Sol Sun Beach Apartments by Melia

Sol Sun Beach is a beachfront apartment hotel that caters to couples and families alike, most of whom are from the UK or Ireland. The property is squarely mid-range, with a somewhat busy lobby featuring a mezzanine-level seating area and an even busier pool deck area that leads out to a huge sunbathing deck with plenty of room for everyone -- this is one of the few places on the island where guests don't have to fret about a shortage of lounge chairs. The overall vibe is casual, and while the hotel feels busy most of the time, it doesn't attract much of a party crowd and things die down early in the evening. 

Sol Sun Beach is located smack in the middle of the main tourist strip in Costa Adeje, sandwiched between the boardwalk and the narrow one-way road that runs through town. Playa de Fanabe is right in front of the hotel and it's about a 10- to 15-minute walk to Playa El Duqe. Siam Park is a 10-minute drive or 15-minute bus ride away.There's a tour operator just outside the front door, and the immediate vicinity is filled with cheap souvenir shops and fast food joints (McDonald's, Subway, and Burger King are all within a short walk). There's a mall with a supermarket and a vegan restaurant (Buena Vida) for those who want healthier eating options, within a few minutes' walk. Playa de las Americas is a 10-minute drive south of the hotel (or about 22 minutes on bus 467 or 477). Los Cristianos is just a few minutes farther away by road or bus. The airport takes around 20 minutes to reach by road or around an hour by bus. 

Sol Sun Beach offers a range of apartments in studio and one- and two-bedroom configurations that are differentiated by whether they have sea or pool views. Sea-facing rooms aren't too noisy despite the fact that they look out over the boardwalk, as things quiet down by 11. One of the biggest benefits of opting for one of these rooms is the chance to be lulled to sleep by the sound of ocean waves.All units, including studios, have sofa beds for two kids, and Studios have walls sectioning off the sleeping areas off so they feel more like double studios than  open rooms. Terraces or balconies come standard and all have tables for up to six people. All units have small kitchenettes with kettles, toasters, ovens, mini-fridges (but no freezers), and Nespresso coffeemakers with a huge selection of free coffee capsules (for a fee). Other features include flat-screen TVs and safes (for a fee). Units with two bedrooms also have two bathrooms. Twin beds but can be pushed together for couples, though the hotel doesn't provide bed toppers, so they will still feel like separate beds with a crack in the middle. Bathrooms are on the small side, but come with powerful hairdryers and some unusual amenities such as sunscreen and after-sun lotion. Almost all bathrooms have walk-in showers. At the time of our visit, a few still had shower/tub combos, but the hotel planned to replace them with showers. Note that showers are small and have a slight step up, making them less than ideal for wheelchair users.

Sol Sun's main highlight is its lovely outdoor pool area, a gigantic terrace with lots of lounge chairs, a ping-pong table, a pool table, a petanque pitch, and a kids' play area up on a platform. The hotel's pool is huge and there's a smaller kids' splash area sectioned off for younger guests. There are plenty of lounge chairs around the pool, and for guests who want to focus on tanning there's a 2000-meter sun deck spanning a large section of the roof. There's no gym or spa, but the hotel does have a small poolside spa pavilion and in-room massages are available. One of the hotel's more practical features, particularly for large families and long-term guests, is its laundry room, with huge washing machines. Detergent is available for a fee and there's an electric dryer for those who don't want to use the drying racks on their balconies. The restaurant is small, but pleasant, with a few outdoor seats. It's open for breakfast and dinner and serves pretty good food buffet-style, with most items clearly labeled with allergens. Those with special diets can also make advanced requests. Lunch is available at the poolside bar. Breakfast-only and half-board options are available, but there's no all-inclusive package. The lobby bar features nightly entertainment (except on Thursdays), with the Tenerife-typical rotation of music performances and live animal shows. The bar also has a pool table and a few card tables, plus an upper-level outdoor terrace with a couple of chill-out areas, one of which has atmospheric globe-like light fixtures that are illuminated at night. There's also a lounge space on a mezzanine level just above the lobby with coin-operated massage chairs, a small book exchange, and a huge flat-screen TV for soccer matches. The lobby also has an internet corner with two computers and controllers for gaming, for a fee. For those with their own devices, Wi-Fi is free throughout the property and it's noticeably fast and reliable. One of Sol Sun's biggest downfalls is its lack of parking in an area already hard up for street spaces. That said, there is an expensive parking lot next door to the hotel for when all else fails, but there's not even a place to pull up and unload luggage, so this isn't a great option for those with cars. Pets weighing less than five kilos are allowed for a small fee and the hotel provides dog-friendly welcome packs that include beds, bowls, waste bags, chew toys, and treats. For humans, the hotel eschews the typical fruit plate welcome and instead offers gummy candies, flip-flops, and reusable cloth beach bags.