Hotel Jardines de Nivaria

Currently on a 9 night stay at the Jardines De nivaria celebrating my wife's birthday. The hotel is near the edge of the plaza del Duque shopping area, so kind of on the edge of Fanabe beach but close to el duque beach where we normally stay. We wanted to try another hotel and so far have been mainly impressed. There seems to be two main areas for rooms, one section near the main hotel and pools and another section near the fanabe beach end. We booked a junior suite which turns out to be the beach end and about as far away from the main hotel as you can get, fortunately we like a walk but for some it might be a bit of a trek. The room itself is spacious and modern enough but the real let down is the outside space, our private space consists of a few sunbeds with a row of bushes and wire to look at which separates us from the main path outside the hotel that leads to either Costa adeje to the right or fanabe etc to the left. This path gets a fair amount of people traffic, not very relaxing on the days you choose to chill by the room. More of the positives now, the pool area is nice and although the usual early morning towel brigade grab sunbeds there have been plenty available in most areas except the key pool area. There is also a nice terrace area to sunbathe at the far end but that isn't next to the pool. Breakfast has been good so far, you seat yourself which we quite like as less fuss, once seated they do offer tea coffee but then like most of the buffets you are left alone to feed yourselves. All tastes catered for here. We haven't tried the hotel for dinner yet as we have our usual favourite places to eat but the reviews are ok so may give it a go. There is a car park available beneath the hotel and this is accessed with the room key card, fairly tight spaces but fine once you get used to it. All in all I would say the hotel is on a par with the grande tacande where we stayed last,and even some of the higher rated hotels in Costa adeje,rooms internally better designed but externally really let down at being shoved in the far corner with some bushes to stare at.The Hotel itself though has some very nice features and still a short walk from the better beach. Tip.. Also like most of the hotel chains in the area sign up on the website then you should receive a discount code.

The hotel is really unique. It has around 200 rooms and a bigoux feel. all the staff speak excellent English and other continental Europe languagrs. The interior is richly decorated in the art nouveau style. The staff to client ratio is quite high and the staff are very attentive. Room maintenance and cleaning are excellent. The grounds and pools are landscaped and add to the relaxed feel. There are plenty of sunbeds although , against hotel policy, many of the best seem to be 'reserved??? when vacated. The hotel is very well located with easy access to quality shops and the beach. The breakfast buffet wants, literally for nothing. It genuinely merits the use of the word buffet with about 15 seperate stations with everything from fresh fruit, cereals, yogurts, cheeses, breads, salmon,meats, juices, hot dishes, eggs, ommeyes and mor. It sets you up for the day making the b&b option really good value (plenty of good , cheaper, evening restaurants in the immediate vicinity). It merits it's 5 star status. Be careful when choosing rooms though. The site is elongated with rooms near the beach end in plain view from the pedestrian walkway. Room s lower than the 3rd floor might have views restricted by the many palms. Rooms with balconies might also be shaded from walls of adjacent rooms or overhangs.(Our suite M403 only saw the direct New year sun from 1500). Use Google earth to research the layout and be explicit when you book and check the room carefully on arrival - the management are likely to be sympathetic and move you if they can. It does not go in for a big entertainment program, understandable given the class of the hotel. We found the new year program to be understated compared to previous years we have been there

So. Where to start with this place. I have travelled the world from America & Canada, the Caribbean, Europe extensively as well a lot of the Pacific Rim. I have never however, regardless of where I have been, been singled out discriminatively based on my colour, age group or how I look/ dress etc. Here I have been. Twice, and the ???holiday??? is still not over. Twice on returning to the hotel after a day out with my teenage daughter I have been stopped and asked to prove I am a resident before I am allowed to even step foot into the hotel lobby. Both times it was still daylight. The first day I chose to bite my lip. The second day we had been to the nearby Siam Water Park. My daughter was even carrying a soft cuddly toy momento, when we were again both greeted by a stop hand gesture from security and a ???can I help you??? question. The very same I was asked the day before. I replied ???no, but can I help you???? I then promptly walked in to the reception desk and demanded to speak to the on duty manager. Now let me just highlight on both occasions people of a lighter skin tone were allowed to freely walk past us as we were being interrogated at the doors. Can you even imagine how embarrassing this experience can be. Twice!! I was advised by the manager on the second occasion that this was hotel policy and in fact they ask every single person that comes. Knowing that they hadn???t I then put his theory to the test and we waited for the next potential resident to try to enter. A single white female walked up the stairs straight past the guard and into the lobby. The manager at this point then theorises that the guard already knows her and therefore didn???t feel the need to ask her. I then highlight the fact that we have already been at the hotel for 4 days. Why am I not ???recognised???. He then answers that if it is a new guard then he will ask you. To which I question, so if I???m staying here 7 days and on each day there???s a different guard I will be asked for my ID and stopped on the doors to prove I am a resident. Is this company policy. If so everyone should be being asked. But we see no one. No one but us being asked. We still have another 3 days here Half Board but we cannot even eat here anymore. How can you enjoy a meal knowing that you do not feel comfortable in the complex you are staying. But as other reviews have said they take all full payment as the very first thing on arrival. For what professes to be a 5 star hotel this is not my experience from anywhere. You always pay on check out. Not check in?! I must add, a bottle of sparkling wine, Fanta (for my daughter) and fruit was brought to my room that night as a sweetener. This in fact insults me even more. I do not appreciate trying to be bought off with materialistic goods. What???s happened has happened and if a 2nd or potentially now 3rd manger is wanting to talk to me it???s already too late. My daughter and myself will now have to forego the extra expense of eating out now. In a way I was glad she experienced and witnessed such an event as it gave her some life skills and to understand. Never. Never. Never. Let someone judge you based on your ethnicity, colour, age, the way you dress. Because they are no better than you and they do not know who you truly are... To the manager who said to me ???I feel sorry for you??? I say, no... ???I in fact feel sorry for you???...