Bahia Principe Sunlight San Felipe

We went to Tenerife for a break in April and booked half board in the Bahia principe in Puerto de la Cruz. It is a very big hotel in a central location, walking distance to the shops and restaurants. As we booked half board (the hotel has 2 options half board or all inclusive) you could choose dinner or lunch at the hotel. Which was good for us as we like to go out for an evening meal. Upon arrival you receive an armband which is also the key for your door and you can buy drinks etc with this to be added to your bill. The room looked a bit dated, but was very spacious with a large patio area. It had a bath, shower, fridge, tv, 2 armchairs, patio furniture etc. The only item I missed, was a kettle. Breakfast was very good: something for everyone. Lunch:,warm and cold, large selection. Wine served at lunchtime. We went in April and there were always enough sunloungers and towels provided too. The room gets cleaned everyday and is spotless. Staff also very friendly and helpful. We realized too late that it is not much more expensive to book all inclusive, it would pay for the drinks even if you decided like ourselves to go out in the evening. The reason for 4 stars is for the rooms could do with an update. Everything else is very good.

Let’s start with the staff we’re very good. The hotel room was very dated and worn … bathroom was a joke. Stained bath, toilet almost inaccessible due to being between two walls. The food quality was not good and always cold. The snacks in the pool area were awful. Some sandwiches, a bit of salad, cold chips, frankfurters that sit in water for ages, a weird hamburger that looked more like spam. Some ice cream but very basic, not even a cone, just a tiny bowl. The other fine dining restaurant I would not bother with… it was not good at all. We had prawn with avocado to start. Just two prawns with avocado mash and loads of chopped tomatoes and celery. I had duck …omg inedible. Don’t bother it looked like a piece of liver. We went for the premium drinks upgrade however because of that the hotel demands we have to sign for every drink we had… I have no idea why as all the other guests with all inclusive did not need to sign ?? It was a nightmare, I tried to complain but was looked at as if I was mad. Looked like I was complaining about the service, I wasn’t I was annoyed at the decision to have to go this every time we wanted a drink… also watch out for the Sargent major at breakfast.. so definitely would not go back .. NB if you wanted something special for dinner ie garlic prawns you had to pay €10 … scam. This management is using least viable product to get away with peoples hard earned money.

The hotel met our expectations. The room was excellent with the biggest balcony we ever got with the views over to the ocean and also Mount Teide. The room was spacious comfortable and clean. The mattress on the king size bed was really comfortable. There was a lot of draws and big wardrobe to put all our things. The food in the buffet restaurant was ok even though little bit basic. The breakfast was good with a great selection we especially liked the bread rolls choice. The staff was very nice and friendly. Dinner was not as good and we sometimes struggled to choose what to have, the deserts get replaced but the best ones go quickly and the replacement is not the same I missed the chocolate cakes as there wasn’t a lot of those on offer. Also both of us were ill for a day with stomach bug and as we only eat at the hotel probably got it there, I thought mine was from the chicken steak cooked on the grill as was a bit pink I stopped eaten it but by then was too late. All in all we had a good holiday. PDLC was as lovely as we hoped and we chose the hotel for the location. Also went for a trip booked with agency at the reception and was excellent, would recommend Mount Teide plus Masca trip. Would recommend the hotel and the location.

We spent ten days at this hotel and had a wonderful time . The staff couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. The food was great and there was a great mixture of activities. The restaurant staff made us feel at ease with two small children and were really friendly. It was my daughter’s 5th birthday and they went above and beyond to make it special for her . The male children’s entertainer was absolutely amazing with children and was full of energy and enthusiasm from morning till noon. We all had so much fun playing games , morning yoga , aqua Zumba and the evening mini disco and quiz. The hotel is also situated in a gorgeous area for walks in a beautiful little town. We couldn’t have wished for a better holiday. Thanks again to all the lovely staff for being so kind to us during our stay .

Good points Excellent sea views. The rooms are big and have plenty of storage. Close to shops and restaurants Staff work hard and are friendly. The housekeeping staff are really good and keep the room and hotel very clean. The drinks served on an evening were nice but you have to pay for them if you are half board. Good activities/entertainment for the children. Bad Points The pools are a bit small for the size of the hotel. When it's busy, you might struggle to get a sun lounger because they are reserved early in the morning. Poor lighting in the room. Air con does not work. Sewage smell from the vents in the bathroom. The shower pressure is weak. There are only 3 lifts for 16 floors, and there can be a bit of a wait during busy times. The doors can also close on you while you are getting in them, which is dangerous. The rooms are dated. A 4-star hotel should not be charging for the use of the safe. No tea or coffee in the room. You can ask for a kettle from reception and buy your own tea and coffee if you are desperate. It's probably advisable because the drinks machines in the buffet restaurant are terrible. The buffet restaurant is absolute chaos during busy periods. I feel so sorry for the staff working there. There's clearly not enough staff, and the restaurant is not big enough to deal with the number of guests.  From queuing to get into the restaurant and not enough bowels/plates, etc. The noise and ambience of the restaurant is like school dinners. The air con does not work properly, so it gets too hot and makes the whole dining experience unpleasant. There was heavy rain fall one day, and a section on the restaurant had to be closed off, which made the restaurant worse than usual. In my opinion, the a la carte restaurant should have been opened up to everyone to help elevate the problem. This brings me to the next question. Why do only the all inclusive guests have access to the a la carte restaurants? The half board guests should be able to go during their stay, too. This might also help reduce the choas in the buffet restaurant during peak times. If you have vegetarian or vegan dietary requirements, I think you will struggle with the food, especially if you are staying longer than a week. The chefs culinary skills seem to only be able to cater to meat eaters. The food labels are not always accurate. This could be dangerous if you have a food intolerance The food is very repetitive, and the standard  of the food declined during our stay. It would be nice to have proper themed food events each night to break up the repeativeness, e.g., Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Asian & USA. It would be useful if the food menu for the week. The desserts can be hit and miss. The nice deserts tend to go fast, and if you leave it too late, you will be left with jelly in a cocktail glass or yoghurt with sauce in a glass. I ordered an omelette one morning, and it was disgusting. I couldn't eat it. Location The beaches around puerto de la

Parents spent time consuming alcohol in the bar while their children were very disruptive and out of control. Spanish guitar player providing evening entertainment was very good and displayed an exquisite talent of avoiding balls being thrown in his direction while singing. Staff ignored the obvious. Seriously....avoid!!