Staying at the Bahia Princess: Costa Adeje, Tenerife

If the Bahia Princess was a person, she’d be pretty overweight and a bit of a giant. The columned-reception is imposing and the buffet will have you piling on the pounds, just by looking at it.

The rooms at the Bahia Princess

Big and spacious, each one seemed to have its own balcony. Sadly, ours looked over a street and didn’t get much sun, but it wasn’t too noisy. There wasn’t a double bed available on our holiday, so we went with twins which was bearable.

For those who get angsty about shower power, you’ll be pleased to know these were strong. There’s also a bath to soak your feet in after walking the Barranco de Infierno.

The room is clean and has all the expected amenities; a fridge (which I think you need to specially request a key for), a TV, large mirrors, hairdryer, sofa, small table and a safe (which I never managed to figure out). The one thing it lacks, however, seems to be plugs, but if you’re happy taking the risk of electrocution, you can use the bathroom plug, or delve behind the cupboards the TV sits on to find another.

Top Tip: Make sure you take your own shampoo and conditioners, whilst they do provide the usual stuff, it’s not great.

The Food at the Bahia Princess

There is one dining room. There is one buffet. But there are many many dishes. If you’re halfboard, you’ll get breakfast (I promise you, you won’t need lunch if you eat properly at breakfast…), and dinner.

Both settings have food to cater for all tastes; there’s fruit and cereals for the more health-conscious, freshly made omlettes or fried eggs for the egg-lovers and a full fry up, complete with churros, baked beans, four different types of sausage and much more.

Dinner is a similar affair, with fish grilled before your eyes, several meats on offer, as well as jacket potatoes, a salad bar, chips, rice, potatoes, pasta, and constantly changing dishes. One night, there may be chicken escalopes, stewed beef and chilli con carne on offer, the next there may be pizza, a curry and lasagne.

What’s nice about this is that they ask that gentlemen wear shirts and long trousers. Not everyone does, but the thought is there and as a result, makes dinner seem that little bit extra special.

If for some awful reason, you won’t be able to make dinner that night (you may decide to try out Sebastian’s), tell reception a day in advance and they will equip you with a hearty packed lunch to make up for it. Trust me, one will be more than enough for two people.

Things to do at the Bahia Princess

If you don’t plan on leaving your hotel, there’s plenty to do – a giant chess set, pool tables and even archery. Nightly entertainment, which I didn’t stop to watch, seemed popular, with a kiddies’ disco, parrot show, Abba tribute and other acts throughout the evening. For football fans, they have a public TV showing all the main matches.

There are hundreds of sunbeds so you won’t need to scrap over them and 3 pools, one heated.

I also loved the various stalls that magically appeared most evenings, selling bags one night, jewellery the next. Now that’s service for you – bringing the shops to your doorstep!

Internet at the Bahia Princess

If you’re a complete nerd and can’t go without Facebook for a day, or, like us, need to keep an eye on work, then internet is available at the Bahia Princess. It’s €19 for a week and only covers the Piano Bar and reception. Be warned for funny looks and the occasional tuts if you do whip out your laptop, especially down at breakfast (no internet there), for apparently working whilst on holiday is SINFUL!

Top Tip: If you only want to use the internet occasionally, there are café bars just opposed the Bahia Princess that do free wifi.

 

It’s not something I would have even considered before, but with the place teeming with old people, I was impressed by the accessibility. There are ramps and lifts around the place to help those who found it hard to walk and those who were just lazy.

Read about things to do in Costa Adeje >