A few words about booking, how we got to this particular hotel. . . The Canaries were our old dream. At the beginning of summer, we saw a reasonable price for a vacation in August at the HOVIMA hotel chain and decided to take a chance with booking. Tried to book Hovima Santa Maria through Join Up, booking denied with an offer to consider Hovima Atlantis or Hovima Jardin Caleta.
… More ▾
A few words about booking, how we got to this particular hotel. . .
The Canaries were our old dream. At the beginning of summer, we saw a reasonable price for a vacation in August at the HOVIMA hotel chain and decided to take a chance with booking. Tried to book Hovima Santa Maria through Join Up, booking denied with an offer to consider Hovima Atlantis or Hovima Jardin Caleta. After hesitating, they agreed to Atlantis. All the same, the location in the center of civilization. There were 2 months left before the holidays. Relaxing, we began to make plans. After 2 weeks Join Up canceled our flight to Tenerife (and not only. . . ). Urgently tried to rebook through TPG. Hovima Atlantis no longer accepted, only Hovima Jardin Caleta remained for consideration. Agreed, the hotel confirmed. Realizing that we will not live in the center and, having read reviews on the rest, we decided that we would rent a car. We are a family of 3 and bus fares would cost more than renting a car for a week. The car was ordered immediately from home, confirmation was also received. They began to read the site "Tenerife in Russian", print out the necessary information, maps, routes. A week before the rest, there was a feeling that we knew the whole island by heart. 3 days before departure, TPG sends a letter of apology to our tour operator, due to the bankruptcy of one of the hosts and their late payment to the Hovima Jardin Caleta hotel, the hotel cannot accept us for the entire period of our holiday. Therefore, they offer to consider the option of "another hotel" for a week, followed by relocation for 4 days in Jardin Caleta, or they are ready to fully refund our money. Oh how!! ! Tarpaulin boot on a crystal dream!! ! It happens!! ! Through the incredible efforts of our tour operator Ekaterina "and our tantrums, we received an alternative option for the Ponderosa apart-hotel in the center of Las Americas for 7 days, followed by relocation to the Hovima Jardin Caleta hotel for 4 days in the fishing village of La Caleta. By the time of the rest (departure) we lost faith in the success of this adventure so many times that even when we stood at the airport and looked for the numbers of check-in counters for the flight in Tenerife on the scoreboard, I personally no longer believed that the combination of letters on the TENERIFE scoreboard means what I mean think. I just couldn't believe we were going to get there. But that's where the "sad" part ended and a fantastic vacation began. In order not to miss anything, I had to keep a diary...
08/19/2018. The flight from Kyiv took 6 hours, flew out clearly without delay. Air carrier UIA. I was pleasantly surprised that water, tea, coffee were offered on board at no extra charge. Flew perfectly, South airport. Ola, Spain!! ! This is our first holiday in Europe!! ! Passport control - no problem. The seals were placed as if with closed eyes (visa-free! ). We received the luggage and met with the accompanying guide. The guide was sooooo puzzled where to check us in, she had information on us Ponderosa Jardin Caleta, - there is no such hotel (((They explained, laughed. We got to the hotel at local time at one in the morning. The room was given at lightning speed, without surcharges 11th floor, view apartments 1105. The hotel itself is not really a hotel. As far as we understand, some of the rooms (most) are bought by private individuals and are also rented out (privately). The apartment has a separate bedroom for parents and in a room with a kitchen wall there are 2 more single beds The room is clean but tired, 3-star equipment (no hair dryer), minimum utensils, no dishwashing equipment and kitchen sponge and towels, no air conditioning, paid TV, no free wi-fi (this is not a problem - there are a lot of zones), a safe is paid (also solved). There is soap, but it’s better to have your own. Consumables are not in a hurry to replenish (shampoo, shower gel, toilet paper). Cleaning is so-so, mostly garbage removal. Pillows are exactly the same as written in the previous reviews-stocking, on beaten with padding polyester, one pillow is cool aloe vera. There are enough cabinets, shelves, bedside tables, diverse trempels (it seems that the vacationers themselves dragged them along with things from sales). The towels are all fresh, almost new, the bed is not new at all, but clean. Very tired bedspreads, do not ask, but simply require updating. The clothes dryer on the balcony is broken. Convenient switches - are located exactly where they are needed. The biggest and fattest plus of our room is a spacious balcony and a view of Las Americas, the ocean - a merit of the 11th floor. Moreover, the location is such that the right wall never gets the sun, and in the heat you can sit in the shade and drink cool wine, admiring the view. The soundproofing of the room immediately drew attention to itself - it is not. The noise from the road is heard around the clock and quite clearly. Elevators are old and often not very clean. The hotel itself is located in such a way that all its rooms overlook the hotel courtyard, overlooking the city and the ocean. And the corridors (open) are located on the side of the mountains and, accordingly, the road. Naturally, the view opens if the room is higher than 7-8 floors. Up to floor 5, you can see the walls and roofs of neighboring buildings. Directly opposite the hotel across the freeway is Siam Park, the bus station, the grandiose Magma building (parties are arranged on weekends).
