BLUESEA Alyssa Suite Hotel

"Honestly, this was one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I’ve had. I don’t really like leaving negative reviews unless it is absolutely necessary, but in this case, I feel I have to be honest. The hotel is advertised as a 4 star resort, but based on our experience, I genuinely struggle to see how it deserves even 2 stars. The overall condition, cleanliness, food quality and numerous additional charges fell far below what we expected. I can see that the hotel has many positive reviews, which makes me wonder whether we were simply unlucky and ended up in one of the worst rooms in the resort. Regardless, I cannot understand the positive comments about the food, as our experience was consistently very poor. The rooms are in desperate need of refurbishment and a proper deep clean. Everywhere you look, there are signs of neglect, from rusty door hinges and bathroom faucets to mouldy grout, poorly maintained silicone sealant, cracked sink and filthy curtains. These are not minor cosmetic issues, they give the impression that basic maintenance and cleanliness are simply not priorities. The towels were another major disappointment. They were visibly dirty, and on two separate days, both my partner and I had to share a single towel because the other one provided was dirty. This is completely unacceptable for a hotel claiming to offer a 4 star experience. We also saw bugs in the bathroom, which only added to our concerns about hygiene. The restaurant was also disappointing. Considering the size of the hotel, it is surprisingly small, and the food selection was very limited. Even worse, the meat was consistently not cooked properly. We encountered raw pork, chicken and turkey. This was meat that was simply not safe to eat. As a result, we had to go out of the resort to find properly cooked food elsewhere, but not before checking the food at the hotel restaurant, every single evening. The only positive was that breakfast was acceptable, and the good location. The drinks were also disappointing. The included alcohol, including spirits, did not taste right, and need to pay extra if you want a proper drink. The wines and cocktails are not freshly prepared or served from bottles unless you paid extra again. Instead, they are served from a tap dispenser, which made the drinks feel cheap. Overall, this hotel falls well short of the standard its advertised star rating suggests. Ultimately is everyone's choice, but I cannot recommend this hotel to anyone. The management seriously needs to address the cleanliness, maintenance and food quality."

