Hotel Spa Villalba

Hotel Spa Villalba is an elegant, purpose-built boutique hotel that opened its doors in 2004. It's surrounded by gardens and woodlands full of almond and apple trees, and pink and purple Tenerife bugloss, an enormous conical flower found throughout the higher-lying regions of the island. The gardens are generally occupied by not-too-noisy songbirds, and there's a resident woodpecker that makes an appearance from time to time. The grounds also feature platforms for romantic private dining and a huge swing bed with views out over the island. The hotel is located above 1500 meters in altitude, so expect cooler temperatures than at the lower coastal regions -- it's a good idea to bring a jacket, even in summer months. The hotel building was designed with authenticity in mind, as interiors were inspired by traditional Tenerife architecture and ample use of local pine and other native materials coupled with colorful stained glass. The two-story lobby is built in a courtyard style (but with a roof) and features an interior balcony with a terrace on its upper level and an enormous metal chandelier centerpiece. There is an elevator, but it doesn't go all the way to the top floor, where four Standard Rooms are located. Overall, Hotel Spa Villalba the kind of place you go for quiet and relaxation, and while the majority of guests are European, plenty of people from Tenerife go here on weekend getaways, too. This hotel is best for couples as children under 14 are not allowed.

Hotel Spa Villalba sits just outside of quiet Vilaflor, on the edge of a pine forest en route to Mount Teide, a 35-minute drive away. It's an authentically Canarian area with lots of hiking opportunities in the immediate surroundings, including the 90-minute long Pina Nana (little pine) trek, with great views of the surrounding areas. It's a 10-minute walk into the town of Vilaflor, which has a couple of small supermarkets, a few restaurants, and a pharmacy, and there's a local bus service to the inland town of Arona (twice daily) and to Mount Teide and its surrounding national park (one per day, each way). There are a number of wineries on the road down to the coast; most are about a 10- to 15-minute drive away. Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos take about half an hour to reach by car. The nearest airport is Tenerife South, a 35-minute drive away, while Tenerife North Airport takes around an hour and 15 minutes to reach by car. 

Hotel Spa Villalba offers 27 elegant, classically furnished rooms across a variety of categories. There are six Standard Doubles with either garden or street views and smallish bathrooms with walk-in showers. Four of these are on the top floor and thus not accessible by elevator. All have balconies, but the two on the second floor only have tiny Juliet balconies. The next category up is Superior Double, of which there are 13, and all have balconies and shower/tub combos in the largish bathrooms. The two Junior Suites have separate living and sleeping areas and are located on the building's corners; the balconies in these are larger still and the bathrooms have heated towel racks. There are also two Presidential Suites with whirlpool baths and enormous terraces.Decor is consistent across room types and features gorgeous hardwood floors and dark-wood furniture, plus off-white textured wallpaper and simple, neutral-hued upholstered furniture and drapes. All rooms have mini-fridges that can be transformed into minibars for a fee, as well as kettles alongside tea and coffee, but if guests use up their initial supply, they'll be charged extra for refills. Safes are free with a deposit. Bathrooms have beautiful Andalusian-style tiling in pink or green and high-end toiletries.

Villalba is very much built with relaxation in mind, and its biggest selling point (aside from the incredibly peaceful location) is its beautiful spa. It offers a variety of healing modalities -- including sports massage and Ayurvedic treatments -- as well as a free hydrotherapy circuit, whirlpools, plunge pools, and steam and sauna facilities. There's also a lovely pool that's partially covered with a glassed-in sun room  in winter but semi-open in summer so guests can swim from inside to outside and back again. The pool features multiple fountains for hydromassage in the indoor section. Next to the pool area is a well-equipped gym with all kinds of circuit weight-training equipment and an immense two-story climbing wall. The hotel provides harnesses and chalk and an instructor comes in twice a week to teach and belay guests.  The hotel's smallish restaurant has a lovely outdoor terrace flanked by planters filled with mint plants. The restaurant serves free daily breakfast buffets of hot and cold items, along with a la carte lunch and dinner fare. Optional half-and full-board packages are available and include three courses per seating (a starter, a main, and a dessert), but drinks cost extra. Room service is available for a fee. Guests can also order coffee and tea in a separate lounge, which features a fireplace that's kept lit during winter months, a shelf of loaner books, and a record player -- guests can borrow LPs from the front desk. The room can also be used for small meetings and events. For larger groups of up to 50 people, there's a separate conference room on the same floor with audiovisual equipment. A small game room with traditional Spanish games, chess, and backgammon is on-site. Other features include a small case in the lobby with artisanal chocolates for sale, free hotel-wide Wi-Fi, and a bike repair/storage area to accommodate the many cyclists the island attracts. There's no dedicated parking lot, but there's really no need as the area has more than enough street parking.