Tenerife North is where the island's tourism began, decades before Costa Adeje existed, and it still offers a fundamentally different kind of stay from the resort belt in the south. Puerto de la Cruz, La Laguna, Garachico and Santa Cruz are real towns rather than purpose-built strips, set against banana plantations, laurel forest and the greener, cloud-catching side of Mount Teide. That history is a genuine strength when choosing a hotel: instead of one design template repeated along a beachfront, the north offers grand garden hotels, restored manor houses and classic seafront resorts, each with its own personality. This guide skips the area-by-area breakdown, which we cover in our Tenerife south vs north comparison, and goes straight to our top recommendation in each of the six categories that matter most, from best overall to best budget. If the south coast's sunshine is what you're really after, see our companion guide to the best hotels in Tenerife South.
One thing worth knowing before you book: the north's towns are further apart and more distinct than the south's near-continuous resort strip. Puerto de la Cruz, on the coast, is the region's tourism capital, with the widest choice of hotels and restaurants within walking distance. Garachico, further west, is the most romantic town on the island, rebuilt in volcanic stone after a 1706 eruption buried its harbour. La Laguna is a UNESCO-listed colonial town just above the capital, and Santa Cruz suits travellers who want a real working city with excellent transport links. None of these are wrong choices, but they suit very different trips — which is exactly why this guide is organised by type of traveller.
How we picked these: Every hotel below was chosen for a specific type of traveller rather than a generic star rating — there's no point recommending a grand spa hotel to a family with toddlers, or a simple town-centre hotel to a couple chasing a five-star escape. We check prices, policies and names against current listings, and update the guide when something changes. Jump to the quick decision guide for a one-glance summary.
Quick Decision Guide
Short on time? Here's the fastest route to the right hotel — match your priority to our pick, then scroll down for the full review, or click straight through to check live prices.
Best Overall
A five-star grand-luxe hotel in tropical gardens beside Taoro Park, with one of the finest spas in the Canaries.
Best Luxury City Stay
A classic five-star in central Santa Cruz, with gardens, two pools, a spa and four restaurants.
Best for Families
A seafront resort near Playa Martiánez with a kids' club, a children's pool and all-inclusive rates.
Best Adults-Only
An 18+ four-star on Puerto de la Cruz's seafront avenue, a short walk from Plaza del Charco.
Best Budget
A 1712 mansion with a pool in the old quarter of Puerto de la Cruz, from around €65 a night.
Best Boutique & Historic Charm
An adults-only manor house in Garachico, with a courtyard pool and rooms with private hot tubs.
Quick Comparison: All Hotels in This Guide
| Hotel | Area | From / Night | Adults Only | Rating | Best For | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden | Puerto de la Cruz | €240 | No | 4.8 / 5 | Best overall & spa | Expedia → |
| Hotel TRH Taoro Garden | Puerto de la Cruz | €100 | Yes (18+) | 4.3 / 5 | Garden setting for less | Expedia → |
| Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | €145 | No | 4.6 / 5 | Luxury city stay | Expedia → |
| Bahia Principe Explore San Felipe | Puerto de la Cruz | €110 | No | 4.0 / 5 | Families & all-inclusive | Expedia → |
| Catalonia Las Vegas – Adults Only | Puerto de la Cruz | €90 | Yes (18+) | 3.9 / 5 | Couples on a budget | Expedia → |
| Hotel Marquesa | Puerto de la Cruz | €65 | No | 3.9 / 5 | Lowest price & old-town charm | Expedia → |
| Boutique Hotel San Roque | Garachico | €160 | Yes | 4.6 / 5 | Boutique & history | Expedia → |
| La Laguna Gran Hotel | San Cristóbal de La Laguna | €105 | No | 4.6 / 5 | UNESCO old town | Expedia → |
Prices are approximate low-to-mid-season starting rates for a double room, checked in September 2026. Ratings are converted from recent Expedia guest scores. Always confirm current rates and availability before travelling.
Why Tenerife North's Hotels Feel Different From the South Coast
Tenerife North's defining feature is the flip side of the geography that makes the south so reliably sunny. Mount Teide and the island's central mountain spine sit between the two coasts, and the moisture carried in by the north-easterly trade winds falls — or lingers as cloud — over the north before it can reach Costa Adeje. That's why Puerto de la Cruz and La Orotava are noticeably greener, lusher and cooler than the south, with banana plantations and laurel forest rather than dry, cactus-studded hills. It also explains why the north became Tenerife's original tourism hub: early visitors were drawn by its botanical gardens, spa culture and colonial architecture, long before the south's beach-resort model took over. A "grand" hotel in Puerto de la Cruz often has mature, decades-old gardens that no newer development could recreate overnight.
The other thing that sets the north apart is value. Because the region sees less peak-season demand than the south's resort belt, room rates here are generally gentler in every category. That doesn't mean lower quality — several of the north's best hotels would hold their own against the south's — but the same standard of hotel usually costs less once you're away from Costa Adeje. For travellers happy to trade a few degrees of sunshine and a sandy beach for history, gardens and better value, the north is a genuinely compelling alternative rather than a consolation prize.
