"Just returned from a 14 night stay at the Radisson Blu, Lanzarote, the fourth year we've stayed here. We come to this hotel not because we like Costa Teguise, but it's the best of the holiday hotels we go to. However, we were a little disappointed in some aspects of the hotel this time.
It started with the booking process in the app. We like to book our hotels bed & breakfast, but the app was showing only half board options. When I queried this with the hotel I was told it was because they were trying to increase the proportion of half board bookings, but no solution was offered. We reluctantly booked half board, but surprisingly chatted to other guests during our stay who were able to book B&B. So what's going on?
A couple of weeks before our arrival we received the usual email telling us how much they were looking forward to welcoming us, and asking us to confirm our arrival time. I responded that we would arrive about 2pm, and requested that our room be ready at that time. Knowing the layout of the hotel, I also requested a room in one of two locations. I received a standard response - 'subject to availabilty', so they didn't seem to be looking forward to our arrival that much.
We actually arrived at 1.30 to find that none of the rooms we requested were available (poor for a returning guest), and the room we had to choose as an alternative was not yet ready. We were sent off to the Calma Bar to have lunch (whether we wanted it or not) and I asked that we could swap our dinner later that day for this lunch. The receptionist checked my phone number and promised to call me as soon as the room was ready. When we got to the bar, it seemed that the message regarding the meal swap had not gone through, and we were faced with unnecessary confusion when settling the bill.
At 3.10pm, almost two hours after our arrival, we left the bar and returned to Reception where we found our room was ready (and may have been for some time) - they just hadn't bothered to call us. Appalling start to our stay.
The room itself - as with the other standard rooms - was spacious and comfortable, and in a good position.
After our poor welcome, we finally started to enjoy our holiday. Although the dinner buffet was OK we still prefer the flexibility of B&B, particularly as the buffet theme schedule shown at Reception never agreed with the actual buffet theme shown outside the restaurant, so guests just had to 'wing' it. Breakfast was a better experience, calm and relaxed, with my favourite smoked salmon available every day. Good to see some of the same staff year after year - Nati, with her warm and friendly smile, Alex, the cheerful 'cushion man', and others that we didn't get names of. On the subject of staff, Moises, at the various bars, who took the brunt of my impatience whilst waiting for our room on our first day. He made me feel very humble by apologising for the bad service the next day. Very nice lad, and we were pals for the rest of our holiday.
The atmosphere of the hotel was very quiet and relaxed, with only a few unobtrusive activities in the mornings. No animation team, no shouting, no loud music - great!
There are no published 'rules' in the hotel, helping the relaxed atmosphere. This was both good and bad. For example, there was no dinner dress code, so men wore shorts or long trousers, open or closed shoes, and no one took advantage and no one seemed to mind. The only issue was at lunch at the Calma Bar, where some guests sat on the chairs without tops or shirts on. Yuck!
The only real problem was guests smoking - on sunbeds, next to you outside the bar, etc. I think if would be good to allocate specfic smoking areas.
Re the entertainment - usually a singer or duo from 9 to 10pm. A bit early for us, particularly if we are eating out, getting back for 9 is problematic. Ok for guests who want total quiet after 10pm.
I used the Gym on most days. Seven pieces of apparatus, all working, and a good selection of weights, although still no 4kg weights, as I reported more than a year ago. Does anyone read and/or action guests' opinions?
My last point regarding the slippage in standards at this hotel is regarding cleanliness. The new electronic 'dusty bins' are an interesting watch - manoeuvring round abstacles while you're relaxing on your sunbed - but they're not totally effective. Around Pool 2, for example, I watched them slowly wash the pool deck, but they didn't touch the accumulated leaves, dead flowers and paper blown into the corner by the wind. And we didn't see one human with a broom and dustpan sweeping jbto these corners. Or anyone checking on the outside cleaning generally.
Also, for the first time at this hotel (or any hotel in which we've stayed in the last few years), we had to contact Reception to report the sighting of cockroaches in our room. Only two, and they were dealt with efficiently (although they were dead by the time anyone came to the room), but we had to live with a contraption in the room for the rest of the holiday. Nor was this an isolated incident - my wife was terrified by a large specimen in the ladies' toilet one or two days later. This was dealt with by one of the waiters.
Overall, I was less than totally impressed by the Radisson this year. If this had been our first visit, we might not be coming back. We know it can be better. But how do we ensure that we can receive at least an average welcome nexf time rather than the poor one we received this time?"
