"If you are thinking of booking this hotel, just do it. You won’t go wrong. This was our third time in this hotel. First time about 20 years ago, then last year and now this year. Nothing changes – it is consistently good. Yes, it is expensive but no more so than other 5 star hotels in the area, which are definitely not as good – see below.
The hotel is big enough to be busy (just over 300 rooms) but small enough for staff to recognise you and welcome you. We recognised many of the staff from last year although there were some new faces as well.
Pre-arrival:
We spoke with Jana on the telephone and she was excellent and very happy to note our room requests. On arrival, all our requests were met – so we were delighted from the very start. We stayed in October so it may be easier for them to do this than in high season. The arrival and check in was flawless and during our stay Lara and Jesseo (?) were always very helpful.
Rooms:
The hotel was built in the 1970s and the rooms are all the same size (except suites and junior suites). To differentiate, they charge more for rooms higher up. On the pool view side it probably doesn’t matter but on the sea view side, then the higher up the better. The rooms and balcony are a good size, but the bathrooms are small. That said, they work. But the rest of the hotel is so good, even I am prepared to overlook this. Bathrooms are well equipped with good showers and proper hair dryers. Marisol and all the housekeeping team on the 7th floor did a great job and the turn down and towel replacement service at night is welcomed and expected in an hotel of this standard.
Restaurant:
The breakfasts are fabulous and there really is nothing you could want that is not already available. Everything is regularly replenished and refilled. Staff are great as well. Breakfast runs until 11am which is great.
Dinner is a self-service “barbecue” three nights and from a menu on four nights. The barbecues have a vast selection available all cooked by chefs. On the menu evenings the choices can sometimes be more “niche” (e.g. quail) but the food is all good, although sometimes the main course portions could be a little larger. That said we never felt hungry.
Staff in the restaurant are great – Crina and Veronica stood out. Watch out for the lady with a different pair of glasses to match every scarf! Also the hotel’s general manager (Frau Schaffers) is always visible in the restaurant and around the hotel, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
Dinner runs until 10pm which is brilliant. Last year and this year we had afternoon flights so we were able to get an evening meal after travelling all day, even if we didn’t arrive in the hotel until after 9pm.
Pools:
The hotel has a couple of great pools. We were always able to get loungers even in the afternoon – although again in high season it may be more busy.
Spa/Sauna:
We didn’t use the spa services but we did use the sauna area. This was very good. In the steam room it may be good to increase the frequency with which steam is released – it seemed to be a long interval between steam infusions.
One or two people didn’t seem to understand it is necessary to have a shower before using the plunge pool – and indeed a new sign has been put up since last year. It may also be worth putting a larger sign outside the sauna to say that towels should be used rather than swimming costumes.
The only problem with the sauna area is that the number of people wanting to use the facility was usually greater than the number of beds available. It would be easy to expand the sauna area to include the “sandy” area beside it – and maybe add a hot tub (?).
Hotel Grounds:
The hotel has lovely grounds and areas where there are things like a giant chess board, darts board and a pétanque court. The only thing missing would be a couple of benches where people can sit quietly to read, without sitting by the pool or at the bar.
Location:
The hotel has a great location right beside the beach and about 10 minutes walk to the upmarket shops at Meloneras. And about 5 minutes walk to the bus station for day trips etc. There’s a small Spar supermarket on the way to the bus station.
Where does the hotel differ from similar hotels?
Simply it differentiates on the small details. One gets the feeling that they are actually listening to you and trying to accommodate your requests. It has a cosy, family, feel to it.
Also when we were leaving we were able to keep our room longer than the noon checkout time. This was a HUGE bonus and it meant we were able to spend some time on the beach and have a shower without having to pack and move and unpack and repack all our stuff. This was almost the highlight of the holiday! And they didn’t charge us. Most hotels try to rip you off for late checkout, but not here. This alone would encourage us to book to return to the Seaside Palm Beach.
The hotel also offers a VIP chauffeur service to the airport. We used this on the way back to the airport and it was great. The driver spoke excellent English and left us exactly at the Jet2 check-in area. It was the same price as a taxi, but with a bit more comfort. It’s worth doing.
How does it compare to other local 5 star hotels?
Over the years we have stayed in Maspalomas/Meloneras about 8 times. There are other 5 star hotels but this is our preferred option. Mature age profile, mainly German guests. So you know the hotel quality will be fine.
The Riu Palace Meloneras had a full refurb a few years ago and the bathrooms are much bigger etc, but the pool areas have a lot of concrete and much less appealing grounds. It is also about a 15-20 minute walk further away from the main beach. The food is all self-service buffet and feels just a little mass produced. In the Seaside Palm Beach the grounds and food are better and the “vibe” is warmer, more personal. And it is on the beach.
Equally we greatly disliked our stay in the Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort and Spa. It is just too big – you need a sat nav just to get around the hotel – and the food was horrendous. Even though we had paid for half board, after the second night we went out to local restaurants each night. Again the size of the Palm Beach and the higher food quality make this a much better option for us – if you are looking for a 5 star hotel.
In short the Seaside Palm Beach has everything (size, food, location, facilities, staff, leadership etc) pitched just right. It is the one we are excited about going back to for our fourth visit. Maybe sooner than next year………."