In the morning we woke up at 7 am, half an hour later breakfast, and outside the window was night. The lanterns are shining, it feels like 3 am, the stars are in the sky, the sky itself is black. In half an hour it began to get light. It was literally morning before our eyes. Marvelous!! ! Woke up and came for breakfast. The hotel restaurant is small and cozy. There are clean tablecloths on the tables, they are covered with disposable paper ones on top, which greatly facilitates the work of the waiters in cleaning and speeds up the process. The waiters themselves are very kind, smart, friendly. According to the assortment for breakfast (every day the same): fried bacon, 2 types of sausage, cheese, sausages, potato pancakes, fried, boiled, peeled eggs (cooked without shells), several types of pastries (eclairs, muffins, croissants, cheesecakes) , pancakes with various toppings, croutons. Several types of oatmeal, jams, yogurt, canned pineapples. Fruits - bananas, apples, pears, kiwi. Drinks - coffee from vending machines, tea, hot milk, fruit smoothies.
We had breakfasts and dinners included (lunches were not taken intentionally), so I can’t say anything about lunch, I didn’t see it.
Dinner at the Ponderosa Hotel: 2 types of meat (chicken, pork), fish (stew), lasagna, french fries, risotto, grilled vegetables, 4 types of salads, pickles, fruits, sweets, 3 types of delicious ice cream. Drinks-cola, fanta, sprite for free.
Animation in the hotel is not provided. There are no evening shows, you can arrange it yourself))). Kidding. There is also no car parking on site. The “neglect” of plants on the territory was also striking. A lot of dry, withered leaves, a dry Christmas tree right in front of the main entrance. The gardener is clearly not finishing.
Regarding the hotel grounds and swimming pools. . . Hotel guests left inflatable swan toys, circles, donuts, mattresses after their stay. Now they are used in the pool by everyone. We had a great swim in the pool, although the hotel provides sun loungers, but there are no umbrellas.
To summarize the information on Ponderosa, the hotel is suitable for spending the night, taking a shower, leaving things. Option: come and go. In the kitchen, I can say that you won’t stay hungry, and you won’t get poisoned, but here it’s more like the option “eat to live, and not live to eat. ” In general, at this stage of the holiday, the hotel is quite satisfied.
The Canaries were our old dream. At the beginning of summer, we saw a reasonable price for a vacation in August at the HOVIMA hotel chain and decided to take a chance with booking. Tried to book Hovima Santa Maria through Join Up, booking denied with an offer to consider Hovima Atlantis or Hovima Jardin Caleta. After hesitating, they agreed to Atlantis. All the same, the location in the center of civilization. There were 2 months left before the holidays. Relaxing, we began to make plans. After 2 weeks Join Up canceled our flight to Tenerife (and not only. . . ). Urgently tried to rebook through TPG. Hovima Atlantis no longer accepted, only Hovima Jardin Caleta remained for consideration. Agreed, the hotel confirmed. Realizing that we will not live in the center and, having read reviews on the rest, we decided that we would rent a car. We are a family of 3 and bus fares would cost more than renting a car for a week. The car was ordered immediately from home, confirmation was also received. They began to read the site "Tenerife in Russian", print out the necessary information, maps, routes. A week before the rest, there was a feeling that we knew the whole island by heart. 3 days before departure, TPG sends a letter of apology to our tour operator, due to the bankruptcy of one of the hosts and their late payment to the Hovima Jardin Caleta hotel, the hotel cannot accept us for the entire period of our holiday. Therefore, they offer to consider the option of "another hotel" for a week, followed by relocation for 4 days in Jardin Caleta, or they are ready to fully refund our money. Oh how!! ! Tarpaulin boot on a crystal dream!! ! It happens!! ! Through the incredible efforts of our tour operator Ekaterina "and our tantrums, we received an alternative option for the Ponderosa apart-hotel in the center of Las Americas for 7 days, followed by relocation to the Hovima Jardin Caleta hotel for 4 days in the fishing village of La Caleta. By the time of the rest (departure) we lost faith in the success of this adventure so many times that even when we stood at the airport and looked for the numbers of check-in counters for the flight in Tenerife on the scoreboard, I personally no longer believed that the combination of letters on the TENERIFE scoreboard means what I mean think. I just couldn't believe we were going to get there. But that's where the "sad" part ended and a fantastic vacation began. In order not to miss anything, I had to keep a diary...
