Botanico Hotel

Just back from a week at Botanico. The hotel itself is very elegant if a little old fashioned in style and appealing to a plus 50 clientelle (which we are not so at times felt a little formal) but the location and the spa are great. You have free access to the spa area which is quiet and no-smoking - great if you want to relax, maybe use the gym etc or do a class. The treatments are all great and not bad prices. The main pool area in the hotel is nice too and by the bar and snack food area but we did find a lot of people smoked around the pool so preferred the spa area. We upgraded to an Ambassador Suite - the normal rooms are fine but quite small if you are there for a week - the suites are huge with great bathrooms. We didn't eat in the hotel itself as quite expensive and like most hotel restaurants a little quiet and lacking in atmosphere - we walked into the port which takes about 15 mins - thoroughly recommend Regulo for great seafood or Casa de Miranda for both seafood and tapas - great value and very friendly. There is also a huge outdoor bar in the centre town square that had entertainment - nice for pre-dinner drinks. The whole town is very spanish and friendly. Recommend a cab back to hotel as very uphill - less than 5 euros. Would go back for a relaxing luxury week which is very good value.

Have just returned from this hotel, which is lovely but it is the spa that makes it. I had my 17 year old daughter and my 83 year old mother with me and they both loved it!!! The hotel itself is elegant but lacked atmosphere, however this maybe because it was probably only a quarter full. Fantastic service, very friendly and helpful staff, lovely bedrooms and great breakfasts!! The spa is amazing and the treatments out of this world, worth every penny! I would recommend the indonesian bath and the four hand massage.My daughter had the chocolate body wrap and massage which she loved! I have never felt as relaxed and chilled out on holiday. The indoor pool and surrounding rooms are gorgeous and there is a jacuzzi in a cave which is fun!! Would recommend it to anyone who wants to be thoroughly spoilt and pampered. Four nights was just the tonic! Not great for young children and the town itself was disappointing, very touristy.

My two sons and I spent a week here in April 2006. It was everything we expected and despite being on a bed and breakfast tarrif, and not eating in the restaurants for other meals we could not fault the service. There was a wonderful selection of food, both hot and cold, and staff were friendly and helpful. Our main meal was eaten at the "Magnolia" across the traffic lights from the hotel drive. I can thoroughly recommend it. We had a sea view from our rooms, which were well furnished. A welcome bowl of fruit, bottle of wine and water. Chocolate on the pillow at night. We had room service on the night of our arrival and were very pleased with the food and service I cannot finish without mentioning the gardens, which were beautifully kept, and the pool with attentive staff. Unfortunately the swans had been transferred to Loro Park because of the flu virus. There is no doubt that if we returned to Tenerife we would book into the "Botanico"

My husband and I (mid-thirties) have stayed here twice in June 2004 and October 2001 and we absolutely loved it on both occasions. The Oriental Spa is wonderful and the indoor pool is very useful if the weather isn't too good. Having said that we both managed to get sunburned on both visits - how British! The breakfast buffet is probably one of the best I have ever encountered and hot food is cooked to order so is fresh and delicious. The toaster has been a source of amusement on both visits as it is not exactly powerful or speedy! We have recommended this hotel to a friend who has now visited 3 times much to our jealousy so we are planning our 3rd trip this autumn to catch up. We have stayed in a double room and a suite - the latter was wonderful but the former was fine. The courtesy bus down to town is very useful. Location is quiet and residential so not good for party animals but we were very well suited. To sum up - WE LOVE IT HERE !!

