The best holiday resorts in Tenerife, from family fun to sun-dappled seclusion

There’s nothing wrong with wanting it all, and that’s exactly what our pick of the best holiday resorts in Tenerife provide. Each offers amenities galore, including a multitude of dining options, a choice of pools, and sensuous spa facilities. Located all around the island, some are less than a short putt from golf fairways, others allow you to sidle straight onto the beach, while a few feature sprawling gardens for subtropical gallivanting. If you like to have it all on your doorstep, take your pick from our guide to the top Tenerife holiday resorts.

Set within the heart of Playa de Las Américas, this Mexican hacienda-style paradise of a hotel offers five-star luxury in the old-fashioned sense of the word. Rooms are expansive, regal and luxurious, and the standard of gastronomy is exceptionally high in all six restaurants. Extensive, immaculately maintained grounds include tennis courts and a large swimming pool with mock cliff and cascading waterfalls. Plush sun loungers with fat, lilac mattresses and copious Bali beds are scattered around the pool, gardens and upper terrace overlooking the beach. A spa and gym are set in mock Mayan ruins beneath the gardens.

? The best hotels in Tenerife

You're in for a Canarian experience at this luxury resort modelled like a 19th-century Spanish colonial-style village. Sensational facilities include five outdoor pools, a comprehensive spa, star-gazing observatory, and a dizzying 21 bars and restaurants. There are organised activities aplenty, while junior guests have a kids' club. Rooms come with insanely comfortable beds and balconies or terraces, most with ocean views. Suites in the Casas Ducales quarter come with VIP perks such as an exclusive breakfast terrace, and free evening canapés and aperitifs. Stepping up another notch, 40 villas have private pools and butler service.

? The best all-inclusive hotels in Tenerife

Expect all the trademark rock star glamour, luxury and memorabilia of the Hard Rock brand at this outpost – one of the best resorts in south Tenerife for its party-led, music-themed atmosphere. Everywhere you go, from reception to rooms, bars to pools and restaurants to spa, rock music is a constant feature; even the staff wear badges that tell you who their favourite band is. It draws crowds for its three heated swimming pools (which include an adults-only pool and the beach club lagoon, with swim-up bars), and funky beach club that doubles as a concert arena. Free personal use of a Fender guitar, or a DJ mixing desk, is a fun extra.

? The best hotels in Gran Canaria

This unpretentious, all-inclusive coastal resort is positioned five minutes on foot from the fairways and British residential enclave of Golf del Sur. Terracotta-toned buildings, adobe-style exterior walls and palm-filled patios with curved-glass fa?ades mix rustic Mexican hacienda with contemporary Canarian style. Although there are pockets of adult-only seclusion, the emphasis is on active family fun. Choose from eight outdoor pools, six bars and restaurants, a mini-lake for kayaking, a modest sand-and-pebble beach, a spa, sports centre and a kids' club, plus a private environmental reserve tour and associated ‘experience tunnel’.

? The best hotels in the Canary Islands

This super friendly, good-value, all-inclusive family hotel alongside the golf course in Playa de Las Américas is particularly popular with younger families. Perhaps it’s the staff: always smiling, ever helpful, and constantly interacting with the youngest guests, they imbue an infectious sense of fun around the place. Three heated swimming pools, one of them specifically for children, form the central focus of the resort, while it’s activities galore at the football/basketball court and games room. Apartments combined with the on-site supermarket have everything needed for self-catering, while all-inclusive packages give access to all-day snacks, non-premium drinks, meals and ice cream.

? The best five-star hotels in Tenerife

Facilities at this sprawling pink palace are extensive and there's plenty to do, with spa and fitness facilities, seven pools, a beach, and two Michelin-starred restaurants to keep boredom at bay. The south of Tenerife has a drier landscape and is more touristy than the north, but this is a peaceful spot far from any crowds – with swathes of lush gardens and plenty of tropical foliage around to admire. The majority of guests are older couples, however families (especially during school holidays) and younger couples also stay. Of the three categories of rooms, standard rooms (Deluxe) are some of the largest in Tenerife and feel really spacious and comfortable, with very private balconies and big marble bathrooms.

? The best all-inclusive hotels in the Canary Islands

Expect old-school professional service, understated opulence and luxuriant surroundings at this stylish Sheraton just 10 minutes’ stroll from both La Caleta and Del Duque beach. Architecture is seamlessly blended with nature to provide oases of sub-tropical calm around the terraces and patios. Two impressive pools are the focal points for the sumptuous gardens and manicured lawns where sun loungers provide grandstand sea views. Miniature golf, a tennis court and a well-equipped gym afford adrenalin fixes and entertainment, while the sauna and treatments of the spa ensure relaxation ensues. It all feels very hushed and exclusive.

? The best family-friendly hotels in the Canary Islands

Tucked away from the sunbathing crowds of the south, this adults-only spa hotel is one of the loveliest quiet resorts in Tenerife. Its main buildings are centred around a large, open courtyard, while swimming pools, terraces and subtropical gardens run down the hillside overlooking the ocean. The elegant blend of history and contemporary design in a remote, dramatic setting provides a haven of comfort and luxury. Upgrade to 'Level' rooms for access to private terraces, superior sun loungers and drinks on tap. Other highlights include an 18-hole championship golf course, a funky bar set in a church and the YHI spa.

? The best adults-only hotels in Tenerife

This traditional Canarian-style hotel set alongside a botanical garden with swimming pool and sun terraces offers leafy tranquillity from its location above Puerto de la Cruz. Buildings are painted in a pastel palette of powder blue, jasmine and peach and adorned by white or green balconies, while interior patios are uniformly terracotta with natural wood balconies and ceramic-tiled flooring. A domed lobby, potted palms and lattice panels add a Moorish influence. There’s a heated outdoor pool, tennis courts, a children's playground and mini golf, plus a well-equipped gym, squash court and small spa with sauna and heated pool.

Contributions by Rachel Cranshaw & Andrea Montgomery