Reina Isabel

Extremely Disappointing Start to Our Family Vacation

We are currently staying at Bull Reina Isabel & Spa for five nights with our family, who have traveled from different countries to spend time together. What should have been a memorable family holiday has unfortunately turned into a very disappointing experience after just the first night.

We booked three suites, and two of them had significant air conditioning issues.

In our suite, the bedroom air conditioning did not work throughout the night, leaving both my 10-year-old daughter and me unable to sleep after a long day of international travel. My parents, who are in their 70s, also experienced air conditioning problems in their suite. The vent directly above their bed was not functioning, and the hotel’s temporary solution was to place a portable air conditioning unit in the bathroom with the drainage hose emptying into the Jacuzzi tub. This caused water to overflow and flood the bathroom, creating yet another inconvenience.

The following morning, the air conditioning in my room was finally repaired. I do want to acknowledge Sarah at reception and the air conditioning technician, both of whom were courteous, professional, and genuinely tried to help. Unfortunately, their efforts cannot make up for the uncomfortable first night we experienced.

What has been even more frustrating is the lack of management involvement. We have repeatedly asked to speak with the manager, Alfredo, but each time we are simply told that a message will be passed along and that someone will contact us. So far, no one has.

Customer service throughout the hotel has been extremely disappointing. While a few employees have been helpful, most have been dismissive and lacking in basic hospitality. In particular, Rosi at reception was consistently rude, spoke over guests rather than listening, and showed very little willingness to resolve concerns professionally.

To compensate for the inconvenience, the hotel sent wine and chocolate-covered strawberries to both affected rooms. However, my parents received only the strawberries and an ice bucket—without the wine. When my father asked what the ice bucket was for, Rosi initially claimed it was the ice he had requested earlier that day, despite having previously told him to go to the restaurant and get it himself. She later admitted that the wine had simply been forgotten.

We still have four nights remaining at this hotel. Unfortunately, every comparable property in the area is fully booked, leaving us with no choice but to stay.

I sincerely hope someone from senior management reads this review and reaches out to make things right. My family and I travel extensively around the world, and I have personally worked in luxury hospitality, including with Four Seasons, as well as several other international hotel brands. Because of that experience, I understand that problems can happen. What defines a hotel is how those problems are handled. Sadly, the level of customer service and lack of accountability we have experienced here has been among the worst I have encountered, especially from a hotel of this standard.

Unfortunately we were not able to make our flight to Gran Canaria and therefore as a matter of courtesy, immediately informed the hotel of our non attendance. Having then emailed the hotel on two occasions over a period of 7 weeks, I am STILL waiting on a response or even an acknowledgment of my enquiry to confirm their cancellation policy, which indicated we are due a partial refund. The hotel clearly has no interest at all in us as a paying customer, despite having taken full payment for our stay.

The hotel is in a superb location on the beach front of Las Canteras beach. It is definitely worth booking a sea front room, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It is very well furnished, large rooms and very comfortable albeit becoming a little dated. The food is good and buffet breakfast has a large selection including show cooking. The Marina bar is again superbly located and the restaurant is a lovely location with private tables surrounded by vegetation. The staff are generally very helpful. Although they failed when we were leaving. I have a mobility scooter and my partner is over 80; we asked if we could have help with our luggage; IT WAS REFUSED. EXTREMELY DISSAPOINTED! This let down some lovely staff and what would have been an enjoyable experience!