Best Overall: Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden
If you only read one section of this guide, make it this one. Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden is Tenerife North's most complete luxury hotel: a five-star grand-luxe property set in its own tropical gardens on the edge of Puerto de la Cruz, beside Taoro Park and a few minutes' walk from the town's historic Botanical Garden. It has been a byword for elegant, old-school hospitality for decades, and its guest scores — around 9.6 out of 10 — are among the highest on the island.
The Oriental Spa Garden is the reason many guests choose this hotel. Built around Thai-style pavilions in the gardens, it offers hydrotherapy, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, Ayurvedic and massage treatments and couples' suites, and it's one of the most atmospheric spas in the Canary Islands. Four restaurants cover everything from a relaxed buffet to à la carte dining, breakfast is included in most rates, and there are yoga classes, a fitness club and golf practice facilities. Families are welcome, with a children's pool and childcare, but the atmosphere stays calm and grown-up.
Puerto de la Cruz's old town, the seafront and the Lago Martiánez pools are a short taxi ride or a downhill walk away, and Loro Parque is on the other side of town. For day trips, the Teide National Park is about an hour's drive up through the pine forest, and our best natural pools in Tenerife guide covers the rock pools along the north coast.
Runner-Up: Hotel TRH Taoro Garden – Only Adults
If Hotel Botánico is beyond your budget, TRH Taoro Garden offers a similar garden setting for less than half the price. This adults-only four-star sits in the green heart of Taoro Park, above the town, with 182 rooms, a large pool and sun terrace, a library and views of both Mount Teide and the Atlantic. All-inclusive rates are available, and a courtesy bus runs to the town centre.
Good to know: TRH Taoro Garden's gardens and staff are consistently praised, but some rooms are dated and on-site parking is limited and charged daily. Book a sea- or Teide-view room, and use the courtesy bus rather than walking back uphill from town.
Our Take: Best Overall
Hotel Botánico earns its reputation — its gardens, spa and service are the benchmark for the whole north coast. If you want the same leafy Taoro Park setting at a fraction of the price, TRH Taoro Garden is the sensible step down, as long as you're travelling without children.
Best Luxury City Stay: Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey
The Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey stands apart from every other luxury hotel on the island by offering a genuine city stay rather than a resort. This landmark five-star in central Santa Cruz overlooks García Sanabria Park, with a grand arcaded courtyard, formal gardens and 261 rooms, and it's a 15-minute walk from Plaza de España and the city's museums, markets and restaurants. It's also surprisingly good value for a five-star, often priced well below the south's luxury resorts.
Guests consistently praise the breakfast, the cleanliness and the location, and the à la carte restaurants are worth booking as soon as you arrive, as slots fill quickly. Spa Sensations offers massages and body treatments, and the outdoor pool in the gardens is a peaceful retreat after a day in the city. Santa Cruz is also the best base for the Anaga Rural Park, the island's most spectacular hiking, and the golden sand of Las Teresitas beach is a short drive away.
Best for Families: Bahia Principe Explore San Felipe
Families will find the most complete resort programme in the north at Bahia Principe Explore San Felipe. This four-star tower stands on Puerto de la Cruz's seafront avenue, a couple of minutes' walk from Playa Martiánez and close to the Lago Martiánez seawater pools, and its 261 rooms all have balconies, many with sea or Teide views. Below the tower, the gardens hold an outdoor pool, a children's pool, a tennis court and a free kids' club — exactly what you need in a region with fewer sandy beaches.
The all-inclusive option makes budgeting easy with children, and guest reviews praise the food, the clean pool area and the friendly staff; some rooms are dated, so ask for a renovated sea-view room. Loro Parque, one of the best zoos and marine parks in Europe, is a short drive west, and the Siam Park water park in the south is an easy day trip — our Tenerife with kids guide covers the best family days out.
Good to know: Parking is limited and charged, and first come, first served, so a transfer or taxi from the airport is often easier than a hire car for the whole stay. Consider hiring a car just for the days you explore.
Best Adults-Only: Catalonia Las Vegas – Adults Only
For couples wanting a quiet, adults-only stay in the heart of Puerto de la Cruz, Catalonia Las Vegas is the practical choice. This four-star stands on the town's seafront avenue, a 7-minute walk from Plaza del Charco and close to Playa Martiánez and the Lago Martiánez pools, and it only accepts guests aged 18 and over. It isn't a design hotel, but it offers comfortable rooms, a sunny pool terrace and a central location at a price that's hard to match.
Be clear about what you're paying for: guest scores are solid rather than exceptional, at around 7.8 out of 10, with praise for the location, cleanliness and breakfast. Book a sea-view room on a higher floor for the best experience. For a more intimate adults-only stay, Boutique Hotel San Roque in Garachico (below) is the upgrade, and our best adults-only hotels in Tenerife guide covers the whole island.
