Be Live Experience Playa La Arena

Be Live Playa La Arena attracts couples and families alike, and gets a lot of tour groups. At any given time, about 25 percent of the guest rooms are occupied by tourists who come with a French operator that has its own animation team. The lobby is topped by a central atrium and has gray-and-rust marble floors and lots of seating areas, plus shops selling sundries and a lobby bar with white chairs and a big outdoor terrace. Four stories of rooms are housed above the lobby and are accessible by elevators. Hallways leading to most rooms are open-air, with views of the lobby over planter-box terraces filled with cascading greenery. The level just below the lobby features an expansive, meandering fountain and leads out to pool area, the main hub of activity at the resort, where there are adults' and kids' pools, plus a pool bar and plenty of lounge chairs.

Be Live Playa La Arena is situated on the southwestern coast of Tenerife, about a 30-minute drive north of Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos. Access to Playa la Arena is via a panoramic glass elevator at the base of the hotel that leads to the coastal road, where there are plenty of shops and restaurants, but not a ton of nightlife. From the base of the elevator, it's just five minutes on foot to sandy La Arena Beach. Getting to Mount Teide at the center of the island takes about an hour by car, while the popular Masca Valley, with great hiking opportunities, is about 35 minutes away by car. Tenerife South Airport takes roughly 40 minutes by car to reach, traffic permitting.

This hotel offers a wide range of guest room and suite configurations, including Double and Triple rooms, and Junior Suites that sleep up to four. There are also a few accessible rooms on the ground floor. Units were refurbished in 2016 and feature modern, neutral decor, including beige sofa beds and light-wood furniture. All have balconies with either street or sea views, flat-screen TVs and safes, but free in-room Wi-Fi isn't standard.  

For families, the property offers special "Better Together" units, which add kid-focused features, including PlayStations, child-size robes and slippers, high chairs, toys, chalkboards, easels, and play tents on the terraces, plus extras such as changing tables, baby tubs, and baby bottle warmers. These are all on the sixth floor and have street views (though some have partial ocean views). During our visit we were told that the hotel plans to eventually create more of these units with full ocean views.

In terms of views, grownups have it a bit better with Adults Club units, all of which are on the seventh and eight floors and overlook the ocean. Amenities include espresso machines and Bluetooth iPod docks with massive speakers, plus free in-room Wi-Fi, exclusive seating areas in the restaurant and by the pool (including a private deck with ocean view), and premium drinks. 

Bathrooms are simple and fairly basic but attractive. All have separate walk-in showers and shower/tub combos, and hairdryers and basic toiletries are provided.

This resort has plenty to keep guests busy, with notably excellent fitness facilities and lots for kids and adults alike. There are three pools, including one with a waterslide as well as an adults-only pool where flotation devices are not allowed. A separate terrace for adults staying in Adults Club rooms looks out over the pool area and to the ocean. There's also an outdoor recreational area at the front of the resort, with mini-golf, petanque, shuffleboard, and soccer, along with a kids' club featuring a huge wooden pirate ship with slides and a bouldering section. 

For adults who want to work out, the beFit gym near the pool offers cardio and weight-training equipment, and there are a variety of regular fitness classes throughout the day. There's also a larger Panorama Sports Center that guests can access for a fee, with tennis courts and soccer pitches. While there is a beauty salon, the hotel lacks a spa -- however, guests can request to use the facilities at Be Live Los Gigantes, the hotel's sister property located a few minutes' walk up the hill

The hotel is all-inclusive only, with regular and premium packages available (the latter includes top-level liquors). Watering holes include the Lobby Bar with live music in the evenings, a mini-disco (with an adjacent bar for parents), a sports bar with live screenings of sporting events -- and by that we mean soccer (this is Spain, after all). All three meals are served in a main buffet restaurant with themed nights, including Indian and Spanish specialties. Late breakfast is served at the poolside Mylos Restaurant for those who sleep in past the morning service, and snacks and drinks are on offer here all day. In the evening, Mylos becomes an a la carte restaurant with show cooking. Better Together and Adults Only guests get three free a la carte passes per week; others get one per week (with a seven-night minimum stay). 

Although it's not really a business hotel, there are four meeting rooms here for rent. Just off the lobby is a VIP lounge for Adults Only guests, with snacks and free internet terminals. Wi-Fi is free in the lobby but costs extra in rooms, and on-site parking is available for a fee.