Iberostar Torviscas Playa, Tenerife

...choice of hotel, was the Iberostar Torviscas Playa, Costa Adeje, Tenerife.

**

Travel Agents Recommendation/Booking.
We started browsing through brochures and searching online for a summer holiday in around January. We came to the agreement that Tenerife would be our choice of hotel. We studied the prices in the brochures and haggled online, however although the offers online looked very good value for money, we ...
...travel agents.
We entered and were immediatly taken to the desk to browse through accomadation. We told the travel agent that we already knew which hotel we would like to go to and so she typed it into the computer. She then told us this would be a perfect choice for our party (mum, me and two brothers) and that it was very family friendly hotel. We were told the price, and then the agent told us she'd be happy to look for similar hotels, ... more

If there's one thing I looked forward to all year, its a summer holiday. We try out best to make sure we go away every summer, and to date we haven't had very many bad experiences with the hotels we have picked.
Last year, our choice of Holiday was to Tenerife. We booked our holiday at the very last minute. We were due to fly on July 6th, and at the beginning of April, we went into the travel agents and booked.
Our choice of hotel, was the Iberostar Torviscas Playa, Costa Adeje, Tenerife.

**

Travel Agents Recommendation/Booking.
We started browsing through brochures and searching online for a summer holiday in around January. We came to the agreement that Tenerife would be our choice of hotel. We studied the prices in the brochures and haggled online, however although the offers online looked very good value for money, we decided it would be alot safer to book through the travel agents.
We entered and were immediatly taken to the desk to browse through accomadation. We told the travel agent that we already knew which hotel we would like to go to and so she typed it into the computer. She then told us this would be a perfect choice for our party (mum, me and two brothers) and that it was very family friendly hotel. We were told the price, and then the agent told us she'd be happy to look for similar hotels, in a similar price range. We agreed, and she informed us there were a couple of other hotels within the same price range and similar facilites however we had our heart set on Torviscas Playa and so that is where we booked for.

Getting There
Flights to Tenerife are available from most UK airports. However the particular Airport we flew from was Glasgow in Scotland. The flight from Glasgow was an acceptable time, around four and a half hours. By the end of the flight I was beginning to get a little restless and brothers were getting a little bored. Since we were on a short-haul flight, and we were not flying through a meal time (eg, breakfast), we were not supplied with an in flight meal. However there were plenty of snacks available on bored at a cost. We had taken our own food with us so there was no need for buying anything else. Our flight was on time, and we arrived in Tenerife at around 8pm.
The airport was lovely, with lots of little tourist shops, little cafe's dotted around the place and the more common fast food outlets.
After we had collected our suitcases, and such, we made our way to the front of the airport where there should have been a taxi waiting for us, luckily there was and so we hopped in. We enquired how long it would take to arrive at the hotel, and the taxi driver was extremely helpful and told us it would be between twenty to thirty minutes. We were pleased that the journey wouldn't be too long, and we began to get excited.

Checking In
By the time we arrived at the hotel it was around 9.45pm. The taxi dropped us off at the front door, and drove off. My mum was a bit worried about how she would manage to carry all the suitcases into the hotel, however before we got too worried a nice looking spanish man darted out of the hotel and asked (in some shaky english) if he could help us. Without a doubt we took him up on this offer and so he helped us with our suitcases. What a nice arrival. On arriving in the hotel, we were pleasently surprised. The reception area was very large and bright, the marble floors were perfectly polished and shining clean. The reception desk was straight ahead and so with the help of the spanish man, we went to check in. We were told we were in two rooms as we had requested, two rooms with two single beds in each and we were on the fourth floor. As everybody in the hotel is half board, there was no need for any wrist bands or special passes so we were simply required to show our identity, sign a couple of papers, and retrieve the key to our room. Before we hopped off to our rooms, we were told there was some snacks for us in the main restaurant. I'm not sure if these were for everyone or just for the arrivals, however we took the offer up without hesitation.

Rooms/Midnight meal
We arrived at our rooms on the fourth floor via the lift. There were sets of stairs up to the rooms too however with all our suitcases, and two tired boys we thought it a better idea to take the lift. The rooms were easy to find, and we didn't have a problem with the key. The two rooms were oppositte each other, which again was what we had requested. Me and my oldest brother would be sharing one room, and my mum and brother no.2 would be in the other. There were no arguements over who was in which room, due to the fact both rooms were almost identical. The rooms were fairly attractive, two "large" single beds in the middle of the room both with there own bedside tables. On one of the tables was a telephone which could be used at a cost or to phone down to reception. There was also a small TV in each room, which was 9 times out of 10 in a different language. There was a large wardrobe in each room, an armchair and various other peices of furnature. For a standard room, we did think the rooms were more than acceptable, and the beds were really comfortable too! The hotel had kindly left each room with a welcome pack, explaining how too use the safe and providing leaflets about day trips which we could take. After we had unpacked and settled into our room, we decided to go down and see what the restaurant was offering us for our midnight snack. By the time we arrived at the restaurant it was around 12am, and there was only one other family in the restaurant (I think they had just arrived too as they were all as white as us!).
The food provided was again more than acceptable, we were provided with an assortment of breads and rolls, cold meats, cheeses, olives and pickles, fresh fruit, salad, soup and one flavour of ice cream. We did find the ice cream quite unusal to be eaten at midnight. The food was all of a high quality, the breads were warmed and delicious, the fresh fruit was definitly fresh and the boys definitly enjoyed there ice creams! After our "feast" we retired up to our bedrooms, and decided to go straight to sleep, all eager for the summer sun the next day. Thankfully, the rooms weren't disturbed by any noise, however for around fifteen minutes around 3am I was woken by shouting and laughing outside, however this was nothing to worry about.

