"We stayed at Barceló Corralejo Sands over Christmas and New Year and overall had a very pleasant stay. The hotel is modern and centrally located in Corralejo, close to the town beaches, shops, and restaurants, which made it very convenient.
Check-in was fast and professional, although no welcome drink was offered. Our room (Deluxe with hot tub) was located on the second floor, overlooking the back of a restaurant across the street. We had sunshine throughout the day and were very satisfied with the location. The jacuzzi is small but perfectly suitable for two people. The room itself was modern and cleaned daily to a good standard.
On one occasion, the housekeeping staff accidentally removed a reusable plastic cup that I had brought with me for personal use during the holiday. Unfortunately, it was never found, but the Guest Relations Manager Georgia handled the situation professionally and kindly provided two replacement cups, which we appreciated.
The bed was comfortable, with pillows available in three different sizes. The TV worked well, although most German channels were unfortunately not functioning. The bathroom was lovely, featuring a rain shower and sufficient space for toiletries next to the sink. The shampoo and other house toiletries, provided only in a large bottle, were of good quality.
As we stayed during the holiday season, a small Christmas gift (Lindt chocolate) was placed on our bed, which was a nice and thoughtful gesture.
The pool area is beautiful and very clean, although the sun loungers are placed very close to each other, making it feel crowded. Most loungers in the sun were taked by 11am. Daytime animation can be rather noisy, which is understandable given that this is a family-friendly hotel, but as we preferred a quieter atmosphere, we mostly enjoyed relaxing on our private terrace with its own sun loungers. The pool was heated (according to hotel staff only up to a maximum of 24°C), but the water still felt quite cold and not particularly inviting for swimming. I swam a few laps on some days but felt cold after swimming. Even though the pool area is surrounded by hotel buildings it gets quite windy which feels chilly. We did not use the spa or gym facilities.
The jacuzzi on our private terrace was excellent and we used it almost daily. The temperature can be adjusted to your personal preference, which was a great feature.
We stayed on a half-board basis. Breakfast was plentiful and varied slightly from day to day. Salmon was available on most mornings, along with a good selection of cold cuts and fresh fruits. Bacon, egg dishes and Spanish omelette were available. Omelettes could be ordered to your liking at a cooking station. However, we missed having nuts available, which was a small disappointment for us. Also on some days, yoghurt was only offered in small single-serving cups. Unluckily the juices were the poorest quality we have experienced in a 4 star hotel and no freshly squeezed orange juice was available.
Dinner themes changed most evenings, and we especially enjoyed the Canarian and Arabic nights. There was a good overall selection of food, although the desserts could benefit from improved presentation. Having previously stayed at Barceló Corralejo Bay (3 times), we found the dessert selection there to be clearly superior. The Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve gala buffets were very good though (see attached photos), the staff did a great job, offering plenty of seafood, various meats, and stylish canapés. Dinner drinks were included during these 2 gala dinners. Even so, the desserts fell a little short of expectations, including on New Year’s Eve. We had the second seating on both nights as we preferred it. Some cheeces in the buffet were warm with a greasy surface after several hours at room temperature. The gala dinner setup was clearly superior to other nights.
Wi-Fi worked reliably but was not particularly fast. In the evenings, the hotel has only one bar, located in the basement behind the dining hall. Unfortunately, it was not very inviting, as it felt dark, crowded, and understaffed. In general, staffing levels seemed somewhat tight in the restaurants and some other areas as well, and sometimes you had to wait long times to get drinks orders also at dinner. At times, used dishes were left on tables in the corridor and in the garden for longer than expected (see photo).
While there is room for improvement in certain areas, the overall experience was very positive, and the hotel left us with many good memories. A special mention must go to the hotel’s excellent Guest Relations Manager Georgia. She was a pleasure to speak with and very helpful when discussing matters and experiences during our stay. Many thanks to her for her outstanding work, she is a real joy. From the restaurant team, we would especially like to mention José Manuel. He was polite, friendly, and very professional. Thank you for your excellent service during breakfast and dinner.
Having visited the sister hotel Barceló Corralejo Bay three times previously, we feel that Corralejo Sands is also a very nice hotel and particularly well suited for families, though also appropriate for couples. While it does not quite reach the same standard as its sister property, we nevertheless had a great stay and would recommend the hotel for its good value, excellent location, and the hardworking and friendly staff.
Despite a few minor shortcomings, we truly enjoyed our stay and felt well looked after. The location, comfort, and especially the friendly and dedicated staff made our holiday a memorable one."
