The Ritz-Carlton, Abama

Review: 5-Night Stay at the Ritz-Carlton We recently spent five nights at the Ritz-Carlton and had a fantastic stay overall. The property itself is stunning, with beautiful grounds, excellent dining, and exceptional service throughout. One thing to be aware of is that the hotel is quite remote. If you plan to leave the resort regularly, you'll either need a hire car or be prepared to use taxis. The resort is also very steep in places, particularly around the Club Retreat rooms and suites. Suite guests benefit from their own private buggy, which proved incredibly useful during our stay. Guests staying in standard accommodation can use the hotel's shuttle vans if walking is difficult, or they can rent a buggy for around €40 per day, although there can be a waiting list. Our Suite We stayed in Suite 153, which was absolutely stunning. The suite featured a huge ground-floor terrace equipped with loungers, a day bed, tables, and chairs. It was located just steps from the adults-only pool, making it easy to move between the terrace and pool throughout the day. During our stay, the resort was very quiet, and there were often no more than five guests using the pool all day, which created a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere. Club Retreat Benefits Retreat guests receive complimentary drinks poolside and access to an adults-only Retreat pool. There is also another Retreat pool that is open to all guests and includes a bar and seating area for snacks. However, it's worth noting that the Retreat offering is not as comprehensive as a traditional Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge experience. Whether it represents good value will depend on your expectations. Complimentary drinks include soft drinks, cava, wine, beer, and a cocktail hour between 5pm and 6pm. Light tapas-style snacks are available around lunchtime, but these are more nibbles than a substantial offering. The bar closes at 6pm, and poolside service at the adults-only Retreat pool also finishes at that time. Dining The food throughout the resort was outstanding and, in our view, reasonably priced considering the quality, presentation, and service. We dined at Verona on three occasions and found it consistently excellent. The staff were highly efficient, attentive, and professional. We also enjoyed dinner at Mirador, which was equally impressive. Breakfast at Mirador was a particular highlight. In addition to a high-quality hot and cold buffet, guests can order from an extensive à la carte breakfast menu. The setting is beautiful, and the service was exceptional every morning. One evening we ordered room service, which carried a €10 delivery charge. The food arrived promptly and was excellent. Beach and Facilities The beach area is lovely, with comfortable sun loungers and attentive staff looking after Ritz-Carlton guests. However, getting there requires either the resort train or shuttle van, as the route involves a very steep hill. During our stay, the lift appeared to be out of service. Non-Ritz-Carlton guests are able to use the beach, although they cannot use the reserved loungers and facilities. The sunsets were spectacular most evenings, and the weather at the end of September and beginning of October was excellent, often feeling very hot during the day. Overall I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a relaxing and luxurious getaway. The accommodation, food, facilities, and service were all first class. The only real drawback is the location. While this makes it ideal for those wanting to unwind and stay within the resort, guests intending to explore regularly should factor in transport costs. It's only a short drive to Adeje, the coastal resorts, and the airport, but taxi fares can quickly add up. Overall, Ritz-Carlton has created a truly special resort, and at off-peak prices it offers outstanding value. We would definitely return. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Our favourite place to stay Wonderful friendly staff who make our stay special every year Oscar, Villa Supervisor, in particular goes above and beyond his job description to make our stay the best. Ayus, Duty Manager, caring about the hotel and fulfilling its care of guests. George, Pools supervisor, so kind when I needed help. Thankyou Joel, Tacanda pool attendant, always ready with a friendly chat and drinks brought to our sun beds. All the Villa ambassadors who do a great job. Our only issues The savoury Tapas which is a benefit for Retreat guests is served too early, too soon after breakfast, and not left out for long enough. So much food must be wasted. We wish the Retreat was still only for adults. The Miirador breafast area need to be divided into Adult and family areas- could easily be done.

Generally Came down to poor customer service. Expectations were high given the reputation of Ritz. Busy and crammed front desk. Once we checked in, front counter check in staff pointed us in opposite direction to our room which meant long walk around the property to room. It was wonderful that sparkling wine was offered at check in but there was no organized layout for the glasses. Used glasses were mixed in with clean and staff seemed to be indifferent about it. Passed on that one. Hotel is sprawling and essentially just another big conference hotel. On check out we asked a question about the final tally on the bill and about the taxes as we weren’t familiar. Staff was instantly confrontational and rude. Overall the stay was not what we were expecting or thought we payed for. Buyer beware.

Our neighbours are blasting music and my child woke up scared. I called the front desk over 50 minutes ago. They said they will send security. They did not. And now my calls (20 minutes) to the front desk are being put on ignore! They simply do not pick up. This is not a service you expect from Ritz.

This was our second stay at The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama, once again choosing The Retreat and spending several thousand pounds on the holiday. This time we also brought our son and his partner with us, so four of us were staying, dining and spending within the resort. One particular waiter at El Mirador deserves special praise. He looked after us in the evenings and was exceptional ..warm, attentive, professional and genuinely personable. He stood out as exactly the level of hospitality we associate with the Ritz-Carlton name. Unfortunately, the rest of our experience was far less impressive. A very large Indian wedding was taking place during our stay and appeared to have a significant impact on restaurant availability. We have absolutely no issue with the hotel hosting weddings, but nothing was mentioned to us when we booked about an event of this scale or the restrictions it might cause. We were unable to book the Italian restaurant and had difficulty with other dining options. When we raised this with reservations, we were told the matter would be referred to a manager, but nothing further happened. No one followed up and nothing was acknowledged at checkout. Room service was very good, but generally we found the standard of customer service disappointing. Some staff lacked the warmth, professionalism and people skills we would expect from a five-star Ritz-Carlton property. To add to the frustration, at checkout we were being charged for a meal at the Beach Club that we had never even attended. The resort itself is beautiful, but at this level luxury should also mean excellent communication, attention to detail and making every guest feel valued. As returning guests who had also brought two additional paying guests with us, we were disappointed to feel at times as though independent guests had become secondary to the large private event. We returned because we had enjoyed our first stay. Sadly, after this experience, we would think very carefully before booking The Retreat again.