The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama is for a stay-put week of food and sand: M.B's two Michelin stars are inside the gates, and a funicular runs down to a sand cove. Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora, noticeably cheaper, is for families, with two kids' clubs and a huge saltwater pool.
The complete resortA self-contained citadel on the west coast, with the island's best hotel food and its own beach.
€€€€From about €285 a night
Choose The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama if
The catch
Enormous; expect buggies, long walks and a busy main pool in peak weeks
The big resortA vast west-coast resort with an enormous saltwater pool and a RedLevel tier that changes the experience.
€€€From about €250 a night
Choose Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora if
The catch
Scale: 600 rooms means busy breakfasts and pools in peak weeks
| Best for | The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama | Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora |
|---|---|---|
| Best beach hotels in Tenerife | On the list | On the list |
| Best family hotels in Tenerife | On the list | On the list |
| Best spa hotels in Tenerife | On the list | On the list |
| Best value hotels in Tenerife | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best hotels for food and drink in Tenerife | On the list | Not on the list |
The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, AbamaGran Meliá Palacio de Isora
The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama
Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora
The verdict
The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama is for a stay-put week of food and sand: M.B's two Michelin stars are inside the gates, and a funicular runs down to a sand cove. Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora, noticeably cheaper, is for families, with two kids' clubs and a huge saltwater pool.
Hand-picked: only the best, one version of each, researched so you don’t have to.
Whales, under the cliffsFrom €284.7(3,900)
The driveFrom €1254.9(140)
The island by jeepFrom €684.6(1,200)
A first diveFrom €754.7(2,000)
Questions people ask
The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama is for a stay-put week of food and sand: M.B's two Michelin stars are inside the gates, and a funicular runs down to a sand cove. Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora, noticeably cheaper, is for families, with two kids' clubs and a huge saltwater pool.
If money is not the first question and you want the island's most complete resort, Abama is it. Check availability for the Retreat Deluxe Room Ocean View. The complete resort: hand over the car keys and stay put for a week of pools, golf, the resort's own cove and the island's best restaurants. It is vast, isolated on the west coast and charges for all of it.
It has an outdoor pool. It has its own beach club.
The big resort to choose if you choose RedLevel. Check availability for RedLevel first. A resort the size of a small town, with a saltwater pool to match and something for every age. Book RedLevel, with its own lounge and adults-only pool, and it calms right down; book the main hotel in half term and you will feel all 600 rooms.
It has an outdoor pool. It has its own beach club.