When we booked our family holiday to Tenerife, we basically had two main criterias for our hotel. One, it needed to be close to Siam Park, and two, it needed to have proper beds for the whole family so that nobody was left sleeping on an uncomfortable sofa bed for the week… which as we discovered, is actually harder to find than you might think!
Thankfully, we found everything we were looking for at Gran Oasis Resort in Tenerife. Rated as a 4-star hotel, Gran Oasis has a lot going for it. There are multiple swimming pools, large suite-style apartments, all-inclusive food and drinks, daytime activities and evening entertainment. There’s plenty to keep the whole family occupied without even having to leave the resort should you wish.
At first glance the hotel looks lovely, with its large pool areas, tropical palm trees and spacious layout. However, after spending a week here, we did notice that some areas are starting to show their age, and there are a few little things that could do with some attention.
I want to mention these because if you’re considering booking, I think it’s useful to know what to expect. This isn’t a shiny, ultra-modern 4-star resort where everything is going to be absolutely pristine and perfect. There were a few little maintenance issues during our stay, and some of the finishing touches in our apartment were looking a little tired. Having said that, none of these things stopped us from having a really enjoyable holiday and the staff were fantastic at sorting out the problems we did have.
Overall we had a really great family holiday at the Gran Oasis Resort. So if you’re wondering whether this family-friendly hotel is right for your upcoming holiday to Tenerife, I hope this honest review gives you a realistic idea of what it’s like to stay here.
Gran Oasis at a Glance – Don’t Miss 👀
- Large spacious family rooms
- Great location for Siam Park
- 5 different swimming pools
- Family friendly hotel
- Quiet location
In this article...
Where is Gran Oasis Hotel?
Gran Oasis is located between the two coastal towns of laid-back Los Cristianos and the much livelier Playa de las Americas.
The hotel itself is set further back from the coast, so you’re not right in the middle of the action. It takes around 20–25 minutes to walk down to the coast, where you can head towards either town.
There isn’t really anything immediately around Gran Oasis, so if you’re looking for restaurants, bars and lively nightlife right outside your hotel, this is probably something you’ll want to consider before booking. You’ll need to walk or take a taxi into Playa de las Americas or Los Cristianos if you want more choice.
This wasn’t a problem for us at all because we weren’t particularly bothered about being surrounded by restaurants and bars on this particular trip. We were happy spending time at the hotel or heading out for day trips with the boys.
In fact the more tucked-away location was actually a bonus in some ways. Because once the evening entertainment had finished, the resort became lovely and peaceful. Thankfully we didn’t have any problems with loud or rowdy guests during our stay which is never ideal when you’re on holiday with children.
So if you’re happy spending most of your time at the resort and making the most of the all-inclusive facilities, the location works really well. And one of the biggest bonuses for us was that it was only around a 5-minute taxi ride to Siam Park, which was perfect for our holiday plans.
Is the all-inclusive food any good at Gran Oasis?
The all-inclusive buffet at Gran Oasis isn’t the biggest I’ve seen, but one thing I did like was that the hotel changed the theme and selection each night throughout the week, with different cuisines making an appearance. During our stay we had Mediterranean, Canarian, Italian and Mexican nights, which helped to keep things from feeling too repetitive. Some nights were definitely more successful than others though!
There were some tasty dishes, including Bombay chicken and a Canarian pork casserole that was really good, but quite a lot of the food was on the bland side. We were hoping for some spicy fajitas on Mexican night, but there wasn’t even a sniff of spice which was a little disappointing.
If you have particularly fussy eaters in the family, you might find the choice a little tricky on some nights. Having said that, there was always something familiar available, including chips, salad and some of the nicest fresh bread rolls, so nobody was going to go hungry even if they didn’t like any of the main options. And we all know that when you’re travelling with children, sometimes having a reliable bowl of chips and a decent bread roll is always a handy back-up plan when all else fails!
Dessert was a little hit and miss too, with a selection of small layered cakes and dainty fruit tarts available. Non of which were labelled, so it was a fun mystery what you were getting. There were always four tubs of self-serve ice cream flavours to choose from, which were definitely popular with all the children. The queue could get pretty impressive at times, especially when all the children were cramming about seven scoops into their bowls with eyes far bigger than their bellies. I can’t say I blamed them!
Breakfast consisted of cold meats and cheeses, cereals, continental options and a cooked breakfast. It was definitely a Spanish take on a full English, so don’t expect anything like you’d get back home. There was also toast with jams, pastries, mini muffins and doughnuts, but the highlight for me was definitely the fresh croissants, which were absolutely delicious.