My husband and I...30 something professionals...needed to get away and relax. We were worried about the Canary Islands because of all the things we had read, but found a hotel that was definately out of the mass tourism mold. We were so happy with our choice of Hotel Botanico. The hotel is NOT on the beach, so if that is what you are looking for, don't stay here, though a quick 10 minute cab ride will get you to the beach. However, we were glad to be up on the hill, away from the ugly sky-scrappers that dot the coast. In Mar/April when we were there, the water was too cold to swim in anyway. The hotel rooms were spacious and tastefully done in an Asian theme. The beds were firm and California King sized. We were greeted by a bottle of champagne and red wine. The grounds were lovely, especially the Spa Area. We had several treatments there, and they were first rate. I have been to spas around the world, and for the price, the treatments were excellent. Guests also have free use 8 various steam rooms/saunas/whirlpools and aromatherapy rooms. There are two main pools, both of which were nicely done. No annoying "claiming" of lounge chairs by the Germans, and there seemed to be plenty of chairs available. We did the breakfast buffett and not the dinners...and we are glad we did things that way. The breakfast buffett was excellent. Wide choices and good quality foods. The lunches by the pool (tapas bar) were overpriced and not that good. The poolside drinks are also quite overpriced, but do not skimp on alcohol. We had several fine, and much cheaper dinners out on the town. We tried to go scuba diving once, but there is only one operater in town, and we found him to be quite unpleasant, and so didn't go. There is an EXCELLENT restuarant called the "TUCAN", that was recommended to us and is a 5 minute walk from the hotel. We had two of the best meals of our life there...and for around 80 Euros. The crowd at the hotel was about a 50/50 mix of Brits and Germans. Most persons are late 30's to late 60's. Several couples there with kids less than two, and they seemed to be well received, though this is NOT a family hotel, and those between 5 and 15 would be bored. We will definately be back, as we thought it was an excellent, relaxing place.

A mid-sized 5-star hotel, but in the Spanish, slight conservative, mould. Upsides were a good spa, pools, gardens and general facilities. Downsides were a slightly inconvenient layout and a dreadfully understaffed reception. Make sure you check your bill carefully on leaving for random additions. One particular warning for parents with small children: there are a number of low walls masking major drops, particularly on the first floor terrace. So keep a close eye on toddlers.

we have just returned from spending the 4 day easter weekend at the hotel botanico. What a lovely hotel in attractive gardens. Having read the mixed reviews on this web site we went with some trepidation. The staff were discrete and friendly, the pool attendant found loungers, towels and cushions on request. Drinks were reasonably priced. It had a lovely atmosphere. The rest of the guests were mostly well heeled, mature spanish and german couples, but some couples with young children although no special facilities. The breakfast buffet was delicious - from the chocolate fondue and banana smoothies to smoked salmon & caviar plus everything in between. The hotel is on a hill above the bay in a pleasant residential settig by the botanical gardens. Not a chav or british pub in sight which was my biggest fear. We ate in local cafes which were fine. The spa was luxurious, clean and beautifully decorated. It certainly had the edge on a recently visited high quality spa chain in the UK. Just what we needed to relax after a hectic day sun bathing. We would certainly go again and highly recommend it for a relaxing break in lovely surroundings. From the sun terrace there is an amazing view of the snow covered volcano.

We travelled to Tenerife for Easter week but returned on Good Friday because of the appalling weather! We stayed in The Botanico as it is one of the top hotels on the island. It is undoubtedly a good hotel but, in my opinion, the five star rating is not justified. The staff are on the surly side of OK and seem to lack the customer focus that we would expect at a true 5 star establishment. The breakfast was magnificent with a fantastic spread. I defy anyone NOT to find something to tempt them! However the food elsewhere in the hotel is poor and certainly not 'gourmet' dining. Their premier restaurant has service and food similar to that found in the average Novotel. Which is absolutely fine if you are paying Novotel prices for it! Having sampled the hotel fare we ventured out to try and find a good restaurant nearby. We were disappointed. It is worth noting that The Botanico is a distance from the centre of Puerto de la Cruz. Not bad to walk there but a very steep climb all the way back! The Oriental Spa is fantastic and goes a long way to redeeming the overall hotel experience.

The hotel worked well, but one was conscious that there did not seem to be managers around. The extra for an Ambassador room (twice the size of a standard one) is probably worth it. Food acceptable - but not as good as at the Magnolia across the road. The lack-lustre concierge service probably reflected the fact that most people were on package tours and so did not need information about excursions etc. Good gardens; quiet location.

I have noticed that the reviews on this hotel are nearly 2 years old now. The Oriental Spa at the hotel has just been voted amongst the top 10 in Europe and the only one in Spain by Conde Nast Traveller magazine. So you can see that there has been some serious money spent on it. A refurb to the main floors in the hotel had nearly been finished when I visited in May of 2005. I have visited on 3 occasions and there were quite a lot of families and younger-middle aged couples on all occasions. Maybe the "golden age" visit more in the winter. I think the staff are being discreet rather than surly, and found them all extremely courteous. Would highly recommend an Ambassador Suite. The spa is only available to hotel guests and so has an even more exclusive feel to it. The treatments there are some of the best I've ever had. Absolute luxury.