Apartamentos Marola Park

Marola Park Apartments' delightfully retro exterior sign gives onlookers the impression of being in 1950s Palm Springs rather than modern-day Playa de las Americas. The rest of the hotel's Bazooka-pink outward appearance feels in line with the town's taste for flash, but the interior is decidedly calmer and quieter than the area's glitzier properties -- and brighter and airier than the sometimes-grubby apartment-style hotels nearby. Here, the stylish lobby gets a cross breeze between the front doors and the courtyard entrance, and guests can enjoy lemon water and a handful of candy and nuts instead of waiting for their eyes to adjust, as they might in the ill-lit lobbies of similar hotels in Marola's value category. The spotless lobby's furnishings are more modern than the rest of the hotel, but its immaculate tidiness and welcoming vibe accurately reflects the property at large. 

Marola, which has a three-story main building and two four-story wings, has enough shared features to provide a resort-like experience, but apartment-like rooms allow for self-catering stays, as well. The laid-back hotel and its genuinely cheery staff attract a roster of repeat guests -- mainly Britons and Italians in the summer and Finns in the winter, when average stays stretch to two to four weeks. (Many Finnish guests make the Marola their second home in the winter, staying here up to three times before the spring thaw sets in.)

Marola is located at the southeastern edge of the Playa de las Americas golden zone, near the foot of Chayofita Mountain. Beyond the mountain is the charming village of Los Cristianos, which can be reached on foot from the hotel in about 15 minutes. The location is ideal for travelers who want to be near the action, but not in the heart of it. The well-situated hotel is directly on a popular commercial stretch filled with pizzerias, tapas restaurants, delis, pharmacies, and wine bars. There is a large grocery store just around the corner and a TITSA bus stop right outside the hotel's front doors. The wide beach of Playa de las Vistas is just under a 10-minute walk away. From here, travelers can walk north along the beachside path all along Playa de las Americas main tourist zone. 

• Three-minute walk to Mercadona supermarket
• Eight-minute walk to Playa de las Vistas
• 12-minute walk to Safari Commercial Center
• 15-minute walk to Los Cristianos
• 14-minute drive to Tenerife South Airport

Marola's 72 rooms consist of studios (which can accommodate two people) and one- and two-bedroom apartments. Rooms are short on style, with very outdated fabrics and basic light-wood furnishings that are a notch above what you'd find in student housing (though the Joan Miro prints on the walls are a nice touch -- as are the welcome bonbons and bottles of local Fuentealta spring water). There is a kitchenette in every unit, each one with a three- or four-eye stovetop, coffeemaker, microwave, toaster, kettle, utensils, pots, dish soap, dish towels, and a sponge. Each unit also has a sizable balcony with plastic patio furniture; Studios have pool or street views, and all apartments are situated to have pool views. The two two-bedroom apartments are located on the top floors of the two wings, and have enormous private balconies (the biggest at Marola) with sun loungers, tables, and chairs.

All units have marble floors, sleeper sofas, and small Samsung flat-screen TVs with English, German, and Spanish channels (including BBC and ITV) and DVD players. Bathrooms have hairdryers, pedestal sinks, shower/tub combos, and windows letting in natural light. Toiletries are not provided. Both safes and Wi-Fi are an additional fee. Rooms are not air-conditioned, but have ceiling fans in the bedrooms, and AC units can be rented. Housekeeping provides fresh bath and pool towels five days a week. Recycling bins can be found on all floors.

Like many Playa de las Americas resorts, Marola's star attraction is its pool area, an enclosed courtyard tucked between the main building and the two wings. A small, asymmetrical heated pool is framed by a terra-cotta-tile-topped pool bar, a toddlers' wading pool, neat rows of sun loungers, and landscaped pockets with palm trees and flowering desert plants. And unlike many Playa de las Americas resorts, the pool area is not the backdrop for day-long entertainment, or even piped-in music. Instead, this is a relaxing oasis with a sleepy pace. Guests waiting to check in, or those who have already checked out, can still enjoy the pool deck thanks to courtesy bathrooms with showers. Off the pool area is an indoor game room, where those needing a break from the sun can partake in billiards, air hockey, foosball, chess, checkers, or virtual tennis; play the piano; relax on one of the many sofa sets (or the massage chair) and connect to the room's free Wi-Fi; log on to one of the three coin-operated computers; or pick up reading material left by previous guests. On the far side of the pool area is a massage room (run by an outside company) and a fitness room with two treadmills, mini stair-steppers, a row machine, three bikes, and a ping-pong table (paddles available at reception; require a deposit). 

Marola's small buffet restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and has outdoor seating with views of the lively street scene. Note that lunch is not served in the summer. Dinners rotate between Chinese, Canarian, Mexican, and international themes. Marola offers bed-and-breakfast, half board, and all-inclusive rates, with the all-inclusive option the most popular in the winter. There is a laundry room on-site.