Hotel Barcelo Santiago

Had a fantastic week in Tenerife in April. Stayed in this 4 * Hotel on all inclusive basis for 3 nights Fantastic views from our room and from the dining room which made the trip. A couple of gripes. Rooms were OK but not up to 4* standard We arrived at midnight after travelling all day having missed our evening meal which was part of our package and desperate for a drink etc. We were told unfortunately the all inclusive package finishes at 11pm so we could not have a drink from the bar. This surely is not the action of a 4 * Hotel who should have fallen over themselves to look after us and give us a welcome drink. We also found that as we were on all inclusive the service from the waiters in the bar was very slow and they often got our drinks order wrong. We are not sure whether this was done on purpose. There was also a very unfortunate sewage smell around some parts of the pool area. Considering all of this we still thoroughly enjoyed our stay but compared to our second hotel of the stay( Gran Tacande Hotel at Costa A'deje) this was certainly second best!

Just returned home, all we can say if you want a relaxing, stress free, freindly, clean, good food, best views ever, weather, etc,etc, this is the hotel, it is absolutely fantastic. No problem with any building works, we were on the top floor - 9th, with stunning views of the cliffs at Los Gigantes, and the Atlantic Ocean. Our first visit, it will not be the last. We went AI and found it it suited us completely. Roy & Lesley

Have just got back from Barcelo Santiago on tue 18th Jan, this hotel is superb the food is very good, the staff are excellent and very polite and friendly. The kids mini disco in the evening was brilliant and my girls loved it. The hotel is in an ideal setting, we stayed on the top floor rooms 900 plus in a suite room which was much larger than standard and has much bigger balconys. Overall great time very difficult to critisize. The 2 problems that we encountered were that 1 the transfer from the hotel to airport was 1hour 40 minutes which was a hurrendous journey. and should only take 30 minutes by taxi. 2 the evening entertainmemt before the mini disco was very amateur and frankly cheap, but apart from that a superb time.

We both decided that we needed a well earned xmas break after a long 2004. After much searching and looking we decided on barcelo santiago and was not disapointed at all in fact it far exceeded our expectations. The food was delicious and varied and prepared to a very high standard which was great as we opted for the all inclusive option which i strongly advise (great value) Entertainment was ongoing and very very amusing the whole week. The staff couldnt do enough for us. Polite,considerate,and very entertaining they even cleaned our room on xmas day which we never expected. The views were exceptional and we both watched many sunsets drinking sangria. This hotel should be a 5***** We both consider ourselves to be well healed travellers and have stayed in some of the best hotels in the world but for complete rest and relaxation you cant beat barcelo santiago, so much so i have just booked another 2 weeks for summer 2005 WELL DONE BARCELO and thank you. See you all very soon Colin + Miriam

I have been going to Barcelo Santiago since i was 16. My trip in December will be my sixth in 3 years. Basically my mum and I try to get away together a few times a year to catch up and the Barcelo suits us perfectly. Contrary to reports it isnt quiet at night. You just need to know where to go. Luckily we know the staff quite well and they are always willing to take you to the nearby salsa clubs and bars, last year we were invited to the staff christmas party which was anything but quiet. However, when u do fancy a night in the surroundings are lovely. Obviously there are faults but, for what you pay i dont think that you can complain. We go all inclusive all the time which is superb value for money even just for the soft drinks. In August i went with my girl friends and they all enjoyed themselves immensly also. I wouldnt hear a word against this hotel.

We just returned from a week holiday in the Barcelo Santiago and liked it a lot. Enough has already been said about the location and the views : they are stunning and you probably cannot get better in Tenerife. Rooms : we were lucky to get a room in the upper level (we did not see any rooms on the lower level from the inside, but the upper level is definetely more attractive). Look for rooms with number 600 and above - then you're OK. Entertainment : if you are there for peace and quiet it's OK but don't expect anything more. After the evening show there is not much to do. Except listening to Ernesto (playing quite boring music). Not your idea of a lively Saturday evening party... Taking into account the age of most of the guests (we were there between 31/10 and 7/11) a disco would probably not attract many people either... All-inclusive : as we were a family of 3 (our daughter is 7) we opted for the all-inclusive formula. In this hotel you sometimes feel rather 'cheated' when chosing this. Other all-inclusive hotels simply include e.g. everything except imported drinks and imported champaign. Not here : here it is a complicated thing. For example : - at dinner all drinks are included but not orange juice (!). Why??? You would assume there would be plenty of oranges in Spain - so why charge for this? - at the poolbar 2 kinds of pizza's are inlcluded - the simplest ones - the others not, they hardly have 'imported or expensive ingredients'?? As an all inclusive guest you do get 50% of the price on the menu card. But this kind of practice does make you think twice before going for all-inclusive the next time. We did not have any noise from the building works but on a saturday afternoon the TV in the sports bar accross the street was showing soccer and it frankly was more disturbing than any building works I've heard over there... We also rented from AUTOREISEN and were quite satisfied. If you plan to go there by rental car in high season, take into account that parking might be a problem. Yes : the indoor parking costs 4O EURO/day (incredible isn't it?) We arrived on a Sunday and there were a lot of locals around that weekend, after the weekend parking was OK. Some people might find the pool small but off-season it was OK. However in high season I assume sunbeds would be almost impossible to get and the pool would be definitely too small if the hotel was fully booked. All in all we enjoyed our week there. I'm not sure we would return as we like to try out different countries and locations, but I think there are far worse hotels in Tenerife.

