Hollywood Mirage

We stayed at the Ona Hollywood Mirage in Los Cristianos. The apartments themselves are spacious, and the onsite shop and gym are convenient. I counted three pool areas to relax in, which was a nice touch.

The location is the main drawback. It’s a roughly 20-minute walk to the beach down a graded slope, and the hills are hard on the knees. A taxi to the beach costs about €4, or you can wait for the shuttle bus. Double-seated bikes helped us get around more easily. Getting to the room was also awkward — lots of walkways and corridors but few lifts, which meant longer walks than expected. The TicTaxi app is broken so that you can't register via SMS and use it so you need to call.

I didn't enjoy breakfast, however Beverly Hills is a few minutes away and offers a reasonable choice for EUR 12.

Noise was a real issue. There’s little soundproofing, so you can hear people outside all day, and Saturday nights were particularly loud with people shouting. Hearing the cleaners outside at 9am on a Sunday on their walkie-talkies was disappointing. Also, neighbours talking on their balcony, especially children spoilt any peace and quiet left. Lastly about the noise, chairs were constantly dragged across the floor in the other apartments creating that annoying scraping sound, oh brother! Other practical problems included poor toilet pressure. The sofas were uncomfortable — they had clearly seen the end of their life and need to be replaced.

Privacy is limited too. People on the balconies can easily look into the living room unless the curtains are drawn. If I stayed in an apartment again, I’d look for somewhere with better privacy.

The reception desk staff came across as moody in a strange way, which didn’t help the overall impression and they were completely closed to any form of feedback when given in person, to make improvements.

One other thing worth noting: crime can be an issue in Tenerife. We saw a boy on a scooter steal something and ride off. Also, I didn't feel safe in the hotel, with people shouting a lot, there was no visible sign of security but whether people were drunk or disorderly was not clear.

Tip: Los Cristianos is better if you want quieter surroundings. Los Americas is the better choice if you want more restaurants (and shops) nearby. For a more classy stay overall, consider Adeje instead.

Overall, the size of the rooms, onsite facilities, and pool areas were positives, but the location, noise, lack of privacy, worn furnishings, awkward access, and reception attitude made it a mixed stay. At EUR 110 per night, it's simply over-priced.

I love the whole vibe and think it’s a great place to be. We’ve been coming here for year but recently it’s being let down by the animation team and seemingly budget props. The team also lack some enthusiasm, most notably aqua gym was embarrassing. They need some more experience and more budget, darts was crap with little darts that can’t even stick to the board. The magic carpet was actually pretty dangerous and one guy dislocated his arm. If they had better props this wouldn’t happen. They used to have a proper inflatable to do it. Other than the animation teams poor performance I do love it at the Hollywood mirage, although I prefer that it not be budget as some of the guests treat it as such.