And they keep returning…

Tenerife News 25th April 2008

A special ceremony took place on April 17 at the Hotel Tigaiga (Parque Taoro) in Puerto de la Cruz, in which the Centre for Tourism Initiative (CIT) honoured various guests for their fidelity. Some received an award for coming for fifteen visits to Puerto de la Cruz, and one of the ladies was given an award for coming twenty-five times.  All these guests have been faithfully returning to the same hotel, the Hotel Tigaiga. 

I was curious to know exactly what it was that made all these guests return to the same hotel, so I arranged to interview Mr. and Mrs. Washington, Mrs. Edwards and Mr. and Mrs. Irwin, all British.  The first couple mentioned was not receiving an award this time, as they have already received some; this is their 38th visit!  Mrs. Edwards and Mr. and Mrs. Irwin were being awarded for their fifteenth visit, as well the following German guests; Mrs. Drexler (eighteen visits), whose husband was hospitalised, Mrs. Gebhardt (eighteen) and Mrs. Muehlenbrock (twenty-five)!

Mr. and Mrs. Washington stayed at another hotel the first time they came to Tenerife, and happened to see the Canary folklore show which takes place at the Hotel Tigaiga on Sundays.  There was something about the hotel which really appealed to them, so they decided to try it out the next time they came to Tenerife.  Since then they have visited the Tigaiga 38 times; always staying there for three weeks in October and two weeks in springtime. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards met Mr. and Mrs. Washington in 1992 during a visit of the latter to Wales, and decided to come to try out the Tigaiga thanks to the recommendation of the Washingtons.  The first time they came was with their son, who was 13 years old at the time, and again, came every year in October.  Unfortunately her husband passed away three years ago, yet Mrs. Edwards still decided to return again to the hotel, this time with her daughter, and in springtime. 

Mr. and Mrs. Irwin first heard of the hotel through a brochure, and decided to give it a try, as it sounded like a nice place to relax and they had just retired.  Fifteen visits later and with the intention to return always. When I asked them why this hotel, why Puerto de la Cruz, they all had the same answers;  they felt completely at home from the first visit.  The staff, from the Talg family down to the cleaning staff, is welcoming, friendly.  Nothing is ever too much for them, all the staff do everything to make them feel at home.  And most importantly, they all remember them.  The quality is excellent in every aspect. 

However, what I understood was the main factor that has made them return time after time is the sense of “home away from home” that they always have experienced. Not only that, but all the visitors know each other very well, there is a family atmosphere ; this is an oasis of peace which they all agreed they had rarely experienced elsewhere.  Mrs. Edwards also said that she felt very safe, both at the hotel as in Puerto de la Cruz, and the rest agreed with this too.  They all said that they love the  town for the “old-fashioned feel” it has always had.

Mr. Irwin also mentioned that he was happy to see how the Taoro Park was nowadays.  One thing was a bit worrying; they had never had problems booking flights to Tenerife before, but suddenly British airlines are not coming here so much; the Washingtons had to go to a lot of trouble getting a flight over last October. 

All of them mentioned that they missed the late Enrique Talg Sr., who would greet each guest at breakfast time on Sunday mornings; however they are  happy with his heirs, Ursula, Irene and Enrique, who run the hotel beautifully, and again, make them feel completely at home. Mrs. Irwin summarised it all by saying “I wish I could live here!” It would be wonderful if all the hotels, restaurants etc. on the island took this philosophy and put it into practice.
Anna Rodríguez