Reviews of Sol Princesa Dacil Hotel, Los Cristianos, Tenerife

We arrived at the hotel and were...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Miss V Mccallister

Comments:

We arrived at the hotel and were slightly dissapointed by the reception area as it is a bit dark. After a very smooth check in we were allocated a room on the 2nd floor overlooking the pool which was rather small in comparison to our friends room which was double the size with a full balcony overlooking the pool on the 4th floor. We then went to reception and were given another room on the 10th floor (room 1009) which completely blew us away as it was a suite!!! This was fantastic and there were plenty of windows which meant the room was light and airy as it was very high up. As for the view, this was beautiful as it overlooked the harbour and mountains.



The lifts did sometimes break down but were always fixed immediately. The food was lovely although the bacon was greasy and every two days the sausages at breakfast were like hot dogs which were edible but not what us brits are used to!!! Other than that, the food was varied and there was always something for the fussiest of eaters to have.



The location was perfect, a 3 min strole to a shingle beach and a 15 min walk to the next beach at Las Vistas with various excursion stands, restaurants and shops on the way. It is about a 30 min walk to las americas where all the night life and main shops are. This to us was rather an expensive part of the island. We went to Veronicas and Starco one night and only stayed for 1 round of drinks as they were so expensive, 26 euro for 4 drinks!



Excusions were great, we rented a car via the hotel recption and went to the volcano and the zoo (loro Parque) which are both definately worth a visit. I would reconmend the car hire as it works out so much cheaper and you dont have to hang around.I would thoroughly advise anyone to take a bus to del Duque as it is a 5 star area with a beautiful golden beach and luxury sun loungers at 6 euro per day.The water there is gorgeous and even a walk along that coat is not to be missed.The water park is great, there is a free bus that goes from the hotel. Be warned that it is salt water so take plently of sun cream and they charge extra for lockers and sun loungers so take cash.Dont bother with Santa Cruz, there really is nothing to be seen there and the bus ride is tiring and expensive.





The hotel entertainment is fab. Free bingo and shows every night which we actually enjoyed which was surprising as were normally into clubbing! I hope anyone who reads this enjoys their holiday and finds the above info useful. Happy holidays!!!

I was very impressed with this...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Miss H Marshall

Comments:

I was very impressed with this hotel and rather relieved, as I was initially worried about the tower block look of the place. The food was good, lots of choice and our room was wonderfully spacious and clean with a good view, but friends we went with had a much smaller, rather cramped room. Resort of Los Cristianos was great, with lots of restaurants and a lovely beach, but found the bars shut quite early and it was a bit of a walk to get to the best beach. Nice to be within short taxi ride (or long walk) to Las Americas without being in the centre which seemed a bit manic. Impressed with staff and hotel facilities. As young couples, we found the entertainment for children a bit tiresome, but nothing too bad. Overall, a great time in a much better than expected hotel.

This was our second visit to...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2008

Tour Operator:

jet2holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs L J Rumins

Comments:

This was our second visit to this hotel , we did enjoy it last time so we decided to give it another go.





On arrival check in was really slow as only one person was there to check in and check out, which was bad as the people who were checking out were getting restless incase they missed their transfer. after check in we went to our room on the 8th floor only to find our room was only made up for 2 people when there was 4 of us, this was soon sorted once i had been to reception.



We did get there in time for our first evening meal which we noticed that they have still not made any changes to the childrens meals , they do not really cater for children which is a shame as they do put on a good varied menu for the adults of an evening. After dinner we went into the bar in reception area which has not changed either , it is in a desperate need of a revamp , its like an old mans smoking lounge, the chairs are filthy and falling to pieces, although the staff are friendly and helpful, which is nice.



Breakfast was ok except the bacon was swimming in grease but there were other things to eat so you didnt starve.



Getting a sun bed was not a problem even at 10 am the older people preferred to sit on the chairs rather than lay on the beds. the pool has much to be desired , it was absolutely freezing, our youngest spends most if not all of the day in the pool but not this time, we only went in twice ourselves, which was a shame, i put on the recommendations sheet that a heated swimming pool would be an advantage to this hotel as its really popular as a winter sun holiday.



