Arona Gran Hotel

"We returned last week from a fantastic one week stay at the Arona Gran Hotel. We travelled as a family of three, myself, my husband and our 22 year old son. Our son is a full time wheelchair user and therefore accessibility is always our main priority when travelling and we try and research as much as possible before we book anywhere new. This review may be quite lengthy as I will try and cover accessibility details to help others with mobility needs when planning their holiday. Firstly, the hotel is absolutely stunning. From the reception to the pool area, the terrace and the restaurants, they are all beautiful and exceptionally clean. The hotel is also situated right at the sea front at the far end of Los Cristianos and has direct lift access onto the promenade which is a lovely flat walk (other than one slight hill) to the main beach area of Los Cristianos and further round to Playa de las Americas. The rooms in the hotel are lovely and it is good to find a hotel that can accommodate 3 adults in a room however it was a tight fit for wheelchair access when the third bed was added to the room. The hotel staff were very accommodating and moved some tables and chairs from the room to give us more space. The wet room/bathroom was excellent. Accessibly around the hotel was excellent. There are some steps around the pool areas but there is always ramp access nearby, there was no area around the hotel that my son could not access. The ramps were shallow and easy for my son to navigate himself. However, we did have few accessibility difficulties when it came to using the pools. Having a hoist to access the pool is essential for us and something we always ensure before booking. We had been assured that Arona Gran did have hoist access but on arrival we discovered that only the outdoor hydro pool had a hoist and neither of the two main swimming pools had hoist access. We also found the hoist somewhat difficult to manage if the person using it has no ability to stand. This meant that the person assisting with the transfer had to balance with one leg on the pool edge and didn’t feel particularly safe. However the hydro pool was nice and warm and my son enjoyed his time in it. The inside spa pool also has a hoist but unfortunately the position of it means that a wheelchair cannot access the side of the chair and therefore it is only useable if a person can stand to get into it. On a positive note the hotel management were very keen to listen to any feed back regarding accessibility. When we mentioned the few issues we had a manager named Stephano chatted to us on a few occasions and even met with us to look at the difficulties with the hoists. We were so impressed at someone taking time to listen to accessibility concerns and appearing to be genuinely interested in making improvements where needed. My son particularly loves joining in with the organised activities at the hotel and the animation team of Virginia and Miguel were brilliant throughout the week and our son enjoyed games such as shuffleboard, sjoelen, darts etc. Unfortunately a few games such a petanque were held on the beach which is accessed via steps meaning our son couldn't join in with these. There is a court for these in the hotel but is currently not being used. Again the staff were quick to listen and appeared keen to ensure that activities are accessible for all. I hope they make this possible in the future. The food at the hotel was outstanding and easily the best out of any hotel we have stayed at before. There was plenty of choice at both breakfast and dinner, it was beautifully presented, fresh and delicious. We would like to say a special thank you to Esperanza, Arsenio and Juanjo in the restaurant, they always greeted us with a big smile and a warm welcome. They always had a handy accessible table ready for us which was much appreciated. In fact, the very best thing about this hotel has to be the staff, everyone, yes everyone, we encountered was friendly and welcoming. From the reception staff, restaurant, bar, pool bar, animation team, management, cleaning staff, I've never encountered such all round good professional, warm and friendly service. Overall we had a fantastic holiday and will definitely look forward to returning to Arona Gran in the future."

