Sensatori Resort, Guia De Isora

Never again.....

Thomson reps are a complete waste of space they say we will get back to you and never do!

This is a 5 star hotel, the surrounds and bedrooms are fantastic and so is the food, however, the service is shocking they are only interested in people who book with the hotel. We sat at the bar 35 minutes one night and kept asking for service, one minute they say!

We thought we were going to a "Sensatori" hotel? Oh no, it is a hotel with a section of Thomson rooms, the reps do nothing to help, it is not a 5 star in my world no late check outs, no water in the room, no friendly smile on arrival, no welcome drink, no turn down service and it is not fully inclusive as they say, so many things are extra, that to me is not fully inclusive. You can't have a cup of coffee after dinner that's extra!!!!!!!

A child had a poo in the pool they left it there for an hour before someone cleared it away...by that time it had started to break up and float all over the pool...!!!!!!! It is in the middle of nowhere nothing at all....£60 to go to Playa de Las Americas.

I wish I had taken notice of the reviews I would never have booked..!!!!!!

This cost us £4000 for two I would not have paid £400

I struggle to understand ANY of the positive reviews I have seen. Look through all the reviews and pick out the ones describing poor indifferent service, impossibility of booking included restaurants, lack of support from Sensatori reps, etc and you will hit the nail on the head. All I can guess (still being stuck here) is that all the other reviews are by Thomson themselves.

Why do I think this? I am here suffering terrible service, I have complained constantly to Thomson, the local reps are powerless and Thomson UK have twice promised to call me and failed both times. In response I have posted negative reviews on their site - but guess what they sensor them, explaining of course why on their site they have such a positive outlook.

What are the problems? Rooms are not as described. This is NOT a Sensatori hotel (I have been to Sensatori Egypt and it was great), here Sensatori is a tiny part of the hotel and we are trumped in everything by the hotels own guests, their own high-end club and their own apartment club. Net result of the 4 claimed inclusive restaurants in the evening: one does not exist, one is mediocre, one is awful and the 4th is permanently booked by people who have access to tables the Sensatori booking system does not. Even Sensatori´s rep today told me she came in a 8am to try and book a table for someone and could not. How is it a 5star holiday if you have to get up at 8am to try (and fail) to book a table in the only faintly OK included restaurant - and I am not talking about booking for today or for a specific time, this is booking at all.

You like the idea of all inclusive, look elsewhere. Despite spending 1500pounds above the holiday price on the all inclusive option the most common phrase I hear is not included. Want a milkshake for the children? It's not included. Want a gin and tonic in a restaurant before your meal? It's not included. Want service by the pool? It's not included. Imagine this scene. You are by the pool and a waiter walks past and asks one family if they want anything and ignores the second. Which family do you think have paid for the upgraded all inclusive package - no surprises the one ignored is the one on the paid for all inclusive package. Fancy a pack of crisps from the bar, it's not included. The list goes on.

This is fundamentally NOT a Sensatori hotel. It is absolutely NOT worth the money and if I had a choice I would advise you to look elsewhere. Sensatory Sharm El Sheik - excellent, Sensatori in general - a joke.

My boyfriend and I recently went on holiday together at the Sensatori Resort in Tenerife. On arrival we were met with cool glasses of orange juice (welcome refreshment after the temperatures of 30-40 degrees). It set the precedent for the entire holiday.

Our room, which we upgraded at a very reasonable cost, was a double with a garden and a Balinese bed at the bottom overlooking a small well maintained pond. The garden itself was well maintained and very private. The room was immaculate and bigger than expected with a bigger than king-sized bed, sofa bed, TV, fridge, kettle and tea and coffee. The bathroom was bigger than some hotels I have stayed in, with two sinks, a walk in shower, bath and the toilet. Complimentary bathrobes and slippers were also provided along with many thoughtful complimentary accessories.

The restaurants were 5 star and I have never seen such range anywhere with Japanese, American and traditional Spanish food on offer to name a few. The in house entertainment was also very good. We saw a Latin dance show and I never knew that people could move their feet so fast. The spa was exactly what was needed in the hot midday sun.

The staff were friendly and the spa was completely empty for most of the time we used it. The facilities were diverse offering everything from sauna to flotation pool and hot and cold showers. The staff at the hotel were friendly and always ready to help with any queries we had. They had a wide range of excursions or other activities if you wanted to do something by yourselves (which I prefer). The staff would organise everything over the phone for you.

On leaving the hotel, everything was organised to a tee. Bags were collected by the porter when we rang and it made the whole experience of leaving the hotel hassle free and more importantly stress free. Would highly recommend this hotel and holiday to anyone.

