The Ritz Carlton Abama

Our family is currently staying at the Ritz-Carlton Abama, and unfortunately, our experience has been so disappointing that I feel compelled to share it with other travellers.

We booked a suite and travelled with another family staying in the resort. Given the reputation of the Ritz-Carlton brand, we expected exceptional service and attention to detail. Instead, we’ve encountered a series of problems that have significantly affected our holiday.

The issues started the moment we arrived.

When we checked into our suite, it was immediately obvious that the room had not been properly cleaned after the previous guests had left. There was leftover food and rubbish still in the room, and the smell suggested that the food had been sitting there for some time. Rather than complaining immediately and spoiling the start of our family holiday, we disposed of everything ourselves.

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning.

Despite the hotel being extremely busy during the peak summer season, nobody informed us at check-in that restaurant reservations needed to be made well in advance. As a result, both families have struggled to secure dinner reservations every evening.

The most frustrating experience involved Verona. We joined the waiting list and arrived when the restaurant opened, only to be told there were no tables available. Yet the restaurant was clearly not full. After considerable discussion, we eventually managed to secure a table at another restaurant, which was also far from full.

It’s difficult to understand how guests staying at one of the most expensive resorts in Tenerife can be repeatedly denied restaurant reservations while empty tables are sitting in plain sight.

What’s even more baffling is that several restaurants are closed on Sundays and Mondays during one of the busiest periods of the year. The hotel appears to be operating at or near full occupancy, yet restaurants remain closed and guests are effectively being forced to look for dining options outside the resort.

We also weren’t informed that the funicular to the beach was out of service.

Throughout our stay, it has become increasingly apparent that the hotel is significantly understaffed.

Every morning at breakfast, we’ve waited up to 20 minutes for tables to be cleared. Once seated, we’ve repeatedly had to chase staff simply to order coffee, and on several occasions our drinks never arrived and had to be reordered.

The same issue exists around the pool. We wanted to find ping-pong balls for our children, but there appeared to be only one member of staff covering the entire area. She looked completely overwhelmed while guests waited for towels and assistance. When we approached reception for help, we were simply told that reception had nothing to do with the pool and that we needed to go back and resolve the issue ourselves.

Housekeeping has been equally disappointing. On multiple occasions, our suite still hadn’t been cleaned by late afternoon, forcing us to call and request housekeeping at around 4 pm.

Any one of these issues might be understandable in isolation. However, when you combine unclean rooms, poor communication, inaccessible restaurants, understaffing, inconsistent housekeeping, and an overall lack of customer service, a clear pattern emerges.

The Ritz-Carlton brand has built its reputation on exceptional hospitality and world-class service. Unfortunately, our experience at the Ritz-Carlton Abama has been the complete opposite.

This is simply not a five-star hotel. The standards we’ve experienced are nowhere near what guests should expect from a property carrying the Ritz-Carlton name.

Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing for the Ritz franchise.

Pretentious in the wrong way, overpriced. Rude staff. Selling bottles of wine for €130 when they’re in the supermarket down the road for €20. Rude staff all way round from golf to the beach. You can be a luxury hotel and still employ decent human beings and have some genuine atmosphere. I hope the locals continue to fill the beach if they can make the walk, staff wouldn’t even let people get a small cup of water or use the train in 42 degree extreme heat, it was shocking to see. No humanity.

This was my first time at a Ritz Carlton hotel. I expected perfection, prestige, luxury. What a disappointment...

Let me be clear: this is a good hotel. Nice location, spacious rooms, good culinary options, friendly staff. But when you hang the Ritz Carlton sign at the entrance, being good is not enough. This is a nice 4 stars rated Marriot hotel, but by no means a prestige hotel.

Slow chek-in, maintenance issues, uneven service at the front desk, and a miserable experience at the beach (understaffed, no guidance, leftovers, used towels lying on the chairs for hours, poor food).