The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama

We were greeted at the curb by a very efficient and friendly bell staff. Delightful Amelie checked us in, answered all our questions, made dinner reservations and served us a lovely cava. Our luggage was already in our room along with a bottle of Tempranillo and charcuterie. The room was quite comfortable but especially the terrace with an incredible view of the ocean! We decided to have a light dinner at the bar which was perfect after a long flight.

Dinner at El Mirador - we stopped by in the early afternoon on our way to the beach. My husband chatted with Tamara letting her know we ate gluten free and he casually mentioned we were celebrating our 20th anniversary. We returned that evening to find the best table in the restaurant;overlooking an incredible view of the ocean, decorated with balloons and flower petals! Just wow. Shango brought glasses of cava and Luis waited on us. The meal was fabulous as well.

We had a wonderful stay at this luxurious hotel in Tenerife. The views were absolutely stunning, and the atmosphere throughout the property felt relaxing and upscale. Our room was very spacious, beautifully maintained, and extremely comfortable, which made it easy to fully unwind during our stay.

One of the highlights was the breakfast — it was incredibly varied with a huge selection of fresh and delicious options every morning. The staff were also exceptionally friendly and attentive, always making sure we had everything we needed. A particularly thoughtful touch was the surprise cake they prepared for our anniversary, which made our celebration even more special.

The hotel also offers a convenient little train that takes guests down to the private beach, which is a lovely feature and adds to the overall experience, even though the last train back runs a bit too early in the evening.

Overall, a fantastic stay with great service, beautiful views, and excellent amenities. We would definitely return and highly recommend it for a relaxing getaway in Tenerife.

Disappointing experience. Booked a Retreat Garden Room having read the marketing hype. Expectations were heightened by a pre arrival email from the ‘Retreat Ambassador’ asking for details of our arrival and offering a tailored experience. The reality kicked in at check in - 30 minute wait in a queue to get our room key despite having already checked in through the Marriott Bonvoy app. The Retreat is in fact not exclusive. 30% of the rooms at Abama are in ‘The Retreat’. The Ritz Carlton Club Level experience, which I’d bought into is not what’s on offer. It’s a ‘Pool Club’ open between 1100 and 1800 with free beer, wine and snacks. Unlike a Ritz Carlton Club Level experience the snacks available are designed and timed so they don’t temp customers away from eating in the varied but expensive restaurants in the hotel. We stayed for 3 nights. No contact with our dedicated ‘Ambassador’. Not even to apologise for the inexcusable check in fiasco. The hotel promises a wealth of things - none of which are in plain sight and none of which were explained. The final confirmation of the absence of ‘special’ came with our booking at the Verona Reatuarant. Our room number 128, was a recognised ‘Retreat Room’ yet as a couple we were offered the worst table in the restaurant next to a table of 6 - 3 young children eating and 3 adults ignoring their offspring. Despite asking to be moved no alternative was offered and we left without eating. The Ritz Carlton experience is something I’ve bought into over the last 20+ years but in Abama the Ritz Carlton has lost its way.

Our 2nd time at this fine hotel. Our praise goes 100% to the Reception Manager, Sr. George Buchillon. Friendly and assuring, he went the extra mile to help us with our room choice and needs. The hotel gives 1st Class service in every aspect and the food is excellent.

It is difficult to believe that this is a Ritz Carlton hotel. Neither the hard product (rooms, etc.) nor the soft product (service) live up to what one would expect from a Ritz Carlton. This property would be better positioned as a 3 or 4-star Marriott because it cannot meet the expectations of a 5-star hotel, which other comments have mentioned. The rooms seem dated, bland and worn. Regarding service, from check-in, which is very impersonal, to service requests, which do not get taken care of (think calling for assistance and having it ring for 15 minutes without anyone answering) this gives you an idea of what this property is like. I would not return nor would I recommend this hotel to anyone.