Bars and restaurants around are ok we did have a bad experience in a bar not far from the hotel , it s along on the right as you come on to the main road from the hotel, they usually have a couple on doing country and western and line dancing and its all outside apart from the toilets, this is were it happened , the waiter had took abit of a shine to our 13 year old daughter and he followed her in to the ladies and kissed her twice, once on each cheek , she was absolutely scared out of her wits but did come and tell us straight away, he however just acted as though nothing had happened till my husband grabbed hold of him , then all he could do was apologise but it just wasnt enough , my husband was so mad he was going to punch him, but he stopped himself , you never know what will happen in strange countries so we left not before having a word with the manager , he was so apologetic that we felt he would sort him out as he was as angry as we were. we went passed afew nights later and there he was acting as if nothing had happened, but we couldnt risk my husband getting locked up if he had have hit him, so do be warned please do not take your children in this bar.



We had afew nights in San Eugenio in a bar called The Temple Bar which is on the corner as you look across from san eugenio shopping centre, the two irish lads that do the entertainment are great fun , they play a guitar, a key board and a whistle , they play any song you like but obviously in their own way , they have abit of a crack with you too, but they dont drink alcohol but tea and biscuits , you do have to get in there quite early as they start at 10pm till 1am but seats get taken really quick , but do try it we did for 3 nights .



There was a carnival on whilst we were there which was quite noisy as they had a fair and it went in till after 2am and our room backed on to it. once the carnival had finished it was fine .



The beds in the rooms are not very comfortable , the children had the beds and we had the sofa bed which leaves alot to be desired , every time you moved or turned over the whole thing just creaked which was awful, in the end we ended up putting the blankets from the cupboards under the sheets to try and soften them. The maids were really good and changed towels every day if you needed them, and the rooms were also very clean and tidy.



The weather when we arrived on the friday was lovely we had three lovely days round the pool area but on the tuesday afternoon it went all cloudy and it rained from then on till the friday afternoon when we were leaving to come home and the sun reappeared.

I suppose its a chance you take with winter sun, overall we had a good time but we will not return to this hotel or the area as we have been put off by so many factors.

Just returned from a weeks break...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr Steve B

Comments:

Just returned from a weeks break at the Princesa Dacil. We went last minute and bagged a bargain. Hotel was clean and all the staff were friendly and more than helpful. Rooms were cleaned everyday and if you left your towels on the floor they were changed. Bed linen changed 3 times in the week.



Not too sure on the night entertainment as we were not around to see it but it was well supported by the older generation stopping at the Hotel, which was by far the majority, especially this time of year.



The food we found was excellent, in fact the choice was huge at breakfast and dinner already mentioned in previous posts, so I won't repeat, and couldn't fault anything we chose, and we didn't go hungry. We did hear a few complain, obviously you can please most of the people most of the time but not all of the people all of the time, or something like that anyway.



Also if you go to bed before midnight make sure you are above the first floor as you can get some noise from the bars. Didn't bother us though as not in before 1am most nights. First floor also suffers from the odd cockroach or two, but cleared by the cleaners and not a problem really.



Be prepared to fight for the sunbeds next to the extremely cold pool, (there was a sign asking guests not to reserve sunbeds but was not enforced, (maybe it should be, that would shake a few up), as all the unbroken ones were snapped up by 9am with towels, and weren't being used until after 11am some days, mind you, there is a sun terrace above the restaurant with sunbeds on and this was easy to get an unbroken sunbed till around 10:30 am, and the weather was fab for the time of year, really comfortable and warm, 21c - 24c, we had one cloudy day although warm still and one windy day, again warm so all in all a good tan was built up especially in a week.



There is also some some what looks like minor building work next to the hotel in progress, but it only looked like a rehash of an entrance and drive to the apartments next door, so shouldn't be going for long and the builders didn't start till about 10am and finished about 3pm 'ish, so no real problem. Building work also long the prom as you walk from the hotel end towards the port caused some holdups, although fenced off the amount of invalid carriages and pushbikes caused mayhem at times, mind your ankles .....



Overall the Hotel was great value for money. The only downside was Los Christianos itself, ruined by hoardes of timeshare people hunting in packs, they really ought to do something about them because I for one will not return to Tenerife until they rid the island of this plague. I know you get it elsewhere but this is by far the worst harrassment we have ever got. Tenerife Tourism office please take note as I'm sure other holidaymakers are of the same opinion.



If you have booked this hotel, in our opinion, congratulations on a great choice, we are sure you'll enjoy it.

Having had a few disappointing...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr R Spendlove

Comments:

Having had a few disappointing experiences with 3 star hotels in the past, we were intending to book 4 star for our first holiday in Tenerife. However, some friends who spend the winter in Los Cristianos recommended the Princesa Dacil and we would fully endorse the recommendation, as the value the hotel provides is excellent.



