El Duque hotel review: family fun in Tenerife’s Costa Adeje

Situated within minutes of Costa Adeje’s golden – and black – sands, Hotel El Duque offers plenty of all-inclusive comfort close to some of the island’s best attractions.

The four-star property has undergone a facelift during the pandemic and is one of the better value options for travellers seeking to enjoy Tenerife’s year-round warm climate and hospitality.

Where is it?

Hotel El Duque lies in the heart of the southern resort of Costa Adeje, the Canary Island’s third most popular tourist town next to neighbouring Playa de las Americas and Puerto de la Cruz.

A short walk takes to you the promenade, from where you access 10 beaches including the sprawling Playa de Fanabe and striking lava sands close to the picturesque village of La Caleta at the northern end.

Style?

Smart and tasteful. Accommodation and facilities are spread over nine separate buildings, providing ample space for adults to relax and children to explore.

Décor in the property’s 210 rooms is unfussy, with floor tiles and cream walls creating a cooling contrast to the near-guaranteed hot sunshine.

Balinese beds next to the smaller of the hotel’s two large pools add a touch of exotic luxury, while the pink hue of the main accommodation blocks’ exterior may be a nod to the not-too-distant Western Sahara.

At night, three large palm trees close to the main pool are strikingly lit up with fairy lights.

Which room?

Divided into studios, apartments and apartment suites, the rooms are all around 40 sq metres and include a spacious terrace with sun loungers. Most look out to one of the two pools. Facilities include WiFi, hair dryer and safe – while the kitchenette areas includes toaster, mini fridge and microwave.

Food & drink

Plentiful and varied. The newly-refurbished buffet restaurant aims to please most tastes with a wide range of offerings – with plenty of freshly grilled meat and fish alongside daily staples like pizza, pasta, paella, and a plethora of salad options.

A few local culinary favourites are also in the mix, such as wrinkly potatoes (papas arrugadas) and goat (baifo).

The house beer (free with the wristband) is the domestically-made Dorada, which definitely passes muster, while wine drinkers should ask for a something from the local Listan Blanco or Negro varieties.

Facilities

Pool side is where it’s at – grab a cabana or a sun lounger by the quieter second pool and bring your holiday read.

After dinner, you may want to relax with a drink or two at the covered outdoor bar next to the restaurant, where entertainment is provided most nights – usually local singers belting out 80s or90s hits, preceded by karaoke for the kids.

Young families will appreciate the ‘mini club’ although children have to be supervised.

Extracurricular

Tenerife knows how to have a good time with plenty to keep all ages happy. Head straight for the beach – the Atlantic is warm enough to swim in all year round, while the volcanic sand makes for the best castles.

Playa de Fanabe offers plenty of water sports – an hour-long jet-ski “safari” (around 60 euros) is the ultimate adrenalin rush, while power boat and diving trips can also be arranged from the likes of Water Sports Tenerife (+34 638 53 18 63). Tenerife is one of the best places in Europe to spot whales, and there are plenty of operators running trips often including food and drink.

It’s also worth spending a day at Siam Park – continually voted the world’s best water park by TripAdvisor reviewers. It has more than 20 rides – including the nerve-jangling “Dragon” and “Volcano”. The signature ride is the Tower of Power – a 28m high ride where you can reach up 80kph, and which takes you through a huge aquarium full of sharks and rays.

Away from the coast, Tenerife offers stunning hiking trails (check out Santiago del Teide to Masca, an exhilarating 16km ridge walk), plenty of picturesque villages and a 12,000ft volcano (Teide)

Best for

Families. Couples. Anyone seeking all-in comfort and guaranteed sunshine/fun.

How to get there

Costa Adeje is a 20 minute taxi ride from Tenerife Sur airport (30 euros). Ryanair and Jet2 fly to Tenerife Sur from Stansted and Luton. A studio for one week (two people), self catering, costs 770 euros. Readers can use the code STANDARD2022 to get a discount. hotelelduque.com/en/. +34 922 71 85 00.