Fantastic stay in the retreat part of the hotel. Excellent service and friendly staff.
The large and well-furbished room
overlooks the ocean. Very quiet.
Breakfast was amazing (Food and view)

The hotel is beautiful and the grounds are charming. But our stay was filled with confusion and inconveniences. First of all, before we came, the concierge kept asking me for our flight details, though I had told them we were coming by car. Then I asked them to suggest a restaurant for our first night, but they never replied. They also urged us to book all our dinners but how can one know in advance which restaurant is most suitable ? It turned out that booking in advance was indeed necessary since the hotel was overbooked and the dinner times available were quite impractical. We complained, and they managed to help us out, but this shouldn't happen. The resort has to either increase the capacity of their restaurants or limit the number of guests.
The beach is beautiful but not suitable for swimming with a small child. The funicular wasn't working and having to wait 30 minutes for the train down was inconvenient. When the train wasn't working, the replacement vans couldn't take all the guests ready to go back up.
On tje positive side, food was excellent and the staff were friendly. But the resort was just too overcrowded and hectic

What an amazing hotel this Ritz Carlton Abama is and in every way! The architecture, decorations, pools, golf course, beach area, views throughout and landscaping were all spectacular.

The location is about 25 minutes from the Tenerife South Airport and 5 minutes from the charming little town of Playa San Juan. It's also near Mt. Teide National Park, which is amazing for stargazing and hiking!

We had a nicely appointed Junior suite which was quite large with a much appreciated bathtub and king sized bed.

This hotel is very family friendly and has activity areas to keep the kids busy. Personally, I would have preferred less kids, but if you have kids...the hotel is very accommodating.

The included breakfast buffet was out of this world delicious, offering several types of fresh juices, a chef to make you a custom omelette, pastries, fresh breads, yogurts, fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals and lots of different kinds of milk, cut meats, donuts, waffles, pancakes and several hot dishes to choose from.

Throughout the hotel and pool area, the food and drinks were consistently delicious and beautifully served.

We enjoyed a "meal of a lifetime" at their Akira Back Japanese/Korean restaurant. Their "tasting menu" was a splurge, but an incredible gastronomic experience. The presentation of the food, their plates and even their utensils were all pieces of art!

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the incredible staff which is the lifeblood of this resort. Everyone was SOOO nice and accommodating. I would like to recognize some of these employees by name: Ane at the front desk, Jonas helped us with luggage,
Gabriella, our housekeeper brought us chocolate and water,
Roberto, our waiter for drinks and a light bite to eat in the lounge,
Maria at breakfast time near the Verona Italian restaurant was especially helpful and enchanting, Sergio our waiter, Isabelle Lesur our greeter at the entrance who could answer any question, Isa and Alexis at the pool who bought us drinks. Great job everyone!

I thought the value for what you received was excellent. I was delighted to learn that parking is free! Our only regret was not staying a few more days as it felt both luxurious and welcoming! I would 100% recommend this fabulous hotel.

No pilot on the airplane. Bad service à the lobby bar terrasse. 30 mn waiting before someone come in a very négatif mood. Not professional. Last time for me on this property after 7 years of Family holidays
After 7 years they still not remember ours preferences. I believe they need a real management. Pics are coming

We arrived yesterday to be told we had no reservation, we did. When the room situation was sorted we were told that one of our rooms was ready but there would be a small wait for the other and it would be ready at 4pm. We were never contacted to say it was ready and we then had to join a huge queue to collect the remaining key.

Breakfast this morning was great, lots of options, cooked, continental, fresh fruits, waffles pancakes etc.

We have tried to book dinners for the rest of the stay, another 6 nights, they have found us reservations for tonight and tomorrow but have been told there is no availability to go anywhere, not even the pool bar. We have been told that we will need to have room service for the remainder of our stay. This I find is unacceptable. We were sent an email to say booking is advised but it was not communicated that it was essential! Extremely poor for a five star hotel. We have also seen cockroaches around the resort, have water leaking onto our balcony at present and the Family pool is also shut.

We stayed for 10 days on a BA holiday. We stayed in the Retreat. The room was spacious, well equipped, clean and quiet with a big balcony looking out over gardens and the Atlantic. Staff were friendly and efficient. At about £500 per room per night it was good value. Breakfast and lunch were excellent. There was help for people with mobility issues because the site is on a steep slope.

For anyone wanting a healthy holiday, there are excellent spa and gym facilities and a championship golf course next door.

