Arrival at Baobab Suites, Tenerife

We arrived at Tenerife airport on a Wizz Air flight from London. Tenerife, located in southern Europe, is the largest of the Canary Islands and the only one with two international airports. The flight usually takes four and a half hours, but the pilot knocked off a huge amount of time and our super-smooth flight was actually only three hours and 45 minutes. Although the flight was full, we still felt there was plenty of room; the seats were comfortable and the Wizz Air team was great, including the pilot who kept us well informed throughout. We disembarked, went straight through customs with ease, collected our luggage, and were met by a very friendly driver in a super comfy Mercedes to take us 20 minutes to The Baobab Suites, Costa Adeje near La Caleta.

We were greeted at reception by Jimmy, who was our main point of contact throughout our stay—an English chap who has lived in Tenerife for over 30 years. What he didn’t know about the island wasn’t worth knowing.

He took us to our huge two-bedroom suite, which has its own pool with views of the mountains and coastline. The suite was extremely large, not overly luxurious, but very well equipped. It included almost everything you’d have in your own home, from a washing machine and dishwasher to an ironing board and iron—not that I had any intention of using those white appliances! The kitchen has a great selection of crockery, cutlery, and glassware. The suite has two bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom, a TV, plenty of wardrobe space and hangers, dressing gowns, slippers, and a small selection of toiletries.

The outside space, accessible via huge sliding doors from the lounge area, was most impressive with a huge private pool, dining table and chairs, and sun loungers. The weather was just perfect and with an average daily temperature of 23 degrees, it was exactly what we needed—a big draw for those seeking some winter sun. As we left the UK it was wet, cold, and dreary; we never wanted to go home!

Dining and On-Site Leisure

Baobab Suites includes breakfast daily that can be taken in your suite or in one of the two restaurants: either Bite Buffet, a very stylish restaurant with every conceivable breakfast dish you can imagine, or the BB Lounge with table service and a fabulous selection of various breakfast cuisines from around the world. The beauty of this one is the stunning view of the sea and mountains. Apart from the excellent views, BB Lounge overlooks the large swimming pool that features comfortable hammocks and Balinese beds, just perfect to while away the hours reading, with a cocktail or two. The BB Lounge does offer lunchtime snacks too, and some fabulous evening entertainment. We saw a great saxophonist one evening after dining at Fuel RestoBar, and we enjoyed great vibes and equally good cocktails.

There is much to do in the surrounding area, but you may never leave the hotel if you don’t feel like it—except to maybe venture over the road to the sports centre, owned by Baobab Suites, called Activate. It has a well-equipped hi-tech gym, paddle tennis courts, reformer tables, al fresco spinning and yoga classes, personal training sessions, children’s swimming lessons, a sandy beach area with chill hammocks, a volleyball court, and a playground, plus the fabulous Fuel RestoBar. The Fuel RestoBar serves great food, everything from paella and burgers to salads and poke bowls; the decor here was gorgeous, with lots of huge plant pots and super-efficient heaters, as it is al fresco but with sun canopies! Apparently, according to our drinks waiter, they also have the “best mixologist in the world”—his words not ours—but I have to say his cocktails did hit the spot.

Excursions and Local Attractions

When you’ve had enough of eating, drinking, and sunbathing, the suites offer a free taxi service (until 5 pm) to the local areas, including the beach. We took advantage of this service most days, but after 5 pm you’ll need to pay—surprisingly, taxis are not expensive. We went to La Caleta for dinner, which was superb and full of great restaurants with a huge choice of cuisines. We also strolled to the local Plaza del Duque shopping centre, full of beautiful designer shops where you’d need to hang on to your purse strings—you could very easily slip into holiday mode and part with a huge amount of cash. We also ventured to the other end of the scale and went to the local Saturday market; this was fun, with lots of bargains to be had, including some locally made products and some rather dubious designer copies!

Baobab Suites also has a catamaran available to its clients for whale watching in a sustainable, legal, and environmentally friendly way. Baobab Suites has planned to build a Whale Information Centre, essential for disseminating knowledge and thus managing to eradicate practices that are not respectful of the marine environment that surrounds us. Bookable through reception, and lots of fun—the catamaran is extremely comfortable and impressive.

Here are a few other local attractions and activities:

• Visit Mount Teide, the highest point in Spain
• Sample the fruits of the island’s lush vineyards
• Have a dip in a natural, volcanic rock pool
• Sail out to see Tenerife’s whales and dolphins
• Explore one of the world’s largest underground lava tube networks
• Play a round at one of the nine Tenerife golf courses
• Join a guided trek through pine forests, mountains, and scenic countryside
• Dive into the underwater world with experienced scuba instructors

Spa, Dining, and Departure

One slightly cloudy afternoon, we booked ourselves into the Ni Rama Spa, where we were treated to a magnificent two-hour massage, the likes of which I have never experienced. My therapist Marie was Ayurvedic-trained in India and administered the most concise natural therapy programme following a consultation. This was possibly one of the best treatments I’ve ever had—and I’ve had a good few. She managed to ease my aching back, take away my niggling headache, and induce a feeling of complete and utter relaxation. For the next 48 hours, I couldn’t stop recommending the spa treatments to anyone who’d listen. My skin felt soft and hydrated, I felt totally rejuvenated, and that night I slept like a log—not something I’ve done for over 20 years.

Following my massage, I popped next door for a super blow dry. I came out of the salon feeling like a princess—the perfect end to a pretty spot-on day. Except, wait a minute, now we were going for dinner to Sucás just next door; this was the obvious choice. Tenerife chef Lucas Maes offers a creative and innovative menu that changes every three weeks in order to make the most of the freshest local ingredients. The dishes were beautifully presented and the service was faultless. The restaurant is super-chic and is known as one of the island’s most amazing dining experiences… and it’s right there in Baobab Suites.

Sadly, after six spectacular nights and days, it was time to return to the UK with Wizz Air. As with our flight into Tenerife, the flight home was equally smooth and not delayed, and the cabin crew was efficient and super-friendly. It was a great flight inbound and outbound with a comprehensive food and beverage service, all good quality items. My personal recommendation when booking Wizz Air is there are some great extra legroom seats, but for us row one was perfect.

Written by Debbie Stone, Global Editor for the Luxuria Group