"We stayed at BLUESEA Alyssa Suites for just over a week on an all-inclusive basis and, overall, had a really good holiday! The complex was clean, the accommodation was bigger than expected, the food was good and most of the staff were lovely. There are a few areas where we think the hotel could improve, but we’d definitely recommend it if you can get a good deal. ARRIVAL & CHECK-IN We arrived around midday, but check-in wasn’t until 3pm. However, we were given our wristbands straight away and somewhere to store our luggage, so we could change into our swimwear and get straight into holiday mode with food and drinks. A really friendly welcome! We were also given a room to use for 45 minutes after checking out, which was such a thoughtful touch and meant we could freshen up before travelling home. Really appreciated this! ROOMS We stayed in one of the semi-detached bungalows and were pleasantly surprised by how spacious it was. There was a separate living area, bedroom and bathroom with a shower (no bath), plus three outdoor spaces! These included shaded areas to sit, somewhere to dry towels, a table and chairs, and two sun loungers. There seem to be a few different types of accommodation across the complex. The apartments towards the back, some with a separate apartment upstairs, looked slightly smaller. We can’t comment on the setup for families, but our bungalow was a great size for two adults. Rooms were cleaned daily, and we were really impressed that you could request fresh towels and bedding as often as you liked. We had ours changed a few times, but you could have them changed daily if you wanted. We did have a few minor issues, including some ants in the room, a shower that occasionally backed up and the air conditioning sometimes being left off after the cleaners had been in. However, these were relatively minor niggles and didn’t spoil our stay, nor were worth troubling the reception team with whilst we were there. One thing to be aware of is the towel system. There’s a €10 deposit per person for pool towels, which you get back at the end, but it costs €1 each time you exchange your towel for a clean one. FOOD We thought the food was pretty good overall, with a decent selection at lunch and dinner. There was always a choice of meat, fish and vegetarian options, plenty of sides and all the usual favourites like chips, pizza and plain rice for anyone who isn’t particularly adventurous with food! Breakfast had a good variety of cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurts, different breads and cooked English breakfast options. We didn’t have the cooked breakfast very often, but the freshly made omelettes and pancakes were a lovely touch. There was a different featured dish each evening, including fajitas, chicken gyros and grilled tuna steaks. We enjoyed the variety, although by days six or seven, things started to feel a little repetitive. I think this depends on how flexible you are with food, but we usually found something we liked and certainly didn’t go hungry! DRINKS This was probably one of the weaker parts of the all-inclusive offering here. At breakfast, you’re limited to tea, coffee and juice, as the fizzy drinks machines are switched off. Cava is available at breakfast on Sundays, though, which is a nice touch! Outside mealtimes, the pool bar was your only option for drinks. There’s wine, beer, spirits, mixers and two ‘cocktails of the day’. However, the cocktails are made with generic house spirits and premixed machine cocktail mixes, so don’t expect anything fancy! You can buy a freshly made cocktail separately for around €8. I believe the cocktails we could choose from were mojito, sex on the beach, tequila sunrise, pina colada, blue lagoon and strawberry daiquiri - but think ‘spirit plus a cocktail pre-mix’. You also pay a €1 deposit for a plastic cup, which you return each time to get a clean one. From around 7pm, drinks are served in glasses, and wine, beer and soft drinks are available with dinner. We would have liked a better cocktail selection and a bit more flexibility around where and when you could get drinks. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it could definitely be improved. ENTERTAINMENT This was probably the biggest area where we felt the hotel could do better. There was a timetable of evening entertainment, mainly local singers, DJs and bands. Some nights were better than others, so it was a bit hit and miss. During the day, there was one entertainer working tirelessly to get people involved in aqua aerobics and games. A special mention to Rami, who was brilliant and clearly put a lot of effort into making things enjoyable! Unfortunately, there wasn’t much atmosphere around the pool during the day, and we felt there was very little investment in entertainment overall. Some days, other guests playing their own music were what created the atmosphere! The pool could also benefit from more organised games and activities. Everything generally winds down around 10:45–11pm, when the drinks stop too. This isn’t a criticism of Rami at all; he was great and did his best with what he had. It just felt like the resort could do so much more in this area. If you’re after a lively holiday with lots going on throughout the day and into the night, this probably isn’t the place for you. If you want somewhere quieter to relax, it might suit you perfectly. POOLS & SUNBEDS Plenty of sunbeds, all clean and in good condition, and we never struggled to find somewhere to sit. No need to get up at the crack of dawn to reserve a bed! The pools were clean, although they looked bigger in the website photos than they did in reality. The water was also very cold and salty, which wasn’t always particularly inviting! They’re perfectly fine for a swim and a bit of sunbathing, but again, we think there’s potential to make the pool area a little more lively with activities and entertainment. LOCATION We really liked Playa Blanca. It was clean, friendly and felt less rowdy than some other holiday resorts, which suited us. You can walk into Playa Blanca in around 20–25 minutes, or grab a taxi for approximately €5. Taxis were easy to get, and our coach transfer from the airport took roughly 45 minutes. There aren’t loads of shops within walking distance of the hotel, but there is a small supermarket at another hotel about 5–10 minutes away on foot. Just be aware that its opening hours were limited, roughly 10am–4pm when we visited. STAFF & SERVICE Most of the staff were lovely, particularly the restaurant, bar and entertainment teams. They were friendly, hardworking and genuinely helped make our holiday enjoyable. We were also told we couldn’t get anything from the snack bar while lunch was being served, which seemed a little unnecessary for an all-inclusive resort. A bit more flexibility here would be appreciated. OVERALL VERDICT We genuinely had a good holiday here! The rooms were spacious, the complex was clean, the food was good, there were plenty of sunbeds, and lots of the staff were fantastic. There are definitely things that could be improved, particularly the drinks and entertainment, and we personally wouldn’t rate it as a 4-star experience. For us, it felt more like a very good 3-star hotel with plenty of potential. That said, we don’t want the negatives to overshadow the positives. We had a relaxing holiday, were comfortable throughout our stay and really appreciated the little touches, especially being able to use a room after checkout. Would we recommend it? Yes! If you can get a good deal and aren’t expecting fresh cocktails or a buzzing entertainment scene, we think you’ll have a lovely time. There’s definitely room for improvement, but overall, it’s a clean, friendly resort with lots going for it. We’d happily recommend it to anyone looking for a reasonably priced, relaxing all-inclusive break in Lanzarote!"

"Hotel was great. Would recommend to anyone looking in this area. Shout out to Lia and Rami. And thank you to Salem to providing non stop entertainment!"