The antithesis to the showy high-rise hotels that dominate this part of Playa de las Americas, the all-inclusive, upper-middle-range Parque Cristobal Tenerife is more like a rustic gated community, with low-lying structures, open spaces, and lots of grassy grounds. All 151 rooms are one- and two-bedroom bungalows, each with front yards, kitchens, living rooms, and free Wi-Fi; some have air-conditioning, but not all. Kid Suites come with beanbag chairs, PlayStations, and bottle warmers. There are four pools, a pool bar, a tapas bar, and a buffet restaurant serving all meals. A multi-use sports court, kids' club, underground disco, and animation team are evidence of the hotel's upbeat nature, but the vibe around the outlying bungalows is peaceful. All this, and the extremely family-friendly property is a three-minute walk from the beach. Travelers who are willing to swap personal outdoor space for rooms with ocean views could try H10 Conquistador.

Hotel Sir Anthony is a boutique resort that's part of a larger complex shared with two rowdier -- and less chichi -- resorts. The 70 rooms and suites are unabashedly elegant, with high-end amenities (minibars even have full-sized bottles of top-shelf liquor), sleek bathrooms, and sea-facing balconies. Its location next to the beach in the heart of Playa de las Americas is among its most attractive selling points, although the lovely outdoor pool surrounded by grass and palm trees is not too shabby either. A great restaurant serving locally sourced fare and a spa with ample treatments are also available, but no fitness center directly on-site. Travelers who like the location but want to save some cash may prefer the more affordable Cleopatra Palace or Mediterranean Palace, both of which are part of the same larger resort complex.

The 210-room upper-middle-range Gran Oasis Resort is located on the far edge of Golf Las Americas, about a 10-minute drive from the beach. The upscale and beachy apartments were all renovated in 2014 and 2015, and include full kitchens, living rooms, two flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, and balconies or verandas (those with golf-course views have both). The hotel has three heated pools, three dining options, a huge game room, and a grocery store, plus it offers free shuttles to Siam Park and the beach. Travelers who don't want shuttle rides or car drives to stand between them and the ocean could try the beachfront Parque Santiago III, but the rooms there are smaller and less fresh.

The two-and-a-half-pearl Vistasur Apartments is tucked inside of the Vistasur Shopping Center complex and a two-minute walk from the beach. The location is convenient, with plenty of shops and dining options nearby -- especially beneficial as there is no restaurant and just a poolside bar. While the complex and lobby have a contemporary aesthetic, the rest of the hotel is quite dated and the pool deck is well-worn. Its 59 apartment-style rooms look straight out of the '70s, though they do come with flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, well-equipped kitchenettes, and furnished balconies; only the sea-view rooms promise air-conditioning, however. It's worth comparing rates with the Kn Columbus Aparthotel, which has a ton more features and some modern rooms, but it's set farther from the beach.

The mid-range Marola Portosin offers 80 apartment-style rooms in a central, convenient location just a 10-minute walk to the beach. Rooms are fitted with apartment basics, including a well-equipped kitchenette, balcony, and flat-screen TV; decor is a bit dated, but bright pops of color liven up the otherwise simple rooms. However, it's worth noting that previous guests have complained about noise, particularly those in road-facing rooms. Fans or air-conditioning will cost guests extra, as will in-room Wi-Fi and safes, leaving some feeling nickel and dimed. The hotel's outside area is a bit more impressive, with a large pool (including a sectioned off area for kids), a well-reviewed pool bar, and some outdoor games, too. Alternatively, Catalonia Oro Negro offers a few more entertainment features on-site, as well as free Wi-Fi and AC. 

The upper-middle-range, family-friendly Green Garden Resort and Suites is an all-inclusive optional property packed with charm and character. Its 121 apartments are attractive and spacious, all equipped with fully equipped kitchens, private balconies or terraces, and flat-screen TVs. The resort's two restaurants -- one buffet and one a la carte -- are a cut above the norm, and there's a well-stocked market on-site for self-catering guests. Extensive features for both adults and kids include three pools, a playground, daily entertainment, a small gym, and a Thai-style spa. The property is surrounded by the Las Americas golf course, but it's a 30-minute walk from the beach, restaurants, and shops -- the hotel does offer a free shuttle. Travelers looking to be closer to the action should check out the Parque Cristobal Tenerife, which is a 10-minute walk to the beach.

The quiet and friendly budget-friendly Marola appeals to easygoing families, couples, and friend groups in need of a pleasant and favorably located hideaway. The 72 rooms consist of studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments, each equipped with a kitchenette, sleeper sofa, and private balcony overlooking either the pool or the lively street below and mountains in the background. The low-key pool scene features a heated pool, separate kids' pool, snack and drink bar, white sun loungers, dwarf palms, and flowering plants -- but no poolside animation or music. A game room with free Wi-Fi, a simple buffet restaurant with street terrace seating, a small fitness room, and laundry facilities are also found on-site. It's worth comparing rates with next door sister property Marola Portosin, where the pool is slightly larger and rooms are a touch more modern. 

The 217-room, upper-middle-range Marylanza Suites & Spa is a low-key, family-friendly all-inclusive next to Golf Las Americas, about a 15-minute walk from the adrenalized beach zone. Its two-story buildings form a rectangular enclosure around two large pools, plus a separate kids' pool and a poolside bar and grill. All rooms are air-conditioned apartment-style suites -- some overlooking the pool or golf course -- with kitchens, flat-screen TVs, and private patios or balconies. The hotel offers a buffet restaurant with a 15-day dinner program that prevents redundancy, as well as an a la carte restaurant, a lobby bar with local tapas and wines, and a disco with light entertainment at night. Notable are the excellent hydrotherapy spa and fitness facility, both of which incur extra fees. HD Parque Cristobal provides a similarly relaxed environment for families, but is just a three-minute walk from the beach.