We have just had a week at the Barcelo Santiago (October half term) and we enjoyed it very much - fantastic weather in the 80s - and would definitely return - so that says a lot. However, there were some problems that COULD have totally ruined our holiday, so please be careful. We booked as independant travellers, got our own flights and hired a car with AutoReisen (110 euros for the week). We had booked an ocean view junior suite - supposedly one of the best rooms in the hotel. When we checked in, I was very disappointed to find that the room we had been allocated was probably one of the worst rooms in the hotel. The hotel is really in two sections split by the pool area and one section (the lower 4 floors) is definitely not in the same league as the upper. Our room (469) was a very very long walk from the main hotel area, it was poorly furnished, outdoor corridors and the rooms were very small. One room did have the promised ocean view (a poor one in comparison to others) but the other room faced directly into the next door building site - scaffolding perhaps 30feet away. Worst of all, the air conditioning was completely non functional and it was like an oven. Easily 100 degrees with so much sun on the glass. We could open the windows but then you got the noise and dust from the building project. I immediately complained but was told the "hotel was full" and it would not be possible. They struggled to repair the AC, taking the ceilings down and showering the room and our belongings in particles of unknown substances, finally giving up at 9pm on the first night and moved us to - guess what? - an ocean view junior suite in the upper hotel, that miraculously became available. It was like a different world. Carpeted corridors, spacious modern furnished rooms and two balconys with absolutely fantastic views. This wasn't a very good start and we should have been moved immediately, not after a great deal of argument and bad feeling. We even had to pack up and move all our stuff to the new room without any help at all. If we hadn't managed to change rooms, I would have been extremely disappointed with the hotel and the holiday - it would have been ruined. We booked a best room in a 4 star hotel - we finally got one. The lower floors are not 4 star - low 3 star imo. The staff are all very nice but they management should get their wallets out and employ more of them especially on the front desk. Sometimes there was only one girl to check in a whole coachload of newcomers. No wonder people get frustrated. We went half board. Breakfast and dinner are buffet - the food was good, especialy the grill. The restaurant itself is not particularly to my taste - too noisy/canteenlike. There is a small outside terrace which is fab but not big enough - why don't they put more tables out around the pool terrace?? Its such a lovely location and certainly warm enough. The entertainment programme during the day is good - lots for people of all ages to do. The evening entertainment programme is abysmal and an embarrassment. Truly cringemaking. Not the fault of the staff who are struggling to put something on in about 6 different languages. The location of this hotel is absolutely spectacular - I have rarely seen such views anywhere - it is absolutely priceless. But you MUST get a sea view, preferably a corner view where you can also see Los Gigantes. It is not true that all rooms have sea view. Some of them face inland towards a shopping centre and have a bit of a sideways sea view. The area itself is also spectacular and an absolute world away from the over development of the south coast and the sad demise of Puerto de la Cruz. The kids loved it - they made lots of new friends (even they hated the evening entertainment!) It was a problem with lounger reservation, but only if you were particularly fussy where you were. The ones near the pool area go before breakfast!!!! There aren't enough umbrellas - that's more of a problem when the sun is as strong as it was when we were there. The pool towel situation is odd. You are given one each at check in and you then have to keep them for the week. You can get them changed but its a right rigmarole which will almost certainly mean spending one day without a beach towel. No idea why they don't run the normal system where you get one down at the pool itself. Many people have the all inclusive option. If you drink a lot of cocktails and can manage 3 meals a day, it is worth it. Otherwise, half board and pay as you go. A bottle of wine with dinner is about 6 euros up. Another tip: If you are not on half board, unless you want to carry cash and pay for everything by cash, you must register your credit card at check in. They didn't tell us this and I ordered lunch and a round of drinks expecting to be able to sign for them as per normal in an hotel. I then had to run back to my room, get my cc, go down to reception, register it and then come back to the restaurant - I was a bit irritated. The dress code in the evenings (not stated to me when we booked ) is also odd. You are not allowed to wear shorts into the restaurant. This means shorts of any kind, tailored included. I would expect this in a high class restaurant with waiter service but frankly in the free for all bright light glare of the buffet, it was a bit ott. Actually, I wouldn't have minded if we'd been told in advance. We're very used to holidaying in the Caribbean, the Far East and the U.S. and dress shorts are perfectly ok there in informal restaurants, especially when the weather is in the 80s, so I didn't take dresses and dress trousers with me - not enough anyway. I perfectly understand the idea of dressing up for the evening - just think it should be more publicised. I saw several people turned away at the dining room early in the week who hadn't spotted the small notice outside and it was embarrassing for them and unnecessary. So, some issues. Other than the room problems, not important ones - as long as you know!!! Probably people who go there a lot do know these things and think I'm being nitpicking. I'm not really - we really liked the hotel and would definitely go back. Its just that this hotel COULD be absolutely great - its almost there if only a few things were improved. It's miles better than any other hotel I've stayed in in Tenerife which isn't exactly renowned for high class accommodation. A few more tips: there is a small libary of swapping books in one of the cupboards in reception - you will have to ask. Car parking within the hotel is not very convenient - they seem more geared up to package tours arriving by coach. You can either park in the hotel car park (40 euros a day!! EEEEK!, no thanks) or park on the street outside. We did the latter and apart from the hassle of lugging luggage to and from the car on arrival and departure, it was fine and there was never a problem parking close by. There are loads of restaurants opposite the hotel if you wanted to have a meal out - we didn't bother but they looked good and well patronised. There are safes in the wardrobes but you have to hire them. I really object to this practice - if the hotel are worried about losing the keys (which I understand) then they ought to take a hefty deposit which is returnable on return of key. You shouldn't have to pay to secure valuables in your room. Literature in the rooms also stated that you had to pay for a remote control for the tv. Our room had a remote control, so perhaps they had changed the policy but not the literature. Our room had a fridge (not a mini bar) which was a very nice touch. There is an excellent supermarket across the road where you can stock up on soft drinks and snacks if you are not on all inclusive. To summarise: Highlights: Location Views Pool area Daytime entertainment programme Food Our room (eventually) Lowlights: Our first room which was disgraceful Not enough staff in many areas Pool towels Evening entertainment programme Ambience of the restaurant We would definitely return BUT only if we could be absolutely assured as to which room we were getting.