But there are insufficient restaurants for the number of rooms, so pre-booking tables is a must. Preferably before arrival. And some of the Marriott systems need updating. For example, there is a system for reviewing the bill on your in-room TV. But it doesn't work.

The car parking, taxi service and the bell boys were excellent.

Lastly, I'd say that Tenerife is reaching capacity. Traffic on Teide was heavy, and parking was almost impossible.

I stayed at  the Ritz-Carlton Abama with my wife for two weeks in December 2025. I've stayed in many hotels in Tenerife, all of them commendable in their own way, but there's something very different and very special about this one. Even beyond Tenerife, I would say that this hotel takes the holiday experience to a much higher level than I've seen anywhere in the world. It's the only place I've ever been to, where I've left without a single negative thought.

It's clear that the Ritz-Carlton Abama benefits from an amazing management team. The general manager in particular must be the best in the business, because everything in this establishment is set up to make its guests feel really special from the moment they arrive, to the moment they reluctantly have to leave. Everyone you speak to, whether it be the reception team, the concierge team, the cleaners, the pool attendants, the gardeners, and the restaurant staff, are enthusiastic about the work they do, and are clearly happy to be employed there, which is an accolade to the beauty of the place itself, and indeed to the management team, who must be very good to work for.

The hotel and grounds are quite vast and stunningly beautiful. If you were to walk around the whole of the grounds at a reasonable pace it would take at least two hours, but it's a very enjoyable place to wander around because it's just like being in a massive botanical garden. The official publicity photographs look temptingly good but actually experiencing a walk around the grounds brings out things that photos and videos can't, such as the birdsong, the variety of the plants and the freshness of the Atlantic air. These definitely are the best grounds I've ever experienced in a hotel (and that includes the Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, which is also an excellent hotel).

The private beach is small but very picturesque, and walking the steep hill to and from there would provide a good workout no matter how fit you might be, although there's a free land train for the less able.

Just about every reviewer on this site gives very high praise to the rooms and the pools. There is nothing I can usefully add to these reviews other than to agree that both the rooms and the pools are beautifully designed, and that the cleaning teams and pool attendants provided a great contribution to what was for us, the perfect holiday. Certainly, it felt very special for us to sit on our balcony and enjoy the great views.

The quality of the gym and the spa should not be overlooked. The gym, in particular, is free to use. It is very well equipped and has beautiful views across the golf course.

Also, the restaurants were outstanding, as would be expected in a five-star hotel but the really special thing about the Ritz-Carlton Abama is that the breakfasts are every bit as good, and as well presented, as the al a carte meals served in the evening. I, personally, don't eat meat, eggs or dairy. I only eat fish, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and fruit, and every one of these things was freely available at every breakfast, so top marks from me - and also top marks from my wife who does occasionally eat meat, eggs and dairy products. Certainly, the quality of the food was better than we've seen in any of the other hotels we've stayed at in Tenerife, even though there are many that do score really highly on food and drink.

In summary, I am an elderly holidaymaker approaching 80 years old, who has no incentive to write this review other than an obligation to give my sincere thanks to the amazingly good team of people at the Ritz-Carlton Abama who provided us with the holiday of a lifetime.

When things get tough, these people truly step up.

Two and a half hours before our flight, our hire car refused to start — completely dead battery. Panic set in, but within minutes Luis and Isabelle at the front door and valet were on the case. They immediately reassured us and called for help, and soon the hotel electrician arrived with the buggy and jump leads. Five minutes later, the car was powered up and we were on our way to the airport. Absolute heroes — thank you to Luis, Isabelle, and the Ritz-Carlton team for saving our day.

As Bonvoy Gold members, we didn’t receive an upgrade, which was disappointing, and no alternative gesture was offered. Parking was free and plentiful once past the hotel barriers, with access via key card, and valet parking was also available.

The foyer was large but felt quite generic in design and not especially luxurious, with views more toward the bar than the sea.

We stayed in Room 605 on the ground level, conveniently located near the car park, concierge, spa, and gym, with a separate exit route that made coming and going easy. The room was a good size, with the bathroom on the left featuring separate shower and toilet rooms, two sinks, and a bathtub, all of which could be closed off with mirrored doors. There was a master switch for easy shut-off when leaving. The closet opposite offered generous hanging and drawer space, and next to it were the fridge and a drawer-style safe.

