"AVOID THIS HOTEL…… This is probably one of the worst hotels that we have ever stayed in and in my opinion the problems, which are everywhere you turn, are systemic and due to a lack of managerial control. A large percentage of the staff have a bad attitude towards guests at the hotel and although my first thoughts were that this was possibly due to the new “anti english campaign” that is visible in other parts of Spain, my final conclusion was that it is due to a lack of leadership, control and direction from senior management at this specific hotel.
Here are some of the issues that we had to endure:
1. The pool area is completely shut off to hotel guests until 9.30am every morning and on two occasions this time extended to 9.35am. Personally, and as an early riser, I like nothing more when I’m on holiday than getting up early and sitting reading my book by the pool in a morning and before breakfast and this was not possible at this hotel.
2. Before opening the pool area, the maintenance team wash the paths and steps leading to the pool area and this creates a trip and fall hazard once the area is opened and as gusts surge and run for beds. I observed two children and a middle aged gust all fall due to this ridiculous control measure.
3. The area from the pool to the children’s club and Spa was not cleaned once during our stay and was full of displaced litter and waste, that I observed on a daily basis when using the car park entrance to the pool area, past the spa.
4. The children’s club and activities was closed during our stay and we were advised by the entertainment staff that this was due to two members of staff, being dismissed. On the first day, we brought our extremely excited granddaughter out of the pool early to get changed so she could attend the Jewellery Making Class that was advertised, we left the children’s club deflated and upset by its closure and extremely disappointed that no one advised of this closure in advance.
5. The Indoor Pool was closed and we were advised that this was due to a maintenance issue, but upon visiting the area I found the pool to be completely drained and this appeared to be a long standing issue.
6. I enquired over using the other Spa Facilities and I was advised of a 10 Euro per person charge for using these hotel facilities. Since when are the features and facilities of a hotel chargeable to guests.
7. Our room, our other parties room and our friends room were extremely dated and poorly maintained with the following issues; air con not working, carpets and chairs worn out and torn in places, curtains not closing fully, bedding stained and worn out, poor mattresses and pillows ( all five of us came home with bad backs) and the external rendering on the balcony was cracked and had fallen out in places.
8. Room Service was the worst I have ever experienced, with no tea, coffee and milk daily replenishment. I complained to reception over this issue on three occasions and after loosing my temper on the third occasion and after being fobbed off by the staff, the issue was resolved, but it should never have got to this point.
9. The hotel is filthy! It has a huge glass atrium which I don’t think has been cleaned since it was built, as the metal framework is layered with dirt and grime and the glass is almost obscurely glazed due to the level of dirt on the glass panels.
10. We selected half board and we paid the additional 3.3 euro charge, to change half of our evening meals to lunch instead. The restaurant was extremely busy at all times and although the breakfast was good the lunch and evening meals were very average and at times poor. On one occasion we sat near the entrance to the restaurant and we had a different waiter greet us, who was extremely rude and to the point of being arrogant towards us when we declined his offer of purchasing drinks from his menu. We then proceeded to use the free water and juice from the water / juice machine, that we had been advised previously was available to us on Half Board and he made a right scene, accusing us of taking drinks that we had not paid for, speaking to his manager and then asking the lady on the door to come to talk us……. At the end of the saga we were advised that we could only have water only!, but on each occasion we visited the restaurant thereafter, we observed other half board guests being told that the juice was included and even our normal waitress pointed out to us, the ALL Inclusive signage over the beer, wine and fizzy drink area and reaffirmed that it was he understanding that the juice was included.
11. We visited two other hotels during our stay to visit friends and we sampled their evening entertainment. The entertainment was of a far greater standard than this hotel, well organised and with some events relating to children, at an earlier time to fit in with earlier children’s meals and possibly bed time a little earlier. At this hotel, we had children running and screaming along the landing and in the room directly above us at midnight most nights.
We will not be returning to this hotel or any other hotels within this chain and I sincerely hope that what we have encountered during our stay is not something bigger and across the whole of Lanzarote, as after 35 years of visiting the island it would be sad to never return again, but the Spanish need to understand that we still have lots of other countries that welcome us with open arms and who are extremely grateful for our custom."
