Barcelo Tenerife

If you like poor standards, undercooked food , chavvy families and terrible entertainment this is the place for you .

Now before I start this review I’d like to say I’ve never seen myself as a “Karen” however this place has this effect on you and if you have or already booked please read this honest review.

The BARCELÓ chain was brought to our attention by a number of friends and families and after seeing it on the website ( rated a 4 star plus ) we decided to book it.

After staying here for 12 nights I can categorically say this isn’t a 4 and 1/2 star hotel … more like a standard 3 star hotel .

Basic stuff like the room are typical standards nothing special or fancy but clean and very roomy . The pool area is way too small for the amount of people in the hotel ( the website pictures are so deceptive so do be fooled by them ) and the loungers are always taken by 10am even though they hotel say they take this policy very seriously ( which is a load of rubbish )

The staff are so friendly all over the place however they under so much pressure you have to feel for them .

Now onto the stuff that matters

• The food is without doubt some of the worst food I’ve ever experienced in a hotel . Yes it’s an all inclusive which obviously means I’m not getting Michelin star level food however what I do expect is that the food served is hot … and at least cooked !!!! . On four occasions we had undercooked chicken and pork and had to leave it . Now not only is this annoying it’s highly dangerous !!! . The snack bar is just as bad it just serves warmed up food and is tasteless . This caused us to eat out more than we should have . We can afford to do that but some families can’t and that’s what I think is the most important . The bars are ok but once again are understaffed which causes queues which in turn causes angry people .

• The entertainment is absolutely dire … like not even working Mens club standards and when an inkling of hope of good entertainment is ends after 30 mins and your left with a Spotify playlist of the same songs every night !!!! . The same music quiz for 12 nights running really does scream Groundhog Day .

• The staff . The everyday staff are great and lovely but they are under so much pressure it borderline embarrassing. Waiting 27 mins for a soft drink is not four star levels . And let me reiterate it’s not the staff members fault it’s the managers fault who clearly don’t understand how to create work rota that matches real time levels . The reception staff are some of the worse I’ve ever experienced or encountered. Rude and dismissive is the best way to describe 85% of them one example was the gate that leaded on the the coastal was not working and we reported it to the reception who literally stood there and shrugged there shoulders !!! I mean not only did we have to walk the long way around but it’s a safety issue .

• Overall standards . The whole place just lacks the overall quality of a 4 1/2 star hotel especially the ones I’ve been to in the past . The pool side toilets are a disgrace and it took for me to complain to get them sorted and fixed because for 10 days 200/250 had to use 3 toilets ( two women and one disabled one ) and the standard as you can expect was nothing short of disgusting!!!.

And one final thing … we did eventually speak to the Jet2 rep Chris ( who by the way was really nice and attentive) who passed our concerns to the hotel and arranged a meeting with a customer liaison manager called Johnathan … who listened very attentively and gave me all the spiel and even offered us an upgrade ( at a price obviously ) then said he was at our beckon call for the duration of our stay only for him to ghost us and ignore our messages . So when you do complain you get the spiel but nothing happened. So special mention to Johnathan thanks for nothing !!!

Another things is the type of clientele which isn’t the hotels fault per say but it was absolutely full of chavy families who think it’s acceptable to act like the world owes them something when in reality they need classes on basic human interaction and decency.

So overall I would say to people take this review as an honest assessment of this hotel . It’s not 4 1/2 stars and never will be unless a major overhaul happens and I can’t see that happening .

Please avoid !!!

Just finished a stay with my wife and child and we are all very impressed, staff are amazing along with the food and drink, will certainly be returning in the not to distant future

Location: Very near the airport. Planes flying over from 6am-11pm. Personally we like to see the planes in the sky but not everyone has the same opinion. Swimming pools: There are about 7 different swimming pools. The first two days we discover them. The one near the sea is more busy, there is one very un-deep for kids. Adults only with salt water and one near the Breeze bar, our favorite. There are signs that its not allowed to reserve sunbeds but i experienced to take your sunbeds around 7:30-8:00am to have your place. After (late) breakfast all seats are occupied. Half of the reserved beds are not in use, the staff should manage this. There are dedicated smoking areas but there is no control by the staff, several people are smoking at the sunbed even some near the breakfast place outside. It's possible to use the kayak only in between 3pm-4pm, most of the time too hot. We did it on a cloudy afternoon, it was nice but too short since more people wanted to use it in between the 45 available minutes. The Aperol Spritz bar is not included in the all in price, extra €5 to pay but the Aperol Spritz in the other bars are included and good quality Rooms: We had a standard room for two people. It was big enough. Daily cleaned with a view near one of the swimming pools. The bath in the bathroom is not need for adults since it takes some place. Maybe good for small children. Traveling with 3 adults is with a not comfortable sofa bed for the third person. Therefore we booked an additional room for the third adult for extra €400. Royal Level: The price for Royal level was €300 extra each person. We did not take it. There is a dedicated royal level swimming pool, Aperol Spritz bar and special area in the buffet. San Blas Environmental Reserve is located in front of the hotel. There is only access in between the hottest hours of the day (12am-6pm). We wanted to do it during the cloudy day but refused to pay €8 each person. Maybe it's worth to do out of the summer months. During the check-in it was communicated that the hotel has digital information. The application doesn't worked (it was not possible to sign in), the information displays where not in service. Conclusion: We traveled with 5 adults in 3 rooms in the middle of September coming from Belgium by plane. We paid €1200 each person, €1600 for the one adult in separate room. The All-inclusive have good bars with good beer, soft drinks and cocktails. Lunch is possible in the restaurant or near the swimming pools with hamburger and French fries and desserts. Dinner with good wine in the buffet restaurants. One voucher for one of the a la cart restaurants where we had a very good Italian diner. I made a total review of our experience with some details as positive feedback. I really recommend this hotel for family and friends