Hotel Riu Garoe

Have just returned from a week at this Hotel. It is the friendliest and cleanest hotel we have stayed in and really does deserve 5 stars. Plenty of lovely sunbeds around the pool with pool towels provided. Although the restaurant has two sitting slots at dinner (which seemed a strange idea) it works really well as it is never too crowded and the food is nicely presented with plenty of choice. The rooms and bathroom are a good size, with comfy beds and a big balcony. Thank you to all the staff for making it a fantastic holiday, we look forward to returning again soon.

We stayed at the Riu Garoe in Puerto de la Cruz for a week in late October. The hotel’s décor is in the traditional Canary Islands style. The back end of the hotel has an Indian haveli look about it which was to our liking on first arriving there. However, as a result noise from doors closing does reverberate and needs looking at when it undergoes its planned refurbishment in 2019. Whilst on the issue of noise pollution a neighbouring German guest decided to have his television on full blast after midnight on our first night which was highly inconsiderate as it woke me up and was in breach of the hotel's quiet hours policy . When we complained to front of house the issue was swiftly dealt with which conveniently leads me onto the personnel. The vast majority of staff were very nice. The majority spoke some degree of English although as 90% of guests were retired or semi-retired German couples their ability to converse in German was far superior. It resembled that feeling if you've ever gate crashed someone's else's party and not sure if you should leave or just stick it out. I gather the hotel is owned by TUI so not sure why there aren't more British couples and families. The hotel is located on the outskirts of town and away from the hustle bustle of PDLC which we liked. The hotel has a good shuttle service Monday to Friday but it only runs half day Saturday and not at all on Sundays which can be inconvenient if you are an elderly couple and not familiar with the transport system. From a facilities point of view the rooms are just about starting to show their age but acceptable. I felt the beds a bit too firm and the pillows needs looking at so probably had a good nights sleep on three of the seven nights we were there. There are also no access to ironing boards which disappointed us and something you would expect from a 'four star' establishment. Our daughters are happy chilling by the pool, swimming or playing tennis but if you have much younger children and need crèche facilities or older children who are always looking for something to keep themselves stimulated then this isn’t the place for you. The evening entertainment is nothing to write home about so we gave it a miss and is in keeping with the general ambiance of the place – traditional and old school and probably perfect for the clientele. Lastly on the food front. I've never stayed in a four star hotel before so it is hard to compare but by the fifth and sixth day the choices became a bit monotonous and I think it could do with some themed nights such as Chinese or Thai. So to sum up if you want a quiet chilled out holiday surrounded by our German neighbours and a sedate atmosphere it might be a good choice but don’t stay more than 5 days.

We have just returned from the Hotel Riu Garoe having had a second wonderful 14 day break.It was lovely to be recognize by all the staff that we had met the year before.We requested the same room and 1st sitting for dinner on the terrace which we had last year and had no problem getting what we asked for. When we arrived a lovely selection of fruit and carva was in our room along with a beautiful flower arrangement. Tea,coffee and coffee cream was replenished everyday. Shower gel and soap in the bathroom was supplied everyday and a dressing gown was also supplied for the entire of our stay. A big thank you to Director Luis Hernandez for making our holiday special once again. We have already booked again for April 2019. Linda and Mel Smith.