Hotel Suite Villa Maria

Hotel Suite Villa Maria is far from the Playa de las Americas all-inclusive crowd, both literally and figuratively -- the hotel is located in a semi-isolated area in Costa Adeje with only golf courses and a few fellow upscale hotels as neighbors, and the quiet composure found inside the property is quite a departure from the non-stop entertainment found at many all-inclusives in this part of the island (Villa Maria offers bed-and-breakfast and half-board rates). The same family that owns Villa Maria also owns the large and popular golf course that bounds the hotel on three sides. In fact, Villa Maria's grounds jut into the golf course -- which has hosted the Tenerife Ladies Open tournament of the Ladies European Tour -- like a peninsula in a sea of perfectly manicured green. Considering the proprietor and immediate 9-hole and 18-hole golf course surroundings, it's little wonder that the hotel attracts golf-loving families and couples, coming primarily from the U.K., Germany, Spain, and Scandinavia, for weeklong stays. The hotel also houses professional sports teams while they train at across the street at Tenerife Top Training, a fitness facility with a football pitch and an Olympic pool. Villa Maria is laid out like a small village; its Canarian architect designed a large, open-air square with archways to serve as the hotel's main entry point, from which the indoor reception area, teens' and kids' rooms, hair salon, mini-market, and sports bar all radiate. Beyond the main square, a tiered pool area with an island and waterfall is enclosed by two rows of terra-cotta-tile-roofed villas on either side. Here, well-behaved kids paddle in the children's pool or romp in the enclosed playground and relaxed adults occasionally venture from their sun loungers for a yoga or Zumba lesson, or to return to their private veranda, head out for a round of golf, or take advantage of the free hotel shuttle bus to the beach. With a maximum capacity of 318 guests spread among its 78 bi-level villas, Villa Maria delivers tranquility, privacy, and security. All in all, this is a peaceful, intimate, and exclusive enclave for well-heeled leisure travelers more interested in golf proximity and laid-back luxury than busy Playa de las Americas. 

Nestled into the Costa Adeje Golf Course, Hotel Suite Villa Maria is located in quiet Costa Adeje. Costa Adeje is considered much more upscale than uproarious Playa de las Americas to the south -- and it definitely is -- but that upscale designation really only comes from the fact that the golf course and handful of high-end golf resorts are located here. Beyond that, Costa Adeje is essentially a still-developing suburb that can feel a little barren once you're off the course or past resort property lines. A car or a solid grasp on the TITSA bus system is crucial for getting around; there are underutilized sidewalks along the hilly main road, but there isn't really anything within walking distance of Villa Maria besides the adjacent golf course; Tenerife Top Training, a renowned fitness and training center immediately across the street; a smattering of similar villa hotels; and large-scale construction sites in various states of completion. - Two-minute walk to Tenerife Top Training

• 16-minute walk or three-minute drive to La Caleta, a holiday town with a small stony beach
• Six-minute drive to Playa del Duque, one of Costa Adeje’s best beaches; free hotel shuttle service available
• 14-minute drive to Siam Mall and Siam Park
• 15-minute drive to Playa de las Americas
• 21-minute drive to Tenerife South Airport

True to Villa Maria's position as a village-like golf resort, the 78 duplex villas are more like vacation homes than typical hotel rooms. (Maybe make that dream vacation homes, since here you can cook dinner and leave the kitchen disorder to housekeeping.) The villas start at 800 square feet and come in one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations, all with full kitchens, living rooms, and multiple bathrooms (even one-bedroom villas have guest bathrooms on the first floor). The villas' stand-out features are their vast outdoor spaces. Astroturfed balconies and terraces have sun loungers and tables and chairs for alfresco dining. Because verandas face south, they get sunshine all day, from sunrise over the mountains to sunset over the ocean. Some have private pools or whirlpools. Such features are perfectly in line with the hotel's upscale status, but room decor is surprisingly spare. Wall art is limited to framed prints depicting desert or mountain landscapes. Furnishings vary, but living room furniture generally fall into the beachy wicker family, with neutral-toned cushions. All in all, there's very little to soften the white marble floors and mostly bare white walls.All units have LG flat-screen TVs with international channels (BBC 1, BBC 2, CBeebies, ITV, Sky News) in the living and master bedrooms, as well as bathrobes, safes, and free Wi-Fi. (Note that there are only TVs in the living rooms and master bedrooms, even in villas with two or three bedrooms.) Rooms are sustainably air-conditioned by a control system that automatically shuts down when terrace doors or windows are opened. Kitchens are fully equipped with ovens, two-eye stovetops, toasters, coffeemakers, electric kettles, microwaves, refrigerators, and utensils. Housekeeping will clean all used dishes and utensils, so there are no dishwashers in the kitchens. Both guest and master bathrooms have walk-in showers with hydromassage showerheads, luxe bath products, and hairdryers. Upstairs master bathrooms add separate soaking tubs with handheld showerheads and enclosed toilet rooms with bidets, as well as ample natural light. Toiletries kits include body wash, shampoos, soaps, hand creams, toothbrushes, toothpastes, razors, shaving gels, wash mitts, and shower caps. Toiletries bags are provided for children and include duck-shaped sponges. In addition to the plush white towels, bathrobes, and slippers, pool towels are provided in the rooms and can be changed daily by the pools.

Many of Villa Maria's features are scattered around the main square. There is a hair salon, a teen room with four PlayStations, and an adjacent indoor kids' club with colorful wall-to-wall murals with circus, underwater, and beach themes. The kids' room is supervised throughout the day, and kids have a play kitchen set (complete with a mini grill), loads of games, building blocks, coloring supplies, and a mini ball pit at their disposal. The kids' club bathroom features a pint-sized toilet. Kids' programming includes face-painting, bingo, water aerobics, Play-Doh, ping-pong, balloons, live music, and a nightly free mini disco. When we visited, the mini disco was just getting started in the main square, but the participants were largely distracted by the exotic bird show that was setting up a few feet away.Next to the kids' club is the mini-mart, where guests can stock up on local wine and beer, plus a small assortment of kitchen goods, like hot dogs, eggs, cheese, pasta, ice cream, and bottled water. Along the back edge of the square is the sports bar, which airs football and rugby games and hosts live entertainment acts a few nights a week. Above the sports bar is the main restaurant, La Torre Restaurant, and rooftop lounge area with ocean views. At La Torre, guests can pour themselves free Moet champagne at the buffet breakfast (which is generally considered excellent) or slice free Iberian ham hock at dinner. A children's menu is available, and the restaurant will make kids' portions of regular menu items. La Torre currently has outdoor seating overlooking the pool area, but the hotel has plans to convert the terrace into an extension of the indoor dining room. A separate rooftop lounge area overlooks the ocean and serves drinks.The fitness center and squash court -- both free to use -- are located in the lower level of this main complex. The gym has Salter equipment (multi-function trainer, two treadmills, and a bike), plus free weights. There is also an underground night club, but this is mostly used as a back-up space for kids' activities on rare rainy days. Beyond the main square area is the pool complex, with three heated freshwater pools (with a bridge, island, and waterfall), and a pool bar with poolside barbecue. One of the three pools is for kids; nearby is a fenced-in, Astroturfed playground with a seesaw, swings, playhouse, sandpit, and several slides. The playground and kids' pool require parental supervision.Guests can access the beach via Villa Maria's free shuttle service, which goes from the hotel to Playa del Duque and Shopping Center and back twice a day. Guests can also book car rentals, excursions, treks, bike tours, and paragliding ventures in the lobby, where there is 24-hour concierge service. There are two computers in the lobby for guest use. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, and free parking is available at the hotel's private underground lot.