The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama
Daily price line
Upcoming nightly rates
Review
Character and identity
Set across 400 acres on Tenerife's southwest coast at Guía de Isora, this Ritz-Carlton takes the form of a Moorish-influenced finca, salmon-clay walls and citadel towers rising from botanical gardens planted with 90,000 trees and 300 palm species. The 459 rooms, suites and villas have a calm contemporary palette of cream and tan, with a new 144-key Villa Club offering semi-private pools and adults-only zones. A private funicular drops you at cliffside Abama Beach. Dining peaks at MB, Martín Berasategui's Basque tasting room, and Abama Kabuki for Japanese fusion. Seven pools, a serious spa, and Dave Thomas's par-72 course next door.
Who's it for
Best for:
Families wanting a properly resourced kids' programme (the largest Ritz Kids in Europe, built around Jean-Michel Cousteau's environmental curriculum, plus a teen zone with music and sports), couples who can self-segregate into the Villa Club's adults-only spaces, and golfers and gastronomes drawn by two genuinely ambitious restaurants.
Should look elsewhere:
Travellers wanting a walk-out beach hotel or a compact, intimate boutique. The scale is vast, the beach requires a funicular ride, and at 459 keys you should expect a resort rhythm rather than a hideaway. Urban culture-seekers will find Tenerife's southwest quiet.
Bottom line
What sets this apart is the combination of serious cooking (two destination restaurants on one property is rare in the Canaries) with a family infrastructure few European resorts match. If you can justify the spend, book into the Villa Club for the semi-private pools and adults-only access; otherwise time a shoulder-season stay to dodge peak family weeks.