The standard room is far larger than most we have had in more expensive hotels, with a separate large living room as well as bedroom and bathroom. We had read the brochure in advance (unlike some complainers!) so knew that there was no air-conditioning or hairdryer and that if you wanted them, you could upgrade to superior.



The room faced south with a great view over the sea and Guaza mountain and the balcony was ample for two to sit out on. The room was bright, airy, and clean and the cleaning service over the 14 days was very good. My one gripe (and it applies to so many hotels) is that on the TV the only English language channels were news, travel and Eurosport, whereas in German, French and Italian there were channels with standard programmes.



For both breakfast and dinner there is a large choice, and judging by the amount being consumed all around, there were hundreds of satisfied customers, as we were. Breakfast offered for example fresh fruit (grapefruit, bananas), dried fruit, four or five cereals including muesli, cold meats, cheese, salads, tomato juice, boiled and scrambled eggs, freshly cooked omelettes, full English, steamed tomatoes, toast (machines a bit slow), fresh baguettes including a wholemeal version (very good), rolls, rye breads, four normal jams and some sugar-reduced ones, honey, yoghurt and probably a few other things!



The fruit juices were possibly the weakest link as they only had orange and pineapple and the quality wasn't brilliant. I can't comment on the tea as we didn't drink any, but didn't hear anybody complaining. The coffee was typical mass catering hotel standard, but quite acceptable once you had worked out a suitable ratio of coffee and milk. However, the hot milk seemed to me to be sweetened for some reason, so if you don't take sugar use the cold milk provided and top up with hot water.



Dinners were themed (Spanish, Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican) and provided plenty of choice. There were several salad/starter options and two hot soups as well as Gazpacho. They had at least five meat and two fish dishes as mains. The fish (one sort always freshly cooked and with Moho on offer) was excellent so we tended to stick to that, but there looked to be some tasty meat. There was also a paella or rice/noodle option. Vegetables could have been more varied, but included at times aubergines, roasted peppers, and courgettes in batter, creamed spinach as well as the more run-of-the-mill. For the unadventurous there was pizza, pasta, chicken nuggets, chips etc, (and HP Sauce). Desserts included gateaux, yoghurt, mousse, fresh and tinned fruit, custard, jelly, rice pudding, baked bananas, ice cream etc.



If some people can't find something to suit them in all that was on offer, then I think the problem lies with them and not with the hotel. Some people probably have the expectation that they will get a Ritz type meal having paid less than Travel Lodge prices (the brochure price for these two weeks, knocking off the cost of the flight, worked out at about £30 pp for room, breakfast, and dinner).



I overheard one guest complaining about the cost of wine in the restaurant, but the mark-up was no more than you'd expect (e.g. a 2004 Rioja Crianza at €12.95 in the restaurant compared to €5 in a local supermarket - back home restaurants would charge you about £14!)



We went out walking in the mountains or along the coast most days so can't really comment on the pool area other than to say that even on a hot afternoon when we tried a swim, the water was cool but bearable (but you know in advance that it's not a heated pool). The jokes about Germans bagging all the loungers are now a thing of the past, having seen the rush of Brits with their towels when the door to the pool area was opened at about 8am!



Entertainment in the evening was occasionally very good (Los Fantasticos acrobats/dancers) to poor (Bingo), but nobody forces you to sit around in the hotel - there is no shortage of other places to go nearby.



All the staff we had dealings with were friendly and helpful and we wouldn't hesitate to go back again, as it represents very good value for money.

Stayed in Los Cristianos my...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2007

Tour Operator:

Sunshine.co.uk

Submitted By:

BG GIRL

Comments:

Stayed in Los Cristianos my favourite area, loads of cheap restaurants serving quality food, the area its self as really improved since my last visit, palm tree walk ways, everywhere seems a lot cleaner.



Htel Princessa Dacil was nice, room clean, comfy beds, good food plenty of choice, booked with Sunshine holidays, they were a lot cheaper than other tour companies. Overall great holiday.

I read all the reviews before...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mrs L Seddon

Comments:

I read all the reviews before booking our family holiday and wanted to let everyone know that I was really pleased with the choice I had made.



The Hotel is clean and the rooms were spacious and the cleaners came every day bar one and changed the towels and made the beds.



You cannot complain about the choice of food on offer at the Hotel, just maybe have to pick the quieter times as it can get very busy being such a large hotel.



We stayed over the New Year and New Years Eve food was fantastic, fit for a King. Wine absolutely free on the table as much as you could possibly drink.



The only downside was the lack of entertainment in the Hotel, there was nothing for teenagers or younger adults really. It was mainly ballroom lessons and older people’s music, apart from New Years Eve they did make a real effort and we really enjoyed the bits that we saw.



