Spring Hotel Vulcano

I really wanted to love our stay at Spring Hotel Vulcano because there is genuinely a lot to like about the hotel. The location is excellent, the hotel itself is beautiful and the pool areas are lovely. It is therefore especially disappointing that our holiday was so badly affected by the ongoing refurbishment works and the way our concerns were handled.

Before travelling, we were informed that some rooms were being renovated Monday-Friday between 9am and 4pm. Because we were concerned, our travel agent specifically contacted the hotel for further clarification. We were reassured that it was “not a noisy project”, that only a few rooms at a time were involved, that any small amount of noise would be contained within the room area and, crucially, that there would be “nothing out at the pools”.

Our actual experience was completely different, and this was extremely frustrating.

We were woken extremely early on consecutive mornings by loud banging, drilling and angle grinders. This was not the minor or contained noise we had been led to expect. We complained and agreed to move rooms in an attempt to resolve the problem. This involved packing up all our belongings, viewing alternative rooms that were not suitable and eventually relocating, taking a significant amount of valuable time out of our holiday - this issue spanned 4 days.

Unfortunately, moving rooms did not solve the wider issue because the construction noise could be heard very clearly around the main pool area. We experienced prolonged periods of drilling, sawing, banging and angle-grinding while trying to relax by the pool. This completely undermined the purpose of being on holiday and made it impossible to enjoy the peaceful, relaxing break we had paid for. I have numerous videos demonstrating exactly how loud the noise was.

On one occasion, the works were still extremely loud at approximately 4:45pm, despite us having been advised before travelling that they would finish at 4pm. This added to our frustration and made us feel that the information we had been given before travelling was simply not reliable.

What disappointed me most, however, was how I was treated when I continued to raise the issue.

On two occasions, I found the manner of one male reception staff member confrontational. On the second occasion, when I approached reception because the drilling was still going at around 4:45pm, I was met with: “What are you complaining about now? You got your room changed yesterday.”

I found this response extremely upsetting and dismissive. I was not complaining unnecessarily; I was raising a genuine and ongoing problem that had already significantly disrupted our holiday. Changing rooms had not stopped the noise, and I felt that I was being made to feel like a nuisance for continuing to report it.

When I asked for a manager, my request was initially refused and I eventually had to insist on speaking to one in front of other guests. I was extremely upset and visibly shaken afterwards. Other members of the management team subsequently dealt with me much more appropriately, but I found that particular interaction completely unacceptable and it left a very negative impression of the hotel.

The hotel did make attempts to resolve the situation. We were eventually moved to a higher-category room, offered spa access and, towards the end of our stay, given complimentary access to the UP! rooftop terrace. We appreciated these gestures, particularly the rooftop access, and I think it is important to acknowledge them.

However, these gestures came only after a considerable amount of distress and disruption. They did not undo the fact that a significant part of our holiday had already been affected by noise, repeated conversations, packing and unpacking, moving rooms, contacting the hotel, speaking with our travel agent and easyJet and documenting what was happening. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the hotel, we spent far too much of our holiday trying to deal with a problem we had specifically attempted to clarify before travelling.

I was also extremely disappointed to subsequently learn that the hotel’s response to easyJet focused on the fact that the physical refurbishment was confined to rooms on the sixth floor and that no works were taking place in the pool or communal areas. That was never our complaint. We knew the actual works were not taking place beside the pool. The issue was that the noise from those works was clearly audible and disruptive around the pool, contrary to what we had specifically been reassured about before travelling.

The hotel failed to accept the extent of their works affecting all holiday makers at the hotel. Numerous complaints were made and I spoke to countless other guest.

Focusing on where the physical work was taking place completely missed the point and made us feel that the impact on our holiday was being minimised rather than properly acknowledged.

EasyJet ultimately provided us with minor compensation of 15% of our holiday cost following our complaint. While we appreciated receiving something, I did not feel this was sufficient compensation for the hassle, upset and inability to fully relax and enjoy the holiday we had booked. The compensation did not reflect the amount of time lost, the repeated disruption or the distress caused by the way the situation was handled.

It is a real shame because, without this experience, I would have come away with a very different impression of the hotel. There are genuinely lots of positives about Vulcano. That is why this experience was so disappointing: the hotel has the potential to provide an excellent stay, but the refurbishment and the poor handling of our concerns overshadowed everything else.

Guests deserve accurate and honest information about the likely impact of building works before travelling. If we had been told that loud construction noise could be heard around the pool and could continue beyond the stated hours, we could have changed our hotel. Instead, we were reassured that there would be “nothing out at the pools”, only to experience the opposite.

When legitimate concerns are raised in resort, guests should also be treated respectfully and not made to feel as though they are being unreasonable for reporting an ongoing problem.

For anyone considering travelling while the refurbishment is ongoing, I would strongly recommend checking directly with your travel provider about the current extent, hours and likely impact of the works before booking or travelling. Based on our experience, if the refurbishment is still taking place, I would strongly advise against going unless you are prepared for significant noise, disruption and the possibility that the information provided beforehand will not reflect the reality.

I just want to write a short note to say, we had another wonderful stay at Volcano hotel and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel very welcome, and the staff were friendly, attentive and as helpful as always throughout our stay. Big shout to Pedro at the pool, so friendly, Georgina & Rosa at the bar, lovely girls..

The hotel is lovely, clean and comfortable, with a great atmosphere and everything we needed for a relaxing holiday, the recent changes are all fantastic & suit all ages, which is a great addition in my opinion.The location is fantastic, and we especially enjoyed being able to unwind and make the most of the beautiful surroundings & extras on offer.

A big thank you to the whole team for making our stay so enjoyable and memorable. We will be returning in December for another week and would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a relaxing and enjoyable stay in Playa De Las Americas. ❤️🌴☀️