Hotel Riu Arecas - Adults Only

Lovely hotel in a quiet area of Adeje. A bit more upmarket than other areas. It was exceptionally clean and the grounds meticulously kept. The food was delicious if not on the cool side sometimes. Lots of choice. The entertainment was great. Not many bars locally but Fanabe isn’t far to walk too. Our room was garden facing. We would have preferred a pool view but none available at time of booking. Room well equipped and shower powerful. We had the bonus of a side seat view. Higher floor rooms recommended we were floor 3 and this was fine. Pool area lovely. Reception staff extremely friendly and helpful. We would holiday here again for sure. Shame the weather wasn’t the best.

Wonderful staff made our holiday very special . A huge thank you to the following staff - Paloma, Eduardo , Nadia, Diane,Andrei, Wilson, Salvodore, Francisco, Johan , Ivan and Roberto. The restaurant food super . Thank you so much from your Scottish customers who appreciate the good service .

Stayed for 5 nights on an all inclusive package. The hotel is very large and beautifully presented and most of the staff we met were very helpful. The quality and quantity of food in the restaurant was very good, but it’s a Buffett and basically the same every night which gets a bit boring. We tried to book the service restaurant on site but whilst we were there it was either fully booked or closed which was disappointing and we actually went out to a restaurant just for a change of menu. The evening entertainment was of a good standard although clearly aimed at an older audience which suited the mostly over 60s clientele whilst we were there. Our room was clean and comfortable although the housekeeping had some shortcomings as the tea/coffee was not replenished each day and the towels provided were very thin and definitely below standard for an upmarket hotel. My main gripe is that the hotel is so large it feels impersonal and to be honest we will not return because we didn’t take to the all inclusive style, however if you like that style of holiday then RIU Arecas is a good choice in in this part of Costa Adeje.

My husband and I booked this last minute 10 night holiday here, it was “ on special” with Tui. We arrived late and we were really surprised to find that a cold meal had been prepared and left for us in the restaurant with a bottle of water. It was greatly appreciated.
Our room was really lovely, very clean and with a nice unexpected sea view.
The hotel is immaculately clean and the gardens and pool areas are kept really well.
The main restaurant is very very busy at both breakfast and evening meal. The food is very good, lots of choices and show cooking. The staff are attentive and usually friendly!
This hotel is very big with lots of guests but we still found it very quiet and peaceful and relaxing. We got sun beds easily every day despite the early morning rush to reserve the best spots.
Our room maid kept our room spotless with little finishing touches which was really nice.
There are a lot of steps to climb when you are out and about, but we are an elderly couple and managed ok. There are walks either side of the hotel, our favourite walk was to the right of the hotel to the fishing village, we had an amazing seafood lunch there at La Caleta restaurant.
We didn’t sample the evening entertainment in the hotel but it was always busy.
There was only one thing that we didn’t like. TUI described the hotel as totally non smoking in all areas. This is simply not true. The smokers have their own stinky designated area and when they all congregate the wafting cigarette smoke is disgusting. There were occasions where people were smoking and vaping around the pool despite the no smoking rule.

Excellent location, nice food,good entertainment and friendly staff. Would stay again

Myself and husband stayed for 4 nights to celebrate my birthday and get away from the wet weather in the UK.

Pros: All staff gave us excellent customer service, from reception at check in to the maids and the serving staff, fabulous and a real credit to the hotel.

Very clean throughout the hotel, the grounds are immaculate and beautiful
2 Good size pools 1 heated which was great as I like to swim
Drinks are reasonably priced and very good
Always sunbeds available and all well positioned for sun bathing, with shade if you want this
Balcony with lovely views over the grounds and pool (but no lights for the evening)
Bus stops are just at the top of the hill
Good access for the beach down hill bear in mind the walk back up
Nice large courtesy room with clean showers and with stocked towels and shampoo

Cons: We made the booking through our RIU account and expected to have access to transfers from the airport to the hotel, on sending a few e-mails with no response, I called the hotel and they said due to me booking within 7 days this could not be arranged! this must be in small print? so extra cost of 2 taxis 100 euro's

This hotel is very peaceful and relaxing, just to note that 90% of the guests seemed 60yrs + we are in our 40's so no spring chickens.

Our room was far from restaurant/reception/bar/pool - no stairs to bring you out nearer to these areas. No lights on the balcony's which is a shame as this impacted on us being able to sit out on an evening.

We would say the food was just ok, not bad not great

This is our 5 year of coming to the hotel around the same week.
I would like to say what a lovely stay we have had and extend our thanks to each and every member of staff we have had the privilege of meeting.
The hotel is immaculate and all staff are so welcoming and friendly, they do so much to make our stay comfortable and we feel so welcome.
From the cleaning staff/reception/restaurant/pool waiters and security, the staff you have employed have been so fantastic and an asset to the hotel.

