"Extremely disappointing stay – unacceptable room conditions, three room changes and poor family facilities!
We recently stayed at Alua Suites Fuerteventura for a week-long family holiday, travelling with our 17-month-old daughter. Unfortunately, what should have been a relaxing and enjoyable holiday turned into an incredibly stressful and disappointing experience. For a hotel advertised as 4-star, the standard of accommodation and the issues we encountered were simply unacceptable.
Arrival and first room – absolutely appalling
We arrived at the hotel at approximately 11am, only to be told our room wasn’t ready. We then had to wait over FOUR HOURS before finally being given access to our accommodation at around 3:15pm. After travelling with a young toddler, this was already an exhausting and frustrating start to our holiday.
Unfortunately, things only got worse when we entered our room.
The condition of the accommodation was absolutely dreadful. There was visible mould, stains, chipped and peeling paint, dirty surfaces and an awful musty smell coming from the bathroom. The overall cleanliness was completely unacceptable.
Our 17-month-old daughter had been walking around the room, and we were horrified to discover that the soles of her feet had turned BLACK from the dirt on the floors. This alone demonstrates just how poorly the room had been cleaned.
The bathroom was particularly unpleasant. There was no functioning extractor fan, meaning the room remained damp, musty and wet, with very little ventilation. The bathroom sink was also blocked, adding to the already poor condition of the facilities.
We immediately returned to reception to complain and spoke with Gemma. To her credit, Gemma was extremely apologetic, acknowledged that the room was not up to an acceptable standard and agreed that we should be moved. Unfortunately, we were unable to move until the following day.
Second room – water leaking through the ceiling onto our bed!
The following day, we moved into our second room. Initially, we were relieved. It was noticeably cleaner, there was no visible mould, and the overall condition was considerably better.
However, after heavy rainfall during our first night in this room, we woke up to yet another completely unacceptable situation.
Water had been leaking through the ceiling directly onto our bed. Our bedding was wet, and pieces of paint had fallen from the ceiling onto the bed and floor.
Even more concerningly, the ceiling paint was visibly peeling and continuing to fall away.
We were absolutely horrified. Not only was this unpleasant, but it also raised serious concerns about the maintenance and safety of the accommodation, particularly with a young child.
Once again, we had to return to reception to report the problem. This time, we spoke with Thomas, who appeared genuinely horrified by what we showed him. He promptly arranged for maintenance to inspect the room.
Maintenance confirmed there was a leak and that it could not be repaired in time, meaning we would have to move rooms AGAIN.
Three rooms in three nights – completely unacceptable
By our third night, we were moving into our THIRD room.
I cannot emphasise enough how stressful, exhausting and disruptive this was, particularly when travelling with a 17-month-old and three suitcases.
Instead of relaxing and enjoying our holiday, we spent the first three days dealing with complaints, packing, unpacking and repeatedly moving our belongings.
What made matters even more frustrating was the lack of assistance with luggage. Despite being told we would receive help moving our belongings, the hotel had no porters available to assist us.
After experiencing so many problems, we approached our Jet2 representative, Derek.
I would particularly like to thank Derek, who was absolutely fantastic. We have travelled with Jet2 for years and have never experienced anything like this before. Derek listened carefully to everything we had encountered, did everything he could to help us, personally assisted with moving our suitcases and even checked our third room to ensure it was suitable.
His kindness and willingness to help were greatly appreciated during an incredibly frustrating situation.
Hotel facilities, food and drinks
Away from the accommodation issues, the hotel itself was fairly average.
The communal areas were generally pleasant and reasonably well maintained, which made the poor condition of the rooms even more disappointing.
The buffet food was okay, but very standard for a 4-star all-inclusive resort. Nothing particularly stood out, and we had expected a better selection and overall quality.
We were also disappointed by the drinks offering. The selection was limited, and on several occasions, cocktails advertised on the bar menus were apparently unavailable because staff said they couldn’t make them.
For an all-inclusive resort, this was disappointing.
Another frustration was the lack of snacks readily available throughout the day. We would have expected a better provision of food and snacks between main mealtimes, particularly when travelling with young children.
The plastic token system for drinks was also unnecessarily inconvenient. It felt like another thing to keep track of rather than making the all-inclusive experience straightforward and enjoyable.
