people walking around on the tiled floor in the rooms above. I asked for ear plugs as I am a light sleeper and these were promptly delivered - an indication that this is a known issue. It was very noisy and sounded like furniture was being moved around. it took me a day or so to realise that the noise was of the wardrobe door being opened as it scraped the floor, because my wardrobe made the same noise. I do not understand why good hotels do not pay to soundproof their rooms. Guests do not want to hear other guests moving around and their noise. One morning I accidentally knocked a glass off the bedside table. I immediately asked for someone to come and clear it up because I didn’t want housekeeping staff to stumble across it and be injured. I went to the gym and had breakfast and upon my return more than 2 hours later, it was still there. I had to chase someone to come and clear it up, which I thought was very poor given the risks involved. Whilst the gym was well equipped, the spin bikes were not. I ended up using one which was very old and had ripped stirrups to support your feet which is dangerous. As someone with a home spin bike, I was shocked that they keep this in circulation, since it massively increases the risk of an accident. The spa, whilst nice, was a little dated and is in need of an upgrade. TR is at the lower part of the resort and it is a very steep, 10 minutes climb to reception. Because of this, you could call a car from reception to pick you up and drop you around to the main hotel building. On the few occasions I went by foot, it turned out to be a very sweaty experience. It was a common problem that the cars would not turn up when requested, or be very late. This was frustrating as the only alternative was to battle the heat and walk uphill. When going for dinner, no one wants to arrive hot, sticky and flustered. Despite the above, I did actually have a lovely, restful break. I had some massages, read lots of books, made some friends and relaxed. Notwithstanding the lack of attentiveness, staff were very friendly and the location very pretty. I also really appreciated the fact that the hotel has a resident semi-feral cat colony which they look after, apparently in response to complaints to the hotel from guests of inattention in past years. This property is well situated and has some good amenities, but it also needs to brush up its act. It was a nice break, but don’t think I would visit again and I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who like me, is a stickler for good service. Finally, if a hotel is going to advertise an adults-only area which comes at a premium, I expect the accompanying facilities to be adult-only and if not, this should be made clear. Other guests I spoke to had a similar impression.

Great hotel and staff really made it especially George by pool and Maria in breakfast hall. They both gave us many recommendations for our stay a full list of places to visit that locals would only know and a 5 star service all round. The hotel grounds are huge, has a beach and ample sun beds and pool space. Many pools to chose from family pools quite pools garden pools, towels and water provided. Also unlimited water is provided have noticed some hotels over the years do not offer this regardless of the 5 star ratings. Rooms are large and serviced up to three times per day. The hotel location is quite remote which is great if you want to be away from everything however if your looking to walk out to some shops or restaurants this won’t be ideal, the restaurant has some amazing food options Michelin star restaurants and some cheaper alternatives. Ate in most of them and the service and food was simply amazing was my wife’s birthday and they made it really special cake with n the room, card, candles and a sing in the restaurant. We had a car so was not an issue there is free parking, also a small town around 10 minutes drive which has everything you would need. This hotel is a perfect base to explore the island while being nestled away from the tourist hotspots. We travelled with our 14 year old son not loads for teens to do at the hotel as they have closed the ‘zone’ for teens and the kids club is up to 12 years old, however for lazy pool days and nice swims it’s perfect. If you want a hotel in the middle of a town with walking distance options this is not for you however if you want a true break/ getaway in a luxurious resort then this is for you, comparing to stays we have had on palm islands Dubai remote but nice and quite and not to far from everything providing you have transport. Would recommend.

A week staying in a one bed suite with our 20 and 21 year old son and daughter. Hard to get mix right of luxury and fun so all happy. Abama did it just right. Special mention to Erik at the beach restaurant and Aythami at our pool bar who are just fab.

The hotel setting is very smart and all areas are of a high standard. However there are aspects that mar it as a 5 star experience. The restaurants need to be booked in advance (do it before you go!) and the times of the restaurants are difficult with young children, especially around 5-6pm, so we ended up just ordering pizza to the room for our grandchildren, sometimes with a long wait as gain you have to book a time. The rooms are nice but there are hardly any hand rails on the many outdoor steps, including up to breakfast, so very unsuitable if you need to use a walking stick or are generally a bit unsteady. The breakfasts are great but it gets very noisy and busy. However you can request the quiet area (which at other times is the Italian restaurant). The main pool is very good for families but the children's club area is a bit dingy. My son and daughter and two small children did not get off to a good start with the prebooked 'executive car' from the airport which simply left, telling the hotel they were a no-show when everyone knew the chaos and delays with passport control. They rang us to speak to the hotel (as we were already there in advance), but the somewhat unsympathetic receptionist simply said it was not hotel's fault as the car service was a third party company! She could not get another car or taxi so and in the end they had to hire a car and drive to the hotel at 9 o'clock at night. SIx months earlier as a family (grandparents, parents and two chidlren age 5 and 2) we stayed at the nearby Melia Gran Palacio de Isora (Red Level) and all in all that was a far superior experience in every way, expecially in respect of generous lounge facilities (with snacks) for children and families during the day, plus far more flexible options for meals. Kids acitvities were infinitely better too.

We come and stay in Tenerife a couple of times a year, usually at the Villas at Bahia Del Duque or Royal River Hotel. As Marriott members, we considered staying here and arrived to look at the hotel and grounds. As people who spend around 1000-1500 pounds a night, we thought it worth checking out before booking because of the many negative reviews. Once we arrived, the man at the gate asked us what we want, with no hello or friendly acknowledgement, and we began to explain and there was silence from him. Even after we stopped speaking waiting for his response. He was just blank faced and silent. We awkwardly explained further. And he said ‘I don’t speak English’. We tried again in simpler language and he rudely rolled his eyes and said parking only for guests. Fair enough. So we asked if there’s anywhere we can park outside, and he said ‘always full’. Rolled his eyes again. Glad we tried visiting before giving our money, which they will now never get. Seems the negative reviews are the ones to take heed of.