Parque Santiago IV is a simple and tranquil mid-range beach resort with a stellar location in the middle of Playa de las Americas. Its L-shaped structure, which has a classic Spanish stucco style with green-tile trim and striped awnings, sleepily commands a prime corner position on the coast. The 94 apartment-style units range from studios to three-bedroom apartments and penthouses; all are basic and old-fashioned, but feature furnished balconies or patios and kitchenettes. The resort's standout feature is its beautiful and peaceful beach-facing garden, which has two huge pools, a snack bar, a playground, and gorgeous and well-maintained landscaping. There's no pounding music, supervised activities, or poolside entertainment. As a result, the vibe here is substantially more serene than most of the resorts along the promenade. For a place with more buzz and bounce, try Parque Santiago III, next door.

Spring Hotel Bitacora is a busy, family-friendly, mid-range resort hotel right in the bustling center of Playa de las Americas. The 314 rooms here come in two main categories: Standards and Superiors; the latter have a few perks such as bathrobes and pool/sea views, but the categories are otherwise more or less the same, with neutral decor, sofa beds, and balconies. It's the amenities that really shine here, and the hotel features two huge pools (one for kids and one for everyone), a huge kids' club with all sorts of slides and ball pits, and unusual nightly entertainment including acrobatics shows and regular performances by a popular local Eagles cover band. All-inclusive rates are available at the singular buffet restaurant. However, it's noisy and hectic overall and those without kids will probably find it unbearable. If you fit into that category, consider checking out the slightly quieter Hotel Gala instead.

The mid-range Hotel Olé Tropical offers contemporary rooms and leisure facilities outside of central Playa de las Americas, a 10-minute walk from the nearest beach. Numerous restaurants and bars are within walking distance, but past guests have complained of late-night noise -- light-sleepers should request a room not facing the street. The 189 rooms are clean and up-to-date, outfitted with monochrome decor, air-conditioning, mini-fridges, and outdoor spaces, some with distant sea views. Features include an outdoor pool and separate kiddy pool, kids' club, entertainment team, and spa services. A buffet restaurant and two bars are available, as are all-inclusive packages. Couples wanting something more romantic should consider the adult-only Hotel Sunprime Ocean View. 

The upscale, beachfront H10 Las Palmeras was one of the first hotels in the area, but thanks to a 2015 renovation, it's also one of the freshest, with a bright, retro-modern look that is a major deviation from what is commonly found at Playa de las Americas hotels. But there's substance as well as style. In addition to trendy decor, the 519 rooms have mini-fridges, air-conditioning, flat-screen LED TVs, and balconies or terraces -- many with ocean views. Plus, Las Palmeras has so many features (three pools, five eateries, three bars, an exhaustive entertainment program...), you'd think it was in the middle of nowhere, not in the smack-dab center of town on a prime beachfront piece of land. Travelers looking for less of a big-resort experience could check out Aparthotel El Duque, a scaled-down all-inclusive that's a short walk from Costa Adeje's best beach.

The beachfront 716-room Parque Santiago III is a solid, mid-range resort with a pulse -- and multiple pools and dining options. Apartment-style rooms start with 320-square-foot Studios with two twin beds and go up to 1,300-square-foot Three-Bedroom Villas that can sleep eight guests. Like the rest of the hotel, rooms have a traditional Canarian look, plus kitchens, flat-screen TVs with free satellite channels, and private balconies or lawns. A vast lagoon-shaped pool with an island dominates Santiago III's courtyard, which also contains a heated aqua park for kids, several food and drink spots, and a path connecting Santiago III's public shopping complex to the beach. As a result, non-hotel guests are constantly streaming through, contributing to the high energy level. Travelers wanting a more restrained and sequestered vibe could consider sister property Parque Santiago IV, which is right next door.

H10 Conquistador's monstrous concrete exterior commands the coastline, but the 485-room upscale resort makes up for its unsightly bulk with a surprisingly fresh and contemporary interior design, warmhearted service, and a considerable set of features. Three pools, a gorgeous spa, seemingly endless buffet, and three distinct a la carte restaurants are standouts among the substantial offerings, not to mention direct beach access. Rooms are a squeeze, but come with mini-fridges, flat-screen TVs, and balconies, many overlooking the ocean. In all, the property has across-the-board appeal for all sorts of guests -- families, couples, even the rare business traveler -- but those looking for a quieter vibe (and the same killer location) could check out Parque Santiago IV.

Set on a quiet hilltop with views out onto the ocean in the distance, Paradise Court Aparthotel is a budget-friendly self-catering option with 20 apartments integrated into a larger apartment complex with full-time residents. The property offers a mix of Studio, One-Bedroom, and Two-Bedroom Apartments, all with fully equipped kitchens complete with refrigerators and four-burner stovetops, but some dated decor. Common areas are limited to a lovely central swimming pool surrounded by lounge chairs, plus a small bar/reception area with a few tables and billiards. There are a tiny gym and sauna available as well. Travelers looking for a self-catering apartment hotel with more amenities, including all-inclusive packages and kids' activities, may want to consider Laguna Park II nearby.