Santa Barbara Golf and Ocean Club by Diamond Resorts

“Great hotel if you want a quieter holiday”

This is a lovely 3 star hotel in a quiet resort but still plenty of restaurants and supermarkets nearby. We stayed for a week in a one bed apartment room 653. A partial sea view but we didn’t really sit out there so not an issue. Room has everything you need for a self catering break. Hob and ov… more

This is a lovely 3 star hotel in a quiet resort but still plenty of restaurants and supermarkets nearby. We stayed for a week in a one bed apartment room 653. A partial sea view but we didn’t really sit out there so not an issue. Room has everything you need for a self catering break. Hob and oven, microwave, kettle, toaster, coffee filter machine, stick blender, various cutlery, sharp knives, scissors, oven gloves, chopping board, tea towel, pans, jug etc. washing up liquid and sponge provided. Dishwasher with one or two tabs provided (we didn’t use it). Full size ironing board and iron. Plenty of storage space although could do with a few more hangers. Free safe. Filtered tap water. What more could you want! Both the bedroom and living/kitchen had separate aircon units and tvs. Lounge had a sofa bed, we didn’t need to use it so not sure how comfy it was. Beds themselves had memory foam tops so quite comfy. Two normal pillows for each bed. Full length mirror on the bedroom wall. Bathroom had a shower with excellent pressure. Each apartment has its own boiler so no problems with getting hot water. The only thing I would say is slightly negative is the hair dryer is one of those small ones in the bathroom with a short lead and no nozzle. Also towel and bedding change isn’t daily. For a 7 night break they changed towels on day 4 and 6. Bedding on day 4. But only if you put the card on the bed and the towels on the floor. The hotel has a reservation system for the sunbeds which is excellent as you can have a lie in or a lazy morning without worrying about the beds. If you arrive in the evening or forget to book, you can book for the following day at reception. The beds are numbered. You have until 10:30 to start using the bed before they may be reallocated. The pool attendant has an office at the lower pool clearly signposted. Go there and book for the following day in advance. Even without a booking you can just go to the window and ask what’s free at any time of day. Plenty of sunbeds when we were there no issues getting a bed. After a few days we found that we preferred the level above the pool attendants office, much more peaceful up there. You can access this area via stairs behind the pool attendant or by the stairs at the side of the kids pool. Food at the pool snack bar was nice. I had a lovely tuna sandwich there. Plenty of options on the menu. No issue however with people eating or drinking their own things by the pool either. Locally there are enough restaurants for you to eat out somewhere different each night for I’d say at least two weeks. We went for a week and found a good variety and price wise not too expensive. Left out of the hotel reception brought you to a small supermarket and a few restaurants. We generally went out of the main reception and took a right turn towards the Bahia principe hotel, there’s a row of restaurants there, further along about another ten minutes is san blas which has a bigger supermarket and some more restaurants and shops. You can also get there on the sea front promenade. The hotel also has a supermarket which had the basics and was open all day until 10pm. Entertainment wise we were not too impressed. They had a singer on every evening at the open air bar. Not really our cup of tea. We went one evening and had drinks and then preferred to just chill in the room or walk the promenade. The cocktails were however fab, we particularly enjoyed the frozen daiquiris in the hotel bar. They also had happy hour and cocktail of the day. The hotel restaurant is also recommended. We ate there one evening and enjoyed the food. There’s also a bar and they play the sports in the Barbara restaurant so it’s not just for diners. We requested a late checkout as our transfer was collecting us at 16:45. This cost is approx €70 which I was happy with as it meant we could go by the pool for most of the day, have a leisurely shower and pack without getting hot and sweaty. The courtesy room was bookable in 20 minute slots which wouldn’t be enough for me. Overall a great stay and the weather was fantastic. 25 degrees every day from 6th to 13th June a gentle breeze and barely a cloud in the sky.

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“Excellent resort. Location location location.”

A great resort. Fully accessible in all areas. Fabulous amenities. All staff were friendly and helpful, we had a truly lovely time and will be back very soon.

“Another lovely stay at the Santa Barbara”

This was our 4th visit to the Santa Barbara and it was excellent as always - the staff, from reception staff to cleaners are always so friendly and helpful. We were allocated Room 661 which had a walk-in shower (my husband is a bit disabled so he needs a walk-in shower). We had a partial view of … more

This was our 4th visit to the Santa Barbara and it was excellent as always - the staff, from reception staff to cleaners are always so friendly and helpful. We were allocated Room 661 which had a walk-in shower (my husband is a bit disabled so he needs a walk-in shower). We had a partial view of the sea and a lovely view of the courtyard. The room was fine, the beds a little hard but they are adjustable, hospital style beds which I think are now compulsory in Tenerife. We booked our sunbeds with the very lovely Lode, who goes out of his way to be helpful. Our only complaint is that the door from the pool area onto the promenade is now closed, and you have to go down a steep slope if you wish to go to the cafes on the sea-front, and then walk back up the slope to get back to the Santa Barbara. This wasn't too bad for us as I am quite fit and my husband always hires a mobility scooter, but I imagine that a lot of older, more unfit people will find this impossible. I'm not sure if this decision will be reversed but I understand a few people said they would not return if the situation doesn't change. That would be a shame. Anyway, we have already booked to return in November, and counting down the days to seeing the "Welcome Home" sign at the front of the building.

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“I Would Stay Again”

Very nice. Not one for hotels really but would recommend this one. Friendly staff, clean & comfortable. Near places to eat facilities very good.