Overall I’d probably give the food at Gran Oasis around a 6.5/10. The main reason for this is that quite a lot of it was fairly bland and there wasn’t a huge amount of choice each evening. Most importantly, we always found something we liked, and we never went to bed hungry. For us the food was perfectly adequate for an all-inclusive family holiday, even if it wasn’t the highlight of the stay.
Light bites at the pool snack bar
The pool snack bar was open between 11am and 6pm and was perfect when you wanted a little something to eat, a refreshing drink or a holiday cocktail without having to leave the pool area.
Inside the snack bar there were mini sandwiches, breaded cheeses such as halloumi and mozzarella, as well as little tubs of ice cream. It was handy on days when we were spending most of our time around the pool, as you could just grab something small rather than heading back into the main restaurant for lunch.
Hotel layout
If you’re travelling with anyone who has limited mobility, Gran Oasis might not be the best choice. The apartments are spread across different levels, which means theres a lot of steps to climb up and down. While there are ramps in some areas, you’ll still encounter plenty of stairs depending on where your apartment is located.
Our apartment was down in what the hotel called the ‘garden’ area, which meant we mostly had ramps down to our accommodation. However there were still some steps to get back up towards reception. There is a small lift which we used once, although it did give us a fright as all the lights went out and we were plunged into complete darkness. Then it didn’t start moving, so I was trying to find my phone in my handbag to use as a torch. Turns out you have to keep hold of the button to operate the lift… who knew?!
Swimming pools for all ages
Gran Oasis certainly isn’t short of swimming pools. There are five in total, although only two are really deep enough for proper swimming.
The main pool is a good size for the complex and despite the number of guests staying at the hotel, it never felt overly busy while we were there. It’s also a fun shape, with a small semi-circle seating area in the middle, which gives it a little more character than your standard rectangular hotel pool.
The main pool is between 1.4m and 1.5m deep, so it’s a nice depth for older children and adults. Lilos and inflatables are also allowed, and there were plenty of children enjoying them during our stay.
The next biggest pool sits on the terrace above the main pool and is slightly shallower. Then there’s a small shallow pool for toddlers and babies, which sits beside the middle pool.
Finally there’s two other smaller pools aimed at children up to around 10 years old, one with a spiral waterslide and the other with buckets that fill with water before tipping over the children underneath. These aren’t located near the other pools, instead they’re at the top of the resort behind all the rooms, so you have to go up many stairs to get to it. My boys were technically too old for these pools, but as it was completely empty when we went over, the lifeguard kindly let them have three goes each on the slide, which they were obviously very pleased about!
We mainly used the large main pool during our stay, and in July it was a lovely temperature. It was also well maintained and clean, perfect for splashing about in the Tenerife sunshine.
Is it easy to get a sun bed?
Thankfully, Gran Oasis didn’t seem to have too many holiday-goers who get up at the crack of dawn to race down to the pool and reserve a sun bed with a towel!
We didn’t bother putting our towels down at the main pool until around 9am, when we were heading down for breakfast. By that point, the front two rows were already taken, but there were still plenty of sun loungers available a little further back. We’re never going to be the people who get up at 6am to secure the ‘perfect’ poolside spot, so I was really pleased that there were still plenty of options for people who don’t want to join in with the holiday sun bed battles.
Family rooms at Gran Oasis
We booked a family room for four people, and this was one of the things we really loved about Gran Oasis. The apartment was roomy and spacious, which made such a difference when holidaying as a family. There’s nothing worse than spending a week feeling like you’re all living on top of each other, particularly when you’ve got suitcases, swimming gear and all the usual holiday clutter everywhere!
The apartments are split over two levels. You enter on the top floor, which is home to the kitchen and two twin beds (which had been pushed together when we arrived, but we shuffled them apart a little to suit us) Theres also a small balcony with a table and four chairs, which was a nice little spot to sit outside and dry your swimsuits and towels.
Downstairs there’s a large shower room and the master bedroom, which has loads of wardrobe space and plenty of room to unpack (if you’re the sort of person who likes to actually unpack your suitcase rather than live out of it for a week!)
Off the bedroom is a garden terrace, which we didn’t end up using very much, but it was another lovely bit of outdoor space to have. Our apartment backed onto the neighbouring hotel, so there wasn’t anyone walking past our terrace, and it was actually really quiet and private.
There are definitely some signs of age in the rooms, and we had a couple of little maintenance issues when we arrived. The toilet was constantly filling up in the cistern, so there was a continuous sound of running water, and our back patio door wouldn’t close and lock properly. Because of this, the air conditioning wouldn’t turn on either. We spoke to reception and a maintenance man was sent out within 20 minutes, and thankfully he fixed both problems for us.
