It is a nice, clean, dated hotel that is good value for money. If that is what you are looking for then this is your place. If you want 5 star then pay for it.
However I did really dislike the opening hours of the downstairs door. As I had to be in the town by 9am every day I couldn't use it and had to take the long way around. The same in the evening, after 8pm you can't use the entrance so have to take the long slog up through all the steps. I really believe the opening hours need to be extended.
The only other disappointment was the ocean pool. We were there end of September beginning of October and it was very warm. The pool was not only closed but there was so much rubbish around that it appeared as if it hadn't been used for a very long time.

I was so glad that I read reviews before booking this hotel. On advice from Tripadvisor, we booked a Superior room on a high floor. 12th floor, high above the noise of crashing waves and a road that was busy from 6.00am onwards. It's when you want to sleep that these things become important! Two king-size beds, two small armchairs and additional side table, towelling bathrobes and complimentary bath slippers, welcome plate of fruit on a tray with napkins and cutlery. Bathroom - roomy with twin washbasins. State of decor - absolutely fine. Fabulous view over the sea - but that must be fairly standard at this hotel I should think. The bathrobes had seen better days - mine was coming away a bit at the collar - it was the towels that were bad - a nasty feel - perhaps too much fabric conditioner. We hated them. And why, why why do hotels insist on having bedlinen is simply too small for the beds! Every night I was woken by discomfort - everything ruckling up underneath because the mattress protector was too small and ended up creased up! So every night, out of bed trying to pull things straight and comfortable! These are small grumbles really - the buildings are pleasant and the outdoor areas very pleasant indeed. Saga guests can be seen getting a thorough show-round by their rep - we were not with Saga. I only discovered a pleasant lawned area with sunbeds on the last day - hidden behind the outdoor bar, next to tennis-courts. If you are not shown around, do explore thoroughly early on...... similarly we only discovered the easy route back into the hotel at the end of our holiday, after toiling up the 200 plus steps from the town most days! The hotel is built into the cliff, with reception on the 16th floor, on the top road. The views are great and the stroll into the town is easy and enjoyable - down hill. Coming up can be very tiring. But if you ask at reception, you find there is a different lift down to the basement with access to the other side of the coast road. You'll need your room key to get access through the security gate, more or less at sea level. So much easier when returning to the hotel from the town. But you have to ASK about it, sadly. The dining room has a very pleasant atmosphere and the food is great. Plenty of choice and variety. We didn't use the spa so I can't comment on that. If you like to relax with the TV, there are only news channels in English. The surrounding area is very pleasant; plenty of restaurants, bars and cafes, attractively-built hotels and plenty of greenery. The general ambience is peaceful and tranquil. I would certainly go again.

Good value holiday. Hotel Very good. We had a 12th floor room well away from traffic and sea noise. The Hotel at this time of year has an elderly clientele, many walking sticks, walking frames on wheels, wheelchairs, and disabled scooters.Staff very good, food excellent, One small whinge, Towels poor, either they are poor quality or too much conditioner. Also lack of hotel amenity info, (No problem if Saga as they tell you everything) No one told us of the groundfloor exit so we had to walk all uphill on way back from town.
Would return at this time of year.

Our fourth stay at the Semiramis, and the second in 2011, could not have got off to a worse start. We booked a ten-day New Year break at over twice the usual room rate very early in the year and expected a superior room, which we'd had on previous visits. When we checked in I asked the receptionist if we had a good room and he responded bluntly that we were on the first floor. This is actually the ground floor in the UK sense and has the distinction of being the only floor that does not have a sea view. In fact Rooms numbered 100 up look out onto a concrete wall which separates the Semiramis from the main road into Puerto de la Cruz. The only view is of the tops of coaches and other higher sided vehicles whizzing past. To add to our misery our room, 114 was one of only a few rooms not to have a lawned area between itself and the wall. We had an access pit to the hotel basement to look at, distinctly back of house. We created a huge fuss but were told the hotel was full and that was that. We could see from our paperwork and hotel card that they had Tippexed out a better room and written in 114 so we presume some previous occupant of 114 had complained and had been switched into whatever room we should have had. Our lesson – do not book through Travelrepublic as in the overall scheme of things the Semiramis does very little business with them and will risk alienating Travelrepublic's clientele to keep customers from bigger tour operators happy. We had paid upfront and had no bargaining position and no-one to call.

Luckily after a night in our cold and musty smelling room, staring at a concrete wall, the manageress offered us a better room that had just been vacated. Things returned to normal and here is my review!

Most people criticise the hotel for claiming to be a 5-Star, which it clearly isn't. If the Riu Garoe and Tigaiga are 4-Star then the Semiramis is around 3.5. The rooms are large with comfortable beds and good bathrooms. The extra entrance lobby door keeps the rooms very quiet. We were on the half-board buffet package and we rate the food variety and quality very highly. The food is Spanish so it is ironic to see the odd English guest complain that they can't get burgers or fried fish – which is why most Brits go to the south of the island. Many of the restaurant staff are experienced long-term employees so we were recognised by some of them. Service is quirky – waiters can often been seen warmly embracing and joking with returning guests, including my wife and myself. There were many more UK guests there this trip because Saga now goes to this hotel on a trial basis. While the waiting staff speak English they “insisted” in a friendly jokey way that I speak Spanish.

Hotel facilities are pretty jaded so the gym and pool do not compare with modern resort hotels. Before the Hotasa hotel group acquired the Semeramis Wi-fi was free. Now it is extortionate at €7 per day or €25 per week. Even though Hotasa has gone bust and ownership has reverted to Best Hotels this price has been maintained. As I use Wi-fi for an hour or so every other day my response was to wander round the corner for an after dinner drink and use one of the many free Wi-fi spots in La Paz, this worked out at €3.30 a visit including a Dorada Special and speciality coffee. Bargain!

The hotel entrance is up the top of a cliff with the hotel itself built into the cliff face. To reach the town of Puerto de la Cruz requires negotiating some 231 steps spread out over a mile or so, or using the less glamorous service lift to the basement and taking the hotel pedestrian underpass to an electronically locked gate and walking along the main road. Quicker but unpleasant.

When we came to check out a different somewhat surly receptionist had failed to book our taxi to the airport even though he'd logged it in the Hotel diary the previous night and also caused me some confusion over settling the bill. Everything got sorted out in the end, so we did not miss our plane.

To summarise; the Semiramis suits our needs most of the time. I would not recommend booking through the more obscure agencies during peak times like New Year, it would probably be better to book direct and agree in writing your room, if you want to avoid being dumped on the ground floor (rooms 100+).