We have been staying in Tenerife for Christmas and New Year for many years but this is the first stay on this complex. We booked early through Admiral Travel who requested a sunny room, south or west facing, important to us for health reasons. On arrival we checked with reception but found we were north facing with no sun at all. The delightful receptionist however, had no authority to allocate another room to us and asked us to see her boss after the weekend, who would surely be able to help as we were staying for two weeks.

In the belief that a pleasant approach usually brings co-operation, we pleasantly explained our need for a warmer room to the "boss", a very formidable no nonesense lady, who wasn't even remotely interested in talking to us, and were given an emphatic "no" and didn't we know it was Christmas? and we're full". We were left in no doubt that we were getting nowhere fast.

Now, bearing in mind that there were many... more