- Tenerife Holidays
- Puerto de Santiago
- Barcelo Santiago
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Barcelo Santiago
Spain, Europe
Puerto de Santiago
Situated in a magnificent frontline position in Puerto de Santiago on the west coast of Tenerife, the modern hotel boasts spectacular views over the impressive cliffs of Los Gigantes, the Atlantic Ocean and the island of La Gomera. Restaurants and bars are just a few steps away. The international airport Tenerife South is at a distance of approximately 45 km from the hotel. The rooms have a stylish design and most of them enjoy fantastic views of the sea and the cliffs. The hotel offers outdoor pools, a mini-club, a gym and various sports facilities. Guests can get pampered in the excellent spa area with hydro massage pools or sip on a cocktail while taking in the remarkable atmosphere of the surroundings.
Facilities
- Wheelchair-accessible
- Car park*
- Garage*
- 24-hour reception
- Mobile phone coverage
- Wired Internet
- Wi-fi
- Car hire
- Laundry service*
- Medical service*
- *Some facilities may incur an additional fee
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.5 Excellent3,887 reviews
Excellent
62%
Very Good
21%
Average
9%
Poor
4%
Terrible
4%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Lovely clean hotel
Hotel is good, decor nice and fresh. Staff very helpful. Buffet food great selection, freshly cooked and plenty of choice. If you wish to sit outside you may have to queue but not for long. Gym is located just outside front of entrance, good selection of gear. Ask for a room fourth floor or higher otherwise you have obstructed views. Local pubs and restaurants under one min walk and supermarket to the right of hotel and few seconds away. Half way through our holiday now and have no problems apart from weather is very cloudy and no sun but temperature is nice. Trying the spa tomorrow.
Review by lorrainecbuckley Manchester, United Kingdom
Small improvements would make a big difference
Prefacing this with: we had a LOVELY time, the pool area and views are what makes the hotel and ultimately what you're paying for. There’s an all round lovely vibe at the hotel amongst guests.
There are unfortuantely a few things that would put us off revisiting at the price point this is. I have had comparable holidays ~40% cheaper than Barcelo Santiago, just without the amazing views. These issues would not be difficult for the hotel to fix but they impact the enjoyment of a holiday when it's £1k+ PP for a week all inclusive.
Bars/drinks: The lobby bar doesn't open until 8pm, and the entertainment bar is closed. This leaves the only place to get drinks all day - even just water or soft drinks - as the pool bar. The staff work tirelessly but big queues form. This could be helped by having water and soft drinks as self-serve, or increasing staffing. Very annoying to be unable to get a water refill without queuing behind those getting cocktails etc. Lobby bar is table service only unless taking back to your room, and it is very short staffed. One evening I received a gin in a pint glass (fine by me!) as the bartender explained the pool bar was so busy that people were coming down to order drinks then taking them back to the pool bar, so he had ran out of glasses. We'd typically wait ~10 mins to get our order taken then ~10 to get the drink. Once, we waited 45 mins at the pool bar and the drink never arrived. It felt like the hotel is cutting staffing costs at the detriment of service and choice.
Entertainment: As above, entertainment space (which looked lovely!) is not in use. The entertainment is in the corner of an L-shaped smoking terrace. If you don't smoke but want to watch entertainment, tough luck. If you smoke but want a peaceful evening, you're left hoping to get an outdoor seat at the small lobby bar instead. There entertainment is no stage, they're shoehorned into a corner where staff are walking past to serve tables. 6 of our 7 nights were covers bands (not tributes), one night was a DJ (no dancefloor!) and the same covers band featured twice with the exact same set list! Felt like by not using the entertainment lounge the hotel could get away with not hiring quality tribute or entertainment acts as there simply wasn't the space for it. Overall felt like the hotel was cutting costs.
Room: Perfectly modern and clean, but very basic and not 4 star standard e.g. no table on the balcony, bathroom very small and the glass screens do nothing for masking sounds! We paid superior sea view but would recommend regular sea view. Sea view are set right on the cliff edge, just a footpath between the rooms and the sea. Superior rooms are set further back into the cliff, overlooking the pool, outdoor dining, and a chunk of our view was blocked by the pool bar. Would rather pay less and be looking directly onto the sea.
