Iberostar Palace Fuerteventura

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I wanted to start with the positives and then include a few suggestions for improvement rather than complaints.

When we arrived, the buffet was due to close in around 25 minutes. Rather than making us go through a lengthy check-in process first, the staff immediately gave us our wristbands so we could get some dinner before the restaurant closed. It was a really thoughtful touch, especially after travelling for several hours and arriving hungry. Check-in itself was smooth, although we weren't given our pool towel cards and had to return to reception the following day to collect them.

The hotel itself is immaculate. The decor is beautiful, the grounds are exceptionally well maintained and everything feels clean and well looked after. The food was absolutely amazing and, surprisingly, we actually preferred the buffet to the Almar restaurant. The Teppanyaki restaurant also went above and beyond for me as I don't eat fish. They prepared chicken and a vegetarian starter instead, which made the experience so much better and was greatly appreciated.

The rooms were lovely, comfortable and cleaned to a high standard. The housekeeping team did a fantastic job, with regular towel changes and everything kept spotless throughout our stay. My only disappointment was the side sea view room. In our case, the view was mainly of the road with the sea visible in the distance, so I didn't feel it justified the additional cost. We also had a shower and would personally have preferred a bath.

The beach was fantastic. Beautiful golden sand, no stones, and plenty of space. The sea was a little cold at first but lovely once you were in. The only downside was the occasional strong wind, which can leave you feeling slightly sandblasted, but that's simply part of the island and certainly didn't stop us enjoying the beach.

A special mention has to go to the entertainment team, who were absolutely first class. We especially loved Judith and "Mr Aqua Gym" (as we nicknamed him). They brought so much energy, enthusiasm and friendliness every day. What I particularly liked was that they never pressured anyone into joining activities. Everything was available if you wanted to take part, but it was never pushed on guests. Ironically, that relaxed approach actually made me want to get involved more. They work incredibly hard and deserve recognition for the atmosphere they create around the hotel.

One of the things we loved most about this hotel was the calm and relaxing atmosphere. Unlike many resorts, it doesn't have a loud "go, go, go" feel. There seems to be a genuine focus on relaxation, wellbeing and mindfulness, which suited us perfectly.

However, this was unfortunately spoiled somewhat on our final day. Earlier in the week, a group of English guests were asked by a pool attendant to lower their noise levels when they became quite loud in the pool. We thought this was fair and helped maintain the peaceful atmosphere around the hotel.

On our final day, however, a much larger group of Spanish guests arrived around the pool area. They were significantly louder, played music from mobile phones and generally disrupted what had previously been a very relaxing environment. It became so noticeable that several guests actually moved away from the area to escape the noise. What disappointed us was that, despite being noticeably louder than the group who had previously been spoken to, no member of staff appeared to intervene or ask them to be more considerate of other guests. It left us feeling that the same standards were not being applied consistently.

We also noticed that the English-language television channels appeared to stop broadcasting at around 11pm, while channels for other nationalities remained available. This may have been due to a technical or licensing issue, but as UK guests it did leave us feeling somewhat overlooked.

A couple of suggestions for improvement:

During water polo, there was an occasion where the ball was hit quite hard and flew over the adjoining steps leading down towards the beach. Had it struck a small child, it could have caused a serious injury. It may be worth considering moving water polo to the other pool where there is less risk to passers-by.

Secondly, because Fuerteventura can be very windy, it would be nice to have somewhere more secure to place drinks around the pool area. We regularly found cups blowing over in the wind. Sunbeds or side tables with cup holders would be a simple addition that would make a noticeable difference.

Overall, we had a fantastic holiday. The cleanliness, food, beach, entertainment team and overall quality of the hotel were excellent. The few issues we experienced did not ruin our stay, and we would happily return in the future. Thank you to all the staff who worked so hard to make our holiday enjoyable.

So glad we chose this hotel for our honeymoon! The hotel is gorgeous, the location is stunning, and the food and drinks are excellent, but the staff truly make this place a five star hotel. Everyone on staff was so lovely and accommodating- from greeting us with cava and allowing us to check in early, to our friendly and attentive housekeeper, we felt spoiled from the moment we arrived. We booked Star Prestige and it was worth every penny- we reveled in having a slightly more exclusive, quiet, and luxurious experience. If you are looking for an adults only experience- book this! As a vegetarian, I always felt I had plenty of food options. Though if you decide to make a reservation at one of the non-buffet restaurants, Al Mar or Teppanyaki (we ate at both and highly recommend!), make sure you list your dietary restrictions in your booking for a more seamless experience.

While we would absolutely return again, we do have a couple of recommendations. First, be advised that the hotel is over an hour from the airport. We took taxis to and from as we could not find shuttles or busses during our arrival and departure times. This was expensive (~120 euros each way) and I would have gladly paid a bit extra if the hotel offered a shuttle.

Finally, while the beach is absolutely stunning and steps away from the hotel , we did not enjoy as much as we hoped to. I understand that beaches are public domain in Spain, so hotels can't have their own chairs on them. However, it seemed a bit steep to pay 18 euros for beach chairs when we had access to pools so close by. As a work around, it would be great if the hotel offered folding chairs that guests could check out for the day and take to the beach.

Overall, we loved spending the week at this beautiful hotel and would love to return.