Our final hotel for the last 3 nights of our stay, and in my children's eyes the best because of the international style buffet (yayyyy, chips!).
Having read some of the previous reviews, I would like to say that once you get to within a mile or so of the hotel, there are now signs to guide you in, but it helps to have a navigator alongside the driver. But you really do feel you are going into a residential area to get to it.
Rooms were good; best mattress I'd had all holiday. Good modern TV. My daughter was quite keen on CNN by the end of our stay! Only the one English channel, but hubby and I watched the German channels.
We were on the first floor, with a little terrace outside, looking towards the swimming pool - the first I'd seen all holiday with a small shallow end for toddlers (or non-swimmers like my daughter) and with far-reaching views (past the residential bit) to the coastline. Water was cold, apparently. I wasn't daft; I just lounged about, reading. We enjoyed a game of mini-golf; didn't try out their 'paddle court', but it seemed popular. I had a reasonably-priced massage, and DD had a good manicure and french polish (much needed after days spent on volcanic beaches!). Their spa pool looked tempting, but we didn't try that one out. The spa staff spoke less English than their hotel counterparts, and I suspect that could lead to them appearing aloof. I had a lot of fun trying out my basic Spanish, and found the staff to be very pleasant. Spa / beauty treatments need to be booked the day before you want them.
A previous poster was annoyed that nobody was about in the bars. True; the place often looked deserted, but really there was no problem. If you wanted a drink, just ask at reception and lo and behold they'd bring it to you, wherever you were (ok, by the pool!); if you wanted towels for the pool, just ask at reception. If you want clubs for the mini-golf... OK, you get the picture. And if you didn't want to go down to reception, there's a telephone by the pool bar. Just phone reception!
We thought there was a good range of buffet food both at breakfast and at dinner, and my children were finally able to tuck into something they liked. We thought the quality of food was very good, so it looks like this is something that's improved over the past couple of years?
Wi-fi internet access is available in the reception area, but also they have a computer available at 2.50 euros an hour. The receptionist was kind enough to print out my on-line boarding passes for me for our flight home.
I thought this was a well-priced hotel and good value (once you find it, of course!). It's a bit out of the way, but doesn't take long to get anywhere with the car. We were a bit traumatised on the way there in trying to find the place (I had printed off directions via google maps, but they didn't always seem to match where we were, and street signs can be difficult to spot), and with the steep hills, so the following day we just got a taxi to take us to Loro Parque, which cost about 8 euros each way. Nice little treat!
We would certainly be happy to go back to this hotel if ever we were staying in the north of the island again.
- Hotel Tierra De Oro
- Spa Tierra De Oro
