Hovima Santa Maria — Hotel in Adeje

We were greeted with a friendly and very helpful service the second we walked through the doors. Reception staff always going above and beyond . Helped us to our room with cases and buggies down the stairs .

We discovered a lift in the pool bar which took us and the pram up and down which was a massive help.

Rooms are dated but so what ? In my opinion . They're comfy and have what you need. We went all inclusive so didn't need to make food but I did notice kettle and microwave and fridge . (All inc. gets daily restock of cola and beer although the beer was untouched so I cannot comment on such ) We had promotional room with air con all but in one bedroom . I would recommend sleeping in the room with it in as it gets like a sauna . Our apartment had a bath with a shower which is so handy for little ones and makes it a massive bonus for us . Apartment balcony and throughout was kept immaculate by staff working tirelessly and always with a friendly manner . If you arrive late I would recommend seeing out some drinks as there is no mineral water in the rooms. Which would be a nice touch of hotel would consider for future to arrive to some in fridge or a jug perhaps .

Towels were provided in room and changed regularly and bins emptied daily. I love the fact they have extra security bars on balcony doors .Feel so much safer .

Food was average. Not loads of choice but decent enough for a 3star you wouldn't go hungry that's for sure . I loved the pizzas and the chicken . Kids were so happy with desserts was tasty. Free ice cream in pots throughout day. They also do frozen slushies and cocktails and cocktails included with all inc .

If you fancied eating out there is a lovely steakhouse pizza restaurant at bottom of hotel ramp when you cross road that is lovely . We ate there when we arrived as we missed the restaurant . we were so hungry and thirsty the food was welcomed .

Kids club is great. Small so wouldn't fit a lot in but then again there is a bigger room they could probably also use . My children used it once and they played bingo. The lady that works there is lovely . We did see other activities going on but we were quite busy .

Pools were lovely and clean . The area was spotless . Kids loved the pools and there was one that I could stand up in which was warm. My kids had life jackets on and spent most the holiday in that one . They were so happy. Oh before I forget if you go all inc. you get 30% discount on the other ice creams such as Cornetto Oreo magnums etc.

Restaurant and pool bar staff so friendly too. Really helpful and on the ball. My toddler made a fine mess at meal times and each time I would go to clean it up in both places I was told no please and they would do it. I felt so guilty for such a mess but they insisted and were just lovely. They had good banter with the kids too making them laugh .

We tried the Irish bar downstairs next to restaurant which I hadn't realized all inclusive also meant there . We had some Coca-Cola zero and the kids played some pool on the table. They had a bit boogie in the mini disco which is 8pm every night . They don't like loud noise so we left after this when singers came on. From what we heard of them they were pretty good 😊.

Depending on how fast you walk id say it was about a ten to fifteen minutes walk to the beach . It can be accessed by an elevator or escalators as the hill is ridiculous 😂 we pushed the pram and not recommended . The sand was like lava I'm writing this in the end of May. It was too hot to sit on it even with a blanket for the kids . We couldn't even test the water the baby had enough and we had to leave . This is obviously a separate issue which we personally found and would be the same in most warm countries this time of year but it's good to be mindful ... There is lucky men selling blankets you can barter down to ten euro so don't get stung for 25. I used factor 15 and didn't get burnt . Kids had 30 which was sufficient and the baby had 50 .

All in all lovely holiday would absolutely return to...

⭐⭐️⭐️ – Functional Stay, But Not Without Frustrations

We stayed at Hovima Santa María in Costa Adeje for a week on a half-board basis. While the holiday itself was enjoyable, the hotel experience left a lot to be desired.

🚐 Arrival & Accessibility We were dropped off outside Hovima La Pinta with vague directions to Santa María—a fair walk away. Not a huge issue for most, but when your party includes three disabled travellers with mobility needs, a baby, a toddler, and all the luggage, it becomes a real challenge. The uphill walk felt like a 45-degree climb. We later learned the driver should’ve dropped us at the bottom of the hill, which would’ve helped slightly—but still, accessibility needs were clearly overlooked.

🛎️ Check-In Experience Upon arrival, we were told we’d missed dinner service. That was it—no offer of alternatives, no courtesy snack. When I joked, “So we’ll starve then?” the receptionist simply replied, “Yes.” Not exactly the warm welcome we hoped for.

🏨 The Room (272) We had a one-bedroom apartment (2 adults, toddler and baby - the rest of the party was elsewhere in the hotel) that was quiet on a night and overlooked the tennis court but... It looked like it had stepped straight out of the sitcom Benidorm—dated décor, tired upholstery, and stifling heat (imagine Mick in season one when we pretty much first meet him in bed). One tower fan for the entire space. We asked for a room with air conditioning and were told nothing could be done until morning. We requested extra fans and were refused because it was past midnight—despite the hotel having 24/7 reception.

The next morning was unbearable. We hadn’t unpacked, hoping for a room change, and trying to get dressed in the heat was brutal. Thankfully, they sent up a portable AC unit which worked brilliantly and turned our mood around and allowed us to remain in that room with no further disruption (the portable AC worked brilliantly by the way).

