January 2004.
Stayed at Casablanca Apartments, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife.
Thomas Cook Package Holiday. Booked through Instant Holidays/Coop. Flew from Birmingham.
Difficult to fault package or accomodation. All Thomas Cook related issues worked fine - we were on everybody's lists. Apartment and complex very clean. Plenty of cleaning staff. Pool clean - if a little small. No english-speaking channel available on TV provided in apartment. People who are frail or disabled should be aware that the short distance (approx 400m) from town to the hotel is very steep. Took Thomas Cook excursion to Mt Teide. This cost 26 euros per adult. This is very good, and the guide was very knowledgeable, even though some of the enforced stops for eating, drinking and similar purchasing opportunities were clearly designed to deliver a captive audience to local businesses. Also took Thomas Cook trip on catamaran to see Pilot Whales and Dolphins. This cost 41 euros per adult. This was good fun, and well worth the effort. Although there are also similar captive audience purchasing opportunities (dvd and/or photos of the trip) , you can just say no, and the sell isn't hard enough to be uncomfortable or annoying.
Puerto de la Cruz town is a little dull, and short of character. There is little to savour once you've seen the shops once. There is, however, more international representation here, rather than just being a Brit resort. Surprisingly, we did find a couple of good quality restaurants in the area. Santa Cruz is more of a real working town, and more interesting, and is well worth a visit. Might even be worth considering staying here.
Overall, we were pleased with the Thomas Cook package and accommodation, and would recommend the Casablanca Apartments.