Tenerife’s leading luxury hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Abama, has raised the ante by opening a new luxury hideaway within their beautiful Moorish-inspired resort. I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to stay at this iconic terracotta property in the Canary Islands so when I was invited to be one of the first media guests of the brand-new Retreat I couldn’t say yes fast enough.
Tucked away within sub-tropical gardens, The Retreat offers guests extra privacy and amenities through stylishly refurbished suites and an exclusive Club Experience. The Retreat Suites, some of which have private pools, are spread across four terracotta tiers that trickle down the cliff in front of the main hotel area and, in my opinion, have some of the best views on the property.
I stayed in a Club Retreat deluxe sea view room, which was close to the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge pool and El Mirador Restaurant that Retreat guests have exclusive use of for breakfast.
My room was beautifully styled with a plush orange headboard and palm tree wallpaper that mirrored the resort’s setting. I had unobstructed sea views from the balcony that were spectacular at sunset, and appreciated the generous proportions of the suite, especially in the bathroom.
My nearest pool, there are 7 on the property, was the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge where you can indulge in complimentary tapas, cakes and cocktails by the curvaceous infinity pool.
From 11am to 7pm there is a tempting menu of handcrafted offerings, from hors d’oeuvres to afternoon tea, along with light bites the kids will love like chicken goujons, fruit and cookies. There’s a bar area where you can help yourself to soft drinks, coffee or cava, as well as complimentary pool service where the bubbles are brought to your sun lounger.
While it would be tempting to spend all day in the Club Lounge the Ritz-Carlton Abama is famed for its gastronomy, including M.B, the two-Michelin-starred Basque restaurant by Martin Berasategui, and Akira Back Tenerife, the first restaurant in Spain by renowned Korean chef Akira Back.
The exquisite interiors of M.B give a little taste of the food to come, which is nothing short of a work of art. I actually don’t want to give too much away as this is a restaurant that needs to be experienced, but I will say that the presentation of some of the courses drew as many gasps as the flavours.
My personal highlight was dining at Verde Mar, a vegetable-led, farm-to-table offering that flips meals on their head and treats the greens as the main and the meat as a side. I’ve genuinely never tasted vegetables so good, particularly the avocado on puffed bread, kimchi croquettes, sweet potato from Lanzarote and roasted cauliflower with Stracciatella and citrus vinaigrette.
At the spa I was treated to a de-stress massage by a miracle-worker named Ingrid who worked out every knot in my back and shoulders. One of the perks of being a Retreat guest is free access to the Wellness Circuit, which I didn’t have time to visit myself but the giant whirlpool and heated beds looked incredibly relaxing. Retreat guests also get a host of other benefits including express pressing and support from a Retreat Ambassador who can help coordinate every detail of your stay in Tenerife.
Located on the south-west coast of Tenerife, surrounded by banana plantations, the Ritz-Carlton Abama is an easy drive to Tiede National Park, one of the most popular national parks in Europe. As the tallest peak in Spain and third tallest volcano in the world, Mount Tiede is an icon of Tenerife and the broad range of vegetation and landscape surrounding it makes it one of nature’s true wonders. It was great to spend a morning discovering the island’s unique landscape and this excursion has made me want to explore more of the Canary Islands.
Although this was a child-free work trip for me I took some time to scope out the facilities for families. The Ritz-Carlton Abama boasts the biggest Ritz Kids Club in Europe and I could definitely see my 5-year-old loving the indoor ball pit, huge outdoor playground and daily feeding of the giant Koi Carps in the Citadel’s pond.
For children aged 4-12 the Ritz Kids Club has a daily changing schedule of activities from seasonal crafts to cookery, karaoke, video games, football and archery. (Extra charges apply, reserve online here.)
For under-4s there is a really cute Planetarium, a family play area, where you can drop in to play games and activities with your little ones for no extra charge.
Overall, I loved how this is a family-friendly hotel in an adult-friendly atmosphere. There are so many pools, including adults-only areas, that means families can spread out and not feel like they are disturbing others. The private pool suites in the Retreat are also great for families who like having their own space.
The Ritz-Carlton Abama is an aesthetic, elegant hotel that seamlessly caters to both couples and families, it’s basically my idea of heaven. They’ve completely changed the game with the Retreat, which is perfect for travellers who seek privacy and personalisation with all the perks of a larger resort on your doorstep. My stay exceeded my expectations and I’d go back in a heartbeat!
Disclosure: I stayed as a guest of the Ritz-Carlton but was under no obligation to write this post. All opinions and photos are my own and I hope you find them helpful.
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