THB Tropical Island Half Board

"This is the most honest review I can give of my stay at THB Tropical Island. I’m not writing this to slate the hotel or be negative for the sake of it. I’m simply giving a full, honest account so people know exactly what they are walking into. This is especially important if you are used to places like Puerto del Carmen, where everything is much more central, lively, and within easy reach. ⸻ Location & transfers Playa Blanca itself is beautiful. The scenery is genuinely lovely and the area is quiet and relaxed. However, it is very different from Puerto del Carmen and much more spread out. * Taxi from the airport to THB Tropical Island was around €65 * Roughly the same on the return journey * There is a bus option, but it is long and not ideal, especially if you suffer from travel sickness So it’s important to understand this is not a “walk everywhere” resort area — taxis are essential. ⸻ Arrival & first room issues On arrival, there were immediate concerns with the room: * The front door felt unstable and showed clear wear and tear * There was a visible gap in the door * The sofa bed setup had items left underneath it, which was unacceptable We did not unpack and went straight to reception to request a change. We had also contacted Cassidy Travel, but there was no immediate support available at that time. ⸻ Room change & upgrade charge We were told the only option was an upgraded room costing €100. We paid it simply to resolve the situation quickly during a short five-day stay. The upgraded room was noticeably better in cleanliness and presentation, and clearly maintained to a higher standard. ⸻ Ant infestation & second room change After returning from a day out, we came back to an ant infestation in the room despite all doors and windows being closed. * Staff were informed immediately * Attempts were made to resolve it * We were moved again to another room Within a short stay, we experienced multiple room changes due to issues that really shouldn’t be happening. ⸻ Hotel response & management This is where I want to be very clear — the management response was genuinely excellent. Manuel, the manager, dealt with everything professionally and fairly. Most importantly, Patricia, one of the directors of the hotel, was absolutely incredible. She is a credit to the business. She took the time to listen properly, understand everything that had happened, and deal with it in a calm, respectful, and professional way. She didn’t dismiss anything and genuinely tried to put things right. Following this, the hotel: * Refunded the €100 upgrade fee * Provided breakfast as a goodwill gesture That side of things was handled very well and I do appreciate it. ⸻ Facilities & unexpected works We later discovered that the indoor facilities were closed for refurbishment, including: * Indoor pool * Sauna * Jacuzzi area This was not clearly communicated in advance through booking or travel information, which did affect expectations. ⸻ Pools & general facilities The outdoor pools were extremely cold. * Very few people were using them * It was uncomfortable to swim in * It significantly reduced enjoyment of the facilities The grounds, however, are very well kept. There is a lot of staff on-site and the scale of the resort is very large. Everything outside is maintained to a high standard and you can see a lot of effort going into the landscaping and general upkeep. ⸻ Renovations & standards (important context) I do understand that the hotel is currently going through a revamp and that some rooms are being upgraded to a higher standard similar to the €100 upgraded room we were moved into. However, based on our experience, if that upgrade is available, it is something I would strongly recommend asking for at all costs to ensure your stay meets expectations, because unfortunately our initial room did not reflect that standard. Some of the accommodation clearly still needs attention. I understand this is part of an ongoing improvement process, but it would be better if guests were more clearly informed that certain areas are still mid-renovation. The grounds themselves are excellent, and there is clear effort and investment being made outside. If the room standards fully matched that level, the resort could genuinely be operating at a much higher level — potentially even five-star in time. However, that is not for me to determine; that is for the relevant tourism and classification bodies to decide. From our personal experience, based on the current balance of positives and negatives, we would fairly rate it as a three-star experience at this time. ⸻ Travel agent support We contacted Cassidy Travel using their emergency out-of-hours number, but it did not work, meaning we could not get immediate help while abroad. We had to wait until the next working day. After that, I spoke with Sarah, who was very professional and helpful. She listened properly, explained everything clearly, and escalated the matter to customer service. Sarah deserves credit — she handled everything calmly, professionally, and effectively. ⸻ Breakfast goodwill gesture (important detail) As part of the resolution, Patricia arranged a complimentary breakfast as a goodwill gesture, which we were genuinely grateful for. However, when we arrived at the breakfast area and presented this, the member of staff appeared confused and looked us up and down as if the arrangement wasn’t recognised. It may have been a language barrier, but the interaction felt uncomfortable and dismissive. We explained it had been arranged by management, and it was eventually understood, but the initial reaction did take away slightly from what was meant to be a positive gesture. ⸻ Important context Just to be clear: * I understand we are in a warm climate where ants can occur * That was not the core issue * The core issue was room quality, disruption, and having to pay €100 to reach a basic acceptable standard before further issues occurred We did not expect perfection, but we did expect consistency and basic standards. ⸻ Overall conclusion This is not a rant — it is an honest review. Positives: * Beautiful location * Well-maintained and impressive grounds * Some excellent staff * Strong and professional management response * Patricia (director) and Manuel (manager) were outstanding * Issues were eventually addressed and partially resolved Negatives: * Poor initial room condition * Cleanliness issues and ants * Multiple room changes * Indoor facilities closed without notice * Very cold pools * Emergency travel support not working * Communication gaps around breakfast arrangement Because of all of that, I personally would not return to THB Tropical Island. However, I would return to THB Florida in a heartbeat — and that probably says everything you need to know. This is written simply to give an honest, balanced account so people can make an informed decision before booking."

