Royal Garden Villas

One look at Google Maps, and one would rightfully assume that Royal Garden Villas is a golf hotel. It is, after all, located on the main road running through the Golf Costa Adeje course. But instead of catering to primarily golfers, Royal Garden is ideal for couples and well-heeled families seeking an intimate and relaxing getaway. Because of the resort's small size, there are usually around 60 to 90 guests at any given time, as opposed to the 500 to 1,000-plus guest occupancy levels of most area resorts. Here, a pin drop would be audible were it not for the tinkling fountains and the occasional murmuring of a fellow guest. Royal Garden -- one of the only true luxury boutique hotels in Tenerife -- takes its inspiration from Bali and Thailand, resulting in a unique Southeast Asian escape in the foothills of Costa Adeje. Because of its hillside position, the property has a tiered layout, with the reception and main pool on the top level; the spa, fitness center, squash court in the middle section, and the restaurant on the lowest floor.

All 28 villas offer stunning lateral vistas of the sea and mountains; at night, the lights of Las Americas twinkle in the distance. The villas aren't stand-alone, but feel secluded -- except for the fact that the resort is wedged between two roads, and one skirts the bottom of rooms' expansive stone terraces. Villas make up for this infrastructural drawback with lavish decor and amenities, including private pools. Guests are typically (and understandably) content to burrow in their villas, but should they choose to venture out, they can enjoy the same hushed vibe, Asian ornamentation, and land- and seascape from the serene upper-level shared pool. It overlooks the golf course and provides comfy, extra-wide wicker chaises, where lounging guests can nibble on wraps and salmon platters and sip cocktails and tropical smoothies. Such food and drink service is commendable, since the resort is not within walking distance beachside restaurants or the water -- or anything, really -- and doesn't provide a shuttle to the shore. This is supposedly due to a lack of demand, and the lack of a beach shuttle reinforces Royal Garden's concept of complete seclusion. Royal Garden is among Grupo Golf Resort trio of Tenerife properties, which includes Gran Oasis Resort and Green Garden Resort & Suites. The only other hotel in Tenerife that matches the level of luxury here is Hotel Las Madrigueras, an adult-only golf resort. It's perhaps just a touch more polished, though the spa is nicer here -- and rates here tend to be higher, on account of all the rooms being villas. 

Royal Garden is located on a road cutting through Golf Costa Adeje. Its immediate surroundings are manicured golf-course grounds, but widen the scope and you'll see plots of dusty, not-yet-developed no-man's-lands in most directions. Costa Adeje isn't so much an upmarket community as it is a nexus of high-end resorts and golf courses, with patches of barren nothing in between. A car or a solid grasp on the TITSA bus system is crucial for getting around; there are underutilized sidewalks along the steep main road, but there isn't really anything within walking distance of Royal Garden besides the adjacent golf course. The walk to La Caleta, the closest seaside community to the hotel, takes a half hour (or a five-minute drive). Playa del Duque and Playa de Fanabe are both a solid 10-minute's drive away. Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos take 12 to 13 minutes to reach by car, respectively, and Tenerife South Airport is a 19-minute drive away.

Each one of Royal Garden's 28 one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas is individually decorated, but they all execute the hotel's upmarket Southeast Asian look beautifully, with handsome and elaborate Indonesian-style furnishings and decor. The spaces are filled with intricately carved wood ornamental objects and furniture, like teak back bars and wine cabinets (Royal Garden's "maxibars" are fully stocked with wine and Champagne). Tapestries, mirrors, brass chandeliers, hanging lanterns, and jungle-inspired artwork -- much of it imported from Indonesia -- provide rich texture. Bamboo and clusters of tall dried grass fill oversize vases, and potted trees, ferns, and orchids are tucked in corners and on tables and countertops. Amenities are as impressive as the decor. Each villa comes with Samsung plasma Smart TVs in bedrooms and living areas, and large kitchens with coffeemakers, microwaves, stove/ovens, and dishwashers. Full fridges are stocked with white wine, juice, and water. Egyptian cotton sheets and silk blankets dress the beds, which have canopies, padded leather headboards, or museum-worthy teak backdrops. Extra pillows and blankets, plus bathrobes and slippers, are stashed in big walk-in closets or hall closets with wood-slatted doors.