I went to Sensatori Tenerife on a romantic holiday at the end of Summer 2011. We stayed in a small suite - it had a private garden with a bed at the end of the garden, and a very plush layout. The hotel is a bit in the middle of nowhere so be sure that's what you want - it's not a clubbing holiday.

We got a great deal as it was the end of Summer. Full board. In contrast to other reviews, we found the staff, the food and the drinks great - we went for the opt-in meals twice, once for Sushi.

The pool is just incredible. 250 metres long - we could manage about two lengths and then we were exhausted. Loads of day trips around too - including some quad bike tours to the mountains. I'd suggest if you go quad biking that you should get individual quad bikes though!

The only downside was that we went at the end of the season. That did make it cheap, but it was quite quiet and perhaps not the crowd you would expect at a 5* hotel. Well recommended!

Just returned from Sensatori Tenerife and still telling everyone I meet that they ought to go.

The hotel is fantastic - brilliant fountain feature in the main courtyard. The staff are so friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them.

Our room was very comfortable and spotlessly clean. Food was very good although people looking for a 5 star experience need to consider that the hotel and its 6 restaurants attempts to cater for large numbers - especially in high season.

Our 9 year old daughter loved the entertainment and the pools.

Transfers to and from the airport were problem-free. Lots of people from all age groups but no swearing, no alcohol abuse - just people having fun!!!

We will be going again for sure.

We have just returned from a two week holiday at the Sensatori in Tenerife. This is the first time that I have taken the time to write a review about my holiday as it is not something I have ever felt the urge to do previously.

Before taking our holiday at the Sensatori in Tenerife I, like other people we met, had read the reviews of other holidaymakers who had previously been to the hotel. I was a little hesitant about the Sensatori after reading the reviews on here and it's an understatement to say I was actually worried!! If you are about to go to this hotel then let me put your mind at ease.

From beginning to end we had a great holiday. The Sensatori is magnificent; the staff is very hard-working, friendly and helpful. The resort is 5 star - with modern rooms, which are spotless and comfortable - room service is second to none. Food at the hotel is good with the busy Pangea restaurant offering a fantastic range of tasty dishes on a self service basis. The other, slightly expensive a la carte restaurants serve a limited 'all inclusive' choice of food for Sensatori guests.

Pool areas are great, with a good choice of pools available. From the largest pool in Europe (salt water) to smaller kids pools. Kid's entertainment in the evenings is good and our children (aged 3, 9, 10) all enjoyed it. The evening entertainment for adults was also good and very family friendly - the entertainment staff are extremely professional.

Overall a very good holiday for the price we paid. We will go back in the future, but are now tempted to try the Sensatori in Crete as we have never been on a holiday to a Greek island before and this resort in Crete sounds good from the brochure and the other reviews.

We have just returned from a fortnight's holiday the Sensatori Tenerife and all had a great time.

Before we travelled we were apprehensive as we had read some of poor the reviews on here. We travelled with our 2 year old son, who has a wonderful time. The Sensatori offered us everything we needed for a great holiday in Tenerife. We didn't leave the complex during our stay, so can't comment on the surroundings.

The only advice I would give is to get yourself the full board package as costs are fairly high for drinks.

The Sensatori is a good looking complex, but located in a deserted part of Tenerife. The nearby "resort" is nothing more than a fishing town with little to offer tourists. Staff at the complex appear to be hard working and attempt to deliver the promised services, but they unfortunately fail, due largely poor training and too many guests.

When I said "too many guests", I was referring to the ratio of staff to customers, which is very low in this type of environment. Remember, the Sensatori is supposed to be offering something superior to the standard 4 star, Canary Island type of holiday.

Lets pick out the faults that I discovered. First fault is how the concept was advertised to us, we were under the impression that this was going to be a unique experience with everything sorted out. The reality is very different; you are immersed in a world of other people's children with kids running around all over the place. We were led to believe that this place would offer a degree of sophistication with a choice of restaurants to use. Again, the reality is that most of your meals will be in the canteen, AKA Pangea and if you want to get away from the Pangea crèche, then you need to form an orderly queue at 8AM to attempt to book a different restaurant. I say attempt, because they are invariably declared as full when you get to the front of the queue.

This resort has seriously misfired for Thomson, they had developed 2 resorts previously with some success and now, almost overnight, ruined the entire concept. I don't want to pay good money, to be surrounded by screaming kids or their trip hazard buggies. And on a final point the cost of everything at the Sensatori is astronomical. 500ml bottle of water 2.5 Euros? Get real, we won't be coming back or even recommending the Sensatori to anyone.

We have been going on our holidays since 1989 with Thomson and know the standards that are on offer for package holidays from them. Unfortunately, the Sensatori in Tenerife is a big mistake and almost a con, to relieve you of £3000.

The Gran Melia, as the Sensatori is really known is all 'smoke and mirrors' without any personality of its own to pass over to guests. Great complex on first viewing but the lack of customer service is a monumental mistake. People don't splash out £3K to spend all their holiday forming queues for almost everything!

The good points about this Sensatori are the pools, gardens, evening entertainment and the transfer bus home!

Customer service in the Pangea restaurant is awful, nothing is ready when you arrive. You need to wait for a table, then when you get your table, it's not made up for dinner and you need to 'grub around' to find the missing items yourself. We had to get our own cutlery from another table, glasses and napkins were also elusive. Once you get seated, your drinks take around 20 minutes to be delivered to your table.

Some of the reports on here do reflect some of the problems at the Sensatori in Tenerife. But it should be remembered that this 5 star rating is part of the holiday industry rating benchmark and not to be confused with the international hotel ratings system. The Sensatori is rated 5 star against other holiday hotels and not to be compared to the Savoy in London, as the costs do not compare.

We had a great time and would like to go again in the future. Food was reasonable and our room was top class. Service and location could have been better, but we enjoyed our holiday at the Sensatori.

I say, go along and see for yourself and I bet this hotel will be one of the best hotels you have ever stayed in, that has been provided by one of the large tour operators.

My wife, 2 children and myself have just returned from the Sensatori in Tenerife. My first observation to make is that this is not a complex that has been built as a specific Sensatori, but simply an existing resort (Gran Melia Palacio Isora) that has had a Sensatori branding applied by Thomson. It appears that Thomson have 'blocked booked' over 50% of the rooms at the Gran Melia Palacio Isora and designated them as Sensatori.

The complex did not meet any of our holiday expectations. Service was diabolical and the rooms are simply not 5 star in my opinion. Our room was not up to standard, and the service in the restaurants was awful.

You do get the WOW factor when you get off the transfer bus, but you soon realise that it's just an illusion of a 5 star experience. How may 5 star hotels do you know of that do not show you to your room once you have checked in?

We do know a good time when we get one and we are quite experienced with this concept, as we have already had 2 holidays at the Sensatori in Crete previously and can compare 'apples for apples' and can tell you that this resort in Tenerife is sub standard to the one in Crete. The guestrooms at Tenerife are smaller than the rooms in Crete! We had a garden but it was not private, so the kids could not play out without any supervision.

Also remember, this place is in the wilderness (in the context of Tenerife) and will not suite everyone and could become boring. If you don't want to ventre out or people who like cruises, then this place my be suitable, but if you like to go out to a lively resort in the evening - forget it!

Taxi's to Costa Adeje are around 35 Euros each way.

We expected this holiday to live long in the memory, considering how much we paid for it. It has met that criteria and will live on - for all the wrong reasons!

Thomson advertise this as an experience, it was, a rubbish one! This 'full board plus' option is the worst of all worlds. It would be more transparent if they specified exactly how much drink was included during your meal. Is it one bottle of wine one small beer, or as much as you want while sitting in the dining room! If you ask for a second drink, the staff seems to resent you and you feel like a alcoholic, who has dared to ask for another drink. I personally think staff at the Sensatori are encouraged to ignore you at the table, so you will soon go and start paying for drinks at the bar.

Thomson, sort out this mess, make it half board or all inclusive and get rid of the dining room madness that is on offer at the Sensatori in Tenerife.

We have just returned from the Sensatori and are hugely disappointed by the entire experience. It looks great in the brochure and it looks great once your there, but as soon as you require any service, you will get short changed on the service department - frankly, it's shocking!

This is most evident at meal times. Because drinks are included in your package during meal times, you are made to feel as if you're begging, by asking for drinks that you should be provided with. When the drinks do arrive, they are presented to you grudgingly, almost as if the resent you wanting a drink with your meal. Why do hotels offer inclusive packages, if they behave in this manner? We paid good money for this holiday, and feel conned by both Thomson and the hotel.

Where is the Sensatori positioned within the holiday market is anyone's guess. It's not an exclusive 5 star adult resort and it's not a kid's resort either! If you are an adult couple, I would give this one a miss to be honest; there are too many children here.

While we were there, they had a conference going on, but I was led to believe that the Sensatori was exclusive to Thomson, but it had other people who were NOT Thomson holidaymakers using the facilities at this resort.

On a plus point, the large pool is great, slightly on the cold side and salt water, but it's huge!