Just come back from 1 week at this hotel and we loved it. If you like plush hotel rooms this is definitely not the place for you, as the furnisihings are a bit old. But the area makes it all worthwhile. The views are incredible, and after going for day trips to Playa de Americas and Los Cristianos, this is much much better as there are very few tacky shops and tourists. Pool is excellent and the poolside bar generated a great atmosphere. We made loads of friends. Guests are from all over - Spain, Germany, Britain, Ireland, Holland, Italy, France so makes for something different too. Food is very good. The Mojo Picon is unbeatable. There is a lot of variety every day. We went with a 6 month old baby and we had no problems with him either - even the pool was warm enough. The entertainment is not that bad. They have a rough time explaining everything in 6 different languages. Plenty of sports and activities throughout the day. We loved it and it is the only area (Los Gigantes) I would reccomend in Tenerife if you want an unspoiled tourist destination.

Just returned from two weeks at this superb hotel. If you ever want a chill out break this is the place. It has superb views of the sea and cliffs - all rooms are sea facing. The food is buffet style but superb and plenty for everyone. Would however say that the hotel is more for couples than families although it does have a lovely kids club. The area around is hilly but there are plenty of walks.

Just returned from 2 weeks holiday at Barcelo Santiago, great hotel with friendly staff, this was our third visit so I am probably biased, you can choose between activities or relax in the sunshine. Recommend boat trip on Uno Flipper from Los Gigantes to see dolphins. Building works next to Hotel were low key & did not create any noise problems at all. The location was generally quiet, as tourism is down 50% we were told, which was great , no time-share in sight, plenty of bars overlooking fishing village where you can enjoy a pint for 1.50 euro. Playa Del Arena is within easy walking distance. If you want total relaxation this is the place. Food is good but does repeat in second week. Enjoy I will return.