"The Hotel seemed to be extremely quiet. Not sure if it’s because it’s low season and it wasn’t school holidays. However, the peace and quiet suited me and my adult daughter. The grounds were huge and pedestrianised. We were quite surprised on our first morning there that the Cleaner was knocking at the door at 8.45. I know some people are up with the lark, but there is no way we can be ready and on the beach by that time! In fact, we were just sat having our breakfast, having just arrived the evening before. I did find for the rest of the holiday that I was on edge trying to be out of the room so the Cleaner could get in! It was not her fault as she was just trying to get her work done but I strongly suggest a “do not disturb” Door sign so that the occupants can relax, and the Cleaner does not waste her time knocking and then returning constantly to check if the room is vacant. I would highly recommend this hotel for families. There were plenty of swimming pools with empty sunbeds and family friendly evening entertainment. Everywhere was very clean. The gardens were beautiful, especially the ones near the rear of the Hotel near the big family pool. The 20 minute walk to the beach (through the back gate) each day became a bit tedious. However, the Hotel did put on a twice daily shuttle bus, which is particularly useful if you have mobility issues. The nearest beach to the Hotel was the playa Dorada. It seemed to be the only local beach that offered sunbeds and parasols for hire - and at €15 for two beds and a parasol it was good value. There’s also a good snack bar above it that has its own toilets. Just a suggestion, I think a shuttle bus to the Rubicon Marina on an evening would be good. The Reception team were happy to book you a taxi, but sometimes it was hard to get hold of one. In fact, on a couple of evenings we had to walk down to the marina which was 40 minutes each way. ."

"Had a lovely holiday here, staff friendly and helpful without being intrusive. We went half board, the options on the buffet breakfast and dinner had a wide selection of all sorts of foods, kids were always thrilled to see the chocolate fountain & marshmallows as a pudding option. No issues with getting sunbeds by main pool, which is a decent size and lovely in the sun and has slides in one section. There is also a splash park for younger children. Our room overlooked the main pool to the front and one of the smaller pools to the back, we didn't use it but also could have got beds by it if wanted. Hotel policy was not to reserve beds but all guests while we were there were pretty reasonable and didn't hog beds unnecessarily. The entertainment is mainly provided by the French holiday rep company on site but they always included other nationalities if they could, especially the kids disco. Hotel is approx 10-15 minutes walk to the beach then you can walk up and down the front passing multiple shops and restaurants, plenty of options for those wanting to do self catering. The rooms do provide some cooking facilities, good for morning coffee and toast but probably not ideal for a full meal. Small downside is the decor probably needs some attention; cracked tiles, paint, some rust on hinges on cupboards - mainly cosmetic and we saw plenty of cleaning and maintenance staff to cover any simple issues. Overall we enjoyed our stay, great for a relaxing and worry-free holiday. Thank you to the staff for good food and great service 🙂"