All the hotels have their own entertainment so we walked down by the beach for Midnight and watched all the fireworks go off together. Brilliant display!!!!



It really is a lovely hotel set in a perfect location and definitely worth a visit.

The accommodation is nice, the...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jan 2008

Tour Operator:

1800hotels

Submitted By:

Ms J Kearns

Comments:

The accommodation is nice, the rooms are clean and spacious. However, the food is not very nice - swimming in oil and the entertainment at night left a lot to be desired. These did not pose problems for us as there are sooo many lovely restaurants less than a 5 min walk from the hotel, and the Irish Times pub was brilliant fun! The location of the hotel is good, a 5 min walk down to the main promenade that is filled with shops and restaurants!

Just got back from spending a...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Dec 2007

Tour Operator:

Ebookers

Submitted By:

Joules

Comments:

Just got back from spending a week here over the Christmas period. Found the food to be very good for a 3 star hotel. Especially the breakfasts with chefs preparing omelettes and fried eggs to order. The sausages are highly recommend!!! Lots of choice on the evening buffet to choose from. Only down side was not much choice for the desserts but lots of fruit.



Did not spend much time by the pool due to all the sunbeds being snapped up very early. So just walked the 10 mins to the beach 9euros for two sunbeds and an umbrella for the day.



Cannot say much about the hotel entertainment as was never around to see it... though I did hear other people complaining.



Lots of people had been going back to this hotel for over 10 years so this speaks volumes and I for one will be joining them next Christmas.

Had a fantastic holiday! Hotel...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs L Appleton

Comments:

Had a fantastic holiday! Hotel was nice and clean. Food was fantastic, have gone abroad now for 15 years and this is the best hotel food we have had.



The rooms were nice and spacious, staff were friendly. Pool area was very clean.



Entertainment was something else! Not our cup of tea. Did not spoil the holiday as visited the Irish Times every night down on the promenade 2 minutes from the hotel.



Enjoyed the holiday that much have booked to go back in January.

Just got back from this hotel......

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

Jet2

Submitted By:

Miss S Owen

Comments:

Just got back from this hotel... Thank god! The hotel was clean the cleaners were all nice but the food was just yuk!



The first couple of nights were ok! I suppose everything is nice when your starving! Went down one night for my tea! Found this fur on the tomato! And small flies yuk that was it...



They also used food from the night before. The waiters were grumpy! They were slow serving at the bar!



The receptionist were very nice. There are a lot of older people there at that time of year some people have been going there for 30yrs!



The lifts... Can't swing a cat there! And they kept breaking down!



If you want a bed in the morning you have to start to queue from 7.45 in the morning or you would be sitting in the pool!



Also men have to wear long trousers there at night! Or they won’t let you have your food!



Stupid! You’re on holiday in a warm place not in Iceland!

Not bad at all considering the...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2007

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr Bm Smithers

Comments:

Not bad at all considering the good deal we got on price.



Room clean and tidy with a great view from the 8th floor. Luckily not to hot at night because no air con. Food not great but passable and a bit of a scramble at self service time.



We chose to eat out for lunch and evening meal and looked around at a few places for the first couple of days then ended up spending most of our time at a great little place on the sea front called Amigos. Sounds Spanish but it´s English owned by very friendly people who went out of their way to make us welcome.



During the day we just chilled out in the sun there drinking mugs of English tea and reading their newspapers and at night nearly always had one of their 3 course specials for only 7.95. How the hell they can do this including sirloin steak I don´t know, but it was really good food and not like the usual British pub type bars.



The beach in front of Amigos is the harbour beach which we found a nice quiet spot but further down is the bigger Las Vistas beach, which was busier and a little windier than the harbour beach.



Most nights we ended up in Irish Times above Fados, a really friendly place that has live Irish music until the band decide it’s time for home. Usually about 2 or 3. They had lots of guest artists up on stage and some we´re amongst the best singers I have ever heard, really professional. I swear a waiter from Amigos was on the stage one night playing an Irish drum with the band or maybe it was just the Guinness.



The works on the seafront promenade are now nearly complete and the place is looking very good. It’s lost a bit of character but definitely looks better, lots of new palm trees.

All in all we found Los Cristianos to be a very friendly place and will definitely be back as soon as we can and sample the Steak Pie at Amigos again.

My girlfriend and I stayed here...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Cosmos

Submitted By:

Mr R Hillier

Comments:

My girlfriend and I stayed here for one week and had a really great time.



