Hotel Riu Garoe

“Luxury at an Affordable Price.”

On arrival at the hotel, we were impressed by the smooth check-in experience although unlike at the Riu Palmeras Palace in Playa del lngles, we had to find our own way to the room with the luggage. We had a pleasant modern room with balcony and partial sea view and a wide landscape vista. Very nice… more

On arrival at the hotel, we were impressed by the smooth check-in experience although unlike at the Riu Palmeras Palace in Playa del lngles, we had to find our own way to the room with the luggage. We had a pleasant modern room with balcony and partial sea view and a wide landscape vista. Very nice indeed. This would be kept spotlessly clean by our cleaner who was always around between 0800 and 1500 hours. I had e-mailed ahead about tea making facilities and within minutes of our arrival-without asking-a tea/coffee tray suddenly appeared, clearly as a result of the e-mail. However, the e-mail I had sent asking about tea making facilities had actually gone unanswered and I had, in the interim, bought a travel kettle! Again the Riu Palmeras had answered my e-mail immediately. Perhaps I should have chased up an answer from the Garoe. The poolside was well kept and there was absolutely no problem with finding sunbeds. People (other guests) seemed courteous, the pool person seemed very happy dishing out clean towels and always had a smile. A plus was that there were also cushioned mats for the sunbeds which was fantastic and something lacking at other hotels I have visited. There is also a small bar area where you can obtain coffees, cake and drinks; while between 1.00 and 3.00 they also serve lunches, although frankly the breakfasts were so good and fulsome, that I never needed to use this option. The buffet dining room served a wonderful five star breakfast in my opinion. There is even fresh porridge (oatmeal) which British and German guests particularly enjoyed. There was a good array of yogurts, tinned fruits, fresh fruits, honey and wonderful bread which I enjoyed with butter and jam. Omelettes are made to order and I saw a selection of pancakes being made. British-style back bacon is readily available as are scrambled eggs. There is also an eclectic mixture of fruit juices available, as well as a container of fresh water. Teapots too are placed out at a main counter for convenience beside teabags and urns of very hot water. As tea is important to me, this was especially appreciated. There was also a selection of Twining's Loose Leaf teas with infusers to hand. Coffee lovers are also catered for with vacuum jugs brought to the table on request. One thing to note: if anything runs out such as porridge or milk, just ask a staff member and they will immediately obtain it. I cannot praise them enough in this respect. The evening meal requires a bit more attention, as there is such a selection. Take your time to browse what is available before choosing as there is pizza, ribs, steaks, fresh fish, pasta, etc. for mains. I always started with soup and croutons, then had a bowl of salad before attacking the main course. Desserts are on offer including creme caramel, gateaux etc. and the ice cream is of a reasonable quality. There is also a selection of cheeses with crackers. Some nights are themed (eg Oriental). The bar prices are fair and certainly not excessive. The evening entertainment I thought was better than most hotels-there was a wonderful Canarian folk group who played instruments and danced. Impressive. On another occasion we had a group of flamenco dancers performing and on a Wednesday a female singer provided an eclectic mix of hits. We thought she was excellent. Again the staff are attentive to you every need in the bar. The manager is always around along with his assistant. He often does the rounds of the tables peruses what is happening in the restaurant and is sometimes at the entrance as you come in. If you have a problem he is the type of person whom you could approach. Very nice. Indeed, this attitude permeates throughout the hotel. Many of the staff have been there for a considerable time and it shows. All in all a good and relaxing holiday and tremendous value.

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“Anniversary Stay”

5th Stay here, this time for our Anniversary. During the Welcome Meeting we were speaking to the New Main Man & mentioned it was our Anniversary on the day & he arranged 2 pieces of very Chocolatey Cake for us, unfortunately it arrived just before dinnertime, & Mrs B is Diabetic, so I had to enjoy… more

5th Stay here, this time for our Anniversary. During the Welcome Meeting we were speaking to the New Main Man & mentioned it was our Anniversary on the day & he arranged 2 pieces of very Chocolatey Cake for us, unfortunately it arrived just before dinnertime, & Mrs B is Diabetic, so I had to enjoy it all, but it was a nice touch. The place is still good with the New Man in charge, but not quite as good as before. We will still consider future visits.

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“Refurbished Riu Garoe - relaxing break!”

2nd time at this lovely hotel. We were very impressed with the refurbishment since we visited in 2018. The rooms we were allocated were beautiful and spotless. We have wonderful views over the gardens and Teide. The rooms are so clean and well appointed. We were slightly disappointed though that we… more

2nd time at this lovely hotel. We were very impressed with the refurbishment since we visited in 2018. The rooms we were allocated were beautiful and spotless. We have wonderful views over the gardens and Teide. The rooms are so clean and well appointed. We were slightly disappointed though that we had told the management this was for a very special milestone birthday and not even a fruit bowl or flowers had been placed in the room as a little gesture, however these are details as the rooms were lovely. We had taken my Mother this time and kindly the manager had placed us next door to each other which was very helpful. The buffet in the restaurant in the morning is more than adequate - coffee always a little tepid though and way too strong - but the self serve coffee station makes up for this! The evening food though and wine definitely left something to be desired - we did not feel there was much choice and what there was certainly catered towards the main nationality staying at the hotel. There was nothing in the way of desserts - pretty poor offering all in all. However, good news on the food front - the pool bar food (paid for) was superb! Absolutely delicious. Just wish this was reflected more in the main restaurant of an evening. We ate here 4 times choosing to go out 3 times during our stay even though we were on half board. The wine selection could be wider and the house wine was undrinkable which was a shame. The pools are lovely and the staff very attentive - really lovely people. The evening entertainment was good on the whole - some with great talent - others not so much! However, it was entertaining and the bar prices very reasonable. Lovely outside bar area. As we love to sit outside and dine al-fresco would suggest you have an area for dining for the evening outside if made possible - this all seems to have gone now and this really is a must have for us when abroad. Be nice to have the choice at least, for dinner and for breakfast. Overall we loved our stay, staff very helpful and pleasant. Spotlessly clean and a really relaxing atmosphere. The shuttle bus to and from the town is great and a welcome addition. We used this twice during our stay. The hotel is ideally located within walking distance of shops and supermarkets and plenty of bars and restaurants and within 5 minutes from bustling Santa Cruz, which was a pleasure to visit and have some evening meals. Loro Parque on the doorstep - this was well worth a visit and would highly recommend. Also there is a small bar located up in the hills called Albertos which has stunning views and is absolutely a must-do for anyone visiting this area, their sangria is amazing and so are the pizzas! One final thing that was slightly odd though was housekeeping removed all of our bath robes and bedding pillows the day before we left and our coffee and tea making facilities? This wasn't the best experience to be left with as we felt that we were being slowly checked out before our time was up! There are little things that are attention to detail that need improvement but overall we have a super break at the Riu Garoe and would definitely return again.

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