The king-size bed had USB ports on both sides, with a seat opposite and an L-shaped lounger by the glass doors. A glass dining table overlooked a large terrace with two chairs and a table, offering distant views of the golf course and sea, though sunrise and sunset were unfortunately blocked by surrounding buildings. A bottle of wine and chocolate-covered nuts were provided as a welcome gift. The coffee machine was the standard Nespresso type, with only two caffeinated and two decaf capsules per day.

Noise was an issue, particularly from the spa fountains starting around 6am, people talking on their phones while walking to the gym early in the morning, and traffic from the nearby road.

Breakfast was busy and noisy. The omelette station was good, but the cakes were terrible, cold meats were good, bread was poor, and the orange juicer was nice. The booster drinks were awful, hot food was average, and the coffee was genuinely bad — even adding an extra espresso to a cappuccino didn’t improve it. Outdoor seating was cramped, with tables very close together and too small to comfortably manage plates waiting to be cleared.

The gym was large, had three treadmills, two tiers, over ten bikes (about six outside), cross trainers, free weights, and a stretching area.

The adult pool was small, while the children’s pool was larger and faced the sea, with views of the villa rooftops, palm trees, and the island across. The water was too cold in January and not heated, and the pool was shallow due to children, with constant background noise from water features.

The funicular to the beach wasn’t working, so it was a long walk down the steps or a wait for transport that didn’t come often. The beach loungers were cramped, though towels were provided. The water was too cold in January, and weather warnings meant swimming was restricted. There were many locals playing football on the beach, which made it feel noisy and not very relaxing. There was a hotel beach bar nearby and towels were available.

We didn’t use the spa as there was an additional charge of €25 per person.

Wi-Fi was generally okay, though it dropped out on the terrace and wasn’t available on the beach.

Checkout was at 12pm, and we were offered a changing room on the first floor to shower, overlooking the foyer — a great idea, and it’s surprising more hotels don’t offer this.

Overall, while there were several shortcomings, the staff truly shone when we needed them most. Luis, Isabelle, and the electrician came through as genuine heroes at a critical moment, and that level of service made all the difference.

Memorable and unique as always, Abama is one of my favourite hotels worldwide.
Professional and warm welcome by Hannah, and straight to our spacious and lovely room with luxury bed, linens and toiletries. It's like coming home every time.
Firstly, the hotel has even improved since our last stay, sounds impossible, but the new management team led by Juliana Sulla, has delivered fine attention to detail. Bonvoy messaging is fast and attentive to every request. Breakfast is amazing, showcasing the best variety of delicious, quality food by the talented chefs, and managed by Angel, and his fantastic smiling team, Ines, María, and Martha. The new F and B Director, Jake Woodhouse, places his very high personal standards throughout the F and B options. Housekeeping, as always, Al. Excellent choice of restaurants delivering high standards of food and service. El Mirador is stunning and Verona a favourite.The lobby bar is a great place to start your evening off. The Spa is truly wonderful..... Raquel is an amazing therapist, and the stunning relax area is scenic and so peaceful. The water treatment area is not to be missed. The well equipped Technogym is unique with stunning views. Playa San Juan is nearby, but with all you can desire here, no need to leave.
Highly recommend. Thankyou.

We stayed Jan 14 for 7 days and it was our third visit - but hadn't been for the last 12 years.Thoughts - we were very happy with the room - a suite with the largest terrace in the resort (room 700).It had about 6 different areas to sit/sunbathe with a terrific golf course and sea view.If you book a suite make sure you get this room!. Just be warned that there is a strong sewer smell from the loo - they need to sort this.The food was ok,but not as good as last time.Be warned - the restaurants are crushingly expensive and the wine exhorbitant.150 Euros for a bottle of Hungarian wine which is less than £10 in Waitrose.Really? If you want a break,save some money and get a more authentic experience, then get a short cab ride into San Juan - we'd recommend Agua y Sal for excellent seafood and atmosphere.
The pools are ok - if you're without kids make sure you use the Serenity pool.The beach is also good.
We visited the spa to use the full range of facilities - including a couples massage.It was expensive but worth it.
The only large gripe was that many of the lifts appear to be out of action long term - the beach lift no longer functions,the Serenity pool lift never worked, and various other lifts weren't working.Not ideal in such a large resort with many floors.
Also we both developed a nasty stomach virus which made the last couple of days and the the flight home hellish - but we're not sure we can blame the resort for that!