Breakfast
After a good nights sleep we all woke up excited and hungry for our breakfast. As we were travelling half board, the hotel provided us with breakfast and lunch and i'm sure mid afternoon there was a variety of snacks provided in the buffet restaurant. Breakfast was in buffet style. Not entirely sure the exact times breakfast was served however we went down around 9am each day, and this seemed to be peak time. Although we didn't have to queue to get in, it was fairly busy and you had to be careful not too bang in to anybody on your way to and from the buffet. The tables were set out in two's, four's and six's however i'm sure if there were more people in your party the staff would be happy to push the tables together if this was possible.
The breakfast buffet had a massive variety. A full hot breakfast was available such as sausages, bacon, various egg choices, beans, hash browns etc. There was also three toasters with brown and white bread kept under a silver platter, in which guests could use freely. Aswell as the hot breakfast, you could choose to have fresh fruit, cereals, fresh breads, croissants, cold meats and cheeses, yogurt, and there were even waffles with either maple syrup, golden syrup or chocolate sauce. Over the course of our two week stay, I managed to sample almost everything there.
The food was of a high standard and everything was delicious. If I had one gripe it would be that the vanilla yoghurt was slightly bitter, even though it was vanilla. This wasn't a problem though as there was a strawberry variety on offer too. The hot breakfast was scumptious, although it was probably the most unhealthy option, it didn't feel overly greasy and thankfully it wasn't dripping in fat. The choice of breads was wonderful too, the same choices as our first midnight meal. Overall we were all impressed with the breakfast and it gave us a great start to the day!

Pool Area
We spent half of our holiday lounging around the pool area. There were two large pools, as well as a smaller childrens pool. The first swimming pool was a large circular pool with a jaccuzzi in the centre, surrounded by rocks, and the second swimming pool was a large more free style swimming pool. The childrens pool was in a circle shape, fairly small but could easily fit around fifteen children in it at the one time. The swimming pools were not heated, however the scorching sun shining down on them meant they were the perfect temperature and provided a lovely relief from the blinding sun which shone down every day, without fail. The jacuzzi was lovely, it was heated, and it was rather hot at some points espescially at the hottest part of the day. The pools were never overly busy however we never had the pools to ourselves.
Around the pool there were plenty of sunloungers around which were free to use. However, on our first day we never managed to get a sun lounger til around 11am, as little did we know, people were queueing at 8am to get one. The rest of our stay we made sure we were down early enough to get at least one sun lounger.
At the pool area there is also a snack bar. The snack bar is open all day, however drinks and snacks here aren't free. The food and drinks etc aren't overly expensive but its not something you'll be wanting to do too much. The bar sells a variety of different drinks, and a real favourite with us, slush puppies! They also sell ice creams, crisps and various other snack items.
Although there are no life guards around the pool area, there are always members of staff wandering around making sure everybody is happy.

Entertainment/Kids clubs
One thing which made our stay enjoyable was the kids clubs and entertainments. The kids club was for children aged 3-13, and as I had just turned 14 the on our holiday, I was allowed to join in. There were a few more teenagers there too so I don't think age mattered all that much. I joined in with the kids club maybe four times during our stay, however the two boys were more than happy to go every day. There are two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The club usually centres around games by the poolside, such as board games and games such as musical bumps etc. The staff and reps were really friendly and made sure everybody had a good time. Each day, and with each game, a child was a "Winner". There were 3 winners each day, a "bronze, silver and gold". These children were awarded with a certificate and a bronze/silver/gold medal at the mini disco each night, called up onto the stage and presented with there "prize".
The mini disco at night was around 8pm. Music was played loudly and there were normally two holiday reps entertaining the children. The music was cheesy and the usual songs such as YMCA and PIZZA HUT were played. Most of the children had a ball here and got up and danced.
After the mini disco for the children, a proper show/entertainment started for the adults, and for children too. The shows varied, sometimes being karaoke competitions, however my favourite was when the reps put on the musical Grease! It was really good and looked almost proffesional.
If you wanted to stay at the hotel all night but didn't want to go too the entertainment in the main room, there were plenty of pool tables etc scattered around which could be used at a small cost. Overall the entertainment at the hotel was wonderful and you were never short of something to do!

