Good hotel in nice area

We've been lucky enough to travel the world over the years and have stayed in some wonderful hotels, including other Leading Hotels of the World and 5 star establishments. In comparison with other hotels we have stayed in we would rate this hotel as very good but not excellent. On arrival After a long journey from the UK and an hour's transfer from the south airport we arrived to be greeted warmly by uniformed porters and ushered into reception. Check in was quick and friendly and we were offered a free fruit drink. We were then taken to our room, along with our luggage, and shown the room's facilities. Our room. We had chosen to stay in a basic room rather than pay a considerable excess to stay in a larger suite. The room we had allocated was on the third floor, facing north and overlooking the Spa Garden. We were happy with the location and size of the room - it wasn't huge but wasn't cramped either. Be aware that some rooms (although not ours) look out directly on to the canopy of trees and would therefore have no view and would also be very dark. Our room was spotlessly clean and the maid was always pleasant, friendly and smiling. The room offered a small safe and free wifi. We found that this was very slow and frequently dropped out, which necessitated having to log in again. This was really irritating. Although we weren't told about it, we subsequently discovered 2 PCs on the E floor (the Spa floor) and these were faster and more reliable. We would have been pleased to see a complimentary tea/coffee tray, but this was not present. We feel that this would have been welcomed by British guests, but maybe this is not important to other nationalities, and most of the guests present were German. The bathroom really let the room down. It was very dated and the lighting was extremely poor. The bath was quite small and the shower (no power shower) was over the bath with a fixed glass screen. Towels were clean but on the thin side. Toiletries were provided, as you would expect in a 5 star hotel, but although there was shampoo there was no conditioner. The quality wasn't up to much either. Front desk We would like to commend Toni at the front desk for her helpful and friendly interaction with us. She provided information about Loro Parque and sold us tickets in order to avoid the queues at the gate. Restaurants/Bar We did not eat in any of the main restaurants for dinner so can't comment on this. There are many good local restaurants within easy walking distance of the hotel where we were able to eat for a fraction of the cost of the hotel. Other guests told us that the food they had eaten in the hotel was ok but not worth the money paid compared with what was available outside. The service at the breakfast buffet was another area where we felt the hotel was lacking. Having been greeted at the entrance to the restaurant we found ourselves a table. We went and got our breakfast from the large and comprehensive buffet, and came back and ate it. Nobody approached us to offer us anything to drink. Eventually we managed to catch the eye of a member of staff and ask for coffee. This was not a one off occurrence, it happened every day. We feel that this lack of service is really poor and needs to be addressed by management. We patronised the hotel bar one evening for a cocktail. Prices at €7.50 are about what you might expect in a 5 star hotel. However, we thought that prices should either include the tax or that the drinks menu should specifically mention that tax will be added to your bill. The gardens The hotel grounds are lovely, and an army of workers keep them in very good order. We preferred the quieter and more secluded garden at the front of the hotel by the Spa. The main swimming pool is very close to the breakfast/lunch restaurant with outside tables. In conclusion, we feel that this is a good, comfortable hotel patronised in the main by middle aged people in a quiet area of PDLC away from all the noise and hubbub of the town and probably a far cry from the built up resorts of the south of the island. With a bit of effort and some money spent on refurbishment it could be even better still.