Food: We are vegan, we had three separate email conversations with the hotel in advance and this did not meet our expectations. We booked on the strength of (what we were told) vegan options being readily available on the buffet - we don't want to have to order separately, the whole point of an all inclusive is the buffet. Options were very poor, we had a meeting with the hotel manager on our second day and it improved somewhat but then went downhill. Cross contamination was terrible eg sushi platters displayed veg option amongst meat options. Allergen labelling was terrible e.g. churros had no allergens listed, I asked if they contained egg or milk and the chef said yes in a "well duh" sort of way, and often all allergens were ticked when they couldn't be bothered to confirm. Yes we did get vegan sausages, tofu etc but it really wasn't great e.g. a poké bowl was dry sushi rice with raw cubed tofu. I saw a singular soya yoghurt, once, one breakfast. The hotel manager informed us that vegan options are expensive so it's not practical to have it all on the buffet, and we can text to ask for what we want the next day and they will serve it at our table if we tell them the time we will arrive to eat. Holidays are expensive, and half the point of a holiday is to have time off having to think up what meals you want and go for a meal at whatever time you fancy! There is a lot I could say about the vegan food and I will write a more comprehensive review on the usual fb vegan travel groups. If you're in a group of non-vegans, this isn't the worst choice, but if you're prioritising a vegan holiday I would not recommend.
Review by lplplplp123 Bath, United Kingdom
A Great Week at Barceló Santiago – Honest Review from a Couple in Our Mid-20s
We’ve just spent a week at Barceló Santiago on an all-inclusive basis, and overall, we had a fantastic stay! As a couple in our mid-20s, with one of us having gluten and dairy intolerances and the other being easily bored, we had a great balance of relaxation, entertainment and exploring Tenerife.
We opted for a private transfer from the airport, which took around 30–40 minutes. On arrival, we found the reception staff a little less welcoming than we’d hoped, but the friendliness and helpfulness of the rest of the team more than made up for it throughout the week.
Sunbeds were fairly easy to find at any time of day, the food was generally very good, and the beds were comfortable. There was also a good range of activities and entertainment throughout the day.
The Positives
The staff are a real credit to the hotel!
The restaurant, bar and entertainment teams were fantastic. They were consistently friendly, approachable and willing to go out of their way to help. A special mention has to go to the lunch and dinner teams, who made such a difference to our stay.
Cleanliness was excellent.
The pool area was kept spotless, as were the communal areas, including the toilets and bars. It was clear that a lot of effort went into keeping the hotel clean and well maintained.
The views are the real highlight.
The hotel’s biggest selling point has to be its incredible sea views, and they absolutely did not disappoint! We were lucky enough to watch both the sunrise and sunset over the sea every day. It really is a beautiful setting and made the stay feel extra special.
Dietary requirements were handled brilliantly.
As someone with gluten and dairy intolerances, I was initially a little apprehensive about eating all-inclusive for a whole week. However, the chefs were incredibly helpful in explaining what I could and couldn’t eat at each meal.
On occasions when there wasn’t a suitable option that fitted the evening’s theme, the head chef went above and beyond by preparing something special for me. I was genuinely so grateful for the effort and care she put in. They even kept a gluten-free dessert aside, although you do need to ask for it!
There was also a vegan main course and dessert option each evening, although lunch could be a little more challenging. The food labels weren’t always accurate, so I wouldn’t recommend relying on them alone. That said, I never went hungry, and the food was really tasty.
A special thank you to the kitchen team!
If anyone from management happens to read this, please pass on our sincere thanks and give the lunch and dinner teams the praise they deserve. They made a real effort to accommodate my dietary requirements and turned what could have been a stressful week of navigating an all-inclusive buffet into a genuinely enjoyable experience.
For anyone with coeliac disease, the hotel does have a designated gluten-free area, including a separate toaster, chopping board and microwave. They also provide gluten-free bread, cereal, cakes and baguettes, which were all pretty tasty!