We also had wasps that kept flying into the room, which we eventually discovered there was a huge wasp nest dangling from the roof of our balcony. Again, once we made the hotel aware, they came and removed the nest straight away.
There were also a few other little signs of wear and tear around the apartment, such as chipped paint, some less-than-perfect finishing touches and curtains that were falling off and had seen better days. These are all relatively small things which didn’t affect our enjoyment of the room. But I do think it’s worth mentioning them because if you’re booking a 4-star hotel and expecting everything to look brand new, you might be a little disappointed.
It was more a case of the hotel feeling like it could do with a little TLC rather than there being anything seriously wrong with the accommodation. Plus there is the chance that we may have just been unlucky with our particular apartment.
Once we looked past the little maintenance issues and the slightly tired finishes, the room itself was fantastic for what we needed. It was incredibly spacious, all of the beds were comfortable, and the air conditioning kept us cool and comfortable despite the 30°C heat outside. Having so much space was a huge bonus for a family holiday.
The kitchen was also a great addition, although because we were all-inclusive we barely used it apart from keeping bottles of water cool in the fridge. If you’re not booking all-inclusive though, having a proper kitchen area would be really useful.
Another thing we noticed was the boys upstairs bedroom only had mesh curtains, so you won’t be able to block out the light if you’re hoping to get little ones down for a daytime nap etc.
Entertainment during the day
We were out and about quite a lot during the day, either exploring different parts of Tenerife or having far too much fun at Siam Park!
But if you wanted to stay around the resort, Gran Oasis did put on a good selection of activities throughout the day. There was pool basketball, aqua aerobics, foam parties and on one day during our stay, they even brought out pool inflatables, which the boys absolutely loved.
The hotel pumped up a huge pirate ship with a slide on the end, and it was really well managed by the staff. They made sure the children took turns going down the slide rather than everyone launching themselves down at once, which I really appreciated. It was a simple activity, but it kept the kids entertained for ages!
Evening entertainment
The evening entertainment at Gran Oasis is pretty much what you’d expect from this type of family resort. It’s cheesy, sometimes a little unrehearsed, but there’s a good variety and it was more than enough to keep the whole family entertained in the evenings.
There was a kids mini disco every evening for younger children, which then flowed into the main evening entertainment. Some nights there was dancing, while on other evenings there was a DJ playing music. One particular night was dedicated to some epic 90s tunes, and that was definitely my favourite!
We also had a White party during our stay, where the hotel brought out loads of extra tables and chairs, all dressed with white linens. It created a really lovely atmosphere around the pool, and we enjoyed listening to the music while playing some family-friendly games underneath the festoon lights. I’d bought Go Play for this trip, and it actually turned out to be a brilliant family travel game that everyone enjoyed.
The main downside to the evening entertainment is that the Beach Club House is far too small to fit all of the guests in comfortably. It’s also tucked away inside, so you can’t really sit around the pool and casually watch the entertainment from outside. If you really want to see the show, I’d recommend getting there early to grab a table. Arriving after 8pm and you might be playing with fire!
The evening shows generally finished around 10:30–11pm, after which the resort became lovely and quiet.
Staff
The staff at Gran Oasis were one of the highlights of our stay.
Everyone we came across was friendly and helpful, and they all spoke excellent English, which made checking in and communicating with reception really easy.
More importantly, they were quick to respond when we had our little maintenance issues in the room. Whether it was the toilet, patio door or rather large wasp nest, they dealt with everything promptly and without any fuss. For that reason, we really couldn’t fault the staff during our stay.
Cleanliness
Despite some of the little signs of wear and tear, we found the hotel to be clean throughout our stay.
We regularly saw the cleaning staff working hard around the complex, which must be a never-ending job when you’ve got so many guests coming and going every day.
Even in the buffet restaurant, the waiting staff were constantly collecting empty plates and glasses from tables which helped prevent flies and other unwanted holiday visitors from joining you for dinner!
Our room was also cleaned regularly and well, and fresh towels were provided every day. So while I wouldn’t describe every part of the hotel as looking brand new, cleanliness certainly wasn’t an issue for us.
Beach towels
You can obviously bring your own beach towels if you’d rather, but if you’re trying to pack light and don’t have a travel-friendly Dock & Bay quick-dry beach towel yet (ps. you really should get one!), the hotel does provide one beach towel per person to use during your stay.
The catch is that you only get one for the duration of your stay, and if you’d like a clean replacement, it costs €2 per person. We dried ours out on the balcony and used a mixture of the hotel towels and our own quick-dry towels, so we didn’t feel the need to pay for fresh ones.
It’s worth knowing about the charge though, especially if you like having a completely fresh beach towel every day.