Okay the food wasn't fantastic, but for some to say it was inedible is rubbish. Breakfast consisted of allsorts- from cereals, yoghurts, and fruit, cooked (chef cooks eggs, omlette to order) sausages, bacon, orange juice, tea, and coffee are "on tap".



Evening meal consists of a huge selection of salads- just right after a long hot day on the beach. Then there are always a selection of hot dishes, paella, chips, fish, roast pork, rice selection of vegetables-no reason to go hungry here. Puddings consist of homemade rice pudding, ice cream, fruit salad, pastries. I'm sure I’ve forgotten lots of things but you will enjoy. Only downside was that we always had to wait for a table to be cleaned before we could be seated.



Our room was superb, clean, well decorated, colour TV. we had a lounge, (which had a sofa bed for a larger party than ourselves)good sized twin bedroom, and a very good sized bathroom, great shower with lots of hot water and shower gel and hair shampoo supplied from a dispenser. Towels were changed three times during our stay.



We got up early one morning (7.30) to go on the trip to see the volcano and were amused to see other people queuing to get their towels on the sunbeds. Very funny watching the stampede when the pool area was opened at 8 o'clock - a sight not to be missed.



We used the beach rather than the pool-there were no unreserved sunbeds by the time we got up- two beds and umbrella on the beach cost 9 Euros and are yours for the day.



We went on the whale and dolphin trip - booked at the kiosk by the boats- cost 40 Euros for the two of us- we saw both whales and dolphins, great experience.



The sports bar by the beach is to be recommended for a drink (1.50 Euros for a large beer) in the afternoon and maybe a snack. You can sit and people watch whilst enjoying a cold beer.



All in all a great holiday - we intend to return next autumn with my girlfriends three children and will be looking to book the sol Princesa Dacil again.

I, husband, and daughter aged 13...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Direct Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs B Edwards

Comments:

I, husband, and daughter aged 13 stayed for 2 weeks at the beginning of August. I found the food fine, service excellent, and customer relations excellent.



The hotel is set away back from the front so there is absolutely no noise around at night - infact the surroundings are very peaceful. I had a bottle of bubbly brought up to my room on my birthday (which is the first time this has ever happened on holiday) which was a lovely personal touch.



The entertainment team tried very hard and my daughter did not want to go home. So much so, we have booked again for 2008.

We have just come back from our...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Miss N Matthews

Comments:

We have just come back from our holiday in Tenerife staying at the Princessa Dacil.



We paid a lot of money for this holiday as it was in half term week... I was disappointed with the food... thank goodness there was plenty of rolls and bread there as that was what I mainly ate!



It seemed that the chef would take the green beans from last night and put them into some pasta or rice the next night and call it a German salad. The breakfast was ok but quite greasy and you had to queue up to get a fried egg. If you wanted an omelette there was also a queue which got hot as you are near the heated plates. The last 2 nights of our holiday we ate out and the food was tasty and fantastic. I wouldn’t have a holiday with food included again as this has been an expensive experience.



We didn't even bother to go to the pool as every morning we didn't find 1 single sun bed that we could use as people had rushed out there and placed their towels on their bed. For us this wasn't a problem as we went down the beach and had some lovely times but again we had paid for this holiday with a pool included which we didn't use.



The maid service was great they cleaned the room’s everyday and left clean towels. The room didn't have air conditioning so was quite hot but some rooms on the higher floor did have it but you had to pay extra.



On the last day of our holiday we were told we would have use of a room to shower etc... what they didn’t tell us was that you had to book this on the morning that you were leaving.



By the time we came out after eating breakfast every single time slot except 2pm had been taken! This was far too early for us to have a shower as our flight was at 2.30 am, so we were offered a shower in the pool area. When we got there, there was a huge queue, only 1 shower in each of the men and women’s area and not much room to put your clothes etc. They did provide us with towels but we were lucky we got there when we did because the families after us were given no towels as they had run out!



Tenerife itself is a lovely place to stay the water park and loro park are all worth visiting although the free bus back from the water park had no air con and you had to fight your way on there.



We booked a free bird trip but it got cancelled due to choppy weather which was a bit disappointing. Also they didn’t tell us until we'd all been ferried there on the coach so we wasted half a day. To get our money back was a bit of a hassle, as they wanted to give it back to us at the airport! Which is no good to us, as we can't spend Euros over here.



However our rep Anthony from Thomas cook was quite helpful and was able to give us the cash back himself.



I would definitely go back to Tenerife again but I would not stay at this hotel at all and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody either. The food really let it down and as food is a huge part of a holiday it was disappointing.