Dinner
Again, dinner was in the buffet restaurant in which breakfast had been served. I again can't be sure, but I think that dinner was served between 6pm until 8.30pm every night. We normally went down for ours at around 6.30pm which seemed to be the best time to go as peak time seemed to be around 7pm. The buffet again, was huge and you could go up for however many courses you wanted too. Even my brother found plenty of things too eat and he is an incredibly fussy eater.
Food wasn't really in any order, however the starters seemed to be in the same area as with the mains and desserts.
Before we went up to get our food, a waiter/waitress never failed to arrive at our table and take our drinks orders from us. Coffee/Tea's were available at the buffet area however if you wanted a soft drink such as coke, or an alcholic beverage such as wine, you were required to order at your table. The drinks never took more than five minutes to arrive. Again, you had to be careful when retrieving your food and making your way back to the seat as it was often very busy.
Starters included things such as hot soups, cold salads, fruits such as melon, seafood dishes such as prawns and prawn cocktails, aswell as breads and cold meats. We always managed to find something delicous to eat for our starter, and if I can recommend anything it was the special cheeses which came with the salads, it was delicious.
Main courses were just as good, if not better than the starters. The variety was massive. Chicken dishes, fish dishes, meat dishes and casseroles were available aswell as more unusal things such as chilli. There were always potatoes and chips available and as the chips were so delicious I seemed to over indulge in them. Im not sure if it will still be there, however on around three occasions I had a main course (along with chips of coarse), of this special spicy sausage pasta dish, it was delicious and I often found myself going up for a second (third, fourth, fifth........) helping of it. The main courses were outstanding and well worth the price we payed for half board.
If you hadn't stuffed yourself enough on your starters and mains, there was wide choice of different puddings you could choose from. There were various ice cream machines with lots of different flavours, vanilla, toffee, mint and strawberry amoung them, as well as some more "mature" ices such as lemon sorbet. There were a variety of pastries and cakes on offer too and I have to recommend the toffee caramel chocolate ecclair! As with breakfast, you could also choose to have fresh fruit with some yoghurt (sadly, again, it was really bitter).

Service/Staff
The staff at the hotel made our holiday all the better. From the moment we arrived at reception to check in, untill the moment we checked out on our last day, they made us feel like we were truly valued and were appreciated for using there hotel.
Around the pool area, there were always people on hand to help with any queuries and they often started up a conversation with you themselves, asking how your holiday was going and if they could do anything to help. They were also amazing with entertainment around the pool area and often hosted games of pool bingo, water polo and sometimes even aqua arobics.
In the buffet they were just as helpful, and made sure if something in the buffet was out of stock, it would be re-stocked within five minutes. If you had any problems with your meal, or couldn't find something you were looking for, they'd be more than happy to help and would take pride in making you happy!
The entertainment at night was just super too and it was often incredibly funny! The humor and jokes didn't seem to be forced and the reps seemed genuine. They were more tahn happy to have there pictures taken with the little kids who looked up to them, and who wanted a photograph to remember there holiday by.
Overall the service and staff were absolutely fantastic and I don't think I could find one single thing to pick up on that could be changed!

Beach/Surrounding area/What to do
Around a two to five minute walk from the hotel was the splendid beach. The beach was always fairly packed and it was difficult not to meet new people and become friends with them. The sea water was always really warm and perfect for a mid afternoon swim. The sand was golden and the beach was really really clean which added all the more to the enjoyment.
Around the beach/hotel area were plenty of cafes and bars where you could buy a bite of lunch or a glass of juice whenever you needed it. There was a particular cafe which we often stopped at for lunch which sold these absolutely delicious toasties and sandwiches..a drink was also included in the price so it was the perfect choice.
Around a ten minute walk from the hotel, and leading off the beach there was also a Mcdonalds, which we couldn't help but use on more than one occasion. Unlike UK Mcdaonlds though, it was mainly outside, as with all the seating area.
If you took the bus, you could also visit Loro Parque (a wildlife park type thing) and a water park (Siam Park). I wil not review these now as reviews will come at a later date.

**
Cost of the holiday
Now, my mum wouldn't tell me exactly how much the holiday cost, however we booked in April 2007, and we flew in July 2007 and we were booking for 2 adults and 2 children, half board for 14 days, and it set us back around £2400. We have since enquired and booking ahead for next summer would cost around £3500. The hotel is only available half board, and so this is what every booking price would be for.
Although meals are all included in the price, snacks and drinks from the snack bar are to be payed for at the time of buying.

**

Overall, we were all really really impressed with the hotel of our choice and we would definitly recommend it. We may return to the hotel in the next few years to come, and we hold out alot of hope it will live up to our last experience here. I would recommend this to any family with children looking for entertainment, and it would also be good as a base to come back to for couples or singletons. If you are travelling alone, you will more than likely meet new people and make friends, so you wont be alone too much of the time.

SweetTooth 93 

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