Paradisus by Meliá Salinas Lanzarote

"This hotel was amazing. It holds up to its 5* rating. The location was perfect, with the local bus route outside but not being too far away from the hustle and bustle, only a small walking distance. This meant the noise levels were low and during the day, around the pool it was peaceful. Everything was relaxed and calm, all the staff were so helpful and friendly. They couldn't do enough for you and worked so hard to make it a good experience. The room was cleaned to a high standard every day, with fresh towels delivered. Even when I knocked over a glass later at night, it was no trouble coming to clear it up. I am a coeliac traveller and this has been stressful in the past. Not this time. I emailed a week prior to travel to inform the hotel and this meant all staff at the restaurants were aware. I was able to order any food I wanted 24 hours prior by messaging their whatsapp chat (this was available through The Reserve). When visiting Malva for the first time, the chef and a supporting colleague took me round to explain what was suitable. There was even a separate gluten-free desserts section. I was never hungry and always had choice. As this was a honeymoon, my husband and I decided to book the upgrade The Reserve. This was worth every penny! The quiet, personal check in was lovely as well as having the concierge whatsapp chat most of the day helped relieve stresses, particularly of food. The Reserve pool was incredible, always having padded sunbed availability (the main pool also had this, even at high capacity, but the sunbeds are not padded) and the Reserve Bar was great. The staff were attentive and it was such a nice touch that they remembered our drinks order every day. One note that I didn't see before booking is that both pools are saltwater and non-heated. My partner and I didn't mind this, particularly as the weather was hot, but I know for some it can be a turn off. Overall, an absolutely fantastic experience and we will most certainly be back next year!"

"Such a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere, very clean and friendly staff, and the spa massages are amazing! Also it’s walkable to the beach and other entertainment in the evening if you want to explore, there it’s lots to do, and in the evening the beach bar is such a beautiful place to be Will be returning as always"

"We had a lovely time at Paradisus Meliá Lanzarote, however, overall I don’t feel the experience quite lived up to its 5-star status. For me, it felt more like a very good 4-star hotel, rather than the 5-star experience I was expecting. Pool & Sunbeds The pool itself was lovely and refreshingly cool — exactly what you need in the Lanzarote heat. There was also plenty of space around the pool for everyone. The reservation of sunbeds was frustrating, with people leaving towels on beds and disappearing for hours while staff seemed to do very little about it. The sunbeds themselves also weren’t particularly comfortable. Compared with other 5-star hotels I’ve stayed at, there were no cushions or toppers, which made them uncomfortable to lie on for any length of time. If you wanted more comfortable sunbeds, you had to pay extra to access the Reserve area. Having already paid nearly £4,000 for the holiday, I don’t really expect to have to pay an additional premium for something as simple as a comfortable sunbed or a pillow. The poolside service also didn’t feel particularly 5-star. There was no staff service around the pool taking drink orders, so you had to go to the bar and often wait until someone noticed you were there. I also felt that soft drinks could easily have been self-service, which would have made things much more convenient. Rooms The rooms were very nice and met our needs perfectly. Housekeeping did a great job of keeping everything clean and tidy each day, and the included minibar was regularly restocked. We stayed in a standard room, which was more than adequate. The walk-in shower was great and the air conditioning was easy to use and worked well. Restaurants & Food The restaurants were a little hit and miss. We ate mainly at Bazaar, where the food was generally hot and tasty. However, the labelling was extremely vague — often just things like “meat” or “vegetables” — which made it difficult to know what you were actually choosing. On more than one occasion, what I thought I was taking turned out to be something completely different. Let’s just say there was one particularly spicy evening! The restaurant staff were friendly and regularly topped up our water, but again, the service didn’t quite feel 5-star. They often seemed rushed, which took away from the more relaxed and elegant atmosphere you would expect from a hotel of this level. Fitness & Activities The fitness studio was great and had everything you’d realistically need from a hotel gym. Some of the weights and equipment are looking a little tired, but there was a reasonable selection of Technogym cardio equipment, as well as classes included as part of the stay. There were also additional classes available at an extra cost from the info provided. Personally, after paying a premium for a 5-star all-inclusive hotel, I feel more of these facilities should be included rather than being an additional charge. The fitness and activities team, however, were fantastic. Everyone we came across was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and I genuinely couldn’t fault them. Spa The spa was definitely one of the highlights of our stay. Christina, the spa manager, was extremely friendly, as were our therapists, and they went out of their way to make sure we got what we wanted from the experience. I’d definitely recommend booking a treatment while staying here. The price felt fair for the amount of time spent with us and, more importantly, how good I felt afterwards. Overall Overall, the hotel has a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. The central area surrounded by greenery and the sound of the waterfalls is beautiful, and the whole property was clean, spacious and well maintained. Despite being a large resort, it never really felt overcrowded, and there are plenty of facilities to keep you occupied. The biggest issue for me is that it simply lacked that extra something that makes a hotel feel genuinely 5-star. There were lots of little things — the sunbeds, pool service, additional charges for certain facilities, restaurant service and presentation — that individually aren’t major issues, but collectively meant the experience didn’t quite match the 5-star price tag. We still had a lovely holiday and there is a lot to like about the hotel, but based on the 5-star rating and the price we paid, I expected a more premium experience."