Hotel Troya

Hotel Troya sits smack dab in the middle of southern Tenerife's famous beach belt, with Playa de las Americas to the south and Costa Adeje to the north, and the beach 65 feet to the west. The hotel's exterior looks every bit the 1970s beach hotel that it is -- Troya's blocky modernist architecture is common to Tenerife hotels. Beyond the retro facade, though, things are a bit more modern; around 85 percent of the hotel was refurbished in 2013 (areas that were totally redone include the spa, fitness center, lobby, many of the rooms, and even the parking lot). The remaining 15 percent is slotted to be renovated in 2017. The 2017 renovations, which will shut down the hotel completely for three months beginning in April, will refresh the tiles in the pool area, add an entirely new floor of rooms, and convert some rooms to be wheelchair-friendly or interconnectable. Hotel Troya doesn't have any exclusivities with tour operators, but participates with nearly all of the major ones, like Tui U.K., Jet2Holiday, Thomson, Thomas Cook, Meeting Point Germany, and TravelPlan. These tour operators pretty much keep Troya at full capacity year-round with a very international clientele (some of whom are repeaters returning a couple of times a year). Visitors from the U.K. have the strongest presence, of course, with travelers from all over Europe constituting the remainder. In the summer, the majority of Troya's guests are families with children and younger friend groups on the all-inclusive plan. When the hotel's kid count is high (summers, as well as holidays like Easter, Christmas, and Halloween), it ups its kid-friendly entertainment. In winter, the bulk of the guests are older couples staying, on average, for seven to 10 days on the half-board plan. (Bed and breakfast and full-board are also available.) Neighboring La Siesta Hotel and Hotel Gala are part of the same group, Alexandre Hotels.

Hotel Troya's location is a highlight; the hotel overlooks Troya and El Bobo beaches, and there is a gate by the pool that leads directly to Troya Beach. There are restaurants, cafes, and shops in every land-based direction, including directly to the north of the hotel, where the Palm Beach shopping arcade houses a Greek restaurant, a bakery, a souvenir shop, and several perfumeries and beach shops. The Las Veronicas stretch -- with its bars, bars, and more bars -- can be reached in about three-minute walk to the south. Siam Park and Siam Mall can be reached in about a 15-minute walk, and Magma Art & Congress, a cultural center with a calendar filled with live music performances and conferences, is a 12-minute walk away. Teide National Park can be reached by car in just under an hour, and Tenerife South Airport is a 17-minute drive from the hotel. 

Troya's 354 rooms fall into four different categories -- Standard Rooms, Family Rooms, Club Alexandre Rooms, and Junior Suites. All are air-conditioned and soundproofed, and have private furnished balconies and free Wi-Fi. Nearly a third of the units are Standard Rooms (on floors one through three) and have a partial sea view. All rooms above the third floor have sea views -- though technically they are lateral views rather than direct, as all rooms look north or south. Family Rooms sleep four and have a small lounge area, but their balconies do not have sea views. Club Alexandre Rooms (located on fourth through seventh floors) and Junior Suites have accent walls in either tomato red, representing Teide and the island's desert core, or sea blue, in honor of the ocean. These are the top two room types, so come with additional perks, like Nespresso coffeemakers with two free coffee capsules, USB chargers, bathrobes, slippers, and minibars, as well as free access to the hotel's spa facilities once a day (except for all-inclusive guests, who still have to pay). Junior Suites have two balconies, one off of the living room and one off of the bedroom.Every room has a desk, double closet with full-length mirrors, and Samsung flat-screen TV with about 60 channels; the language can be switched in the TV's settings. All rooms come with mini-fridges that require a flat fee to access, but the fee includes all of the contents: Cokes, Fantas, Sprites, tonic waters, mineral waters, and two bags of chips. The safes in the rooms can be accessed with a deposit and a daily fee. All rooms are soundproofed, but note that north-facing rooms are quieter than the south-facing ones, which overlook the pool and entertainment area. Housekeeping is provided daily.Troya will close for three months in 2017 in order to complete its 2013 renovations. The 2017 round of renovations will add a new floor of rooms, and will convert some of its current rooms to be interconnecting or mobility-friendly.

Troya's main restaurant is an indoor buffet serving all three meals. Buffet breakfasts routinely offers fruit, yogurt, cereals, cheeses, juices, coffee, stations for crepes and omelettes, an English breakfast corner, and a health-conscious section. Lunches feature Canarian fare, a salad bar, and show-cooking stations for daily meat and fish entrees. Theme dinners rotate between Mexican, Italian, Moroccan, Chinese, Canarian, American, and Mediterranean menus. Room service is available during the restaurant's hours of operation. With advance notice, the kitchen can cater to any dietary restrictions. La Palapa, Troya's pool bar, serves a Mediterranean a la carte lunch menu, and, for all-inclusive guests, free drinks and snacks, like French fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and salads. There is also an indoor bar near the reception with table service. Troya's all-inclusive package includes a few premium alcohol options, like Cutty Sark whisky, Larios gin, Arehucas rum, and Moskovskaya vodka.

Below the buffet restaurant is what may be Troya's most impressive feature: the Natural Wellness Center & Spa. The nearly 11,000-square-foot space includes massage cabins, a hairdresser, and a relaxation terrace. The spa's water circuit includes a hydromassage pool, whirlpool, Roman bath, Turkish bath, sensation showers, foot bath, cold-water pool, and sauna, all surrounded by blue-tile mosaic columns and walls and glowing violet lights. Non-all-inclusive guests staying in Club Alexandre Rooms and Junior Suites get free access to the spa's hydrotherapy features, while guests in Standard or Family Rooms (or all-inclusive guests in Club Alexandre Rooms and Junior Suites) can access them for a fee.The hotel built a sleek sun terrace as part of its 2013 renovation; this area features sunbeds, covered sections with sofas, and three free first-come first-serve Balinese beds. The hotel opened a good-sized fitness center in 2014; it has Salter equipment (bikes, benches, a treadmill, an elliptical, and a multi-function machine) and free weights. Troya offers free yoga twice a week, as well as classes like water aerobics, Zumba, and pool gymnastics. All-inclusive guests can free access to Troya's rooftop sports facilities, which include mini-golf, tennis, French bowling, and paddle tennis, a couples' game similar to squash and tennis that is popular in Spain, Italy, and some South American countries. Access to the hotel's shooting range is also free, but guests must be with member of entertainment team. Entertainment for both families and adults is held throughout the day by the sports area or the large pool, which is split into two sections -- a wide main area and a smaller shallow kids' end -- by a bridge. Since children's activities are included in the daily entertainment program, the indoor "Magic Park" kids' club is only open at night. The large, multi-room kids' club features games, play equipment, beanbag chairs, a flat-screen TV, and colorful murals, and supervisors organize performances and workshops for kids, while parents can enjoy the hotel's professional shows at night.There is a multi-use, audiovisual-equipped meeting room that can accommodate up to 99 people (the space had been used for a Pilates conference before our visit, and all of the chairs were still pushed to the walls), a computer corner (fee), a TV lounge off of the lobby that broadcasts football matches and other sporting events, plus live news. A free parking lot with 50 spaces is right in front of the hotel (rare for this area). Troya is actively trying to reduce its waste output, so recycling and compost bins are located throughout the property. Wi-Fi is free throughout the common areas and the rooms, and guests can upgrade to premium Wi-Fi for a fee.