RITZ CARLTON ABAMA: REVIEW

Towards the end of last year I was lucky enough to visit perhaps one of the most beautiful, most luxurious hotels I have ever had the opportunity to stay in: The Ritz Carlton Abama. Prior to visiting the hotel, my only experience of the Ritz had been an afternoon tea experience at the Ritz in London which I found to a very old, decadent, hotel and wasn’t sure what to expect from the Tenerife version.

I’ve visited Tenerife several times as a child with my family as my father spent several years living there. We’d always stayed in the area of Los Gigantes – a resort town on the west coast of the island. We’d steered clear of the more well known British hotspots such as Playas Des Americas to try and maintain a more authentic experience and as such, I’ve always had fond memories of the island.

I specifically didn’t do much research before visiting the hotel, other than to see that it was very, very pink. The Ritz-Carlton Abama is situated on 400 acres of gardens along Tenerife’s sun-drenched west coast and offers an incredible way to experience the Canary Islands. The hotel boasts two Michelin- starred restaurants and 10 eateries in total. There is a gym, spa, seven heated pools, a renowned goal course and an exclusive beach with stunning views over the nearby cliffs.

After our check in, we were taken to our deluxe villa in a golf buggy. Depending on the type of room you book, you may have you very own golf buggy outside you room to drive around in as the resort is huge!

Our room had an ethnic style, was very minimal with high ceilings. Our enormous bathroom was made entirely of marble and we had a beautiful balcony that overlooked their tropical garden and had uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean. One of my favourite things to do on the holiday was to wake up early every morning and sit on the balcony, soaking up the early morning sun and listening to the birds chirping – I felt as though I was in paradise.

Gym

As I’m training for the London Marathon I visited the hotel gym on multiple occasions and was thoroughly impressed! It had floor to ceiling windows and overlooked the golf course, every machine was equipped with a bottle of water and towel and it was open 24/7. They had an array of fitness classes and personal training available.

Spa

On one of the cloudier afternoons we visited the spa, which is open every day and offers a selection of different treatments including full body massages, facials and they even offer couples treatments in a bamboo hut in the gardens of the spa.

We chose to relax in their enormous jacuzzi pool that had incredibly tranquil views of the garden and had a sauna and various steam rooms available.

Pool

We had booked the trip as a relaxation from home and to switch off. I run multiple businesses now and as a result, I rarely spend time off my phone or relaxing, so the majority of our time at the hotel was spent by this pool, soaking up the warm winter sun and reading (although I’ll admit I did do a tiny bit of work).

The hotel has a whopping 7 pools – with several that are child friendly. We chose to move between the pool right in front of our villa, and this stunning infinity pool (which is where we also had breakfast every day).

Beach

At the bottom of the hotel, guests could get a cable car or walk down to the secluded beach for a change of scenery. There’s a restaurant if you’re planning to stay for the day and sun loungers. We didn’t venture into the sea (I went in November and it was VERY cold) but lots of people were swimming, cliff jumping and crab hunting.

Restaurants

We stayed for a total of 5 nights and every evening sampled a different restaurant in the hotel. We had two favourites: Verona – that offered Italian cuisine including handmade pasta and artisan pizzas.

The staff were friendly, the food delicious and flavoursome and it offered amazing views of their terracotta visits and luscious gardens.

On our final evening we were treated to a spectacular evening at the Abama Kabuki – a Japanese fusion restaurant. It’s mainly reached by car as it’s quite a distance from the hotel and overlooks the golf course, hotel and Altantic Ocean.

We started the evening with some tasty cocktails and nibbles whilst we drank in this incredible view.

Then we moved in doors and I tried the beef short rib – which being a big meat lover – was one of the most tender, exquisite short ribs I’ve ever had. The staff were very attentive, the atmosphere quiet with a very exclusive feel.

We didn’t have a car and as such were quite limited in what we could do outside of the hotel. It takes up so much space that it’s near on impossible to walk anywhere nearby – be it a shop, a cafe or anything else. So if you’re planning to explore the island during your stay I’d definitely recommend hiring a car.

This is hands down one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in. It oozes elegance in every corner, and is so large it feels as though you are in your own village away from the rest of the island.

The range of restaurants is brilliant, the number of pools and endless breathtaking views of the hotel, gardens and Atlantic Ocean are second to none. The staff are very friendly, but sometimes not as attentive as I would have expected in a hotel as grand as this – especially by the pool. We tended to order lunch by the pool and it was very difficult to find staff to order food and drink from.

Aside from this, if you’re looking to book somewhere for a special occasion, have money to splash, want to spend a week in a tropical oasis or simply want to enjoy a different side of Tenerife, then I would thoroughly recommend the Ritz Carlton Abama – it’s a hotel I would love to go back to.

Prices start from 261 euros per night. To find out more, visit: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/spain/abama

To my ever lovely readers – have you ever been to Tenerife? Would you ever stay in the Ritz Carlton?

Giulia x

Disclaimer: I was offered a discounted stay, but was under no obligation to create this post. All views are my own.