We stay half board and the food is always excellent, rooms very comfortable and they provide shower gel/shampoo/conditioner/towels and pool towels. We always find a sunbed at any time.

I frequently recommend this hotel to my friends and family. We will certainly be returning again next year and look forward to seeing you and your friendly team again.

Thanks again to a fabulous hotel
7th-14th Feb 2026

This is our second visit and it didn’t disappoint. The staff are so friendly and helpful and the fact that they have been there for years says a lot. The food choice is exceptional and good. The pools are spotless and the beach at Riu Palace is very good too. It is a very quiet position and the walks very easy once you have managed the steps. We are very fit, so that wasn’t a problem for us. Overall an enjoyable holiday.

This is a late review for a wonderful Christmas holiday.

We return to this hotel regularly because we love the location, atmosphere and the attitude of the staff.

Cleaners are always busy somewhere and the rooms are spacious , well maintained and very clean.

The Christmas meal was excellent and the group who entertained us later were one of the best that we have heard .

We ask for rooms together to be close to family and this has always been arranged.

Paula looked after us in the restaurant ,the food was varied and plentiful.

The new sunbeds are more comfortable and we had great service from the bar/ pool staff .

Overall the hotel is quiet, peaceful and relaxing.

There is a lovely walk to La Caleta from the hotel and a bus stop close by means that it is possible to access lots of other places.

We hope to return in March.

This is a lovely, spacious hotel which I will definitely visit again. Right from the warm welcome by Andrew at reception we thoroughly enjoyed everything the hotel provided.

Every single memer of staff was professional, friendly, and attentive. Excellent service, which really made a difference.

The room was immaculate. There is a fridge, air con, a safe, tea/coffee making facilities, and ample cupboard space. Very comfortable bed, I requested extra pillows and an iron via the hotel's App, everything arrived immediately. A complimentaty bottle of bubbly appeared on my son's birthday which was a nice touch.
Nice, spacious shower room with gorgeous shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. Spotlessly clean.

The restaurant provides lots of choices and the standard of food is great. Fresh, tasty, with something for everyone. I don't eat meat and sometimes alternatives can be limited. However there were so many dishes available here that we ate in the restaurant every evening of our stay. I loved the breakfast buffet, again so much choice and many freshly cooked options as well as fruit, baked goods, smoothies, and yoghurt.

The hotel also offers a lunchtime menu where you can purchase snacks including tapas type dishes, a varied fresh salad bar,
as well as burgers and pizzas, etc. Excellent table service, great food.

There are 3 x pool areas to choose from. Again everything is immaculate including the toilets. Lots of sun loungers dotted about and although favoured spots were being reserved with towels around 8am, most of the pool area gets all day sun so no real problems experienced in getting a lounger in a good spot.

The evening entertainment is fun, even if a little old school. There was an amazing Motown act one evening. It is very popular and so at this time of year the indoor seating gets full early and it can be a little chilly in the outdoor seating area, although there are outdoor heaters dotted around if you can nab a table close by one.

One of the best nights was the free Riu Party. We were taken by coach to a sister hotel where there was music, singers dancers, and all-inclusive drinks including cocktails. It was such great fun, with an amazing atmosphere.

Around and about there is a seafront path for lovely walks and some spectacular views. Shops, bars, restaurants, are all close by.

If I could offer a couple of suggestions to make things even more fabulous I think that some low key/chilled music in the pool area would add a little more atmosphere, and providing more tables and chairs in the lobby and terrace areas would help to ensure that all guests are able to find somewhere to relax with a drink at peak times such as late afternoon golden hour, and after dinner.

I'd definitely recommend this hotel it's a gem.

Just returned from our third trip to the RIU Arecas in Costa Adeje Tenerife. As in previous years we had an outstanding holiday. Excellent check in experience, excellent room, excellent food and excellent staff. All staff friendly and attentive, so much choice at every evening meal and the young lady who at breakfast yet again organised our poached eggs for us. The pool bar was the place to sample the Champagne Sangria and other delicious cocktails, wines and beer, all very reasonably priced. There was entertainment every evening in the theatre which was also really popular. The Christmas Banquet was amazing, again so many choices and all wines complementary. We have already booked for next year.