08/19/2018. The flight from Kyiv took 6 hours, flew out clearly without delay. Air carrier UIA. I was pleasantly surprised that water, tea, coffee were offered on board at no extra charge. Flew perfectly, South airport. Ola, Spain!! ! This is our first holiday in Europe!! ! Passport control - no problem. The seals were placed as if with closed eyes (visa-free! ). We received the luggage and met with the accompanying guide. The guide was sooooo puzzled where to check us in, she had information on us Ponderosa Jardin Caleta, - there is no such hotel (((They explained, laughed. We got to the hotel at local time at one in the morning. The room was given at lightning speed, without surcharges 11th floor, view apartments 1105. The hotel itself is not really a hotel. As far as we understand, some of the rooms (most) are bought by private individuals and are also rented out (privately). The apartment has a separate bedroom for parents and in a room with a kitchen wall there are 2 more single beds The room is clean but tired, 3-star equipment (no hair dryer), minimum utensils, no dishwashing equipment and kitchen sponge and towels, no air conditioning, paid TV, no free wi-fi (this is not a problem - there are a lot of zones), a safe is paid (also solved). There is soap, but it’s better to have your own. Consumables are not in a hurry to replenish (shampoo, shower gel, toilet paper). Cleaning is so-so, mostly garbage removal. Pillows are exactly the same as written in the previous reviews-stocking, on beaten with padding polyester, one pillow is cool aloe vera. There are enough cabinets, shelves, bedside tables, diverse trempels (it seems that the vacationers themselves dragged them along with things from sales). The towels are all fresh, almost new, the bed is not new at all, but clean. Very tired bedspreads, do not ask, but simply require updating. The clothes dryer on the balcony is broken. Convenient switches - are located exactly where they are needed. The biggest and fattest plus of our room is a spacious balcony and a view of Las Americas, the ocean - a merit of the 11th floor. Moreover, the location is such that the right wall never gets the sun, and in the heat you can sit in the shade and drink cool wine, admiring the view. The soundproofing of the room immediately drew attention to itself - it is not. The noise from the road is heard around the clock and quite clearly. Elevators are old and often not very clean. The hotel itself is located in such a way that all its rooms overlook the hotel courtyard, overlooking the city and the ocean. And the corridors (open) are located on the side of the mountains and, accordingly, the road. Naturally, the view opens if the room is higher than 7-8 floors. Up to floor 5, you can see the walls and roofs of neighboring buildings. Directly opposite the hotel across the freeway is Siam Park, the bus station, the grandiose Magma building (parties are arranged on weekends).
In the morning we woke up at 7 am, half an hour later breakfast, and outside the window was night. The lanterns are shining, it feels like 3 am, the stars are in the sky, the sky itself is black. In half an hour it began to get light. It was literally morning before our eyes. Marvelous!! ! Woke up and came for breakfast. The hotel restaurant is small and cozy. There are clean tablecloths on the tables, they are covered with disposable paper ones on top, which greatly facilitates the work of the waiters in cleaning and speeds up the process. The waiters themselves are very kind, smart, friendly. According to the assortment for breakfast (every day the same): fried bacon, 2 types of sausage, cheese, sausages, potato pancakes, fried, boiled, peeled eggs (cooked without shells), several types of pastries (eclairs, muffins, croissants, cheesecakes) , pancakes with various toppings, croutons. Several types of oatmeal, jams, yogurt, canned pineapples. Fruits - bananas, apples, pears, kiwi. Drinks - coffee from vending machines, tea, hot milk, fruit smoothies.
We had breakfasts and dinners included (lunches were not taken intentionally), so I can’t say anything about lunch, I didn’t see it.
Dinner at the Ponderosa Hotel: 2 types of meat (chicken, pork), fish (stew), lasagna, french fries, risotto, grilled vegetables, 4 types of salads, pickles, fruits, sweets, 3 types of delicious ice cream. Drinks-cola, fanta, sprite for free.
Animation in the hotel is not provided. There are no evening shows, you can arrange it yourself))). Kidding. There is also no car parking on site. The “neglect” of plants on the territory was also striking. A lot of dry, withered leaves, a dry Christmas tree right in front of the main entrance. The gardener is clearly not finishing.
Regarding the hotel grounds and swimming pools. . . Hotel guests left inflatable swan toys, circles, donuts, mattresses after their stay. Now they are used in the pool by everyone. We had a great swim in the pool, although the hotel provides sun loungers, but there are no umbrellas.
To summarize the information on Ponderosa, the hotel is suitable for spending the night, taking a shower, leaving things. Option: come and go. In the kitchen, I can say that you won’t stay hungry, and you won’t get poisoned, but here it’s more like the option “eat to live, and not live to eat. ” In general, at this stage of the holiday, the hotel is quite satisfied.
Like
You like
• 5
Show other comments …
