H10 Playa Esmeralda

We had a lovely stay here. The resort is clean and the rooms are spacious. All staff are friendly and welcoming. They are fantastic for catering to food allergies today - I had a separate gluten free menu each day with a good variety of food on offer. The pancakes were fantastic! The resident turtles are a particular favourite to observe each day too.

I recently spent my holidays at H10 Playa Esmeralda. Overall, I enjoyed my stay, mainly thanks to the hotel’s infrastructure, layout and location. However, compared with my previous stay at another H10 hotel in Lanzarote, the service here was much less consistent and the property itself is clearly showing its age.

The hotel is nicely located next to a quiet road and right by a small beach, with some beautiful views. I really liked the way the rooms and buildings are spread around the property – it makes the hotel feel much smaller and more intimate than it actually is. The greenery and landscaping are also very pleasant.

Unfortunately, the service was very inconsistent. There are some employees who are excellent, genuinely engage with guests and clearly care about providing good service, while others seem to be there simply because they have to. Communication between departments was also a major issue. Getting something organised sometimes felt unnecessarily difficult, with different employees giving completely different information.

The Blue Bar was a good example. Sometimes the service was great, while at other times you could be completely ignored. Even when you went to the bar yourself, you could be told to sit down because someone would come and serve you – sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't. There seemed to be very little consistency in how things were organised. On the other hand, whenever the main bartenders appeared, everything suddenly started working like clockwork. Jose and Manuel deserve a special mention – their service was by far the best and genuinely guest-oriented.

I also had a very disappointing experience in the main restaurant, where we were told off for joining two tables together even though I had seen other guests doing exactly the same. We were then told to sit at an uncleared table, and the service only arrived with cutlery, napkins and drinks when we were already finishing our meal. I found the whole situation unacceptable.

Another example of poor communication was trying to arrange an early breakfast for a 7:30 AM excursion. Reception, the kitchen and the Prestige desk all gave us different information about whether it was possible, where to arrange it and whether the food could be taken away. After several conversations, we ended up with a voucher saying “no takeaway” and a cold breakfast available at 7:00 AM to eat on-site. A very simple request turned into a surprisingly complicated process.

The hotel is also clearly in need of some refurbishment. There are chipped and worn tiles, cracked sunbeds and various details that make the property feel tired. The potential is definitely there, but some investment would make a big difference. The sunbed situation is another issue. The hotel clearly states that reserving sunbeds is prohibited and that items left on reserved sunbeds will be removed, but this rule is simply not enforced. Arriving at the pool around 10 AM could already mean having nowhere to sit, despite many sunbeds being “reserved” with towels but not actually occupied.

Overall, H10 Playa Esmeralda is a good hotel with a great layout, good facilities and a very nice location, but it is held back by inconsistent service, poor communication and visible signs of ageing. With some investment and better consistency among the staff, it could be a really excellent property.

My Highlights and Downsides:

• Very good housekeeping and cleanliness
• Good variety of food
• Great location right next to the beach
• Well-designed hotel layout and pleasant landscaping
• Large outdoor pool and surprisingly pleasant indoor pool
• Well-equipped gym
• Well-equipped bars
• Non-intrusive entertainment
• Excellent wristband/key system
• Good access to the beach
• Blue Bar opening hours
• Jose and Manuel – excellent service

• Very inconsistent service
• Poor communication between departments
• Hotel showing signs of age and in need of refurbishment
• Worn/chipped tiles and cracked sunbeds
• Too few sunbeds for the size of the hotel
• Sunbed reservation policy is not enforced
• Only one bartender at the pool bar after opening, creating long queues
• No iron available for guests
• Bath towel changes limited to once a week, with additional changes charged
• Very inconsistent service at the Blue Bar
• Confusing early breakfast arrangements
• Poor restaurant service on one occasion
• Pool closed for a professional photoshoot during normal guest hours