However, I would advise caution with the main buffet, as there is a potential risk of cross-contamination. As I have an intolerance rather than coeliac disease, this wasn’t an issue for me, but it’s definitely something worth bearing in mind if you need to avoid even trace amounts of gluten.
A little detail that makes a difference: the wristband room keys!
Rather than carrying around a traditional key card, your wristband doubles as your room key. Such a simple idea, but so convenient! No more panicking about where you’ve put your room key while you’re relaxing by the pool.
Room for Improvement
Evening entertainment could offer a little more variety.
Most evenings featured singing acts. Whilst we weren’t particularly reliant on the entertainment, it would have been nice to see a wider variety of shows and activities. This may have been down to the time of year we visited, as it was outside the main season.
The air conditioning could be better.
In room 420, the air conditioning worked, but it felt more like a cool breeze than properly functioning air conditioning. It wasn’t a major issue for us, but it’s something worth mentioning for anyone who prefers a cooler room.
Wi-Fi and mobile signal were inconsistent in the room.
The Wi-Fi worked really well around the pool area, but it was intermittent in our room. Sometimes it worked perfectly, and other times it didn’t work at all. We also struggled with mobile signal in the room, which was a little surprising these days.
Queues can build up at the bars and restaurants.
As the hotel became busier, we noticed queues forming at the bars and restaurants. This isn’t necessarily a major complaint, but it’s worth knowing if you’re someone who dislikes waiting around.
At busy times, the queue for a table could also make you feel a little rushed to finish your meal when other guests were waiting. It didn’t spoil our stay, but it’s something to consider when booking, particularly during busier periods.
Overall Verdict
We had a brilliant week at Barceló Santiago and would happily recommend it to friends looking to visit Tenerife.
The beautiful sea views, clean facilities, comfortable beds, good food and, above all, the fantastic staff made this a really enjoyable holiday. The extra care taken by the chefs to accommodate my dietary requirements was particularly appreciated and deserves special recognition.
We also made the most of our time away from the hotel, with a trip to Siam Park and a parasailing experience in Costa Adeje, which were both great additions to the holiday.
Although there are a few areas that could be improved, none of them took away from our overall experience.
Would we recommend it? Absolutely! Barceló Santiago provided us with a relaxing, enjoyable week, and we’d definitely consider returning.
Review by melodybuck London, United Kingdom
Fabulous as usual
My 6th visit and I had a wonderful time once again. I felt the quality of food had improved, the staff are wonderful, the hotel is kept so well, the pool deck in particular. When I walk into the hotel on arrival, I feel at home and immediately relaxed. The animation team are amazing and work really hard, and the staff are the same, even though I felt they were short staffed at times, particularly at the pool bar during the day. My only tiny first world issue was a lack of a mirror in the room itself. We were in 912, which is amazing, but there was only a mirror in the bathroom, no full length or even half mirror in the room itself, which I thought was odd. However, I returned home rested, well fed and planning my next trip in March! Thank you to Barcelo Santiago for another amazing holiday!
Review by debsw54 Barnsley, United Kingdom
Excellent holiday
Excellent,fantastic holiday. We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel and I must say that I am quiet picky person :-). The location,the staff,the cleanless of the hotel is outstanding. The staff could not do more for your enjoyable and relaxing stay. I know there are people who will complain about ques etc but... DO NOT LISTEN TO THAT !! The buffet restaurants is great,plenty of food even for picky eater- me. Never had an issue ,dairy free available,veggie- no problem,glutten free- no problem. Issue with sunbeds- never( did not have to be awake at silly time) If you preffer beach holiday then you will have to walk 15 minutes,but this never bother us. We met so many great people ,had great fun at the evening shows- yet the best to mention was the DJ on Thursday night. The activity team- hat off,great,engaging and a lot of fun. Would I choose this hotel again? ABSOLUTELY . Thank you to all staff at this fantastic hotel.
Review by densisl Leeds, United Kingdom