🧼 Cleanliness & Maintenance Once we cooled down, we could focus on the room itself. Functional, yes—but dirty. Our feet were black from walking around the apartment. Towels werent changed for a few days, and bedding was never replaced—just folded and remade. Sides weren't wiped either so far as we could see as everything remained in the exact same place as it was left.

🍽️ Food The food was better than expected and the chefs and dining room staff were all great. Each evening offered something different, and breakfast was consistent (as it should be). Some items were clearly reused the next day, despite what hotel responses might claim (example photo of pasta from the previous evening used at lunch with some cheese slices melted on top to "freshen" it up) —but none of us got ill, so no major complaints there.

🏊 Pool & Facilities The pool was small and in poor condition. The lining was peeling off, creating large bubbles that distorted the depth. Repairs were attempted during our stay, which closed the pool for a day, but the fix didn’t hold. The lining remained filthy and issues reappeared before we left. Murky waters with a grease film, plasters askew everywhere and even a crispy cockroach at the side of the steps all added to the charm of the pool.

🪑 Sunbeds We didn’t bother with sunbeds. The morning dash and reservation culture were off-putting. Despite only 30 people around the pool, nearly every sunbed was “saved”—just in case. Days we dared enter the waters (although the water was considerably cleaner after the "fix") we pulled up a couple of tables at the pool bar.

👥 Staff Reception staff were hit and miss. Some were helpful, others indifferent. The lack of consistency made it hard to feel supported. The chefs and dining room staff were all pretty good.

📌 Overall It’s a three-star hotel, and arguably lucky to hold that rating in some areas. We wouldn’t rush back. That said, our holiday wasn’t ruined—we made the best of it, even with a night of unbearable heat and a day...

Let me start by saying all the staff are very helpful and accommodating.|The pools are basic but what you need, the back pool is heated and is a lovely temperature to swim in, although if you are going in August all the pools are perfect temperature for swimming, there are walk in steps and a shallow area that is perfect for toddlers, the baby pool is small but by the middle of the day due to the heat it is like a bath. The only thing that let's it down is that there is no overhead shade.|The Sun bed area is large but we found if you don't put towels down (like other guests) you won't get any past 11am. The hotel was kept clean and the rooms were cleaned every other day, fresh towels were given every day. There was extra pillows and blankets in the wardrobes.|The cleaners were very friendly.|Reception staff were very polite and helpful. We went half board and we were allowed to swap for lunch some days.... We did this a few times as found the food better at lunch than dinner. You get 4 main dish choices... Not a wide variety of foods, but all were cooked nice and all were hot. There could have been more choice for children as most nights it was just pizza option. You have to pay for drinks and you are not allowed to consume your own whilst in the restaurant. At breakfast you get juice and tea and coffee machines. There wasn't alot of choice for breakfast, just the basics. The waiting staff were also very polite and helpful.|Now this was the best part for me, the head of entertainment Claire was amazing she was so good with the kids and worked so hard all day most days she doesn't let the children leave without her bring them back to you, my girl loved it. She knew all their names and made a real fuss of them, great member a staff to have at the hotel.|The entertainment (shows) in the evening were all singers, tribute acts and there was only an hour worth of show. The drinks are reasonable prices and the cocktails are lovely. They sometimes had a BBQ out on the Terris, all shows were outside and the mini disco and kids stuff is in the pub part inside. There is no cash accepted in any of the bars. You pay via your room card then have to pay the balance at reception. |The hotel needs new pool tables as there were very bad... But all the games etc were OK... Could have offered a bit more for around the pool for adults. The kids club activities were amazing and Claire would always have something going on even a blow up water slide at the pool for the kids. I would have to say that the lifeguards let the team down, we saw 2 different lifeguards whilst on our stay there and bith would sit out the way and nit pay attention to the pool, one lifeguard would be on his phone nearly the whole time, I don't think either of them would notice if someone was in trouble in the water. So that was a bit of a concern.|The hotel is situated at the top of a very steep hill so wasn't ideal for buggy pushing, but this is nit a major issue as if you continue down over the road there is a down hill walk straight to the beach, where there are restaurants, bars and shops. Our room was up some steps and there are no lifts to get up so your only option is to carry buggy up etc. |But the good outways the small amount of negative things for this hotel. If you are looking for a great family holiday(with kids) this would be for you. |Although their is no park and play area facilities at the hotel... But like I said before Claire keeps them all busy with mini club activities... One session at 12 then again at 2.|Breakfast is 7:30 till 10am lunch is 1pm till 3pm dinner is 7pm till 9:30pm. Mini disco is 8:30pm followed by karaoke every evening and facepainting, also quizzes ets.... Then entertainment outside (show) is at 9:30 till 10:30 ish. Pool shuts at 6pm but most days people were in pool till 8ish... No one tells you to get out, as soon as 6pm hits you won't see the lifeguards.|Overall our stay was lovely. I would...