On a recent visit to Tenerife for what I can only describe as a crazy Stag WeekBender, I had the pleasure of staying at the Iberostar Anthelia Tenerife.
After a slightly long 4.5 hour flight from the UK I landed in sunny Tenerife one day after the rest of the stag party had arrived. I didn’t want to waste any time as I wanted to quickly meet with my friends and get the party started, so it came as a pleasant surprise the speed in which the Iberostar dealt with my entrance.
Here’s 10 reason to stay at the Iberostar Anthelia Tenerife.
1. The staff.
For me, when it comes to staying at any hotel and enjoying a holiday abroad, the staff on duty can either make or break your holiday. The staff at the Iberostar in Tenerife where outstanding.
Polite and brimming with smiles on entry, they dealt with my arrival quickly and efficiently whilst offering me a welcome drink which immediately set me on holiday mode. Warm smiles and the ability to speak my language fluently made me feel extremely comfortable and ready for the festivities ahead.
2. The Butler.
As I was staying in the Grand Salome section of the hotel in a Presidential Suite, we had access to a wonderful Butler. Again fluent in English and beaming with smiles the Butler was on hand to attend to all of my needs. He was never too far away from either a quick call or a wave of the hand. I often wondered how he managed to deal with everyone all of the time. I assumed he would be flustered but no, not a drip of sweat appeared his forehead.
Ushering me into my room while making a few holiday jokes en route and still able to explain the in’s and out’s of my stay was again quick and efficient. Remember, all I wanted to do at that time was make contact with the stag party, so I was constantly aware that every minute of time spent checking in, meant one less minute of party vibes in Tenerife.
3. The Room.
My Presidential Suite was a spacious 2 double bedded luxury 5 star room. Each room had it’s own en-suite, LCD TV, wardrobes, shower, jacuzzi bath, toilet and double sinks. The beds where truly comfortable and the bed linen soft and fresh. It was very easy to literally fall asleep within seconds of laying on any of the beds in my suite.
On entrance to my presidential Suite, was a living area and the bedrooms where situated on either side of the living area. The living area featured a sofa, LCD TV, dinning table, mini bar, Nero coffee maker (I love coffee) and also lead onto the balcony.
This space of the living area wasn’t the biggest of spaces, however it was large enough to not feel squashed yet cosy and perfect in size for the rest of the room. With chocolate coated strawberries and prosseco awaiting my entrance, I knew I was going to enjoy the rest of my stay.
4. The Spa.
If you are anything like me and simply have to visit a spa no matter what country you are visiting or how hot the weather is, then the Iberostar Spa will put a smile on your face. The Spa was beautifully decorated and felt brand new, marble and wood panelling aligned the walls of the spa. This spa looks exactly as it does in the photos. I spent a relaxing evening unwinding in the pool, using ALL of the power jet facilities, the steam room, the sauna, the cold dipping pool and everything else within the spa facility.
If you go to the Iberostar website, you may notice that they do not say too much about the spa, and in my opinion they could shout and scream about their spa a little bit more. You might go to the hotel and not even realise it’s there. Plus the upstairs of the spa is a small gym with running machines, bikes and a few weights. It’s just enough for the gym freaks amongst us to keep healthy while on holiday.
5. The Balcony.
The balcony faced the private heated pool area that only guests staying in the Salome part of the hotel area could use.
If I had any complaints about this hotel it would probably be the balcony. Do not miss understand. The balcony was fine, however the balcony I had could have been slightly bigger. It featured a round table with 4 chairs and 2 sun loungers. If you had 4 people staying in the presidential Suite and you all wanted to lounge on the balcony, you would probably have to flip a coin to see who got the sun loungers first.
Luckily for me, I had no intention of using the balcony much throughout my stay so it wasn’t a problem for me on this particular trip. I did however love making a coffee in the morning and enjoying it on my balcony before I want to breakfast.
6. Breakfast.
Speaking of breakfast, the Iberostar boasts a massive breakfast buffet in the Zeus Restaurant. All the usual suspects where in attendance, a chef or two to cook your morning eggs to your requirements, breads, cold meats, hot foods, juices galore and so much more that I sometimes felt a bit dizzy trying to decided what I would like to try next. This was one of the better breakfast buffets I have tasted while on holiday in the Canary Islands.
Salome guests were also privy to the outdoor dinning area that overlooked the beach. Sunshine in the morning while you dine with your fresh orange juice and coffee is always a pleasure.
7. The Poseidon Gourmet Restaurant.
The Iberostar Anthelia in Tenerife boasts 5 restaurants and 2 bars. Yes 5 restaurants and 2 bars. My favourite of them all being the lush and romantic (at night) Poseidon Gourmet Restaurant.
I had a beautiful romantic dinner for one. Tuna tartare, Lobster avocado a surprisingly succulent and tender beef fillet and an ever so slightly chilled glass of brandy. I was happy, the staff was happy, everything in Tenerife seemed happy at that point. It was a blissful moment and everything was served in an instagram friendly photo taking presentation.
8. The Hotel
The Hotel itself is super-clean and very spacious. You could spend a lovely afternoon walking around the hotel grounds while stopping in different locations to take in the views. During my walk I saw this beautiful cove situated right outside of the hotel pictured below. I simply had to take a photo as all I wanted to do was sit down right by the cove and read my kindle in the blissful sun.
9. The concierge
During my visit, we decided to hire 10 x 125cc mopeds for the day, so that we could all ride around the town and take in the views and location. With none of us Brits able to speak fluent Spanish, our next challenge was ‘how are we going to do it?’.
I spoke to the concierge and told we him need 10 mopeds from the nearest and best motorcycle hire store. He smiled, took a deep breathe and then made the call. Translating the hire stores questions like, do they all have full UK driving licences for over 3 years?, Are they all aged over 21?, Have they all had experience of riding mopeds etc?. If it wasn’t for the concierge it would have been extremely difficult to get this all booked in so quickly on the same day.
By the time the concierge had finished the phone call, the hire shop had already sent a driver over to the hotel to collect us all, bring us to the store and hire us the bikes. Fantastic work from the concierge.
10. The conclusion
The Iberostar Anthelia is an awesome hotel. It’s quiet and tranquil yet busy enough to not feel boring or unattended. The location is fantastic, the distance from the hotel to the beach is literally a few steps away. Everything you need all under one roof. You may even find that you’ll never leave this hotel during your stay and with the added bonus of being only a 20 min drive to and from the airport, this is one hotel you simply must stay at while in Tenerife.
Visit www.iberostar.com for more information and to book your amazing stay NOW.
