AluaSoul Orotava Valley (Hyatt All-Inclusive, Tenerife): Bottom Line Review

In August 2021, Hyatt added more than 100 all-inclusive hotels across seven brands with the purchase of Apple Leisure Group and its “All Moments Resorts” collection (AMR). There are now over 40 all-inclusive properties that are bookable in Europe within the World of Hyatt program, and several more are on the way. These are primarily located in Spain and by far the most common brand is the “Alua Trio:” Alua, AluaSun and AluaSoul – I still have no idea what, if anything, differentiates them or how to tell the difference between “Sun” and “Soul.”

Earlier this year, I spent some time in the Canary Islands and was interested in seeing what these Alua properties were all about. I had heard that they essentially functioned as cheap, all-inclusive properties that were frequented by retirees from Germany and the UK. We didn’t see anything to dispel that notion, but also weren’t completely turned off by the value proposition that it offers as a budget hotel option.

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Bottom Line Review

The AluaSoul Orotava Valley claims that it’s a four star resort. I’m not sure who gave it those four stars, but I’m skeptical. The hotel is clean, has a terrific location near the waterfront in Puerto de la Cruz on the beautiful north side of Tenerife. The property has great views, is fairly clean, but can be dirt cheap on cash rates. On the downside, the hotel looks like it was furnished entirely from Ikea about twenty years ago and there’s some noticeable wear all around the property. The breakfast buffet, while bountiful, is one of the lesser ones that I’ve encountered in Europe: canned fruits and vegetables, stale pastries and machine-dispensed juices (it’s like a super-sized US Hampton Inn breakfast). The pool is small and oddly-placed; the rooms bizarrely organized.

As an award value, this would be a terrible value. However, as a $65/night hotel with included breakfast and free parking in a great location, it can be an appealing option…but don’t even think about paying extra for full-board or all-inclusive when there’s so many great restaurants nearby.  One Thumb Up, One Thumb Down

• Price: Hyatt All-Inclusive Category A, with award prices ranging from 12,000-18,000 points per night. We booked a cash rate for ~$65/night for bed and breakfast only.
• Value: It’s almost always a terrible deal to book with points, rarely if ever giving better than 0.7-0.8 cents per point value and sometimes much worse (our reasonable redemption value for Hyatt points is 1.7 cents each). The cash rates are so low here, and at most Alua properties, that it’s almost never worth booking an award.
• Location: There’s pros and cons to the location. On the plus side, it’s only about a 15 minute walk to the charming historic center of Puerto de la Cruz and a plethora of terrific cafes, restaurants and bars. There’s a lovely black sand beach about 10 minutes walk downhill and the hilltop location means that you get marvelous views of the north side of Tenerife. But then there’s that hill part. It’s located on a sort of cliff, about 200ish feet in elevation above the waterfront. This means that every time you want to walk to the town and back, you have to negotiate a hill combined with several flights of stairs. For some the view will be worth the effort; for others the lower Alua Tenerife might be a more attractive option.
• Room: I booked a standard room, applied a suite upgrade award at booking and was upgraded into the 1000 sq ft, 1-bedroom Presidential Suite, the largest room on property. On the plus side, the room was huge, had a nice amount of windows in the bedroom and also sported a killer, double-entry, corner balcony with terrific ocean and mountain views. On the down side, it was oddly organized with lots of empty space in the middle of the room and fixed TV’s in random spots on the wall with no seating in front.
• Parking: Complimentary self-parking is available in a tiny garage or there is a free lot about 100 feet away from the hotel that’s actually a much easier option.
• Resort/Destination Fee: None.
• Internet: Decent throughout some of property, with odd holes in coverage. There was no service in the fitness area, for instance.
• Service: Everyone seemed to be consistently frazzled, and there was some confusing gaps in information. Overall though, the staff was friendly and helpful.
• Turndown service: Sort of, but it was really just an (appreciated) water refreshment.
• Dining:
  • Buffet Restaurant: There is one restaurant on site that serves a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All reservations include breakfast, dinner is included in half-board rates and lunch/alcoholic drinks are included with all-inclusive rates. The hours are a little bizarre: Breakfast is served daily from 7:00-10:00am, lunch from 1:00-3:00pm and dinner from 7:30pm-8:45pm (!). There’s absolutely no reason to darken the doors after breakfast, IMHO.
  • Aqua Bar: Standard pool bar located in the back corner of the main pool area. Open daily from 11am-7pm with an all-day menu.

• Spa: There isn’t really a spa on property, but it seemed like there were some treatment rooms set aside for massages and the like.
• Fitness Room: There is a sizeable, two floor fitness center located on-property. It has the full range of equipment that a normal gym would have and seems to primarily serve local clientele. Towels are required and there is a €5 charge if you don’t bring your own. There’s also a €10 deposit for the FOB to get into the gym that gets refunded when you bring the FOB back. Oddly, the FOB deposit MUST be cash.
• Hyatt Globalist Benefits: 
  • Room Upgrade: I booked a standard suite, applied a suite night award and was upgraded to a My Favorite Club Presidential Suite.
  • Free Breakfast: All guests get free buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant.
  • Club Lounge: Alua properties have club lounges with their own rate system called “My Favorite Club.” I was upgraded to a club room, so had access automatically. No one at the hotel seemed to know if Globalists would have access if it was not in an upgraded room. The club itself seemed to just have snacks, beer and wine, but I never got a chance to see the inside; it was either closed or my key wouldn’t work. Or both.
  • Late Checkout: We were given a 4pm checkout upon request.
  • Welcome Amenity: Bottle of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine). We put the Cava that was left for us in the fridge and, while we were out, someone evidently came in and thought that we hadn’t been given a bottle. So, when we returned, there was a second bottle waiting for us.
• Would I stay again?  Probably? The cash rates are dirt cheap, the views from the hotel are great and I loved the location, which was walking distance from pretty much anywhere in the historic city. It’s nothing fancy and the food isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s a decent value for €60-70/night with Hyatt points and elite night credit thrown in.

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Pros

• Rooms are spacious, with lots of light
• The resort has great views throughout the property
• Nice location in walking distance most of the historic, colonial center of Puerto de la Cruz
• Copious free parking nearby
• Well-equipped (and well-worn) fitness area

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Cons

• The whole place feels like it was furnished with discount furniture from Ikea
• The pool area is small, dated and oddly-located
• The breakfast buffet was one of the lowest quality that I’ve had in Europe outside of a hostel – I can’t imagine lunch or dinner were much better
• WiFi is fairly uneven throughout the property
• The free parking garage is tiny and way more trouble than it’s worth

Image Gallery

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Presidential Suite

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Restaurant (and breakfast)

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Lounge

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Pool Area

AluaSoul Orotava Valley Common Areas

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