- Lanzarote Holidays
- Playa Blanca
- SBH Royal Monica
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SBH Royal Monica
Spain, Europe
Playa Blanca
The hotel is located next to a small natural beach with small coves available to our guests. The hotel SBH Royal Mónica features expansive facilities with large, bright rooms decorated with modern and attractive furnishings. The gastronomy is another strength at the hotel SBH Royal Mónica and is present in different areas of the hotel (snack bar and restaurant).
The centre of Playa Blanca is just 4 km away and you can get there if you wish by taking a pleasant walk along the maritime walkway next to the hotel or by public transport via the suburban trains.
The paradisiacal beaches of Papagayo are approximately ten minutes away by car. Also quite close to the hotel (around 15 km) is the Timanfaya National Park, also known as Montañas de Fuego (Fire Mountains), and El Golfo, a picturesque fishing village where you can enjoy their rich gastronomic offering based on top quality fresh fish and seafood. If you'd like to visit the neighbouring island, Fuerteventura, there are several daily connections by boat from the Playa Blanca port. The journey only takes 20 minutes.
Facilities
- Tennis
- Billiards*
- Beach volleyball
- Volleyball
- Handball
- Cycling / mountain biking*
- Aerobics
- Table tennis
- Diving*
- Massage*
- Please note some facilities may incur an additional fee
The Local Area
Tripadvisor Reviews
4.0 Very Good1,958 reviews
Excellent
27%
Very Good
42%
Average
17%
Poor
7%
Terrible
6%
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
An honest review
The hotel aThe hotel and rooms were clean and tidy, and the staff was polite. The rooms were spacious and accommodated our family of four comfortably. The food was good, with a variety of options available for both us and the kids. However, the service could be slow at times, as we often had to wait for staff to bring out more food.
The hotel itself is in need of renovation, as it shows signs of aging, particularly the pool area. There was some daytime entertainment, but it was limited. The drinks were not very enjoyable; despite paying for an all-inclusive package, the cocktails were unappetizing, and the beer tasted watery.
During our stay, there was no kids' club available, and the evening entertainment was quite poor. As a result, we spent most of our days exploring outside the hotel and in Playa Blanca, as there wasn't much to do around the hotel itself. Overall, it wasn't the best place we've stayed at; we've experienced much better accommodations for a similar price.
Great for couples and families
I always write my reviews in the same manner. I always do my reviews half way through the holiday so I am still in the right frame of mind, and I always explain that our standards are not excessively high. We have been to Playa Blanca numerous times and know Lanzarote fairly well.. Royal Monica was classed as 3 star when we booked up. We always budget for a 3* -4* hotel and they are all very similar as regards rooms, entertainment and food. If one hotel is better in one aspect, you tend to find it will let itself down in others, so at the price we pay, we never expect perfection Firstly, the room. We paid extra for a sea view which is definitely worth it. There are two levels of apartments on the sea front and the downstairs rooms hasve their own patio, which is less than a stones throw away from the sea. The location would be difficult to beat in that respect. Otherwise, the hotel itself is about a 45 minute walk along the seafront to the centre of the town, but we hired a car so we had the choice. There are closer shops and bars than this however. Entertainment is available but limited. The 'Animation' team do games for kids and adults throughout the day, like boules, pool sports etc, and then bingo quizzes and disco on the night. There are two main pools and a smaller one for toddlers. Plenty of sunbeds are available including some on the hotels private beach (which is a small pebble beach) The rooms themselves are fairly standard twin double. They were kept very clean throughout the stay and were cool from the heat outside. Some may think the decor is dated but I didn't think this. The mattress was too hard for my liking, but still able to sleep. When people complain about these types of holiday, jt often involves food. The food is standard for your 3 or 4 style hotel. They have to cater for many nationalities, so it is a simple affair. A pork orr chicken dish most night.s Also, chips, rice or potatosj and warm vegetables. Always a plentiful variety of fruit and salads along with deserts. The all inclusive here is a positive. Normally, drinks are limited in one way or another. But here, you can have cocktails which is not usual. Often the beer and wine along with soft drinks is self service, along with tea and coffee. All staff we have met are friendly and eager to please,. The dining room staff work tirelessly to make sure there are always tables clean, and you can see the chefs prepare food. The animation team are proactive in getting people involved and the cleaners do a great job. I would not describe this as a negative as such, but some of the complex is in need of modernising. There are people working on this and from what we noticed it is mainly cosmetic and not a big deal. Again, not a negative, but a lot of the patrons are French. We always book with love holidays, and whilst they are by far the cheapest, we never end up in an English hotel. We prefer this. We find all nationalities to be polite my in general, and there are enough English families to socialise if you choose. Finally, be aware that if you come in July, it is Lanzarote s windiest month. In previous hotels, this has rocked hazardous as we have come close to being impaled by sun umbrellas. But here, they are solid wood umbrellas so it is a lot safer.
Lovely location. Hotel questionable
For my first solo trip I definitely picked the right location. Beach literally on the doorstep with the most stunning views. Hotel however was very hit or miss, food seemed to be very repetitive but loved the pizza in the pool bar. But if you like fish plenty on offer, the two nights I got chicken it’s wasn’t cooked. Bar staff so friendly and accommodating. By far best thing of the week was Aqua Dance with Pedro it was so funny and a great experience. Day time experience otherwise was lacking no music by the pool during the day unless aqua dance was on.