Amazing week .Everything from the beginning to end was lovely .Reception staff made check in quick and welcoming.Room spotless and ready on arrival. Food was lovely great choices always hot and plentiful. Excellent new years gala meal and entertainment. Fireworks all around at midnight. Pools slightly cooler than expected however the beach club with infinity pool made up for this . Not many British guests at our time there . Shame about storm Francis for two days but I’m sure staff would of sorted that if they could of 🥰
All the staff we encountered were amazing and always ready to help .Thoroughly amazing week

I normally write my hotel reviews after returning home, but this time I felt it was important to share fresh and up-to-date impressions for those who are currently considering booking this hotel.
We are staying at Hotel RIU Arecas Tenerife (La Caleta) for two weeks, and so far the experience has been very positive. The hotel is rated 4 stars, and in our opinion it fully deserves this rating. We have stayed in many 4-star hotels over the years, and this one clearly stands out thanks to the quality of the food, the friendliness of the staff, the comfortable rooms, and the well-maintained outdoor areas.
The hotel offers three swimming pools. Two are located in front of the hotel and are pleasantly heated. The highlight for us is the infinity pool, situated closer to the sea and the beach. It is nicely heated and offers a beautiful view over the beach and Las Américas. There is a small pool bar with very friendly staff, and behind it a large sunbathing area with plenty of sunbeds on yellow sand. Toilets and changing cabins are also conveniently located nearby.
The food in the restaurant is very good. As I follow a gluten-free diet, my choices were a bit more limited, but I always found something suitable, as all dishes are clearly labeled, which is very helpful.
The rooms are spacious, the beds are extremely comfortable, and everything is very clean. Cleanliness throughout the hotel is excellent, especially in the restaurant, which we really appreciated.
What surprised us the most was how quiet and peaceful the hotel is. Even though it is a large hotel, it never feels crowded. There is live music in the bar every evening with different bands, but after around 10–11 p.m. everything becomes very calm, with no disturbing noise. This made our stay particularly relaxing.
Overall, Hotel RIU Arecas is a great choice for guests looking for comfort, good food, friendly service, and a quiet atmosphere. We would happily recommend it and would consider returning in the future.

We’ve just stayed at Riu Arecas for a week over New Year. This hotel is in a superb location in Costa Adeje, which is an area we know well. The hotel is located slightly back from the beach and promenade but there is a beach front pool and bar which is accessible to all the hotel guests. The facilities are exceptionally clean and the staff are friendly and polite. The hotel offers half board (breakfast and evening meal) and the standard of the food and drink was exceptional. There’s is plenty of choice and everything is well prepared and flavourful. We did not have a bad meal. The ‘Spanish’ restaurant was superb and we had a fabulous meal there on our last evening at to be hotel.
We were so impressed that we have decided to book again next January. This is a perfect adult-only hotel for a relaxing week of winter sun. We would highly recommend booking.

We stayed here for New Year, we arrived late after a flight diversion, I was very surprised that they had a cold table of food prepared for us which was a lovely touch after we checked in and went straight to sleep. The room was very comfortable and we had a nice side sea view. Breakfast was impressive to be honest. Everything you could expect and more and all really tasty. Evening meals good with standards like pizza / risotto / cheese / pasta available daily plus lots of things that change. The pools for me when no one near what I would class as heated and I tested each of them. They were freezing, I queried it with the hotel and got no reply! Most of the hotels in the area heat the pool is a lot warmer than this. I could only marginally feel the difference between the heated and non-heated pool. This meant we didn’t go in the pools the whole holiday. Which is disappointing. One of the disappointing thing was the reception staff, I became ill during the holiday with flu. It was awful and I was sleeping a lot. We were due to check out a few days later so I enquired about late check out. I was told to request on the app, I did and didn’t get a reply. I then called again and I was to call 2 days before, which I did and then I was told to call on check out day, which I did and I was told no as they were fully booked. Which was a lie as I was able to book multiple rooms of the same standard on their website. The staff were just rude! I didn’t expect it for free but I didn’t want to pay a full night rate! I also didn’t want to infect the rest of the hotel by having to be around other guests who might have weak immune systems!
New Year’s Eve was great, the food was again brilliant and the entertainment was also good, though I would say in comparison to others in the area it is more low key / tailored to the older clientele.

