Melia Fuerteventura Hotel

We are staying at the hotel presently but I wanted to write now as I don’t want others to make the same mistake as us and waste their summer holiday here. I very rarely write reviews but am compelled to do so in this instance.

Do not book this hotel - if you have booked and still have time to cancel please do and go elsewhere!!!

The hotel has a huge staffing issue in terms of quantity of staff and the training of the ones who are here. It is not the general staff’s fault - but it is the fault of management who are aware this is the case but still happy to take bookings from guests who are expecting 5* service. I would genuinely say it’s closer to 3*. Just a few of our issues so far below:

Our room was booked for 2 adults/2 kids. We arrive at the hotel just before midnight so very tired. The sofa bed in the room which will accommodate 2 kids is not pulled out / made up. No problem, we request bedding from the guy who delivers the luggage. None comes. I ring reception, they promise it will come shortly. It never arrives. I let my kids sleep in the big bed with my husband and I sleep on a sofa bed with not even a sheet on. I had to request the bedding twice again the next day before it came. This is an ongoing problem - you have to ask for everything 3/4/5 times before you eventually get it.

Food/drink service is dire, we’ve had to have a meal in any of the restaurants / bars where it’s taken less than 30- 45 minutes to arrive & where we’ve had all the items we ordered. I am not exaggerating!

The Italian restaurant is closed - no explanation, no compensation.

The summer pool bar by the kids pool area is not staffed and only has water, juice and sweets, the coffee machine does not work, there are no ice creams or soft drinks or (god forbid on an AI holiday) alcoholic options available. If you want anything other than water and sweets during the day you have to walk out of the kids area to The Shack, where the queue to the bar is never less than 8 people deep with one barman working. To not be able to easily get a coffee or a Coca-Cola at a 5* all inclusive resort during the day is frankly bizarre.

Another thing I would expect to be easily accessible and plentiful in an all inclusive resort is ice cream. I have 3 kids under 10 so obviously this is important on holiday! In terms of fully stocked all I genuinely expect is chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. For the majority of our time here all there has been is nougat and lemon sorbet! It’s also only open for 4 out of 24 hours everyday.

I honestly could go on and on with why this hotel is not 5 or to be honest even 4*. Please don’t waste your money and more importantly your pressure holiday time with your kids here. As I say I’m not a moaner and rarely review but felt compelled to as it’s been so awful. Frankly can’t believe we have another week to go and just wish we could move. So disappointed and upset.

Also to add, my husband has reported all these issues yesterday afternoon and we’ve had no response from management yet. Apparently not a priority.

I have been visiting this hotel for over 18 years, dating back to before its renovation. Back then, the standard of service was significantly better. Since the renovation, I have stayed here twice, including this summer for 15 nights, paying over €6,000 (around €600 per night) for two adults and one child.

The location remains absolutely stunning. The lagoon beach is one of the most beautiful places on Fuerteventura, and being close to the René Egli surf centre is the main reason I kept returning. Unfortunately, the hotel itself no longer lives up to its five-star rating.

The biggest issue is that the management seems to have completely lost control of the operation. Simple requests—such as preparing the sofa bed or replacing a pillow after it became stained with chocolate—had to be repeated four or five times before anything happened. Throughout our stay, almost every request required constant follow-up.

The most disappointing experience happened on my son’s 8th birthday. I had reserved two Bali beds and purchased the hotel’s birthday package, spending more than €200 to make the day special. I had carefully selected and prepaid a mango and passion fruit cake because my son has a severe strawberry allergy. Even the smallest amount of strawberry would require immediate hospital treatment. This allergy was communicated multiple times, including during restaurant reservations, yet we were repeatedly served desserts decorated with strawberries despite staff confirming the allergy when we entered the restaurants.

This is simply unacceptable for any hotel, let alone a five-star luxury resort.

On the morning of his birthday, instead of the cake I had ordered and paid for, the hotel delivered a chocolate strawberry cake, making it impossible for my son to eat his own birthday cake. There was no replacement provided that day, despite the mistake being entirely the hotel’s responsibility.

Things became even worse when we arrived at the pool. The two Bali beds I had reserved and paid for were occupied by other guests, who were drinking our prepaid champagne. The hotel should have ensured that reserved beds were clearly managed and protected. Instead, we were offered only one Bali bed as compensation. Even more surprisingly, at check-out the hotel attempted to charge us for this compensation because apparently nobody remembered the agreement.

Although the birthday package itself was eventually refunded, no replacement cake was provided on my son’s birthday. His special day was completely ruined, despite all the extra money I had spent to create a memorable experience.

Communication throughout the hotel was another major issue. While some Guest Experience staff were friendly, others were quite dismissive. English communication was often difficult, and even ordering drinks at the paid Bali beds became frustrating because staff frequently did not understand basic requests. On one occasion, a children’s cocktail was even served containing alcohol, which is an extremely serious mistake.

Overall, we spent 15 nights during the summer high season, and instead of relaxing, I left feeling exhausted and disappointed. My previous stay in March, when the hotel was quieter, was noticeably better. During the busy season, however, the service simply collapsed.

For the prices this hotel charges, these mistakes are unacceptable. A luxury five-star resort should deliver excellent service consistently, especially when guests are paying premium rates. Instead, I found myself repeatedly chasing staff for basic requests and dealing with preventable mistakes that significantly affected our holiday.

The location is wonderful, but unfortunately the service no longer matches it. I have also spoken with several other guests who shared similar frustrations about the poor service compared with the very high prices.

Another disappointing experience happened right at check-in. Despite having booked and paid for a specific room category, I was initially assigned a completely different and inferior room. Only after several discussions with the reception staff was I finally given the room category I had originally booked. This should never happen in a five-star resort. Guests should be able to trust that they will receive exactly what they have paid for without having to argue at reception. My advice: always double-check your room category at check-in to ensure you receive what you actually booked.

Sadly, despite loving this location for nearly two decades, I will not return. There are many other luxury hotels where your money will be far better spent.

My advice: choose another hotel.

We were unfortunate to arrive during a water sports championship taking place next to the hotel. The event appears to be organised by or in cooperation with the hotel, and the music is extremely loud, continuing until around 5 a.m. It seems this will happen every night. We asked to move to a quieter room, but unfortunately we felt that the management did not take our concerns seriously or make a genuine effort to help. It is a real shame, as this nightly noise is likely to ruin the holiday for many guests currently staying at the hotel. We believe guests should be informed about such an event before booking so they can make an informed decision. The food is average.