Barcelo Lanzarote Active

I was expecting something quite different to what we got when we booked the hotel as we had already stayed at a barcello in playa Blanca earlier on in the year. My initial feeling over the first couple of days was disappointed purely because I was comparing both holidays when in fact they were very different in many ways. the hotel is beautiful. the staff are fabulous and it's in a lovely location. it's a nice big resort with having two hotels on either side of the road. it has a good atmosphere and Vibe and there's a bit of everything for everybody. the rooms were spotlessly clean with everything that you would need. if you don't want to stay at the hotel, you can get the bus from directly outside or a taxi which is only 4 Euros into the square, which is definitely worth a visit because it's a hive of activity with lots of pubs and restaurants and shops. the resort is a lovely resort. the beach is beautiful which is not far from the main town centre. the only disappointment with the whole hotel was the evening meal.. im vegetarian so sometimes I don't really worry because there's always something. but unfortunately this hotel puts tuna in everything LOL. and I mean everything which is okay if you like tuna. but unlike me I have an allergy so I just can't eat it. it was in everything it was in the tomato sauce for the pasta. it was in all the salads. my biggest fear was cross-contamination from the serving pincers. It would be really good moving forward. if the hotel could put stickers saying contains fish or contains nuts. it really is quite difficult so we didn't eat in the hotel on an evening we had to eat out. there really was nothing that I could eat other than chips or soup, but that didn't ruin the holiday. it just gave us the chance to go out on an evening which was well worth it and then we came back in time for the entertainment which is brilliant. either side gives you a different evening. but overall the staff are fabulous. would I visit again? yeah I probably would If they cleaned up the tired areas that really do need attention, a few chipped tiles around the pool, not the end of the world unless you're standing on the debris. and the poolside toilets. they're blocked the floor's wet and there isn't really anywhere to dry properly. if you're having a shower before you're heading on the couch to go home, but overall fabulous holiday. And if you want somewhere fabulous to go on an evening. Pablo's in the Square was absolutely amazing.

Booked this 20 day break wanting a chilled out pool and sun break. Chose the Barcelo as I’ve stayed in other really nice Barcelo hotels that are great. I specifically chose this one because it had so many pools including an adults only pool, thinking we could chill out and sunbath.

The room is lovely, facing the ocean it’s spacious clean and well equipped.

We’re half board which is great for breakfast which has a great variety of hot and cold options . As we like to eat out we won’t be eating here in the evening.

There are several à la carte restaurants on site , opening on various days.

The public areas (in the main) are really clean , some of the corridors to the rooms are in need of a renovation.

Biggest issue is the pools. This hotel accommodates 1600-1800 when full. Currently it’s the week before most uk schools go on half term, so far from full.

Day one we popped I to Costa Teguise (forgot to pack swim suit) , got to the pool at 1300- no beds at the pool. We then went to the other part of the hotel across the road where there are a further 3 pools including the adults only pool . Again no beds and the adults only pool closed.

At this point we wrote the day off and decided to sunbathe on the balcony of our room .

After discovering that it was only chairs on the balcony not loungers I went to speak to reception to voice my concerns.

They were very understand apologetic , they didn’t realise the adults only pool was closed until a colleague said it had been closed all season. They said that some of the beds were in maintenance and they would get us a couple, which they did albeit in a shady area where we had no sun for the afternoon.

Day 2 we have a plan . Breakfast at 8 then queue for rope drop at 9 . This is just like the memes you see on Facebook .People queuing foaming at the mouth like the mums in the parents race at sports day.

As soon as it’s 9am all bets are off and everyone launches themselves over gardens , through palms , racing around the pool to get beds . We managed to get a couple and enjoyed our day.

Day 2 same again. We managed to get 2 beds but then had to put up with a family giving us the stink eye all day as we had 2 of the 8 beds they were hoping to grab.

It may sound like a small thing but the whole point of this holiday was to rest ahead of surgery which will result in 3 months recovery. The hotel is significantly under equipped and to have to take part in the daily “whacky races” to get a bed is quite frankly humiliating. I’d expect this in a budget hotel in Benidorm not a 4* Barcelo.

As a brand Barcelo is recognised as a quality operator of quality hotels , I’d suggest one of the brand managers come here to try out the guest experience and think about if it fits with the Barcelo brand.