I do not recall any of the negative comments about loud music or bad experiences at check-in below. Yes, the whole set up of the hotel makes sound travel far, but it also makes it lively. Music was off every night at 10. This hotel is an absolute gem. large, with eight restaurants. Fantastic rooms, three pools, heated, but not really warm we felt, a superb breakfast, a large semi private beach, a large gym and a spa area where we did not go. Rooms with ocean view, with sunset in your balcony are worthwhile considering. Very efficient, nice and capable staff everywhere. Great sunbeds, large parasols, adults only pool. The one comment I would have are the ridiculous expensive wines. Why charge €90 for a bottle that you can buy in the store for €20. Oh, one more, have a separate teamaker in the room. Now the tea tastes like coffee. I left another review of the golfcourse should ppl be interested. We ll definitely be back some time. Gracias.

Good afternoon, I wanted to leave a review regarding the reservation department service. We are Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador members, which means we stay more than 100 nights per year in hotels. We have been staying at the Ritz Carlton Abama for many many years since our kids were little and seeing how the client service has been worsen every year. But what it is totally unacceptable is the bad manners used by señorita ARMONY from the reservations department, she shouldn't be there if she doesn't know how to treat clients, specially when we are taking about two connecting room villas for 6 nights at £10,000. Totally ridiculous maximum she could be working at McDonald, where I believe people working there are more professional and kind. But when we are talking about a five star luxury resort, you need to know how to treat clients!! She was rude when I asked her we didn't liked the idea they have changed the infinity adult pool to a family one and her answer was that change had been made to stay...... and in a terrible bad rude way!! How can you say that, you are not responsable of changes, neither you know if those changes are there forever or not?!
Totally unacceptable, sadly and after almost ten years going there, we will be thinking of not going, I can accept there is rude and unprofessional people treating clients like that. Mr Ajus Bakutis and the new hotel manager, something to consider about. There are many more nice place to choose. Thanks.

Great service, food and Beach!
Good for family with kids!
Nice location!
The Beach is nice!
99% of the staff is the Best that you can find în Tenerife!

Really disappointed. We have been looking forward to this holiday for months and months. Arrived to be told all of the restaurants were booked solid for the entirety of our break and were told we should have booked 6 months ago. Luckily we managed to get into 2 restaurants after pleading to the one member of staff that has been helpful. We were never told this when booking otherwise would of course of booked well in advance . It took us 3 hours to be able to get access to our room even though I was asked if I would like to check in early so arranged our flight accordingly. We were called to say our room was ready but when I asked for the key they couldn’t locate the people with our key or our luggage. Once in the room we discovered the most of the amenities weren’t here and had to call multiple times to ask to sort. This place costs a small fortune and feel completely neglected after only half a day here. I am a loyal Marriott member and have been for years but this has put me of staying away for a family break with them again

To describe this resort as a disappointment is a gross understatement. The setting is lovely. The buildings, handsome and well maintained.

The problem is this facility is toxically understaffed. It is so understaffed that the answer to everything is no because the staff has neither at the time nor the inclination to do what you ask. These folks hold themselves out as a five star hotel, but this is no five star.

I am not inclined to detail all the problems, hassles, disappointments, and insulting service that we endured. We did speak to a very nice assistant manager by the name of Adrian, who seemed competent and acknowledged all of the mistreatment that we recounted for him. He assured us the Hotel manager would contact us to address our concerns. If you were to ask me if the manager ever did contact us that would be a rhetorical question as you can gather from the balance of this review. Never heard from him.

On top of everything else, this facility squeezes every single penny out of you that they possibly can ,here extras, there extras, everywhere extras. It's borderline criminal.

They're desperate for your money and when they get it, they don't spend it on staff. Go figure. And when I say go figure I mean go figure another hotel to stay on Tenerife.

This is a must to avoid unless you're interested in developing an ulcer on your vacation. MUST TO AVOID!