Alua Tenerife Hotel

Fantastic hotel, we really appreciated the quiet area. The staff were so friendly, the food was amazing! We had a lovely pool area to relax at with great bar service.

If you're looking for a nice 4* all inclusive - run from here. We arrived late at night last night, knowing things will be closed but expected at least a welcome drink, coffee, water, something. No. We were sent to a closed dark restaurant with no staff and some stale bread with flies around it - as a 'snack'. No staff helped us take our bags up to the room, welcome was cold and surly - 'hello how are you?' I asked - 'tired' I was told. We shrugged that off and thought we would try again tomorrow. One thing I will say is the room was quite nice. However, being all inclusive you expect the tea and coffee to be there, a drink or 2 in the mini fridge, a welcome message. We had none. Went down to breakfast, at this point we were turned away as we did not have the envelope our room cards were in. We told them our room number, and were never told we needed this to enter. Alas, we got it, and enjoyed our 2* breakfast. We then went to look to get a soft drink. We were told that nowhere opens until 11 (we had our breakfast before 8am), and that we needed to go to the supermarket to buy. So much for all inclusive. We also asked for additional pillows at this point - they never arrived. Then we went to the pool. Atmosphere was not great, very few staff, no table service and a small bar with 'snacks' (reheated breakfast) and drinks in tiny plastic cups. But fine, we gave it a chance. Then, we went to get some lunch. I asked 3 members of staff for a Diet Coke. All waved me in a vague area. Language barrier may be an issue, but you don't need to speak the same language to follow someone to the correct location. Here, I took my water bottle to fill up as drinks are hard to come by. This was when the tip of the iceberg happened. I was screamed at, from the other side of the restaurant, 'NO, NO, NO!!' - I was so embarrassed. I think she assumed I was going to use the water bottle to fill up with wine??! I was mortified and left. For one thing - if you don't want to offer people table service and get them to self serve, then let them fill up a bloody water bottle if they're hot. If you're worried they are filling it with wine and this happens before - maybe be more clear about what you actually mean by 'all inclusive'?! I am so disappointed with this hotel, and having the pleasure of experiencing others for cheaper, even with lower stars, I am very thankful. Pray for us for the next 6 days please

I am extremely disappointed with our experience at Alua Tenerife, particularly with the attitude and behaviour of the restaurant staff.

We booked a half-board package rather than all-inclusive because we wanted the flexibility to explore Tenerife, visit local restaurants and enjoy our holiday outside the hotel. We decided to have lunch at the hotel and dinner elsewhere, especially since the food served at the hotel was far from impressive.

However, what should have been a perfectly normal arrangement turned into an uncomfortable and frankly humiliating experience.

Every single day, upon entering the restaurant, we were asked for our room number, followed by comments such as, “Half-board? Only lunch? No dinner?” The way these questions were asked, including the tone and attitude of the staff, made us feel as though we were somehow inferior guests simply because we had not purchased the all-inclusive package.

We were made to feel like second-class guests, as though choosing half-board meant we deserved less respect. This is absolutely unacceptable in a hotel that claims to offer a quality hospitality experience.

Another major disappointment was the lack of English communication throughout the hotel. We consistently tried to communicate with staff in English, yet very few seemed able to understand or respond properly. While we fully respect that we are visiting Spain and that Spanish is the local language, a hotel welcoming international tourists should be able to provide at least a basic level of communication in English.

What made the situation even more frustrating was that almost all the hotel entertainment was conducted in Spanish, with little consideration for guests who did not speak the language. As a result, we felt excluded from activities and entertainment that should have been enjoyable for everyone. Rather than feeling welcomed as international visitors, we often felt completely left out.

To make matters worse, despite having unlimited drinks included in our package, the hotel served what appeared to be an off-brand cola substitute instead of genuine Coca-Cola. Considering the overall experience, this only added to our disappointment.

The food itself was mediocre at best, but what truly ruined the experience was the combination of poor customer service, uncomfortable interactions with restaurant staff and the lack of consideration for international guests.

Let me make one thing absolutely clear: choosing half-board does not make someone a lesser guest. We paid for our holiday, and we have every right to enjoy the services included in our booking without being questioned or made to feel embarrassed every single day.

Hospitality is about making every guest feel welcome, respected and included, regardless of their nationality, language or the package they have purchased. Unfortunately, Alua Tenerife failed to deliver on these basic expectations.

My advice to anyone considering staying here: think twice, especially if you are an English-speaking guest or planning to book half-board. Based on our experience, you may find yourself feeling excluded, uncomfortable and disappointed.

I have stayed in hotels where the service, professionalism and overall guest experience were on an entirely different level. Alua Tenerife fell significantly below expectations.

A thoroughly disappointing experience. I would not recommend this hotel, and I certainly would not return.

Rating: 1/5 stars.