Our Take: Luxury, Families and Adults-Only
The Grand Mencey is the north's best luxury stay for travellers who want a city rather than a resort, and at its current prices it's one of the best-value five-stars on the island. Bahia Principe San Felipe is the easy family choice on the seafront, and Catalonia Las Vegas gives couples a central, child-free base without the price of the south's adults-only resorts.
Best Budget: Hotel Marquesa
Hotel Marquesa is the best-value stay in the north. It occupies a mansion built in 1712 in the old quarter of Puerto de la Cruz, with a traditional carved wooden balcony overlooking a palm-shaded terrace, and it's a 5-minute walk from Plaza del Charco. Rooms often start from around €65 a night, which is hard to beat for a hotel with a pool in the centre of town.
Its guest ratings are modest, at around 7.7 to 7.8 out of 10: reviewers love the location, the historic building and the staff, but the rooms and facilities are simple, and those in the newer wing lack the charm of the old mansion. Book a superior room if you can, and treat it as a comfortable, well-placed base. For more great-value stays across the island, see our best budget hotels in Tenerife guide.
Mobile signal can be patchy around Teide and in the Anaga mountains. A Yesim eSIM keeps maps and bookings working without roaming charges.
Best Boutique & Historic Charm: Boutique Hotel San Roque
Garachico is the most romantic town on Tenerife, and Boutique Hotel San Roque is the place to stay there. This adults-only boutique occupies a historic manor house with a vivid burnt-orange facade in the town's volcanic-stone old quarter, and its handful of rooms and suites — around twenty in all — surround a timber-galleried courtyard with a swimming pool. Guest scores of around 9.0 to 9.3 out of 10 put it among the best-loved small hotels in the Canaries.
Every room is individually designed, mixing the old house's timber and stone with bold contemporary furniture, and the courtyard restaurant, Anturium, serves an upscale take on Canarian cooking. Garachico itself is a joy to explore on foot, with its convent, harbour and the El Caletón volcanic rock pools, and the Masca Gorge and the Teno Rural Park are a short, winding drive west. A car is close to essential here.
Runner-Up: La Laguna Gran Hotel
For historic charm at a lower price, La Laguna Gran Hotel puts you in the middle of San Cristóbal de La Laguna's UNESCO-listed old town. This four-star is built around a restored courtyard lounge, a 3-minute walk from Plaza del Adelantado, with a rooftop terrace, a seasonal pool and guest scores of around 9.2 out of 10. It's also minutes from Tenerife North airport, and the tram runs down to Santa Cruz.
Our Take: Budget and Boutique
Hotel Marquesa is the cheapest good-location stay in Puerto de la Cruz, with history making up for its simple rooms. For character, San Roque in Garachico is the north's most memorable small hotel, while La Laguna Gran Hotel offers historic charm in a lively university town at a gentler price.
How to Choose Where to Stay in Tenerife North
Beyond picking the right category of hotel, a few practical questions decide whether a stay in the north goes smoothly: which airport you fly into, whether you'll hire a car, and how much of the island you want to see. The grid below covers the basics that apply whichever hotel you choose.
The Airports
Tenerife North (TFN) is around 30 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz and 10–20 from La Laguna and Santa Cruz. Tenerife South (TFS) is 60–75 minutes away. Compare flights into both.
Do You Need a Car?
More useful here than in the south. A car makes Garachico, Anaga and Teide easy day trips — compare car hire prices.
Prefer Not to Drive?
Guided tours with hotel pick-up cover Teide, Anaga, Masca and Garachico. Browse tours on Expedia.
Teide From the North
The northern approach to Mount Teide climbs through pine forest — our Teide National Park guide covers routes, permits and the cable car.
Beaches & Natural Pools
The north has fewer sandy beaches — our best beaches and natural pools guides cover the best swimming spots.
Budgeting
Expect €65–90/night for good budget and adults-only options, €100–145 for four- and five-star hotels, and €160–240+ for boutique and grand-luxe stays.
North or South?
Still deciding? Our Tenerife south vs north guide and best hotels in Tenerife South lay out the differences.
Travelling With Kids
Our Tenerife with kids guide covers family-friendly beaches, parks and excursions across the island.
Planning a Trip to Tenerife North?
Tell us your travel dates and what kind of stay you're after — we'll help you work out which hotel fits your itinerary, and how to make the most of the north.
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Our Honest Verdict
Tenerife North rewards travellers who want more than a sun lounger. Hotel Botánico is our top overall pick for its gardens, spa and service, and the Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey is the best luxury stay for anyone who wants a real city on the doorstep. Families should look to Bahia Principe San Felipe, couples wanting a child-free base have Catalonia Las Vegas, and budget travellers get history and location at Hotel Marquesa. For something truly memorable, Boutique Hotel San Roque in Garachico is the north's most characterful small hotel.
If you're still weighing up the island as a whole, our best hotels in Tenerife South, best luxury hotels in Tenerife, best adults-only hotels and best budget hotels guides cover every category, and our Tenerife island guide is the best place to start planning the rest of your trip — including our 3 days in Tenerife itinerary.