Spring Hotels Vulcano v. Hotel Mar Y Sol - Which is best?
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 Hotel Vulcano |  Hotel Mar y Sol |
Both hotels are situated on the south side of Tenerife less than 1.5 miles from each other. The Vulcano is in Playa de las Americas, whereas Mar y Sol is next door in Los Cristianos. Airport transfers from Reina Sofia Airport (TFS) are 20-30 minutes. But which is best?? Well, that depends.......
Hotel Vulcano is owned by Spring Hotels - they also have the Bitacora (just across the street - aimed at families) and the Arona Gran in Los Cristianos. Spring Hotels promote wellness and health at their hotels, and offer a product known as 'UP!' which is top floor exclusivity - but no rooms available to wheelchair users as all 13 of these are on the ground floor. The accessible rooms are a good size and the roll-in bathroom is extremely large with plenty of turning space. As we all know, not every need is always catered for, but the hotel have tried to offer the main functions like drop down seat, accessible shower controls, grab rails etc. We encountered problems with betting the mobile hoist legs under the bed as the frame was in the way. The hotel kindly solved this with bespoke screw on legs to raise the gap underneath. The whole area around the hotel is mainly flat with wide walkways, dropped kerbs. The hotel even have a special charging area for electric buggies and wheelchairs. All three pools have hydraulic lift access which is ok if you don't need extra support. Some guests may find the noise of waste water from above a bit irritating as the pipe passes inside a housing and is easily audible in the bedroom. If you book 7 nights or more directly with the hotel, they will transfer you from the airport and back in a wheelchair accessible vehicle free of charge.
 The hotel has 13 accessible rooms |  One of 3 swimming pools |
 'Las Salinas' Dining Room |  View from upper bar |
 Shower Area |  Plenty of room over the toilet for a mobile hoist |
 One of the Three Pool Hoists |  Charging Area |  Nice Touch at the Vulcano - no need to fight through tables and chairs! |
Hotel Mar y Sol - Purpose built for those with mobility and other challenges. All 166 rooms at the Mar y Sol are accessible and range from a standard studio up to superior and premium apartments. You will find a small kitchen area and a refrigerator which is suitable for medication. All bed sides underneath are open to accommodate mobile hoists. One of the swimming pools has a slope and is used for therapy activities; there are two other pools, one of which has two hoists - one for those who do not need extra support, and one with a sling. The hotel is proud to be able to offer all guests use of their sports hall, which attracts wheelchair basketball and rugby players from all over Europe as it can accommodate all the players' needs and be able to offer the sports facility as well. Right next door to the hotel is the LeRo Mobility Solutions office where a whole host of equipment can be rented including profiling beds and mobile hoists. . Sometimes it can be difficult to be totally relaxed on holiday if you are worrying about other guests' reactions. Those of us who experience or have travelled with friends and family members who have difficulty eating 'tidily' will know that this may be a barrier to considering staying in a hotel and eating in the restaurant. At the Mar y Sol the management and probably most of the guests will understand these challenges and make guests feel as comfortable as possible in these situations.
 Mar y Sol offers a more traditional style |  Kitchen area with fridge |
 One of the many wet rooms |  Pull out sofa bed |
 Accessible Balconies |  One of the pool hoists has a sling attachment |
 Pool Views |  Adjustable height tables in the dining room |
 Dining Room |  Full Size Sports Hall |  Daily Activities |
 Equipment Rental is right next door |  Hotel Frontage |
Our conclusion is : If you want to stay in a large modern 'mainstream' hotel featured by many tour operators, and want to go out around the local area and along the promenade, then choose the Vulcano. The accessibility functions are low key and the way they are designed has been carefully considered, with all areas accessible via ramps and elevators. The main bus station (most buses are accessible) is a short distance from the Vulcano - there are a few slight hills to negotiate before you get there. However, choosing the Mar y Sol may be your option if you require a hotel designed and built specifically for those with mobility challenges, and you have a high level of needs. Apart from the 166 accessible rooms, they also have one room with an adjoining carer's studio. If you are an active sports person the full size sports hall is an absolute bonus. Virtually all guests we encountered had a family member with a mobility challenge. If you don't have an electric wheelchair (it is quite hilly in the area) and you're not too bothered about being out and about without taking a cab or wheelchair van, then maybe the Mar y Sol is for you. The Mar y Sol is more rustic in style and does not have the ultra modern feel offered by the Vulcano.
