"We have just returned from another fantastic stay at the GF Gran Costa Adeje, and once again, the hotel did not disappoint.
This was our 7th visit, with our first stay dating back to 2007. This was a particularly special trip for our family, as we have stayed at the hotel several times over the years, including for our honeymoon, my husband's 40th and 50th birthdays and, most recently, my 50th birthday.
We had to celebrate this year's birthday a little later than planned due to school commitments, but it was wonderful to return and make even more special family memories.
Before arriving, my husband contacted Guest Relations to explain that we were travelling with my sister, who has mobility difficulties following treatment for a brain tumour, and my 83-year-old mum. He also asked if they could consider a convenient room location for them, ideally close to a lift, and requested a quiet, higher-floor room with a pool and side sea view for our family room. I usually deal with all the arrangements myself, but as this was a special belated celebration for my 50th birthday, my husband wanted to arrange a lovely room for us as a little surprise. He also mentioned my 50th birthday in his email, which made the welcome bottle of cava we received on arrival an especially lovely gesture.
I honestly couldn't have been happier with the rooms we were given. Both rooms were lovely, spacious and beautifully maintained. Our room had a lovely pool view as well as views of the sea. My mum and sister's room was on a lower floor, right beside the lift, which was perfect for them and made such a difference to our holiday.
The rooms were cleaned every day, with towels replenished daily, and towels were also changed again in the evening if we wanted them. The housekeeping team work incredibly hard and did a fantastic job throughout our stay.
The reception team also deserve a special mention. During our stay, the air conditioning in my mum's room wasn't working properly, and when we reported it, they arranged for it to be looked at straight away and got it sorted very quickly. My sister also had some difficulty with the shower and couldn't turn it off, and again, someone was sent to help her immediately.
Throughout our stay, we found all the staff to be incredibly kind, patient and understanding towards both my mum and my sister. My sister has physical disabilities and can sometimes find things difficult, while my mum can occasionally become confused. The staff always treated them with such kindness, patience and dignity, never making them feel uncomfortable or like they were a bother. This meant an enormous amount to us as a family and made us feel that they were genuinely looked after and cared for during our holiday. ❤️
We stayed all inclusive, and overall we thought the food was very good, with plenty of choice and different themes on the buffet each evening, which kept things varied. We particularly enjoyed the convenience of the pool bar and the hotel's facilities.
One small point regarding the all-inclusive package is that not all cocktails are included, and it would have been lovely to have had a little more variety of cocktails included within the package. That said, all-inclusive guests do receive a discount on drinks that aren't included, which is a nice benefit.
As a vegetarian, I was also a little surprised that the vegetarian burger wasn't included in the all-inclusive package, while the standard burger was. I'm not sure why this is the case 🤔, particularly as the vegetarian sandwich at the pool bar is included, so perhaps this is something the hotel could look at in the future.
I would also like to mention the sunbeds, as I know this can sometimes be a contentious subject. You absolutely do not need to reserve a sunbed at this hotel. There are plenty available after 9am, so if you're happy to choose a bed when you arrive at the pool, you really don't need to get up early.
For our family, however, I did reserve four sunbeds at around 7:45am each morning. This was not about trying to claim the best spot around the pool or taking more beds than we needed. My sister has mobility difficulties and my mum is 83 and can be forgetful, so having the same four sunbeds in the same convenient location, close to their room, the lift, toilets, pool bar and restaurant, meant they knew exactly where they were and didn't have to walk unnecessarily far or navigate around the large hotel looking for us.
Our youngest son spends most of his time in the pool and simply shares my sunbed, while our older son tends to do his own thing and often uses the rooftop pool. So four sunbeds were more than enough for our family of six.
For us, having that familiar routine and convenient location made a huge difference and allowed everyone to enjoy the holiday comfortably. It is one of the reasons the GF Gran works so well for our family.
Our youngest son, who is 13 and already around 5ft 8, also really enjoys the hotel and the activities. The Teen Room, however, didn't really feel aimed at teenagers during our stay. He went in a few times, but there were generally more younger children, mostly under 10, using the space. It would be lovely to see a little more focus on activities and entertainment specifically for teenagers, particularly in the evenings.
That said, the daytime entertainment was fantastic. Our son particularly enjoyed the water basket, there was also water volley, mini golf, water carpet and Gladiators. The entertainment team were absolutely brilliant — so friendly, approachable and helpful with a special mention to Alexander!!
There was also an inflatable activity on a Friday, although this was aimed at children aged 12 and under, so perhaps having some activities specifically for older teenagers would be a great addition.
The hotel itself is fantastic. The service is excellent, the rooms are kept beautifully clean and the staff are always friendly and helpful.
I also want to give a special mention to all the staff who work so hard throughout the hotel — the bar staff, restaurant staff, pool bar team and hygiene staff. They work incredibly hard and often have very long shifts, so understandably, in temperatures of around 30 degrees, they can't be expected to be working at 100% every single second. Despite this, we found everyone to be friendly, helpful and hardworking, and we really appreciate everything they do to keep the hotel running so well.
A very special mention must go to the Hall Bar staff, who were so kind and patient with our son. We encouraged him to go to the bar himself to order his favourite San Francisco, Copa de Leche Fría or Fanta Naranja, as we're keen to encourage his independence, and he's also learning Spanish at school. The staff were always so lovely with him, especially Jose (Jose Carlos) which really meant a lot to us. These little moments make such a difference and are memories he will take away from the holiday. ❤️
We were also very touched to receive a welcome bottle of cava on arrival, which was a lovely gesture. My husband had mentioned my belated 50th birthday celebration in his email before we arrived, so it would have been nice if this had been acknowledged personally during our stay, but this was only a very small disappointment in what was otherwise another wonderful holiday.
We have now stayed at the GF Gran many times, and I think that says everything. It has become a very special place for our family, and we are already considering returning again next year.
Thank you to all the team at GF Gran Costa Adeje for another memorable stay. We hope to see you again very soon! ❤️
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. 💯
And would we return? Without a doubt. ❤️🌴☀️"