In summer we spent one week as a family of five in Tenerife at the Alua Atlantco Golf Resort. Here is everything you need to know about the hotel and our honest review because let’s face it holidays aren’t cheap these days and the websites never tell you everything!
For reference this is based on one week in August with 3 children aged 4, 11 and 14.
Distance to the airport
Alua Atlantico Golf Resort is situated in the Gulf de sur region of Tenerife which is approximately a 20 minutes drive from the nearest airport. We had a Jet2 transfer included with our package and even after making a couple of stops we were still at the hotel in under 30 minutes which is ideal when travelling at night with children. You could hire a car and do it a bit quicker but unless you are planning on driving round the island during your holiday it really wouldn’t be worth it, neither would the private taxi be at the extra cost.
Check in
We arrived late and although check in was busy the staff were helpful and efficient. Unfortunately everything was closed for food but we were able to grab a drink from the bar before heading to bed.
The rooms
One of the hardest things for us when booking a holiday as a family of five is finding somewhere that can accommodate us adequately. We find we are either advised to book two separate rooms with no guarantee they will be near each other or they want to cram us all in to one small room with lots of put you up beds and no space to move. However, the Alua Atlantico have family rooms that consist of a large double room and a separate lounge area that has a sofa that turns in to two beds, plus a third one can fit in easily. Although this did mean we didn’t have a sofa for the holiday the room was still plenty big enough that we didn’t feel like we were walking through their bedroom all the time. We also found that the sofa bed was just as comfy as the double bed so everyone was happy and got a good sleep each night.
We had all three kids in the lounge but you could put one of the put you up bed in the bedroom if you prefer as it’s plenty big enough.
The accommodation also has a dinning area with a dinning table and mini fridge to one end, so we still had somewhere to sit together inside plus a large balcony with plenty of space to sit together outside too. The private bathroom is also really big and the showers feature rainfall showerheads, which is amazing after a day in the sun.
This is one of the best family type rooms we have stayed in abroad due to the sheer size and cleanliness and would highly recommend for anyone with 3 kids, even teenagers.
The rooms are also well equipped with a flat-screen tv, hair dryer, plenty of plug sockets, satellite channels and air conditioning.
The view from our balcony.
The pools
There are a number of pools at Alua Atlantico Golf Resort.
An indoor pool that is actually a heated pool, this is only open for a few hours a day and is relatively small so can get busy quickly but is good if you want to swim lengths. We did find that it smelt like chemicals in there though and my son said it hurt his eyes so we only used the indoor swimming pool once.
On the far side of the hotel there is a large outdoor swimming pool and a smaller baby pool. These are classed as the quiet pools as they don’t have the music or entertainment on. There are plenty of sunbeds as well as a bar and snack bar and beautiful views of the ocean. We did enjoy this pool but found that as it is on the coastal side it can get windy.
On the other side of the hotel nearer to the main reception area is another large pool. This was our favourite as it had a shallow end near the seating area which was perfect for our little girl to get in and out independently. This is also where you will find the music playing and the activities taking part like water polo and aqua aerobics. Again there is a nearby bar and snack bar as well as the main restaurant.
Up above this pool is a small and shallow adults only pool. This isn’t adequate for swimming and I think it was once a toddler pool but it is perfect for just relaxing in and taking in the views when you get too hot and don’t want to be splashed by kids.
There is also a splash park which is great for the under 7’s. Lots of things to run through and get splashed by including a giant tub that empties itself every so often.
The pools are brilliant and there is plenty of choice for the whole family. I would recommend swim shoes for the little ones though as it does get very slippy and we saw lots of people falling over, usually excited little ones that were running around.
The fitness center
We used the gym a few times and it was always quiet and clean. There is a treadmill , cross trainer and bike, free weights and weight machines. Everything you need for a full body work out.
Entertainment
There is a full entertainment program with a variety of activities for all ages. The staff go round the main pool and get people to join in and are really encouraging if you have nervous children. If you prefer the quieter pool then they wont come over there so make sure you check the list of activities on the app or on the board by the dinning hall so you can come over at the right times to join in.
There is also a kids club where you can drop younger children off but this is inside by the gym and we didn’t use it so can’t review it.
In the evening there is a mini disco that the little children love. They play the usual holiday songs and all dance along. Then there is a variety of shows from a magician to dancers and even a silent disco. Al the entertainment we watched was great however the seating is poor, there isn’t enough and there are pillars blocking the view making it difficult to see what’s going on, so either get there early to bag a seat near the front or entertain yourself somewhere else. There are plenty of bars and places to sit across the complex.
There is also a table tennis table by the main pool, this is used by the entertainment staff for competitions but when it’s not in use by them you can use it yourself for free, which we loved.
A football pitch is also available for use all day and night which was popular with our boys and a great way for them to make new friends.
Inside the main bar there is a small arcade with a few machines and games that you can use for an additional charge.
Restaurants
There are two buffet restaurants offering international cuisine, one on each half of the complex. Both are lovely and have a great selection of foods, even the fussiest member in our family could always find something to eat. We preferred the smaller buffet restaurant by the quiet pool for the buffet breakfast as it had proper English sausages and hash browns where as the other one didn’t but other than that they were very similar. There are also two al la carte restaurants that you can use once during your stay. These get booked very quickly so I would recommend booking them when you arrive or the next morning and if they are full leave your details and ask them to ring you if there is a cancelation which is what they did with us. We only tried one of the al la carte restaurants and loved it. The kids had carbonara and we had pork, although we enjoyed the buffets it did make a nice change to be served a full meal and have bottles of wine poured into proper wine glasses.
All inclusive
The all inclusive includes breakfast, dinner, tea and snacks. From 8am till 10pm you can always access food. As for drinks the all inclusive includes soft drinks, cocktails, mocktails, spirits, beer (San Miguel), wine, water, tea and coffee.
Check out
Check out is later than most hotels at 12pm and you can book a late check out for an extra charge if the room is available. If it’s not and you have a late flight you can book a thirty minute slot in one of the designated guest rooms to get showered and changed before you leave.
Things to do near by
There is a lovely coastal walk that you can do from the hotel that leads to the next town where you will find a few shops, bars and restaurants and such amenities. It is a 15-20 minute walk and is a bit steep in parts but it does have wonderful sea views and is worth the walk.
Obviously the hotel is in the golf del sur region which means the golf del sur golf course and many others are nearby if that’s your thing.
The hotel also offer a free bus to both Las Americas and Los Cristianos but you need to book your spot in advance and again they go quick. We boked on the day we arrived but had to wait 4 days for spaces. We went to Los Cristianos and spent the day there, the bus was on time and efficient, it took about 30 minutes and was air conditioned. If you want to get a taxi it’s about $30. We went on the early bus and cam home on the evening one and found plenty in Las Cristianos to keep us busy.
Siam Park is an award winning aqua park and it is also in the area but we didn’t manage to make it so can’t review, however we hope to go next time.
Overall we had a wonderful stay at the Alua Atlantico Golf Resort and although there were a few things that weren’t perfect the spacious rooms, cleanliness of the hotel and number of pools and activities more than made up for. We would definitely return and highly recommend it to others who are looking for an all inclusive holiday for a larger family. If you are going to book then have a look at Jet2 as we went with them as they offer free child places and organise your transfers too.
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