Ifa Altamarena

We recently stayed at the IFA Altamarena Hotel as a family with a toddler and overall had a really enjoyable holiday.

The biggest positive is definitely the location. The hotel is only a couple of minutes’ walk from the beach, which is absolutely beautiful with soft sand and plenty of space. It made it really easy going back and forth during the day with a young child.

The heated pool was another highlight for us, especially in the mornings before the day fully warmed up. Our son really enjoyed the pools that were open during our stay, and the entertainment staff were brilliant with children. The mini disco in the evenings became one of the highlights of the holiday for him and created a lovely family atmosphere around the hotel.

The hotel itself was generally clean and comfortable, and we found it to be a relaxed base for exploring Jandía. There are also shops, bars and places to walk nearby which made the area feel convenient without being too busy.

The only real downside for us was the food. While there was always something to eat, we found the buffet quite repetitive over the course of the week and not as varied or flavourful as other all-inclusive hotels we’ve stayed in previously. Also, the deepest pool was closed for renovation during our stay, which was a bit disappointing, although it didn’t affect our son’s enjoyment as the other pools remained open.

Overall, we would still recommend the hotel, particularly for families with young children or anyone wanting a great beach location and friendly entertainment team. If the food offering was improved slightly, we would happily return.

This was my second stay at IFA Altamarena and I must admit it surpassed the first visit! While I had no complaints about my first time, I thought it was even better this time around. I love the hotel, whilst arguably it is of its time (I think built in the 90s), nonetheless it is always clean and well kept, the big lobby with its palm trees, tall atrium and comfortable seats is lovely but for me what makes this place special is the secluded garden and pool area. The hotel turns its back on the busy street and it creates a lovely, relaxed garden with lots of plants. For us a plus are the resident cats, so friendly and well-minded. Rooms are spacious with good bathrooms and powerful showers. The first year we had a ground floor family room with a terrace and the second time a second floor balcony, both facing the garden/pool, both lovely. Nice touches are the bottles of water, fridge and nice toiletries. The housekeeping staff are always on hand for anything you need. Other big plusses for me; the side access to the beach, you can be swimming in the sea after a five minute walk, and back at the pool for a shower, so convenient. The location is right in Morro Jable with all its great shops, and you can take lovely walks along the promenade, to the lighthouse, down the beach, etc. The gardens as mentioned are lush and lovely, there are nice little areas for the kids with volleyball, outdoor chess, shuffleboard, boules. Lots of activities/entertainment every day. There are always lots of sun loungers around the pool. The big pool is usually too chilly for me around Easter but there is a smaller heated pool which is great. The all inclusive system is fantastic value; big breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets with soft drinks, wine and beer, snacks at the pool cabana all day and soft drinks and cocktails at the pool bar and in the evening great entertainment at the bar with kids' discos and live acts, again all inclusive drinks. Normally onsite entertainment isn't our cup of tea but I must admit the buzz was infectious. Staff are always helpful, for example both times as we checked in they immediately sent us into the restaurant so we would get lunch, and allowed us to use the breakfast before it opened when we had early flights. There is limited paid parking at the hotel but there is free street parking and a large open yard area across the road where you'll usually find a spot, except when it is used as a market on Thursday mornings. Overall I've been twice and will definitely go again, I love this part of the world and I really love this hotel; perhaps not as fancy as others and not perfect but unbelievable value and always a fun and relaxing stay. Highly recommend!

I honestly don’t understand how this hotel is advertised as a 4-star property - in reality, it barely meets a 1-star standard. The only positive thing I can mention is the location, which is actually quite good. Everything else? A huge disappointment. First shock upon arrival: we were asked to pay a €50 deposit with no proper explanation. Supposedly refundable, but we are still waiting for the money to be returned. Also, you can only pay this deposit by credit card, which makes zero sense and feels unnecessarily restrictive. Now let’s talk about the “all inclusive” because this is where it becomes almost ridiculous. You still have to pay extra for multiple things: cocktail of the day? Paid ice cream? Paid wine during lunch/dinner? Paid So what exactly is included? The facilities are outdated and poorly maintained. One elevator was broken, and the other one looked older than me and felt unsafe to use. Cleanliness is also questionable -in the evenings there are cockroaches literally everywhere around the property. Another serious issue: stray cats wandering around the hotel. I understand some people may find them cute, but these were aggressive. I personally witnessed a cat attack a woman near the pool. This is not acceptable in a hotel of any standard. Food was extremely disappointing. Very repetitive, low quality, and often simply inedible. Soups were tasteless, pizza undercooked, and overall selection very limited. Breakfast was the only somewhat acceptable option because at least you could make a basic sandwich. We paid for all inclusive and ended up eating mostly fries and pizza - that says everything. On top of that, food often ran out. If you came later to breakfast, you had to deal with leftovers and very limited choice. And to make things even worse- even coffee was often unavailable. Imagine staying at a hotel and not being able to get a simple coffee when you want one. Entertainment was also very poor - low effort and clearly targeted at an older audience (mostly 60+). If you’re in your 20s, 30s, or even 40s, this place is absolutely not for you. Reading other reviews now, I can see many guests complaining about the same issues: outdated rooms, poor hygiene, rude or indifferent staff, lack of real all-inclusive value, and overall very low standards. Save your money and go somewhere else. This hotel is simply not worth it.