Tenerife has been receiving travelers for over a century, and a part of that history can still be explored, slept in, and felt. The historic hotels of Tenerife are not just accommodations with tradition: they are direct witnesses of how the island went from being a health destination for the European elite of the 19th century to becoming one of the great tourist destinations in Spain. Discovering these hotels is also discovering the evolution of the Canary Islands as a destination.
In this journey, we go through some of the establishments that marked an era in the north of the island and we take a closer look in the south, where the Hotel Reverón Plaza, in Los Cristianos, is preparing to celebrate almost a century of uninterrupted family history.
The origins of hotel tourism in Tenerife
Tourism in Tenerife began in the 19th century in the Orotava Valley, when wealthy European travelers sought a mild climate to recover from respiratory diseases. That health tourism was first concentrated in Puerto de la Cruz, where in 1814 a British carpenter named Jackson opened what is considered the island’s first inn, known as Fonda Jackson.
Over the decades, that incipient demand led to increasingly ambitious hotel projects, culminating in 1890 with the opening of the Gran Hotel Taoro, designed by the French architect Adolphe Coquet. That building became the first great luxury hotel in Tenerife and Spain, marking a before and after in the tourist history of the archipelago.
Hotels that marked an era in the north of the island
Gran Hotel Taoro, Puerto de la Cruz (1890)
Absolute reference of elite tourism in the Canary Islands, the Gran Hotel Taoro symbolized the hotel luxury of the late 19th century and continues to be today an architectural and heritage landmark of Puerto de la Cruz.
Hotel Mencey, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1950)
In the capital of Tenerife, the current Iberostar Gran Hotel Mencey was born in 1950 in response to the lack of quality hotel rooms after the closure of the old Hotel Quisisana. From the Kings of Spain to the Duchess of Alba, have passed through its halls, consolidating it as the most emblematic hotel in the city for decades.
The network of inns in Puerto de la Cruz
Beyond the large hotels, Puerto de la Cruz retains the memory of a network of inns and guesthouses from the 19th century that shaped, house by house, the first organized tourist fabric of the island.
The south of Tenerife also has its own history: Hotel Reverón Plaza
While the north of Tenerife led the birth of health tourism, the south of the island remained, well into the 20th century, a small coastal town with barely any infrastructure. It was in this context that, in 1929, Antonia Reverón Sierra opened the Fonda Aeropuerto in Los Cristianos, in a place that at that time had no running water or electricity. That gesture, born out of the humility and determination of a woman, was the origin of what we now know as Hoteles Reverón: the first step in tourism in the south of Tenerife.
Almost a century later, that legacy is still alive at Hotel Reverón Plaza, which today stands just 100 meters from Los Cristianos beach, in the same spirit with which it all began. From the Fonda Aeropuerto to the current family hotelier —which also includes projects like Hotel Spa Villalba, in the heart of the Teide forest—, the Reverón history is the story of four generations that have turned every challenge into an opportunity, never losing the connection with the place where it all started.
A family legacy that is noticeable in the treatment
Being the first hotel in the south of the island is not just a fact for a commemorative plaque. It is a way of understanding hospitality that has been passed down through generations: close attention, deep knowledge of the environment, and a commitment to Los Cristianos that has accompanied the growth of the destination itself, from when it was a small fishing village to becoming one of the most visited tourist spots in the south of Tenerife.
From hostel to reference hotel
Today, Hotel Reverón Plaza combines Canarian tradition with the comforts of a 4-star establishment: 44 rooms, rooftop pool with views of the Atlantic, spa, gym, restaurant, and terrace bar. The building itself preserves details from that time —original stained glass windows and floors that have remained since the beginning—, a physical reminder of almost a century of history welcoming travelers in the same corner of Los Cristianos.
Why it’s worth staying in a hotel with history
Choosing a historic hotel is not just an aesthetic or nostalgic matter. These establishments usually offer:
- Privileged locations, as they were the first to settle in the locations that later became the center of each destination.
- Service with memory, built up over generations of experience attending travelers.
- A real connection with the place, beyond the standardized offer of large chains.
- An added heritage value: sleeping in a building or project with history is, in a way, becoming part of it.
In the case of Hotel Reverón Plaza, staying 100 meters from Los Cristianos beach also means staying in the exact place where southern Tenerife tourism was born.
Celebrating almost a century of history in Los Cristianos
On the verge of celebrating 100 years since Antonia Reverón Sierra opened the Fonda Aeropuerto in 1929, Hotel Reverón Plaza represents a key piece in the tourist memory of the south of the island. While Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz preserve the memory of health tourism and post-war luxury, Los Cristianos has in Reverón Plaza its own symbol: that of a family that bet on the south when no one else did, and that continues to welcome travelers from around the world with that same vocation.
If you want to explore the south of Tenerife by staying where it all began, Hotel Reverón Plaza offers the opportunity to experience Los Cristianos from its origins, with the comfort and services of a modern hotel. Discover our rooms and book directly to enjoy almost a century of Canarian hospitality.