Bathrooms are outstanding. They're spacious, clad in Turkish marble, and feature large soaking tubs and separate areas for walk-in hydromassage rainfall showers and water closets. Master bathrooms have peek-a-boo windows and outdoor Balinese-style showers. Which brings us to the villas' outdoor space. Now, nearly every hotel room in coastal Tenerife has a balcony or terrace of some sort. It's actually very hard to find a hotel room that doesn't have one. But the terraces at Royal Garden are very likely the best on the island. These are enormous stone patios, each with a private pool, trickling fountain, multiple Balinese beds and sunbeds, and an indoor/outdoor covered lounge with a dining table and living-room set. The golf course, mountains, and sea are visible from all villas, but so is the road immediately beneath them. Because the street is below, villas' privacy isn't exactly compromised, but their sense of seclusion might be.

Note that some units are bi-level. Duplex units feature two terraces and two outside bathrooms (the three-bedroom, three-bathroom Royal Villa spreads across 3,800 square feet). All rooms have air-conditioning, safes, stacked washing and drying machines, and free Wi-Fi. Housekeeping cleans twice a day, and turndown service is provided at night. Nintendos, PlayStation3s, and cots for infants are available upon request (extra beds are not available, though).

The entrance to Golden Pond Spa was once the threshold of a Thai temple, and the spa's interior does its gorgeous entryway justice. Wood floors and marble walls, columns, and relief panels frame the spa's thermal circuit (guests get free access), featuring a steam room, aromatherapy Turkish bath, two tiled sensation showers, ice fountain, and heated pool with jets and statue fountains. Along the sides are wicker chairs and curving chaises, plus a polished brass Buddha statue. The spa's one treatment room can accommodate couples and features a big marble bathtub. Massages, body treatments, facials (using NaturaBiss skin care), waxing, and nail services (using Orly nail polish) are available. The fitness center next to the spa has three pieces of cardio equipment (one bike, elliptical, and treadmill) and a Salter multi-gym facing a mirrored wall, plus a water machine. Towels are available and there are bathrooms with showers. Guests have free access to the hotel's squash court.

The small but peaceful pool wraps around the reception house and faces south, affording views of the golf course; Roque del Conde, Tenerife's table-top summit; and the ocean. All around are pieces of statuary, handsome teak sofas, cocoon hanging chairs, and wide cabana-style loungers. Poolside food and drink service is available, and twice a week, the hotel hosts an elegant barbecue dinner on the deck, with a set menu and live music. Depending on the season, poolside dinners have either a tropical or Canarian theme.

The hotel's main restaurant is the romantic Jardin. Its decor changes regularly, but hand-carved Javanese screens and lit-from-within plaster chandeliers are constant. Every guest here is either on bed-and-breakfast or half-board plans, so all can enjoy the full breakfast buffet of croissants, smoked salmon, fruit, and more that is laid out in the mornings. The restaurant closes for lunch, which is available via room service. For dinner, it specializes in excellent classic European and Canarian fare, like rock fish stew, sauteed sea bass, Chatraubriand steak, and suckling pig, which is paired with an excellent selection of wine. Past guests regularly praise Jardin's food as being far superior to typical area restaurant fare, and its service is as elegant as its decor (servers in traditional Canarian dress will bring over wood floor trays upon which guests can place their bags, as opposed to on the floor). The Tucan Tucan Pub doesn't come to close to Jardin's level of atmosphere and romance, but the dimly lit lounge does make a cozy spot for a nightcap with its gorgeous carved bar and animal-print sofas.

Other features include 24-hour reception, meeting room, private underground parking, and babysitting service. Wi-Fi is free throughout.