The Compostela Beach Golf Club's Galician architectural facade in mustard-yellow, rust, and gray with white wrought-iron balconies make for a pleasant backdrop for the families that congregate around the resort's pool and expansive artificial-grassed gardens. Sadly, the character doesn’t flow through to the common spaces, which are sunny and spotlessly clean but unapologetically '90s. Interiors are filled with white walls housing flowery pictures, muted-beige tile floors, and wicker furniture upholstered in plaid. The neutral-tone buffet restaurant is more contemporary and spills outside to a more attractive -- albeit worn -- terra-cotta terrace with mosaic stone tables and white wrought-iron chairs topped with orange cushions. The terra-cotta tile carries out to the walkways between buildings, which are dotted with flowers and black lamp posts that give it a charming feel. 

The resort is located in a quiet area in the southern part of the island, directly between two of Tenerife's most popular tourist towns, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas. The latter is the epicenter of Tenerife's nightlife and home to a lovely traditional Spanish market every Sunday and Tuesday. Edging the resort on one side is the Las Americas golf course and opposite, a large supermarket. The nearest beach, Las Vistas, is a busy crescent-shaped beach with golden sand imported from the Sahara desert plus a lively bar and restaurant scene, and it's a 10-minute walk away. During the hotter summer months and late at night when walking isn't quite so attractive an option, it's worth walking the few blocks to Chayofita bus station; it has daily services to nearby water park Siam Park, Playa de Las Americas, and Los Cristianos, and is significantly cheaper than a cab. Farther afield, it's just a 30-minute drive to Los Gigantes marina, popular for its dolphin and whale spotting cruises, and an hour to the beautiful beaches of Puerto de la Cruz. South Tenerife Airport is a 25 minutes away by car.

The '90s theme is strong in Compostela's apartments: They're bright and outfitted with either wicker or various shades of wood furnishings, grayish-white tiles, blue soft furnishings, and mustard-yellow curtains. Bedrooms have plenty of storage in the form of fitted wardrobes, dressers, and bedside tables. As typical for Tenerife, the beds are twins, with two sometimes being pushed together. A major drawcard for the hotel is that all rooms have small kitchens with stovetops, microwaves, fridges, coffeemakers, toasters, and all the necessary cookware and utensils; unlike studios, apartments also come with ovens. 

Separate lounge-cum-dining areas house appropriately sized dining sets, tired-looking sofas, and small flat-screen TVs. Bathrooms have dated tiling, and either showers -or shower/tub combos. Loft studios are smaller and lose a lot of height (and light) due to sloping ceilings, and they also lack private terraces and balconies -- instead, they have access to several shared balconies and the roof solarium. The most common complaint from guests is that most rooms lack air-conditioning, and despite ceiling fans, the rooms can get uncomfortably hot during the heat of the summer. Portable fans can be hired at reception for a fee, as can safes.

The resort's best (and busiest) feature is the pool deck, and because of this competition for a lounger can be fierce during peak times. Fortunately, there's plenty of additional seating in the surrounding bar area and terrace, which doubles as the stage area for the entertainment programs. The pool itself is heated and has a small kiddy pool attached; it's plenty big but a common complaint from guests is that it's too shallow for a good swim and it can get rowdy. For a quieter day in the sun, guests may want to head for the rooftop solarium, a large tiled terrace with sun loungers. For children, there are also a kids club', playground, arcade, and daily activities. Wi-Fi is available for a fee. The hotel doesn't have a gym or spa, but guest receive discounts to the nearby Las Americas golf course.

The buffet restaurant is located opposite the pool, and gets mostly positive reviews. Breakfast appears to be the highlight, whereas the lunch menu can get a bit repetitive. Themed evenings -- such as Spanish, Moroccan, or Asian nights jazz up dinner service and the bar menu is decent for snacks and late-night nibbles. For self-caterers, there's a small shop in the lobby that stocks basic food and sundries, but for better choice and value, most guests prefer the large supermarket across the road.