Costa Adeje Hotels – Bahia Principe Costa Adeje Review

Bahia Principe Costa Adeje ****

The Bahia Principe Costa Adeje is a superior four star hotel located right by the beach of Playa Paraíso, south-west Tenerife.  It is one of two hotels in the Pueblo Principe leisure complex, with the other one, somewhat confusingly, being called the “Bahia Principe Hotel”.  Board is on an all-inclusive basis at the hotel with many guests reporting how the all-inclusive experience here is so much better than at other Costa Adeje hotels.  The hotel rooms have some truly beautiful views over the ocean and you can even see the little island of La Gomera in the distance.  Reviewers of this hotel loved it: at Trip Advisor, out of 482 reviewers a massive 53% rated it “excellent” and a further 28% scored it “very good” – that’s a total of 81% of satisfied customers.  Only 11% rated it below average with the remaining 8% scoring it “average”.  Over at Holiday Watchdog it is the same story with 30 reviewers giving this hotel 8.5 out of 10 on average.  Please read on for more details on those reviews and some inside information on the Bahia Principe Costa Adeje:

Costa Adeje Hotels Bahia Principe Gardens by flickr.com/photos/stegsie/

Location

The location of this hotel must be the envy of some of the other Costa Adeje hotels; it’s tranquil, on a pretty area of the coast at Playa Paraiso, about three miles further up the coast from the main beaches of Fanabe and Torviscas which means that here we are talking a different type of holiday than you will get in the main resorts.  It’s quieter and more scenic, away from the hustle and bustle.

The hotel’s tranquil location means that if you are planning a trip out from the hotel and the bays around it, you will need a car.  However, a short walk from the hotel brings you to the small commercial centre at the resort with its small selection of shops and a smattering of bars and restaurants, and given the extensive hotel facilities you may decide that you are happy spending your entire Costa Adeje holiday just relaxing in and around the hotel, as many people do.

There is a little rocky beach below the hotel, but it’s nothing special and there are better beaches with easier access to the sea for the kids if you walk a little further.

By the way, the airport is less than 30 minutes’ drive away, so the transfer time is nice and short.

Rooms

The hotel’s 478 rooms are arranged in nine low-rise five-storey blocks around the pools, which means that unlike some of the other Costa Adeje hotels, you are not staying in a huge concrete sky-scraper but rather a collection of smaller buildings.  All have a balcony/terrace and most (but not all) have a sea view.  Some rooms have a king-size bed and others have twin beds, so you need to choose the room type when you book to make sure you get what you want.  Twenty-five of the rooms are designated as junior suites – superior and more expensive – and these have a “hydro-massage tub”.  All rooms have air conditioning, a ceiling fan, bathroom with toiletries provided, hair dryer, satellite TV with 28 channels, safe, mini-bar and phone.  Customers seem to be almost universally complimentary about their rooms compared to other Costa Adeje hotels, with “spacious and clean” being a common theme.

Outside

Costa Adeje Hotels Bahia Principe

There are two sizeable landscaped pools at the Bahia Principe Costa Adeje, one of which is heated in the winter.  There are also extensive terraces and gardens, well-stocked with sunbeds and beach umbrellas, so there is no shortage of somewhere to sit and relax in the sun or the shade.  A nice touch is that you can get towels for the swimming pool at no extra charge – just pay a deposit at reception.  Because one of the pools is virtually on the cliff edge right next to the sea, you can find a spot to just sit and gaze out over the ocean, maximising the relaxation element of your Tenerife holiday.  Many guests report how clean and tidy they found the pool and gardens to be and another mentions the “beautiful landscaping”.  One word of advice – the tiles around the pool are said to get slippery when wet, which is often of course – just something to be aware of.

Leisure

The Bahía Spa offers a sauna, jacuzzi and also a gym if you really must do something energetic – all included in the price.  The gym is something of a weak point compared to other Costa Adeje hotels judging by a couple of reviews that mention the small number of machines that have seen better days.  You will also find a tennis court, squash court, mini-golf, ping-pong and billiards.

Entertainment at the hotel is extensive, with a very full programme compared to some of the other Costa Adeje hotels.  There are games and activities inside and out, in the daytime and evenings, for both children and adults.  Daytime activities include water polo and aerobics, and there is a Mini-club is for children aged 4-12, and also a junior disco.  Later there is an international show and live music in the evenings.  One reviewer said that the entertainment team was the highlight of his Tenerife holiday!

Food

There is a main buffet-style restaurant at the hotel, offering a great range of freshly prepared food in a light and airy restaurant.  This restaurant is also used for breakfast and lunch, but there is also a snack bar and a pool bar or the daytime food service.  In the evenings, as well as the main buffet restaurant there are three, yes three, themed a la carte restaurants to choose from.  The Vistamar restaurant specialises in seafood and fish dishes; the Casa Bonita, as you might expect, is Spanish; and the Portofino – hmm – yes, you are right – this is the Italian eaterie.   Note that for the a la carte restaurants, hotel policy is that you book in advance, and up to three visits per week are included in the price of your all-inclusive stay, which is pretty generous and you will not find this at many of the Costa Adeje hotels.  It means you can have a change of scenery and food and at no extra cost – although it has to be said that most people were more than happy with the variety of the changing menu in the main restaurant.

Bars

The pool bar is open from 10am to 6pm, and inside the snack bar area serves drinks until midnight with the lobby bar closing at 11pm.  There is a good selection of beers, wines, spirits and cocktails on offer, with juices etc. for the children and of course it is all included in the price.

Staff

The team at the Bahia Principe Costa Adeje get very good reviews, with words like “helpful” and “attentive” used to describe them.  They clearly go out of their way to create an exceptional atmosphere and they get a kind mention in review after review.  One reviewer simply describes the service as “fantastic”.

Insider Tips

“Odd numbered rooms face out onto the pool whilst even numbered rooms face out onto the back of the hotel.”

“If you have little ones that like a paddle in the sea, there is a better beach a bit further on – follow the path up to the road from the hotel beach, its not too far and the water is shallow and calm.”

Verdict
If you want a holiday where you can walk from the hotel to a lively strip of clubs, pubs and shops, then you need to stay at one of the other great Costa Adeje hotels featured on this web site.  But if you want to get away from it all and relax in beautiful, clean surroundings with your every need catered for by helpful staff (sounds like my kind of place!) then this could just be the hotel for you.  I give it a well-deserved nine out of ten.

You can get the best prices and current availability for the Bahia Principe Costa Adeje and other hotels in the area by visiting this link: Costa Adeje Hotels.