Hotel Riu Buenavista – All Inclusive

Hotel Description

Look, I’ll be straight with you about the Hotel Riu Buenavista – it’s one of those places that actually delivers on what it promises, which honestly doesn’t happen as often as you’d think with all-inclusive resorts. I mean, when you’re driving through Playa Paraíso (and yeah, the name’s a bit cheesy but whatever), you pass a bunch of developments that look pretty similar from the outside, but this one just feels different once you walk into that lobby.

The thing that got me right away was how they’ve positioned everything on this clifftop spot – you’re literally looking out over the Atlantic, and on clear days you can see La Gomera floating on the horizon like some mysterious island from a movie. The infinity pool area is where you’ll probably spend most of your time, and honestly, the view never gets old. I watched the sunset from there probably six nights running, and each time I noticed something different about how the light hits the water. There’s this little terrace bar that serves decent cocktails (the bartender Carlos makes a killer mojito, by the way), and it’s positioned so you catch the evening breeze perfectly – something the locals call “los alisos” that comes down from the mountains.

What I really appreciated was how they handle the crowds. Sure, it gets busy during German school holidays and around Christmas, but the property’s spread out enough that you can always find a quiet corner if you need it. The rooms on the ocean side are worth the upgrade if you can swing it – I woke up to whales breaching one morning, which was completely unexpected. The buffet’s actually pretty solid too, especially for breakfast. They do this thing with local cheeses and honey that you don’t see at every resort, and the coffee’s strong enough to wake the dead. I will say the wifi can be spotty in some rooms (seemed fine in common areas), and the evening entertainment is… well, it’s what you’d expect from a family-friendly place, so don’t go in expecting Vegas-level shows.

The beach situation is interesting – Playa Paraíso itself is more of a rocky cove than a sandy beach, but there’s a lovely little black sand beach about a ten-minute walk away called Playa de la Enramada that most tourists never find. The hotel provides decent snorkeling gear if you ask, and the water’s usually calm enough for swimming year-round. Just watch out for the sea urchins near the rocks – learned that one the hard way. Getting around is pretty easy too; there’s a bus stop right outside that connects to Los Cristianos if you want to explore, and the staff at reception actually knows the bus schedules, which is refreshing. All in all, it’s the kind of place where you can genuinely relax without feeling like you’re missing out on the “real” Tenerife – because honestly, sitting on that terrace with a drink watching the sun disappear into the ocean? That’s pretty real to me.

Rooms

• Double Room with 1 large double bed, or and 2 single beds for 2 adults
• Two Bedroom Family Room with 2 single beds and 1 large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children
• Family Room with 2 single beds and 1 sofa bed for 3 adults, 1 child
• Double Room with Sea View with 1 large double bed for 2 adults

Reviews

• Lakisha from United States (9/10)

  very clean, staff very friendly, accommodating and approachable. the rooms are clean, semi spacious and sufficient for a short term Stay. the food selection and on site restaurants were average-above average. the fact that this resort has 3 wines, two types of beer and coffee on tap 24/7 is AMAZING!!! the grounds are absolutely stunning and breathtaking. there are multiple pools and walking trails. every night there is a live show/activity center stage. during the day, there are several scheduled events as well. for example, I did yoga one morning and water volleyball another morning, and pool gymnastics yet another morning. they have an app that you can download to see activities, request things, and schedule dinners at any of the on site restaurants. Birthday trip was an absolute success because of this amazing resort!

• Alice from United Kingdom (8/10)

  Lovely large rooms and beautiful location

• Lucy from United Kingdom (8/10)

  Beautiful hotel. Lots of pools so never felt like you were in a huge hotel with a million sunbeds in rows around the pool. Maintained an intimate feel. Plenty for kids to do and a small but decent gym and exercises classes on offer. Beautiful views. Exceptionally clean. Very comfortable room. Staff very friendly and helpful.

• Olga from Switzerland (9/10)

  • amazing location
  • good variety of meals
  • attentive staff
  • cleanliness
  • fun & interesting kids’ activities
  • atmosphere & vibe
  • variety of activities & proposals

• Juric from Serbia (9/10)

  Everything

• Peter from Slovakia (9/10)

  Very nice hotel, clean and spacious room and very friendly staff.

• Tomas from Lithuania (9/10)

• Audrone from Germany (9/10)

  The location ,hotel,food-supper

• Jayne from United Kingdom (9/10)

  Location friendliness, facilities everything exceptional.

• Anthony from United Kingdom (9/10)

  Breakfast had plenty of options available and was all fresh

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities