Our family of four, with 2 children aged 9 and 11 have just returned from this hotel. Unfortunately we have experienced our worst holiday in Tenerife so far.

Initially, the Bitacora looked an impressive hotel. Shiny lobby floors, windows being constantly cleaned, plenty of indoor foliage and water fountains trickling away, it was quite relaxing. At approximately 7pm, after being 'shoved' through the door by the Airtours rep, we proceeded to check-in.

The guy on the desk swiped our passports, but our sons proved to be a little difficult, and would not swipe correctly. I joked with my wife that our son would have to stay somewhere else as his passport wouldn't register, to be met with a very stern faced man who was becoming increasingly frustrated with his attempts. We decided to stay quiet. Eventually we were checked-in, and we made our way to the room.

We were on the 7th floor, which was good because we had views over the pool area, gardens, and the sea in the distance. The room size was good, the fact that the kids beds were actually a sofa and a pull out bed wasn't. Considering we had paid

We have just returned after our 6th visit to this hotel with our 2 teenage daughters, and mum who was on here 9 th visit.

As always staff were very welcoming and pleasant- so nice to see the same staff year after year just shows what a pleasant and friendly enviroment they work in. We return year after year as do alot of our friends who we have met here over the years and become friendly with.

There is always plenty of choice in the dining room for breakfast and evening meal, and during then day the pool side bar has a variety of snacks -all of which i think between us we have sampled this year.

The pool area is cleaned down every evening amazing how much litter some people leave behind despite there being plenty of bins around pool!! They stack all sunbeds and chain them up until the following morning when they are undone around 7.30am.

The rest of the hotel also very clean with towels changed daily if required and bedding changed 3 times per week. I think in all the years we have visited i could count on 1 hand any cockroaches we have seen in hotel area.

Hotel is located close to a selection of bars with entertainment and hundreds of shops close by including mango (opposite hotel) and zara much to our daughters approval.

Evening entertainment has improved in the hotel this
year but it is never going to appeal to everyone but you can always relax in the bar instead.

With 2 teenage daughters they were only to keen to stay in the hotel during the evening and either play pool. Etc in the games room,go on the computers or quite simply sit and chat with others around the same age.

Daytime activities are varied from water volley, aqua gym , darts etc, but again some people are not to keen to remove themselves from the sun loungers to join in and meet other people and have a laugh.

And yes you have guessed we will be returning next year if not before.

Just spent two great weeks at this lovely hotel. It's in a really good location,five minutes from either the Patch or the Strip for evening entertainment and the same for a beach during the day. There are loads of shops nearby whether your budget is economy or designer label.

The room was kept spotless as were all the public areas. Staff were probably the best we've encountered in any hotel in the area. You got the feeling that you could ask for anything and they would try their best to meet your requirements.

The room was spacious although the decor was quite bland. The air conditioning was a bit noisy but welcome when the temperature was sizzling. E-mailed the hotel a few weeks before departure and requested a room on a higher floor after reading some recommendations on this site and was delighted to be allocated a room on the eighth floor- lovely views and quite quiet. The only downside to this was the lift - a trip from the top floor often stopped several times on the way down or up and it got quite hot and stuffy very quickly!

The pools were very nice - a shallow one with a fun slide for the kids and a larger one for the adults which had walk-in steps and was no more than 1.4 metres deep anywhere which suited a vertically-challenged non-confident swimmer like myself! There were loads of sunbeds and umbrellas available every morning, but it was definitely a bit cramped trying to squeeze them all in. If you wanted a 'prime position' immediately around the pool for example, you would have to join the early risers. The pool man starts laying out the beds around 8am but there were a few determined people who went down and helped themselves before then. The really annoying people were the ones who would lay out the towels and not return till late afternoon or not at all in some selfish cases.

Food was very good. Having stayed in the area in other 4 star hotels I thought I knew what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised, never had duck, salmon or mashed potato in a PDLA hotel before!

Couldn't really comment on the entertainment as we went out every night, but I get the impression not many hotels try very hard, but why would they - there's plenty of entertainment in the bars in resort.

The first week we were there it was a mainly Brit clientele but our second week was the start of the Spanish holidays and there was a marked increase in the numbers of Spanish families arriving which, in my opinion , is testimony to the quality of this hotel.

Having just returned from visiting the Bitacora hotel I would really recomend it to anyone looking for a truly brilliant holiday.

Food is excellent. Location excellent. Staff are really friendly and pool area great for kids with a waterslide for the children and adults alike.

We have just come back from a wonderful holiday at the Bitacora.

After many visits to Tenerife I would say this is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. As the previous reviews have said, this hotel is very clean and well maintained.

The food is excellent with a large selection at both breakfast and dinner. There is plenty for the children to do with a great children's pool, water slide and undercover children's play area. The children's team are great and Erika is brilliant with both adults and children.

The hotel is well situated in the best part of Las americas near the sea, shops and main bars. We all wanted to stay another week and will be going back to this hotel later in the year!

We booked this hotel purely on the information left on this site from previous guests.

The Hotel more than lived up to expectations and we have already booked for another week early next year. Check out Direct Holidays website (before end of Sept) and you will find their deals hard to beat.

The evening meal in the Bitacora is excellent with plenty of choice, normally seated quickly and restaurant runs well. Would have given 5 out of 5 but slightly let down by the breakfast with not so good bacon and sausages. The fruit juices were either watered down or derived from powder but cereals and toast, coffee and tea made up for this.

As mentioned in other posts there is a sunbed issue (as with most hotels) and its a real shame to have to 'reserve a sunbed'. Some people must have got up in the early hours to get their spot. I think towels should be discarded if nobody is using the bed for hours on end (selfish gits).

Apart from these minor issues the Hotel Bitacora is well run with clean rooms and very helpfull staff. The testament to the place is that a lot of people we met were on their 2nd, 3rd or more visit.

The entertainment staff worked very hard day and night and the children are well catered for.

Plenty to see and do within walking distance from the Hotel and its obvious that the local government are intending to give the Playas Americas area a bit of an image makeover.

All in all an excellent place to take the family and best of all the sun shines nearly all year round.

We stayed in the Bitacora hotel after a friend said it was a great hotel to stay in and he was right, great food, spotless everywhere you look and the staff are the most helpful I've known, the only thing let it down was evening entertainment but there are lots of bars and other nice hotels near by so it was not a problem.

As usual there is a 7:30 am dash to get your towels poolside for the day but there was always plenty of room.

When we arrived we had a room with no view so we asked if we could change and they said no problem and gave us a pool & sea view at no extra cost.

Whilst on holiday it was Lisa's birthday and they left her a free bottle of bubbly in the room, so it's safe for me to say we will be going to the hotel again.

Well done Bitacora *****

Visited the Bitacora for the second time in March, having been the previous July with friends.

All areas of the hotel are spotless - rooms cleaned thoroughly every day with a linen and towel change.

The food is good - there is a wide selection of stuff on the breakfast buffet but the bacon and sausage are the foreign type but still nice enough. The pool bar serves a decent range of snacks at lunchtime at reasonable prices, and the food is always hot and fresh.

The location is great - in the more upmarket part of Las Americas where it is quiet in the evenings but only 5 minutes walk away from somewhere more lively. Ideal.

The staff here cannot do enough for you - from the cleaner

My husband and I have just returned from two weeks at the Bitacora and would be only too happy to return.

The hotel was spotless.

The staff were incredible and the variety of food was excellent. Steaks, chicken carvery one small moan here the meat was cooked very rare which is not too everyone

3rd time to this hotel, and every time astounded by its excellent cleanliness. The whole hotel is cleaned all day every day including poolside.

Bedrooms have plenty of room and are quiet enough for that essential afternoon nap.

Entertainment staff looked after the kids so well we had tears at hometime! Plenty of poolside games for the grown ups too.

Food is varied and of the highest quaility and always hot. Children are well catered for and nothing was ever too much trouble.