Apartamentos Oro Blanco

Oro Blanco lures families, couples, and groups up to its hilly location at the edge of the resort zone with low rates, multiple-bedroom accommodations, and a scattering of resort features. As if the hotel knows that these three assets will reliably attract non-picky travelers, it doesn't concern itself too much with decorative niceties or modernization efforts. There are a few attractive elements in the common areas: the lobby features several pieces of beautifully carved, colonial-style wood furniture, and the airy indoor/outdoor pool bar -- Oro Blanco's lone spot for food and drinks -- has a counter-service bar with multicolored Majorca-style tiles and a sloping terra-cotta roof. The reddish-brown-tile terrace around the pool is is dotted with patio furniture, plastic sunbeds, and cloth and palapa umbrellas, plus billiards, giant chess, ping-pong, and plastic play equipment for kids. 

There are no hotel-sponsored activities or entertainment (a pro for some), but loud music often plays from the pool bar's speakers and from the encompassing room balconies. It's in the guest rooms where Oro Blanco's unstylishness really shines. Studios and apartments have quite dated decor and appliances and few in-room perks -- fine for those who only need a place to rest their heads at night, but perhaps more of a drag for self-catering travelers who want to take advantage of the in-room kitchenettes.

Oro Blanco is located at the western border of Golf Las Americas. On Oro Blanco's side of the road, there are other hotels (including the unaffiliated Catalonia Oro Negro, next door), supermarkets (the closest one is just a short walk down the hill, great for stocking Oro Blanco's kitchenettes), restaurants, pubs, car rentals, and strip clubs. It's not an unsafe area, but the scene can get rowdy once the sun goes down (late-night noise from nearby bars can be a nuisance here) and prostitutes aren't an uncommon sighting at night. The free shuttles to Siam Park and Siam Mall have a stop right across from the hotel. It is a 12-minute walk to the beach from Oro Blanco, and a 13-minute drive to Tenerife South Airport.

The units can accommodate couples or small groups and families, as they come either as studios with two twin beds or as one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Simple brown tile floors and blue and white plaster walls make plain backdrops for the units, which are outfitted with clunky old furniture and unattractive fabrics. The bed we slept in on our visit was memorably lumpy and stiff. Little kitchens feature mini-fridges (without freezer sections), microwaves, stovetops, kettles, and toasters. The remote controls for the flat-screen TVs require a deposit, but the TVs have dozens of channels, including BBC and ITV. Most rooms have furnished balconies, though the most basic studio options do not. Rooms have either views of the pool (upper-floor rooms can see the ocean) or the golf course and distant mountains.

Basic bathrooms have either shower/tub combos, pedestal sinks, and a small glass shelf below the mirror for counter space. Each bathroom has an individual hot-water boiler, so two or more guests might have to space out their showers. Rooms lack air-conditioning and fans, though both are provided for a fee. Wi-Fi, ironing equipment, hairdryers, and safes all also require additional fees. Note that there are device restrictions even for those paying for in-room Wi-Fi. Housekeeping comes five days a week, but bed linens are only changed once a week. Note that all rooms require a per-person deposit at check-in.

Oro Blanco's main feature is its courtyard pool (with a gated-off kiddy corner) surrounded by a large terrace with plastic loungers and pool-bar tables and chairs. Shade is provided by a few palapa and cloth umbrellas. An upper-level terrace is pretty barren on the landscaping front, but has additional plastic loungers, a colorful play area for kids, and a poolside massage hut. Adjacent to the pool is an a la carte counter-service snack bar that is mostly indoors, but with one side opening out to the pool. The pool bar serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and nightly happy hours. Drinks available include local beers, local and international spirits, cider, basic cocktails, and slushies. Though there isn't any entertainment here, loud music from the pool bar speakers (and occasionally surrounding room balconies), table games (pool, ping-pong, and air hockey), and a giant outdoor chess board keep the atmosphere upbeat.

For a quieter spot, the nice rooftop terrace has rentable Bali beds and sunrise-to-sunset light. Entrance to sauna and hot tub require a fee, and there is a time limit. There is a so-called game room, but it is really more of a den with sofas, an old TV, and a shelf of books left by previous guests. There are computers in the lobby and pool bar for guest use. These cost a fee, but Wi-Fi is free in both areas (in-room Wi-Fi costs a fee). Coin-operated laundry machines are available.