Lack of facilities for babies and toddlers
Another particularly disappointing aspect was the lack of appropriate dining facilities for babies and toddlers.
For a hotel that markets itself as family-friendly, we were surprised to find no suitable children’s crockery, plastic plates, bowls or toddler-friendly cutlery available in the buffet restaurant.
Having stayed at several other 4-star family resorts, we know how much better the experience can be. At previous hotels, staff have gone above and beyond to accommodate younger guests, ensuring highchairs are thoroughly cleaned and suitable plates, bowls and cutlery are readily available.
Unfortunately, we experienced none of those thoughtful touches here.
These may seem like small details, but when travelling with a 17-month-old, they make a considerable difference. Providing appropriate dining equipment for babies and toddlers should be a basic consideration for a hotel that actively welcomes families.
It felt as though the hotel catered for families in name, but hadn’t really considered the practical needs of those travelling with babies and younger toddlers.
Having experienced much higher standards at other 4-star family resorts, we expected considerably better from Alua Suites Fuerteventura.
Swimming pools and children’s facilities
The swimming pool areas were pleasant enough, but we were particularly disappointed with the baby and toddler pools.
The water was absolutely FREEZING!
For a hotel marketed towards families, it is such a shame that these pools aren’t heated, as the temperature made them far less enjoyable for younger children.
The children’s playground was okay, although again, there were missed opportunities. There were five large swings but not a single baby or toddler swing, which seemed rather strange for a family-friendly resort.
Small details like these make a real difference when travelling with little ones.
Combined with the lack of suitable dining equipment and limited availability of snacks, we felt the facilities for younger children were particularly disappointing.
The rooms desperately need refurbishment
In our opinion, the accommodation throughout the hotel is looking extremely tired and desperately needs significant investment.
Having experienced three different rooms during our stay, we saw a noticeable variation in standards. The rooms would benefit enormously from a full refurbishment, including updated bathrooms, improved ventilation, proper maintenance and a much higher standard of cleaning.
The lack of effective bathroom extraction was particularly disappointing, as bathrooms became extremely damp and musty and struggled to dry out properly.
The communal areas give a much better impression than the accommodation itself, which is a real shame.
A special mention to the staff who helped
Despite our disappointment, I do want to acknowledge Gemma and Thomas at reception, who both took our concerns seriously and were apologetic and helpful.
A particularly big thank you goes to Derek, our Jet2 representative, who went above and beyond to support us when we felt thoroughly fed up with the situation.
Unfortunately, even with their efforts, the issues significantly impacted our holiday.
Fuerteventura Airport – a separate but important warning for families
Although this is not the hotel’s responsibility, I also wanted to mention our experience at Fuerteventura Airport.
Border control on both arrival and departure was absolutely horrendous.
Families were being separated into different queues, including parents travelling with young children. We witnessed considerable distress and confusion, with extremely long waiting times, poor organisation and very little urgency or support from staff.
On arrival, I was separated from my own mother and left queuing alone for over an hour with my distressed 17-month-old daughter. It was an incredibly upsetting experience.
I appreciate that this is entirely separate from the hotel, but I feel it is worth mentioning for other families travelling to the island.
Overall – extremely disappointing and not what we expected from a 4-star resort
We had been looking forward to this holiday, but unfortunately, the repeated accommodation problems completely overshadowed our experience.
Having to move rooms three times in three nights, dealing with mould, unacceptable cleanliness and then water leaking through the ceiling onto our bed is simply not what anyone should expect when paying for a 4-star all-inclusive holiday.
We understand that problems can occasionally occur in hotels, but the sheer number and seriousness of the issues we experienced went far beyond minor inconveniences.
It is especially disappointing when travelling with a young child, as you expect your accommodation to be clean, safe and comfortable.
Furthermore, the lack of basic baby and toddler facilities was surprising for a resort that promotes itself as family-friendly. Having stayed at other 4-star hotels where considerable thought and care have gone into making families with young children feel welcome, the difference in standards was very noticeable.
Although some members of staff genuinely did their best to help, the hotel itself fell significantly short of our expectations.
Alua Suites Fuerteventura has the potential to be a lovely family resort, but the accommodation needs substantial investment, maintenance and improvement before we could consider recommending it.
Unfortunately, based on our experience, we would not return and cannot recommend this hotel in its current condition."