We have just returned from the new Sensatori in Tenerife, and can report that all is not well, with too many teething problems evident to make any holiday a real success. Rules and facility availability are changing almost daily, as the management attempt to fire-fight their way through.

5 Star experiences are how this place is marketed as! When did you need to form a queue for a 5 star experience? Too many times during the week, you will find yourself queuing to book something or other.

Kids! Far too many of them, if you want Butlins, go to Ingoldmels, Minehead, Bognor or for a 5 star 'Butlins' experience try the Sensatori in Tenerife. The Thomson TV ads run over Christmas 2009 featuring the Sensatori in Tenerife made the Sensatori look fantastic with outstanding attention to detail and a real 5 star resort that will make the package holiday change forever, but once your there, you will encounter problems with how this concept was sold to you.

Poolside service and restaurant service is amazingly poor, not even 2 star. Thomson should have done some load testing with guinea pig customers/staff on this hotel before they opened it up to see where the service bottlenecks are. Now the Genie is out of the bottle, people can read for themselves that this Sensatori in Tenerife isn't cutting the marketing mustard!

The TV adverts and all the marketing is aimed at a relaxing, five star experience. They fail to tell you that they have a very extensive childrens programme so expect lots of children. Not that we mind that but when you are in a restaurant having a nice meal at 9.30pm you just don't expect sceaming children who really wanted to be in bed not propped up in a restaurant. What it will be like in the school holidays goodness knows! The service was pretty bad most of the time and you had to keep asking for more wine rather than it being topped up. The menu selection changed during the week we were there so the choices are limited. The Ocean resaurant (Italian) by far the best is not open any longer at lunch time. The system of reserving a table means you have to queue at about 9.30am in order to be in a long line for the opening time of 10am when they take bookings. When we were in the restaurants we couldn't work it out because there was only a handful of people there and so many available tables.

Also remember that this hotel has a very large function room so you will get conferences there taking up space and one side of a restaurant was closed because the staff were servicing a conference dining room! So get there early to get a table reserved for that night and the next night only. Prices outside of the all inclusive are ridiculous. £5 for 2 500ml of water is silly and it means that people were going to the village to get provisions that they might want outside of mealtimes. We paid a significant upgrade for a garden room which was a waste of time as the garden was like a jungle and the sun could never really get to the area where we would sit. Fine if you wanted complete shade all day. The scrapping of the furniture in the room above was annoying. Just put felt pads under the feet of anything that moves across a tiled floor.The bathrooms were lovely and the bedrooms spacious. But that didn't make up for the service and general teething problems. As another person has said we paid for five star and didn't get it. The Thomson staff knew what the problems were but really couldn't do too much to help.

This resort looks stunning but don't let the appearance fool you. The restaurants are poorly staffed, food in the main buffet restauarent is cold and covered in flies, tables in the outdoor eating area are dirty and again many flies. Unless you eat at 6.30pm you won't get a table without a wait of up to an hour.

This site is so huge and doesn't cater for buggies, wheelcahirs or anyone with mobility issues. Pool areas are often dirty with old cups, plates and rubbish around beds. We took photos of this, along with bins that were over flowing with old nappies and rubbish for over three days, until we complained. Sewage smell around lagoon pool is strong and lack of places to get a drink, snack towels or basically anything you may need in the day to suggest you are on holiday. Drinks are very expensive and tea and coffee are charged for at all times for Sensatori guests (4 euros per cup).

Hotel rooms are lovely but don't make up for the rest of the package which is really no better than a normal four star all inclusive resort.

Considering the focus is meant to be relaxation the queue at guest relations every day with complaints was huge.

Avoid going this year if at all possible until they rectify problems.

We left on Friday 14th May and people were over from Engalnd, trying to sort out the mess. It's far too expensive to be a guinea pig.

If all you are looking for is a beautiful site without the infrastructure then this is the place for you.

Outside area is derelict and rubble, no shops, bars restaurants in fact unless you drive or get a taxi you will go stir crazy here, it's in the middle of nowhere.

The Sensatori is in a remote location, but this was not a downside for us, because we were looking for peace and quite in a relaxing environment. We paid an additional cost for a sea view, but this was a waste of money, as you could hardly see the ocean. This was the start of an overall disappointing holiday. How can you have a 5 star resort with no poolside service? Nothing was open between 17.00 and 18.30!

Overall a huge disappointment, certainly not a 5 star experience in my opinion. I won't be returning to the Sensatori, or Tenerife and wouldn't recommend this holiday to anyone, as it is too expensive and the service is poor. Not sure exactly, who it's target market is?