Please note our writer visited Tenerife prior to the coronavirus pandemic
Tenerife is a laid-back destination at the best of times, but if you want the maximum holiday with the absolute minimum of fuss, all-inclusive is the way to go. The island has a plethora of hotels and resorts where the whole caboodle is paid for up-front meaning your focus is on 24/7 indulgence rather than keeping your eye on the kitty. Whether you’re looking for budget accommodation or five-star offerings – including the best for family-friendly facilities, activities, beach access, impressive swimming pools, spas and tennis courts – here’s our guide to the best all-inclusive hotels in Tenerife, in areas including Costa Adeje, Playa Paraíso and Playa de Las Américas.
Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora
The resort overlooks a wide promenade on Tenerife’s tranquil west coast. Painted in neutral colours and comprising a veritable village of five-storey building and towers, the resort has an air of Andalucian elegance combined with a touch of Moorish mystery and exotic dashes. The showpiece is an enormous saltwater infinity pool, spanning almost the entire 400 metres of the resort’s frontage. There’s a full-service spa, a gym and a sports centre. Relaxation is the main focus, but for those with the energy, a full spectrum of daily activities for adults is provided, while a dedicated kids’ club occupies the juniors. Upgrade for good views and Red Level perks including butler service, plus an exclusive lounge, restaurant and pool.
Read the full review: Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora
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Sandos San Blas Nature Resort & Golf Hotel
This unpretentious, all-inclusive coastal resort is positioned five minutes on foot from Golf del Sur. The cluster of terracotta-toned buildings mixes rustic Mexican hacienda with contemporary Canarian style. There’s a choice of eight outdoor pools, plus a mini-lake for kayaking, and a modest sand and pebble beach on the other side of a relatively quiet road. There’s also a spa, a sports centre and a kids’ club. The star of the show is the not-to-be-missed, private environmental reserve tour and associated ‘experience tunnel’. Spacious rooms are unpretentious and come with furnished balconies or terraces. Most meals are served in the relaxed buffet restaurant which has multiple food stations.
Read the full review: Sandos San Blas Nature Resort & Golf Hotel
Fantasia Bahia Principe Tenerife
If you’re travelling with children you won’t notice much beyond the vast castle that stands at the hotel’s centre. It’s surrounded by swimming pools and all is spacious, from the squeaky-clean white terraces of sunbeds with their jaunty red-striped umbrellas to the roomy pools that beg you to swim. Facilities are geared towards families, with different kids’ clubs for toddlers, pre-teens and teens, though there is a spa with hydrotherapy area, an adults-only pool and a cutting-edge gym. The evening entertainment in the theatre is truly exceptional, with full-scale shows that feature professional performers. Spacious rooms look out across the pools and the all-inclusive rate includes copious food and unlimited drinks.
Read the full review: Fantasia Bahia Principe Tenerife
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Costa Adeje Gran Hotel
The Costa Adeje Gran hotel is an immensely popular, five-star hotel in upmarket Costa Adeje. The hotel offers a plethora of activities including tennis, crazy golf, a billiards hall, spa and a well-equipped gym. Staff are unfalteringly pleasant, attentive and professional, and all rooms are modern with generous floor space, and either sea or mountain views. Meals are mainly provided in the La Finca buffet restaurant. A wide range of good quality choices include meat and pasta dishes cooked to order and good options for vegetarians and healthy eaters. All-inclusive guests can expect an endless selection of snacks and drinks available at various bars around the hotel throughout the day up until midnight.
Read the full review: Costa Adeje Gran Hotel
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Roca Nivaría Gran Hotel
A chic, luxurious and friendly five-star hotel on a spectacular headland in Playa Paraiso. Staff are friendly, attentive and unobtrusive, and facilities include a spa, pool and tennis court. The double rooms enjoy the sort of floor space that would qualify as a suite in many hotels and feature walk-in closets, small lounge areas, king-sized beds, and private terraces with sun loungers. The central food hub is a bright buffet restaurant with an enormous ocean-view terrace. Breakfast brings a spectacular selection of hot and cold, healthy and indulgent, and familiar and exotic.Lunch can be taken poolside, either on a terrace or in a quirky, man-made cave area. All-inclusive guests can choose to dine à la carte without additional cost and have access to drinks and snacks outside of main meal times.
Read the full review: Roca Nivaría Gran Hotel
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Gran Oasis Resort
A super friendly, all-inclusive family hotel alongside the golf course in Playa de Las Américas. The staff are what make the hotel so popular and bring guests back year after year. Always smiling, ever helpful, and constantly interacting with the youngest guests, they imbue an infectious sense of fun around the place. Three heated swimming pools, one of them specifically for children, form the central focus of the resort. Accommodation is in bright, clean and spacious, one- and two-bedroom apartments which have kitchens and lounges. The main restaurant provides a selection of good-quality, family-favourite dishes with nightly themed dinners. All-inclusive packages give access to all-day snacks, drinks (non-premium brand only), meals and ice cream.
Read the full review: Gran Oasis Resort
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Hotel Barceló Santiago
A chic, contemporary spa hotel set on the sunny west coast with quite possibly the best views on Tenerife. Volcanic stone, smoked glass and cactus gardens make for a stylish hotel and two fabulous infinity swimming pools are set within expansive terraces planted with palm trees. Bedrooms, which all face the sea are bright, sleek and sexy with generous floor space; en suites are in turquoise opaque glass and some have whirlpool tubs. There’s a warm welcome and a friendly smile from all the staff. All meals are served buffet-style, and menus are generally of the inoffensive, international variety, though the Sabor Español restaurant has a Spanish menu featuring Iberian specialities such as wild boar.
Read the full review: Hotel Barceló Santiago
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Iberostar Anthelia
A luxurious, five-star oceanfront hotel in upmarket Costa Adeje. The hotel has three pools, including a fabulous infinity pool, and a Thai spa. Rooms are very comfortable, immaculately clean and nicely quiet. All have a small, private terrace and either a garden view, partial sea view or full sea view. From the Zeus restaurant which serves buffet breakfast and dinner, to the pool bar for lunch and the à la carte Poseidon and Portofino restaurants, this is a hotel for gourmands. There’s also a superb range of sushi and creative Chinese dishes. Staff are attentive, friendly and professional.
Read the full review: Iberostar Anthelia
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ClubHotel RIU Buena Vista
A budget, family-favourite, all-inclusive hotel in the west coast resort of Playa Paraíso. The outside space is given over to two large swimming pools with integrated hot tubs, and a children’s pool, all flanked by sun loungers. There are tennis and padel courts, table football, billiards, an excellent gym and a nightclub. The majority of rooms are Junior Suites with full or partial sea views and consist of a lounge area with sofa bed, a double or twin bedroom, an en-suite and a second W/C. Breakfasts are plentiful, and at other meal times, family-favourite dishes are the order of the day. Staff are endlessly good humoured and very efficient.
Read the full review: ClubHotel RIU Buena Vista
From £46 pp/pn (riu.com)
Contributions by Andrea Montgomery & Helen Ochyra
Rates above are guide prices per person per night, please note that all-inclusive packages can differ across hotels. Owing to the current coronavirus pandemic, these rates may change. Please check the hotel’s websites for further information on what’s included.