Hotel Gran Turquesa Playa

The Turquesa is located high up from the coast in the northern resort of Puerto de la Cruz. There is little of interest in the immediate vicinity of the hotel while both the nearest beach (Playa Jardín) and town centre is a 10-15 minute walk. If you are arriving by car then you should be able to find a parking space in the road just in front of the hotel or if not a few minutes' walk away across the bridge. The island's northern airport is 19 miles away while the southern is 57 miles away.

If you are sensitive to noise while you sleep you may want to think twice about staying at the Turquesa. Our room was at the back of the hotel, facing the interior of the island and even with the balcony doors closed we could hear the noise of guests from hotels opposite. Perhaps rooms in a different part of the hotel are quieter - ask at reception. Also worth noting about the rooms is that the air conditioning only functions during summer. This may sound logical but Tenerife enjoys good weather all year round so even in winter some may feel they need cooling down. A fan might be in order. There are five rooms reserved for handicapped guests although they do not have walk-in showers.

Despite its tall skyscraper installation, the glass lift and the tall silver columns, all of which suggest a certain quality, the lobby is a misrepresentation of the rest of the hotel. It is grand, shiny and has a slope leading up to the first floor which is perhaps something you'd expect in a real four star hotel. However it is quite a dull space which lacks atmosphere, with a reception whose location is not immediately obvious, and a horrible tanoy announcement system which makes you feel as is you are in Sainsbury's. Look up and you'll see the galleries of the building's five floor and the corridors running in front of the rooms. At then back of the lobby is Aquagym, the hotel's fitness and wellness centre which has a good size gym with decent machines as well as an indoor pool and jacuzzi. Also in the lobby are several shops including a hairdressers and a boutique selling arts and crafts.

Outside at the pool, which is slightly cramped around the edges with the sun beds, receives the sun relatively late in the day and sees it slip down behind the surrounding buildings quite early. Lucky then that there is a terrace just above the main area with the kids pool and jacuzzi where you can get in a sunbathing session before breakfast. There is also a covered chill out zone which is an extension to one of the bars where smokers can light up. As well as the small kids playground there is a bigger, indoor play centre for kids aged 4-12 which is in good condition and has plenty to keep the kids occupied, including a room for games and painting with the animators. These latter also entertain adults during the day with activities such as ping pong, aquagym and darts as well as putting on bingo or music shows at night (just after the mini disco).

The general condition of the hotel is not great with quite a few areas in need of renovation or at the very least a lick of paint. Some pubic areas of the hotel are pleasant with roses and other plants brightening up what is otherwise a characterless complex. The terrace on top of the hotel building has got great all round views and some effort has been made with the greenery, but it isn't a space you'd want to spend too much time in as it's not kept as pleasant as it could be.

Wifi is available without charge in the lobby (although we had trouble connecting) and will be extended throughout the entire hotel soon at a charge of roughly 5? per day. There are coin-operated PCs available if you don't have a laptop and a 10? deposit is required for beach/pool towels.

The rooms at Turquesa are simple affairs with basic furniture comprising a desk, butler and sofa. The amenities include a regular small television (ours suddenly stopped working during our stay), a telephone, a safe (3? per day) and a fridge (free of charge). The bathrooms are sufficiently big and include a separate toilet with sliding door, bathtub with shower, hairdryer and toiletries in sachets. There is also a medium-sized balcony with plastic furniture which looks on to the interior of the island or out to sea. Access to the rooms is fairly simple with several lifts serving different parts of the building. We would suggest keeping the doors of the balcony closed if you are sensitive to noise (that is if it's summer and the air con is functioning).

The hotel's main restaurant is located on the first floor of the building, just up from the reception area. It must be said that our experience at breakfast left a lot to be desired. Aside from the fact that the food was not the tastiest we had experienced, we also found the floor to be dirty and slippery in places and the tables, despite having been re-laid, were still dirty from the previous occupants and the crockery had also not been cleaned properly. For some reason the blinds were drawn, meaning that you couldn't even look out the window during your meal. At lunch and dinner times there is an international buffet in the same restaurant, while twice per week in the evening there is a themed dinner (Argentinian, Italian or Canarian). The hotel has three bars: one opposite the restaurant, another snack bar by the pool and a third outside the entrance to the hotel which is more like a pub.

The closest beach is Playa de Martiánez. The beach enjoys fine white sand although this is mixed with a little seaweed once in the water, which is pretty clear. There is plenty of space in which to sunbathe and sufficient loungers, which are available at a fee (all beaches in Spain are public). Even in the high season one does not feel too claustrophobic. Note that it can get quite windy in this part of the coast.