Iberostar Selection Sábila: Review

Booking Iberostar Selection Sábila

We booked this stay partly on points from our Chase Ink Business Cash card, and part cash. We had been sitting on the Chase points for a couple of years and decided to use them up to cover half of the cost of our stay. Though booked as two separate, two night stays, we were able to keep the same room for the duration of our stay.

Location of Iberostar Selection Sábila

The location was embedded in a touristy district on a one way street. It was big and easy to find. We pulled in with our rental car and were promptly greeted by a valet who parked the car and returned the key to us, so we could access the car at our convenience. They offered valet service in addition to self access for the car, which I loved.

From Tenerife North (TFN) where we landed, the drive was about 50 minutes. Originally, we were scheduled to land at Tenerife South (TFS) which is only 15 minutes from the hotel. Due to some sky jinx and flight delays which originated in John F Kennedy (JFK) airport in New York, we were re-routed to TFN. Check out flight review from JFK to MAD, to learn more about what happened, how we ended up at TFN, and more. 

Once at the hotel, it was very easy to navigate and walk around without using elevators, my personal preference. That said, the elevators provided easy access to those who need accessibility support. The staircases were grand, spiraled marble that overlooked the various spaces throughout the hotel. It was really well designed and adorned with plenty of lovely seating available if you wanted to work, relax, read, or enjoy food and beverages. 

The location was quite touristy for my taste. We chose to stay here because it looked nice (and it was indeed nice), it was close to the beach (only a 5 minute walk), and it was well placed next to vegan food establishments (very important to us). 

There were a lot of activities on-site and nearby from karaoke to any food type imaginable to swimming, water skiing, parasailing, and more.

Arrival at Iberostar Selection Sábila

We were greeted by a very friendly and professional valet and promptly addressed when we got to the front desk. I prefer to practice my Spanish and the front desk person was happy to indulge me speaking slowly and clearly with friendly and supportive patience. 

There was no line when we checked in. Throughout our stay, there were times we had questions and although there was occasionally a queue, it moved quickly and easily. 

Room at Iberostar Selection Sábila

It was a nice size studio with a spacious bathroom and a patio with seating. 

We booked the lowest rate room, with only breakfast included. Not surprisingly, the view from our room overlooked other hotels and the hillside. The valet offered to ask if there was a room with a street and ocean view, but we politely declined. It was nice to know that was an option he was happy to request, but we prefer a quiet experience and the main street seemed a bit lively with a healthy nightlife we preferred to have the option of escaping from. I enjoyed the quiet peace and sound of the palm trees in the breeze.

Bed at the Iberostar Selection Sábila

The bed was two twins pushed together. This was weird to me the first time I encountered it in Iceland, and apparently it’s a common thing in some places. Knowing of this trend, I was ok with it. It was very comfortable with one firm square pillow and one long, skinny soft one. I like a soft pillow, so I promptly took both for myself so Joe could enjoy the firm square pillows. I broke through the blanket barrier to starfish at some point, but I also appreciated having a distinct bedspace all to myself. 

Bathroom at the Iberostar Selection Sábila

The bathroom was a nice size with an amazing shower. It had a double vanity and larger, stationary soaps and lotion. The handsoap smelled amazing. The toilet was in its own room within the bathroom offering added privacy, and it had a bidet. Thank goddess for the bidet. The shower was sizable, easily accommodating a person or persons with a handheld shower head as well as a robust, powerful rain showerhead. It was stupendous. 

Storage inside our room at Iberostar Selection Sábila

The room had a sizeable closet in addition to shelves and drawers. The closet had a safe that was easy to set up and use which we did. There was a luggage rack (my favorite) and iron. There was a nice, convenient bench with cubbies for shoes. I liked the robust shelving, personally. Each side of the bed had a bedside table with USB charging ports. We did not bring any USB chargers erroneously assuming USB-C would be ubiquitous, which it wasn’t. We did have an adapter which has all sorts of ports including USA outlet, USB, and USB-C. It was immensely handy.