The hotel was a mix of good to excellent for different elements and overall I would recommend it. Rooms are very good, swimming pools are excellent, particularly if you wish to actually swim some lengths as each pool is 25m long and rectangle in shape. The pool area is excellent as it is relaxed and peaceful, never seems overly crowded. The adults only element definitely helps to make the stay at the Riu Arecas very enjoyable. The fitness room is ok, better than nothing. The "spa" consisting of Turkish bath/jacuzzi and steam room really is not anything to get excited about as it is tired and not particularly hot.
Staff were generally very good and polite. The dining for breakfast and dinner is good, though lacks finesse compared to the 5 star hotels. My only concern is the very poor attention to allergy management in the dining hall. Whilst the chefs and manager are very helpful if you let them know a day in advance that you want something separately prepared for the following evening (such as gluten free pasta or gluten and lactose free pizza), the general labelling of allergens is inconsistent and often simply wrong. I am gluten and lactose intolerant whilst my daughter has a nut allergy so the outcome from poor labelling can be very severe.
Whilst the hotel do have a separate corner for gluten free breakfast products they do not label any allergens in that section. For 2 of the days the only GF bread they had out was brioche, which contains milk (lactose) but most customers will have been unaware. The only GF cereals were sugary or chocolate balls – no plain cornflakes or muesli.
Anything containing dried fruits is labelled as containing nuts.
When I advised the manager of the inadequate and incorrect food labelling (such as labelling chips fried in the same oil as other battered items as containing no allergens) she was defensive rather than apologetic and simply said they could not cater for all diets. I feel that is unacceptable in a 4 star hotel, and is very easily addressed/improved.
In all others respects the hotel was a great place to stay, competitively priced, and in a superb location.

Stayed at this hotel 2 years ago with my sister and we returned for a bit of winter sunshine. I have also stayed at the Riu Palace with my husband, but actually prefer the Arecas.
Love the location of the hotel, rooms and communal areas are spotlessly clean, good selection of gluten free food available.
Restaurant is busy but generally workable, unless you arrive in the midst of a storm; trying to get a table was unbelievably hard, with hundreds of guests wanting to be seated inside.

Pros
Location is good - IMO the nicest part of Costa Adeje.
Short walk to lovely bars and restaurants in La Caleta. Close to beach and promenade.
Staff are a real asset to the hotel, being in the main 99% friendly and helpful. This speaks of a strong culture and management style.
Cleanliness
General relaxed ambience

Cons
Having visited in 2023, we observed guests in 2025 seem much older and ruder; pushing in, reaching across to grab food in the restaurant etc.
Long queues build every evening, prior to the restaurant opening for dinner.
There’s also a sun bed sprint in the morning, as some elderly guests rush to bag their fave sun bed as soon as the pool area has been cleaned. Hilarious to watch!!
Sadly 1 member of staff (female, young, working in the pool bar Wednesday afternoon) was distinctly sullen, did not speak and refused to make eye contact when she brought a receipt over for us to sign (our only interaction with her). Anyway her actions reflect badly on the hotel and need to be addressed!! Guests are after all on holiday….. No other member of staff behaved in this way. Hence I have scored 3 stars instead of 4!

Staff at hotel are lovely and work extremely hard under the circumstances, especially at meal times. 6.30pm on doors opening is like the Start of a marathon, huge ques waiting to go! (Same applies in morning for sun bed grabbing)Restaurant just isn’t big enough to cope with the number of guests comfortably, tables on top of each other and a free for all at the food with exceptionally rude guests grabbing at food,oblivious to the use of tongs,especially with an epidemic of Flu going around. Not a nice experience. Food is ok, if not on the bland side.
Hotel is in the nicer end of Costa Adeje, rooms are a decent size, albeit a bit dated. No complementary water provided so come prepared if arriving late.
One designated smoking area in the hotel, subsequently no smoking on balconies which was great being none smokers.
2 nice sized swimming pools and a further one down 77 steps near beach.
Good and bad points for Riu Arecas, but sadly I cannot recommend and would not return.

Not a bad Hotel staff very friendly unless you arrive in the midst of a storm, trying to get a table was unbelievable but apparently 800 guests wanting to be seated inside is going to be a problem, our main gripe is the food every single thing is cold bland and so repetitive had high hopes but definitely wouldn't return

We left early and moved to another hotel which we have previously stayed at .
I have stayed here before in 2024 , with my sister . I decided to bring who I’m away with as the last time I came it was lovely .

Now let me just state . The staff are amazing and friendly and welcoming .

I don’t know what’s changed but the food wasn’t to the standard it was last time .
Also there’s no structure at the buffet and quite frankly people are absolutely rude and behave entitled . You can be there picking something and someone comes and moves you out the way to grab something . There’s no personal space at all.

I understand people from different countries have different mannerisms and behaviours but let me just say manners and politeness cost nothing . I have never in my life felt so depressed by other peoples behaviours. I also found some people to be quite homophobic .
I was also sat on my balcony having a conversasion , for next door to rudely say go inside and talk . I paid for my room and balcony so I just ignored her honestly found people quite rude .
The staff and room are
Good and the hotel it’s self it’s spotlessly clean .
But we will not be back again . The two marks are for room and staff .