Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Park

I’d work the new points mainly into the Star Prestige section and the conclusion, so it makes the contrast very clear without taking away from what is otherwise a very positive review.

4.5 out of 5 ⭐️

From the moment we arrived, our first impressions were excellent. We were greeted by a lovely member of staff who made check-in incredibly easy, and we were quickly shown to our room while our luggage was taken care of for us.

As we were travelling as a family of three, we’d booked a family room and managed to get an upgrade. The room had a great layout and initially we were really pleased with it. Unfortunately, after two nights the air conditioning packed up. However, rather than this becoming a negative experience, the hotel dealt with it brilliantly and upgraded us again, this time to an even better room in the Star Prestige area.

The new room had fantastic, uninterrupted views across the sea, beach and pool, and being in the quieter Prestige area made a huge difference. We were very happy with it.

The staff and service – absolutely brilliant

For me, this is where the hotel really deserves praise. The service throughout our eight-night stay was absolutely brilliant.

Every team we dealt with was friendly and welcoming – reception, restaurant staff, pool bar and everyone in between. The level of service is probably about as good as it gets. The people genuinely make this hotel and create a very relaxed atmosphere.

The rooms could do with an update

There are a couple of areas where I think the hotel could improve, which is why I can’t quite give it five stars.

The rooms are starting to feel dated and, in my opinion, are ready for a refurbishment. They work perfectly well from a practical point of view, and I can imagine that when the hotel was originally built they felt very modern, but they’re now beginning to show their age.

Better lighting, more electrical sockets, USB charging points and simply more useful places to put things would make a big difference. Nothing was particularly wrong with the rooms; they just need bringing up to the standard you’d expect from a modern five-star hotel.

Grounds and outdoor dining

The hotel itself is very spacious, but personally I would like to see more landscaping. There aren’t enough mature gardens, trees and shrubs for my taste, so some areas can feel quite open and there’s not a huge amount to look at.

Another disappointment was not having the option to eat outside. All the main dining areas are indoors, and on some evenings it became quite warm. When you’re somewhere like Lanzarote, it would be lovely to sit outside in the fresh air while having dinner.

Food

The food was excellent overall. We stayed for eight nights and I’d probably say that two of those evenings were fairly average, but the other nights were way above average.

Combined with the excellent service, mealtimes were enjoyable and very relaxed.

Star Prestige – almost a different hotel

The Prestige area was probably one of our favourite parts of the holiday, and I think it’s important to point out just how different the experience is compared with the other sections of the hotel.

It’s peaceful, there’s loads of space around the pool and nobody seems to be fighting for sunbeds. The beds themselves are really comfortable and you can genuinely just switch off and relax.

By contrast, if you’re considering the hotel primarily for a family holiday in one of the non-Prestige areas, I would perhaps think a little more carefully about what sort of experience you’re looking for. We noticed people getting up before 7 a.m. to put towels on sunbeds, despite the hotel making it clear that this shouldn’t be happening. Unfortunately, some guests simply ignore the rules.

The two non-Prestige sections – particularly around the children’s and all-inclusive areas – have a completely different atmosphere. For us, at busy times it felt much more like Butlin’s than the relaxed five-star resort experience we were looking for.

That isn’t necessarily a criticism if you’re travelling with children and want a busy, lively family atmosphere – plenty of people will probably love it. But it is worth knowing before you book because the difference between those areas and Star Prestige is considerable.

If, however, you’re looking for the Prestige experience, I would definitely recommend it. In our experience, it genuinely felt like staying at a different hotel. It was quieter, calmer and much more exclusive, and it completely changed our overall impression of the resort.

Would we return?

Yes, I probably would return to the Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Park, but personally I would choose Star Prestige.

I’m not a massive fan of Playa Blanca. To me, parts of it feel a little too much like Blackpool, whereas we’re more used to places such as Costa Adeje in Tenerife and Meloneras in Gran Canaria, which suit us better. But that’s obviously personal preference and absolutely no reflection on the hotel itself.

Judging the hotel purely on its own merits, it’s a very good hotel.

What really makes it special isn’t necessarily the building or the rooms – it’s the people, the service and the relaxed atmosphere they create, particularly in the Prestige area.

I wouldn’t quite give it five out of five because of the dated rooms, lack of mature landscaping, absence of outdoor dining and the very different atmosphere in the busier non-Prestige areas.

But it’s a very strong 4.5 out of 5.

And I’m quite critical when it comes to hotels, so if I’m giving it 4.5, I can imagine plenty of people would quite happily give it a solid 5 out of 5.

Lovely hotel complex . Food great. Entertainment staff excellent. They throw themselves fully into everything from bingo , kids club and party night. Just a quick mention of Louis on the entertainment team who works so hard to make people's holiday fun.

We retuned to this hotel this year as we were offered a free upgrade from half board to all inclusive due to the fact that my baby caught a nasty case of hand, foot and mouth there the last time we stayed in 2025. On returning this year we paid more for a full sea view room. Upon checking into the room the view was completed blocked by a tree. It was very misleading to call this a full sea view room and to have the nerve to charge more for it. The restaurant and the pool were great. However once again my now toddler caught hand, foot and mouth while there for a second time. There were also signs that despite marketing themselves as a five star hotel, the details were not up to scratch. For example the door to the bathroom was badly damaged by water. So much so that we couldn’t shut it as it wouldn’t swing. We reported this to staff on our day of arrival, but nothing was ever done about it despite us being there for a further 9 nights.