"We paid for an All-Inclusive adults only holiday with TUI and paid extra for a superior room with partial sea view for 2 weeks from late December 2025. We returned yesterday very very disappointed. We do not feel that we had value for money.
Firstly, the good points -
All Staff were very pleasant and work hard.
Reception staff lovely, especially Paolo.
Pool spotless and all work very hard.
Rooms clean and they work very hard – and all say good morning etc. Lovely.
The buffet restaurant food was tasty enough but lacking variation.
Activities team really lovely but all a bit amateurish and repetitive – might be because most guests are elderly and they have to take that into consideration.
Ocean Blue was a very nice restaurant experience.
Disappointed with -
The ‘Included’ Alcohol was of diabolically poor quality and obviously the cheapest they can buy. Even when we stayed last year at the GF Isabel they at least offered recognised brands, i.e. Gordon’s and Beefeater Gin. Hovima are asking for extra payment for any ‘brand’ spirits. Gordon’s is hardly a top shelf gin but at least it tastes like gin!! The brandy was even worse than the gin. Their mixers are from a cordial syrup based gun and they are dreadful - unless you pay extra The tonic was totally flat on many nights - tasted more like soda and the cola is pathetic. Some guests thought it was funny that they were being treated well by the Bar staff as they were given enormous measures. More doesn’t mean better - quality of drinks is the lowest cheapest possible and tasteless unless you pay extra . Other All-inclusive packages we’ve been on at least include Beefeater and Gordon’s as standard. 0% alcohol was not included in the package. 0%Dorada beer was not included, until I complained. We want to have a nice social drink, not get pie-eyed every night!
Our 5th floor room was fine which we paid extra for but the balcony overlooked the Voodoo bar with bamboo & cam-net roof coverings (see photo). Also, just 80 metres away the Unique bar blasted out music all afternoon and into the early hours of morning. Then the drunken louts coming out shouting and swearing (and fighting) took us into the 2.00 am timeline - every night as they were going to the kebab shop 100 metres from the hotel. Horrendously noisy.
The restaurant food was acceptable quality but on the whole, quite repetitive, especially when there for 2 weeks. Plenty fish dishes. There were no ‘themed’ nights, like Spanish tapas, Italian (although there was always a pasta with a tomato sauce or pizza each night and day), no Indian, Chinese or Greek, etc. No garlic or spicy flavours. The same boring cheeses most days and not a grape to be seen (apart from on New Years Eve). Breakfast – there was no authentic Greek yoghurt, no berries of any description (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc).
Staff are all very hard working and nice, but many of them do not appear to be very happy doing their jobs. There was no “fun” interaction with guests – merely clear the plates as quickly as possible for the next guests, occasionally still chewing food and they whip your plate away! I went back to get some marmalade and they’d taken my toast!
It would surely be more pleasant for staff as well as the guests to be able to have a quick laugh or some exchange of pleasantries rather than just taking plates away. I know they work hard behind the scenes but I felt it was coming from the hotel management that they needed to be ‘heads down and work hard’ rather than have a bit of interaction with the guests which is possible, without being over familiar.
Entertainment in evenings. One or two okay but in the main really like a working men’s social club. Waving arms in the air excited to hear ‘Show me the way to Amarillo’ every night is not our idea of entertainment! There’s no alternative place to sit if you don’t want to listen to or watch the entertainment. No separate areas or bars, just one huge area (including reception) - and it is too cool to sit outside in December.
Mostly elderly guests who know each other returning year after year for a get together, which is lovely for them. We are not young, but the overall ambience of clapping along to songs and having to go to the bar for drinks is hardly 4 star. The waiters wander around all night picking up glasses here and there – why not make part of the area/certain tables with waiter service - perhaps the ones down the steps where sofas and soft chairs are? This would also avoid having to carry glasses up and down marble steps.
Supposed to be dress up - people at dinner with cut-off jeans and T-shirts! Dress code asked for but not enforced! I took many nice dresses but felt overdressed amongst the jeans, trainers and t-shirts. Either don’t mention having a dress code in your brochure & signage or refuse to serve people if they are not dressed appropriately. At least men’s dress shorts and a shirt or polo shirt and shoes (not trainers) – and that includes ladies too! There should be signs in the reception that swim wear and men topless is not permitted in that area or to walk through.
Roof leaking when raining - towels and buckets on the floor in dining room and part of reception area, catching water. This was obviously a long-term problem as proven by the marks and holes in the ceilings. The staff did their best to keep everything looking fine but this is surely unacceptable for a 4 star hotel.
We’ve been coming to Tenerife since 1994 (various areas) and used to own a timeshare apartment in Adeje. We have been in many hotels throughout Europe & USA and familiar with the various aspects of holiday accommodation, so we have plenty to compare. Hovima was certainly not the worst, but not what is advertised on the Hovima website. Better to be truthful about what to expect rather than say it is for “Cool Adults”. Also, the website states it is at the beach, but this is incorrect when it is a good 300-400 metres down the street and past shops, restaurants and bars.
Having said all this, there were a number of couples we spoke to who go there at Christmas year after year. However, even some of them were saying standards were slipping and not as good as previous years, It definitely was not for us."
