"We stayed at Lopesan Villa del Conde expecting a five-star experience. What we got was a hotel with an elaborate exterior concept, but very little of the substance that should sit behind that rating.
The architecture is distinctive, modelled on a cathedral and traditional Canarian village style. It creates a dramatic setting and gives the hotel character. Beyond that initial impression, however, the overall experience does not match the ambition of the design.
Our room was clean and entirely functional. Housekeeping was consistent and everything worked as it should. It felt practical rather than luxurious.
The pool areas are large and there were always sun loungers available, which is a genuine practical advantage. However, maintenance appears inconsistent. In places, there is bare concrete around the pools with only a thin scattering of sand, which gives parts of the resort a surprisingly low-end feel. Overall, the facilities lack the polish you would expect at this price point.
The staff in the sports bar were friendly and professional. Unfortunately, this level of service was not reflected consistently across the rest of the hotel.
The biggest issue is that this hotel simply does not operate at five-star level. Basic amenities are missing: no bathrobes, no slippers, no meaningful personal touches. There is no waiter service at the pool. Beach towels cannot be exchanged freely during the day because the towel hut is open for roughly an hour only. Notably, there was no Nespresso-style coffee machine in the room, and no iron or ironing board provided — amenities that are fairly standard in hotels positioning themselves at this level. The entire system feels rigid and impersonal.
The “Unique” concept was also frustrating. Many of the most attractive-looking areas of the hotel are reserved exclusively for “Unique” guests. During our stay, these areas were often completely empty, while standard guests are excluded from spaces that appear underused. Given that the hotel is already positioned at a premium price point, it raises the question of who is expected to pay even more simply to access facilities that should be standard.
The children’s club was another disappointment. It felt uninspired and poorly structured. Our ten-year-old lasted about twenty minutes before asking to leave, which speaks for itself.
The food was the most disappointing aspect. On our first morning we were directed to the “family restaurant” for breakfast, which felt more like a canteen than a five-star dining venue. It was the lowest quality hotel breakfast we have experienced, regardless of star rating. The dinner buffet focuses on volume rather than quality, with largely the same offerings repeated daily. The so-called live cooking stations were not operating as advertised — food appeared to be batch cooked and left sitting out in large trays, drying out.
We had booked half board, but after three nights we simply gave up. The food quality was so poor that we chose to forfeit the meals we had already paid for and instead ate at local restaurants. This decision improved our holiday massively.
In summary, this is a hotel with an impressive façade and a carefully constructed aesthetic, but service, food and overall experience that fall significantly short of five-star expectations. Without meaningful improvements in service standards, food quality and guest experience, it does not justify its rating or price."