Where to start
Rooms were clean ,food ok ,fish had lots of bones in it apart from the fresh tuna which was nice as was the tinned tuna ,meat on offer was pork ,pork loin ,hog roast ,pork chops ,pork steaks ,beef stew ,on my arrival travelling solo ,I sat for evening meal ,around half eight ISH ,they served meals until 9 30 in the evenings I made the mistake of sitting at a table for five ,the restaurant assistant was rather rude ,telling me they had to clear up as they had to prep for breakfast ,after that I made sure I sat at a table for two ,so one evening same restaurant assistant came up to me ,pulled the chair up opposite as I was sitting down and said table for two I said no just me ,having lost my husband earlier this year to cancer ,I thought he was out of order the little sod ,all entertainment was aimed at the french ,plus the Germans well that's another story ,I found it too far out of center of playa blanca ,4 mile walk in same back ,not ideal in the heat ,plus an insect the size of a mouse running round my room on first night due to me opening the patio doors slightly to let some air in as Aircon didn't work and ceiling fan didn't work but if it had it would have been far to noisy ,as I could hear next doors ceiling fan ,would I stay here again not on your nelly
Please read if your going with your family, a solo woman traveller or someone who is disabled
We stayed at this hotel in July and, while there were some positives, our experience was ultimately overshadowed by a very serious safety concern and the hotel’s disappointing response to it. The views are beautiful, the pool area is lovely, and some of the bar staff and reception staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, these positives do not outweigh the issues we experienced during our stay. The most concerning part of our holiday was when my mum and I were followed back to our room by a man. We were staying in one of the beach-view rooms, which are located beside a public walkway where anyone can walk past. The man followed us and then attempted to get into our room, damaging the door in the process. It was only when I screamed that he ran away. What made the situation even more alarming was that he later returned and appeared to be watching our room. He stood outside staring towards our room and only left when he saw that my mum’s fiancé’s sons had returned. As two women, this was an incredibly frightening experience and made us feel extremely unsafe. We reported the incident immediately by phone and in person at reception. Unfortunately, the response from the hotel was shocking. Rather than showing concern and taking the matter seriously, staff appeared dismissive. I was even told to “calm down”, despite being an 18-year-old woman who’s it’s her first time abroad who had just experienced a man attempting to enter our room. We were left feeling unsupported, unsafe, and as though our concerns were not being taken seriously. A situation involving a guest’s safety should never be handled this way. This raises serious concerns about guest security, particularly for women travelling alone, young female travellers, and families with children. A man attempting to gain access to a guest room and then returning to watch the occupants should have been treated with far greater urgency. There were also several other issues throughout our stay. Some of the food was regularly served cold, and while there was a reasonable selection available, the menus rarely changed. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner often felt like the same food being served repeatedly every day. After a few days it became very repetitive and quite sickening, especially for guests staying for longer periods. There was also no bath plug provided in our room, meaning the bath could not be used properly, which seems like a very basic requirement for a hotel room. The hotel is also not disability-friendly at all. Many of the pathways are uneven, bumpy, cracked, and unstable, making them difficult to navigate safely. In addition, the shower/bath was very high to step into, which could be challenging and potentially unsafe for elderly guests, people with mobility issues, or anyone requiring accessibility support. To make matters worse, we paid €50 to hire a wheelchair for five days, only to find that one of the tyres was flat and the wheelchair was uncomfortable to use. Because of this, it was barely used, making it a complete waste of money. Given the condition of the pathways around the hotel and our experience with the wheelchair, I would strongly recommend that anyone with mobility issues hire a mobility scooter instead if possible, as it would likely be much safer, more comfortable, and easier to get around the resort. What made this even more frustrating was that my mum’s fiancé, who relies on a mobility scooter, was told by one receptionist that he was not allowed to use the lift with it to get down to the restaurant. We found this completely ridiculous and extremely insensitive given that mobility aids are essential for many guests. Preventing or discouraging someone from using a lift to access facilities because they are using a mobility scooter is not what you would expect from a hotel that claims to accommodate all guests. Another issue was the lack of privacy around some of the beach-view rooms. Because they are situated beside public walkways, people can easily walk past and look directly towards the rooms, which became particularly concerning after the incident we experienced. It’s a shame because the hotel has beautiful surroundings and some genuinely lovely staff members. However, guest safety, accessibility, and guest welfare should always be the highest priorities. The frightening experience we had, combined with the dismissive response afterwards and the accessibility issues we encountered, completely overshadowed the positive aspects of our holiday. Another thing we noticed throughout our stay was that, as English and Irish guests, we often felt uncomfortable due to the behaviour of some other hotel guests. From the moment we arrived until the day we left, we experienced constant staring, dirty looks, and what felt like unfriendly attitudes from certain guests. Whether we were simply walking through the hotel, sitting by the pool, eating in the restaurant, or having a conversation amongst ourselves, we frequently noticed people staring at us for extended periods of time. It created an uncomfortable atmosphere and made us feel unwelcome during parts of our holiday. While we understand that the behaviour of other guests is not directly controlled by the hotel, it unfortunately added to the negative experience we had and contributed to us not feeling particularly comfortable or relaxed during our stay. I would strongly advise other guests, particularly women travelling alone, families with children, and those with mobility difficulties, to carefully consider these issues before booking. Personally my experience at this hotel has turned me off from going abroad for awhile.
