Riu Gran Canaria

This is my 3rd time at this hotel and it just keeps getting better and I cannot praise this hotel enough. The staff never stop and the place is spotless and their attitude is just fantastic. We went from 28th May for a week and it wasn't long enough. We ate breakfast and lunch in the main buffet and always great choice. We tried the Italian which is buffet style but really good selection. The gourmet is my favourite and is a la carte as is the steak restaurant which is also really great quality. There is also a coffee shop on site which we used most days.

There is lots of outside space so you are not on top of each other and always sun loungers available. Always entertainment if you wish to join in and the shows were very varied in the evening. It was my 2nd white party and this is a fabulous night.

The hotel is in a really central location and lots of really great walks also, the dunes are worth visiting and not far from the hotel.

I will definitely be back as soon as I can.

I stayed at Riu Gran Canaria for a week in what is, supposedly, their most luxurious suite with its own private pool. The room itself is stunning, with beautiful views and much needed privacy. As for the rest of the hotel, however, I'm not sure the hotel owners and I share the same definition of luxury.

Let's start with the basics: the food. There are plenty of options to choose from and a variety of à la carte restaurants. It tastes fine, with some things better than others, specifically the appetizers. The "restaurants" are really just glorified versions of the main buffet but with nicer cutlery and less noise. The steakhouse was marginally better than the rest. Apart from the subpar food, I have never, in my many stays at all inclusive hotels, been served worse drinks. Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - is on tap and I'm almost entire sure diluted. We had our own booze as "villa guests" and while I was originally very impressed by this, it became awfully evident as the week went on that half the bottles consisted of water. I find it odd that two adults who drink four or five mojitos a day never become inebriated, don't you? Moving on to location, I was actually pleasantly surprised. The view, like mentioned, was lovely and the hotel is right by a small but quaint city center. The hotel itself, with several pools, is beautiful to look at and you can really tell that the gardens are well-kept. There's plenty of room by the pool although guest still reserve sunbeds, for which reason I am not sure. It kind of the defeats the purpose of a relaxing holiday to have to get up early in the morning and run to the pool for a good spot, even though the hotel claims the have a rule against this.

Finally, the staff. We often felt unwelcome and found many staff members inattentive. It was obvious that we were not wanted, pretty much anywhere, and that the staff was way more interested in talking among themselves that us. I'm sure it's tedious and exhausting working in this kind of environment, having done it myself, but seeing as this is such a lavish hotel with a strong reputation, I definitely expected more. The head waiter at the gourmet restaurant, an older man with glasses, had no idea what the food contained and got angry with me when I asked. It should be mentioned that I have a severe nut allergy and many of the items on the menu contained peanuts. Nowhere was this information provided. We left most of our interactions less happy and less inclined to come back.

All in all, Riu Gran Canaria is pretty to look at. If you expect more than bland food, non-existent drinks or a simple "hello" from staff members, I regret to inform you that you'll likely be very disappointed.

We have travelled all over the canaries for the last 15 years and can honestly say this was the BEST holiday we have ever had. Beautiful hotel, magnificent gardens, unbelievable entertainment - West end standard!! Clean, stylish, brilliant staff, we are going again in 6 months and can't wait!!