The Ritz-Carlton Abama, Tenerife

2022-06-01 -

BACKGROUND The hotel opened in 2005 before rebranding as a Ritz-Carlton in 2007. The area was once all banana plantations and you still see these on either side of the resort, reaching right to the edge of the cliffs.

WHERE IS IT? On the south-west coast of Tenerife around a 30-minute drive from Tenerife Sud airport. Tenerife has 7.5 million passenger flights scheduled for 2022, and a new summer service by United three days a week from New York nonstop.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? Designed by Bolivian architect Melvin Villarroel, it is a terracotta version of a village as imagined through the lens of some kind of Arab citadel. Entrance is off the main north-south road along the coast (TF-47). You cross a bridge back over the road which has twin decorative defensive Moorish Towers at either end and then descend under the porte cochere.

Hotel reception is to the left when you enter, and the bar straight ahead with a patio and a large arch which I was told by one of the chefs is the last manmade construction between the resort and America. When you enter reception you are at the uppermost part of the resort with only the golf course and the tennis centre above you further up the hill and also the Abama villas (not managed by the hotel) which are for sale.

Buggies can be rented to ferry you around. You may need them if you have problems with mobility or you want to go up to the golf course or tennis centre. The beach is a considerable distance away but there is a funicular and ‘trains’ which take you down via a road. The main hotel – called the Citadel – looks down over a pond full of koi carp and then through the Port du Soleil down to the main swimming pool.

ROOMS For a Ritz-Carlton, this is a big property with a total of 459 rooms and suites, with 315 in the main hotel and a further 144 in Villa Club. The rooms are in a large variety of sizes and categories, but all are large, ranging from 50 sqm to 80 sqm for the junior suites and with views either towards the sea (you can see La Gomera on a clear day) or towards the back of the resort. It’s worth noting that the resort is built on a hillside, which means the sea views are impressive, but there can be a lot of stairs and walking involved.

The villas (50-80 sqm, depending on category) are arranged in four rows along the hillside (Calle Palmera, Calle Iraya, etc) and each row has its own private pool meaning that there are a total of seven swimming pools including the Del Mar infinity pool, the Cascade Pool for families with young children and the Lake Pool, which is the main pool in the resort.

All rooms and villas have bathrobes, slippers, a safe, working desk, plenty of plugs, though not USB sockets, teaand coffee-making facilities, including a Nespresso machine. Bathrooms have Asprey toiletries and there is a double housekeeping service.

FOOD AND DRINK There is a long list of eateries – a reflection of the fact that the hotel does not have other options nearby. The venues are: the Michelin 2-starred fine dining restaurant M.B (named after the famous Spanish chef Martin Berasategui) for dinner by chef Erlantz Gorostiza; Japanese fusion restaurant Abama Kabuki (1 Michelin star) for dinner; El Mirador, by chef Cesar Gonzales, reserved for guests in the villas for breakfast, but open to all guests for lunch and dinner; Verona, an Italian restaurant; Txoko by Martin Berasategui for Spanish cuisine; La Veranda, the Beach Club, the Lobby Bar, and the Club House up at the golf course.

MEETINGS There are three large meeting rooms and a ballroom for 700 banquet-style.

LEISURE There is a large 24-hour fitness centre, an outdoor yoga area, an indoor fitness room, an outdoor terrace with cardio machines and a spa offering treatments.

The hotel can arrange excursions, from whale-watching in Tenerife natural park to guided walks in the mountains.

VERDICT This is a true 5-star resort in Tenerife, with a range of room options to suit everyone from a couple to a family to an extended party. Tom Otley