In-room amenities at Iberostar Selection Sábila

There was a DeLongi espresso machine with four complementary coffees. Additional coffee pods cost extra. There was tea, a hot water maker, and several minibar snack and beverage options from nuts to beer to water to wine. We emptied the minifridge and promptly used it to store our own food and drinks replacing everything at the time of our departure.

Vibe at the Iberostar Selection Sábila

The hotel was really lovely and enormous. We didn’t even explore the whole thing. It is an adults only establishment allowing children 16 and up. We specifically chose this and it was one of the selling points for us. The majority of other hotel guests were older adults. We saw at most a half dozen other couples in our age bracket (35-45) with everyone else being at least 15 years older. 

I can’t praise the design, feel, and smell of the hotel enough. It was a delightful surprise with incredible service. It was memorable in how lovely it was. Although we don’t indulge in many activities, we’re a chill duo who like to decide what to do at the moment, there were plenty to choose from. There were cooking classes, workout classes, karaoke, and the list goes on. There were kiosks throughout the hotel where one could review the daily and weekly activities. 

Food and drinks at the Iberostar Selection Sábila

We enjoyed both the included breakfast as well as some poolside beverages. The hotel breakfast was the best I’ve had. It was included in the cost of the hotel and included anything and everything you can think of. Champagne? Yes! Avocado? Yes! Toast? You know it! Usually we encounter robust omnivore and scant vegan options, but there was so much to choose from for any dietary accommodation.

There was fresh fruit and vegetables and non-dairy milk. Everything was labeled with any and all allergens making it really easy for anyone and everyone to find what they need to be nourished and start their day. It opened at 730a, the best time to go since it’s fresh and not overly crowded.

We also went during the rush, to experience the rush. One morning, we had to wait since the establishment was full. There were like, 200 tables inside to it was really full. The dining check in staff asked us to wait on the nearby seats for about 5 minutes. However, when they admitted people, they overlooked us at first. Joe was ready to call it and head to the room when the line extended to several dozen people, but I wasn’t about to give up on that menu. I approached the check in staff, relayed we had been asked to wait before there was a line. They were happy to put us first in line to enter which we did shortly thereafter. It was nuts inside, but there were plenty of food options. They even had vegan cheese.

Other facilities at the Iberostar Selection Sábila

There was a gym, it was nice and clean. It wasn’t very big, but it also wasn’t in high use so there was plenty of space. 

The pool was a refreshing 90+ degrees. It was a beautiful infinity-style with gently sloping entries in addition to stairs. It was a very curvaceous design and quite large. There were so many lawn chairs. You could stake claim to a spot very early, or show up and find a spot no problem. 

I got into the pool for a very specific reason: aqua Zumba. I had never done it before, and I wasn’t about to miss it. I love dancing, I love Zumba, and swimming is fun too.

There is a good size spa although we didn’t get the opportunity to explore or use it. 

Activities at Iberostar Selection Sábila

Usually we don’t go in for activities, but I wasn’t about to pass up some aqua Zumba. It was fun albeit interesting. My favorite part of Zumba is fancy footwork common in Salsa with the close runner up being the music. Although it was tricky (as you can imagine dancing in water is) and I did incorporate modifications to do the moves and get the right workout for me. My swimsuit did a fairly good job of keeping up, but I did have to modify it to ensure everything stayed covered appropriately.

The music was fun and recognizable, the moves made sense, and the instructors were a blast. They did some moves at the end which required us to hold hands and touch each other's shoulders. I don’t prefer to touch strangers, especially in a pool, and I politely declined the shoulder touching by simply doing my own thing. Most everyone else was fine with it. Yeah, I’d do it again. I’m pretty much always game for dancing and Zumba, dry or in a pool. 

Final thoughts on the Iberostar Selection Sábila

I loved this hotel and would definitely stay there again. It was so lovely and large leaving much still to be explored from layout to activities. The touristy area benefitted us by having the food we wanted and was a great central point to get a feel for the area. I loved being able to walk to the beach whenever I wanted and to easily access and explore other beaches. We didn’t mind being outliers in our age group. We found we have much in common with older adults rather than young families with young children. We had a wonderful time staying at the Iberostar Sabila Hotel. It had a definite vacation resort ambiance with its robust layout and beautiful design.