Checkout
Checkout is at 12pm, and I’d assumed that once we’d checked out, we’d also lose access to the all-inclusive food and drinks. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn’t the case. They scanned our wristbands so that we could continue enjoying the all-inclusive drinks, pool bar snacks and even lunch after we’d checked out. Our airport transfer wasn’t until 8pm, so this was a really welcome surprise and something we definitely appreciated.
The hotel also has a walk-in luggage storage area where you can leave your bags for the day. And if you want to freshen up before your flight home, they will provide clean towels so that you can use the communal showers near the pool. This made the long gap between checking out and heading to the airport so much easier.
Is there a safe in the rooms?
One slightly retro thing about Gran Oasis is that there isn’t a safe in the room, which we did find a little annoying.
For this reason, we actually took less tech with us than we normally would because we didn’t want to spend the whole holiday worrying about our belongings. There is a safe room behind reception that you can pay €25 to use, but we didn’t find this a practical option for the things we wanted to keep secure.
I suppose having a safe inside your hotel room is one of those things you just take for granted nowadays, so it was something we definitely noticed was missing.
Free shuttle buses
Gran Oasis has two free shuttle services for guests, which is a really useful addition given the hotel’s slightly out-of-the-way location. One shuttle takes you to Siam Park, which leaves the hotel at 9:30am, although when we used it, it didn’t actually arrive until around 9:45am. There is only one return bus back to the hotel at 5pm, which we didn’t use as we wanted to stay at Siam Park until it closed at 6pm. But if you’re planning a shorter visit to the waterpark, the free shuttle is a really handy option. If you’re interested in learning more about this epic waterpark, you can read my full guide to Siam Park here.
There’s also a free shuttle bus down to the beach, which leaves at 9am. We didn’t use this either because, to be honest, the walk into town was actually pretty easy. It’s downhill all the way there, and although the return journey is obviously uphill, there’s really only one steep hill to contend with. It was easy enough that my kids didn’t complain! The walk itself isn’t particularly pretty though, as the area immediately surrounding Gran Oasis is fairly undeveloped or under construction.
Would we stay at Gran Oasis again?
Overall, we felt that Gran Oasis was a really good family-friendly hotel and a great base for our Tenerife holiday.
The spacious apartments were one of the biggest positives for us when travelling as a family of four. Having proper beds for everyone, two levels of living space, plenty of storage and lots of room to spread out made the accommodation really comfortable. Add in the multiple swimming pools, activities, evening entertainment, all-inclusive option and the fantastic location for Siam Park, and there is a lot to like here.
It was a shame that we had a few little issues with our room, and the tired finishing touches do bring the overall feel of the hotel room down slightly. This is particularly noticeable when you’re paying 4-star prices during the school summer holidays. But I also don’t want those things to overshadow what was a really enjoyable family holiday.
I think the important thing is simply to go into Gran Oasis knowing what you’re booking. It’s a large, family-friendly resort that is starting to show a little wear and tear in places. You might find a chipped bit of paint, a curtain that needs re-hanging or the odd little maintenance issue, rather than everything looking absolutely pristine. They were minor inconveniences rather than holiday-ruining problems, but the staff were so quick to sort out anything we reported. And we may have simply been unlucky with our particular apartment.
If you’re looking for a super-modern, polished 4-star hotel where every last finishing touch is perfect, then this probably isn’t the hotel for you. But if you’re looking for spacious family accommodation, comfortable beds, good swimming pools, plenty to keep the children entertained and a convenient location for Siam Park, I think Gran Oasis is definitely worth considering.
The fact that it’s tucked away from the main towns can be a positive or a negative depending on what you want from your holiday. If you want restaurants, bars and nightlife right on your doorstep, you’ll probably find the location a little inconvenient. But if you’re happy spending most of your time enjoying the resort and the all-inclusive facilities, it makes for a peaceful base, and we really enjoyed our time here.
I’d just book it with realistic expectations. Don’t expect everything to be brand new and absolutely perfect, but do expect a friendly, spacious and very family-friendly resort where there’s plenty to enjoy. That’s exactly what made Gran Oasis a good choice for our Tenerife holiday.
Before you go …
The blog is where the full story lives, but if you want to come along for the ride in real time for behind the scenes moments, and everything as it happens. Come follow me on Instagram @roostandroam.co.uk
Read my latest posts
- Gran Oasis Resort Review: A Family-Friendly Hotel in Tenerife
- Siam Park Tenerife: Tickets, Best Rides and Our Top Tips
- Alton Towers With Pre-Teens: The UK’s Best Theme Park?
- Chessington World of Adventures: Worth Visiting With Older Kids?
- 18 of The Best Things to Do in Lanzarote, Spain
Pin for later!