Hotel Jardin Tropical

Hotel Jardin Tropical is housed in a gorgeous white-stucco hacienda-style building with lots of marble in the common areas. It was designed by acclaimed architect Melvin Villarroel in 1986, who also designed the Sheraton La Caleta up the coast, albeit two decades later. The original owner who commissioned the structure was considering turning it into an apartment complex rather than a hotel, and a few units here are privately owned (but the hotel is hoping to buy them out).

Guests pass under a huge wooden awning into the lovely, sleek, and cool lobby with a fountain at one end and a few round egg-style chairs, plus a smattering of potted plants alongside some white candles. The property's piece de resistance is its huge outdoor centerpiece courtyard housing a gigantic lagoon pool complex with multitudes of towering palm trees and a powerful waterfall-style fountain that adds a solid element of white noise and acts as a screen between the pool and the restaurant terrace. The hotel attracts a solid mix of British, Belgian, Dutch, and German guests, including families and couples of all age groups.

Hotel Jardin Tropical is located in the southern part of Adeje in an area with lots of other hotels as well as a fair few shops and restaurants, including the outlet branch of popular Spanish clothing store Mango (a four-minute walk away). Puerto Colon Beach and Playa de el Bobo are each about 10 minutes away on foot. Siam Park and Siam Mall are a roughly three-minute drive from the hotel. Playa de las Americas is a five-minute drive or half-hour walk from the hotel, while Los Cristianos takes about seven minutes to reach by foot. Mount Teide and its surrounding national park take just over an hour to reach by car, while Masca Valley, known for its great trekking, is a 45-minute drive away. Tenerife South Airport is about 15 to 20 minutes away by car, depending on traffic, and can be accessed by bus 711 or bus 111 in about 50 minutes.

There's only one type of room here -- called Double Rooms -- along with three categories of suites: Junior Suites, Suites, and Presidential Suites. Decor schemes are consistent across categories, with off-white walls (including cream papered accent walls), darkish wooden doors and furniture, and dark-teal accents in lampshades, bedrunners, and (in suite categories) sofas. Junior Suites follow an open plan, while the Suites and Presidential Suites have separate living rooms and bedrooms. 

Standard amenities include mini-fridge, flat-screen TVs, safes (for a fee), and bathrobes, but only Junior Suite and higher-category rooms have coffee- and tea-making facilities and slippers. Bathrooms have predominantly marble tiling, double vanities, and shower/tub combos (although the hotel plans to switch over to walk-in showers in all rooms in late-2017), plus magnifying mirrors and hairdryers. All units with the exception of four of the Double Rooms have balconies, complete with wicker chairs, wrought-iron tables, and flower boxes filled. 

The features at Jardin Tropical are impressive across the board, though what really stands out is the gorgeous pool, a sprawling lagoon-style construction flanked by clusters of towering palm trees with a waterfall fountain feature off to one side. Rows of lounge chairs and umbrellas are located at the far end (Bali beds for a fee), while the waterfall section -- closer to the main building -- provides a barrier between the pool and the terrace of the main restaurant. This eatery serves buffet-style breakfast and dinner, and though breakfast-only and half- and full-board packages are options, there's no all-inclusive service.

Other dining options include the informal Los Cucuruchos Restaurant next to the pool, a pool bar, lobby bar, and cocktail bar -- Cafe de Paris -- with a variety of live music and performance in the evenings. There's also a coast-facing Beach Club connected to the hotel, where the fine-dining Las Rocas Restaurant is located. Because of regulations banning private beaches in Spain, access to the club is open to outside guests (for a fee), but those staying at the hotel get freebies such as lounge chairs. While Las Rocas is certainly a big draw, many people come to the club to swim in its gorgeous meandering saltwater lagoon pool that's refilled with water sourced from 30 meters deep every morning to keep it clean. The views here certainly help draw in hotel guests and outsiders alike, and while its cliffside location means you can't get into the sea, the coastal views are pretty spectacular. 

The hotel offers lots of wellness facilities, including a small spa with a whirlpool hot tub, steam room, and sauna, plus massages and other treatments. The 24-hour fitness center here is particularly striking, with LifeFitness cardio and weight-training equipment. Classes for active guests include Zumba, water aerobics, yoga, and Pilates, along with table tennis. Other amenities include a lending library and a small kids' club, although it's only open during summer and school holidays and even then, only in the afternoon and early evenings. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and there's free (but limited) on-site parking available on a first-come, first-served basis.