"We have just returned from a 6 night stay. We booked an UP! room. To be honest just to be guaranteed a sunbed and not have to crawl out of bed at stupid o'clock to reserve a bed in a good spot sold it to us. Advertised as a premium unique experience we weren't sure whether the extra money would be worth it but it did not disappoint. Our room was on the 4th floor (471) We were on the end of the floor so only had neighbours on one side but rooms seemed well sound proofed we never heard anything next door or from above. If I had to criticise anything it would be the pillows which were very unsupportive and cups and saucers are a bit dated now so it would be good to have mugs in the room instead. But that's the boring bit. The Wow! is the UP Terrace on 7 (the roof) - rattan sunbeds with deep cushions and a massive beach towel. Breakfast lunch and 'afternoon tea' is served through the day. Everything is served as finger food, the variety is good and changed every day. With fizz wine beer cocktails and premium spirits. Available to graze and drink at no additional cost from 10am to 7pm. The space is well designed. There is plenty of space between sunbeds you are not on top of each other. The 2 small infinity pools and hot tubs are temperature controlled although during our stay one was definitely cooler than the other which some people had an issue with but it didn't bother us. However, the hotel manager and maintenance team were responsive in trying to correct. Our holiday vibe was to fly and flop and that was exactly what we managed to achieve. Most people we spoke to were returning for the 2nd 3rd 4th and even 12th time and some had already booked to return - testament to what this hotel has to offer. The main restaurant where we had breakfast and evening dinner offered a wide variety of food. We had 2 small gripes - we like our food hot and some of the food was only luke warm. At breakfast there would be a pile of pancakes but the ones on the top were always cold you had to go to the bottom to get a 'warm' one. I don't have food allergies but do have intolerances so like to know what I'm eating and whilst there is signage there is not signage for everything and sometimes not clear what sign referred to what food so this put me off trying some things. All the staff are courteous helpful and friendly. The whole place functions as a well oiled machine. We were so impressed we are hoping to return in September and will definitely go UP! again. Thanks Arona Gran for a memorable stay. We will see you again soon."

"Seventh time back, this time on "UP". This is an excellent upgrade. No more early rising for a sunbed. You are guaranteed a bed and they all have great sun and excellent views. The UP terrace covers most of the roof space, is luxurioulsy appointed with upscale furniture and provides a luxury escape for the everyday norm-at a cost of course and it is not cheap. Pros and Cons. CONS. The wine is poor (The Cava however is excellent with three different varieties. The beer is worse, however there is an Amstel 5% bottle which is excellent. There is a smoking area right next to the eating area-how stupid is that? Some people cheat the small morning queue by using the fire escapes (Management!). Parasols are basically life expired (Management!). CONS. Brilliant staff as with the rest of the Hotel. Furniture is luxurious, high quality towels. Sunbed ratio 10:1 person. Cava is excellent and flows all day. Endless coffee and tea to suit most tastes;fresh orange juice; Breakfast buffet, lunch buffet and afternoon tea buffet, all immaculately served and replenished so that every one can have what they want-each session around 2.5 hours each. No queuing just orderly wandering through the buffet area, which is reassuringly beautifully presented. Stunning selection of dishes-Breakfast-Croissants;pastries;breads;cold meats and cheeses-typical continental fare.Lunch for instance Serrano ham; Smoked Salmon;Iberico Pork;Prawns;Small coated chicken pieces;salads; Afternoon tea-fruit (high quality);selection of delicious cakes again, endlessly replenished. Then there is the BAR-premium alcahol of every kind. Any cocktail you want. premium soft drinks. You need to scan you wristband here just to ensure you are an UP guest but no issue-simple. The wristband also gives you access to your room and the UP deck. Generally, this is a great value for money experience with superb views out over the bay and behind into the mountains. Really stunning backdrop. Couple of infinity pools, but you still have full use of the main pools-excellent! Still the same problems with the whole hotel, mainly the doves everywhere which can be very trying. Service is slow in the main bar in the evening. Smoking and vaping! Why is smoking allowed on the premises and in such stupid places-next to eating venues or by other peoples sunbeds and why is vaping permitted on the bar terrace? Is it permitted or are staff not enforcing the rules. Both filthy habits that I do not want to share. The staff are generally brilliant, friendly and helpful and work hard. The hotel is still outstandingly beautiful and the main buffet restaurant delivered some of the finest food I have seen in a buffet anywhere. All in all a great experience which is why we are heading back for number 8 in October-cannot wait.Thankyou Arona!"