Club Maspalomas Suites and Spa

First of all, we had a really lovely holiday at Club Maspalomas Suites & Spa. The hotel was spotlessly clean, aesthetically beautiful, and we really enjoyed the pool areas. Our favourite was definitely the rooftop spa pool, which was especially lovely in the evenings. Our room was modern, spacious and clean, with a mini fridge and a lovely outdoor seating area backing onto the pool. We also really enjoyed having our own day bed just outside the room, which made it so convenient to pop back for a drink or to cool off before returning to the pool. The hotel itself was peaceful and relaxing, making it a great place unwind.

We also enjoyed several of the evening entertainment acts, with our favourites being the ABBA Tribute, The Dukes Band, and the jazz singer. Breakfast was excellent, offering a wide variety of choice. Unfortunately, we didn't feel the same about the evening meal, which I'll come onto later.

Overall, we had a relaxing holiday, enjoyed plenty of sunshine, and stayed in a beautiful hotel. However, as a young couple in our mid-twenties, we personally wouldn't return, and here's why.

Firstly, the location is quite isolated. We usually like to stay somewhere where we can easily walk to local restaurants, shops, or attractions, but this hotel is fairly secluded unless you have a car or use taxis or buses. We did hire a car for a day through Orlando Car Hire, which was a quick and easy process thanks to the hotel's partnership with them.

Before travelling, I had read reviews suggesting there was plenty nearby. While that's true if you have a car, it's less convenient on foot. The hotel does provide a complimentary shuttle bus to the beach, but it only runs three times in the morning between 9:15am and 11:30am. It would be great if there was an additional service after midday. Likewise, the last shuttle back is around 4:30pm, meaning you can't really enjoy the beach into the evening without paying for a taxi.

We also walked to the nearby HiperDino supermarket one day, which took around 15 minutes via a slightly unusual route. This ended up being an essential trip, as we wanted to stock up on drinks and snacks due to the hotel's pricing.

This brings me to my next point. We found the food and drinks at the hotel to be incredibly expensive. As far as I'm aware, the hotel only offers half board, so lunch has to be purchased separately. One afternoon we ordered just one pizza and one burger with chips. The meals were €18 each, bringing the total to €36 for lunch before we'd even ordered any drinks. Drinks were also very expensive, comparable to London prices. Given the hotel's isolated location, it did feel as though guests had little choice but to pay these prices unless they left the resort, which is why we ended up stocking up on drinks and snacks from the supermarket instead.

As I mentioned earlier, we were also disappointed with the evening buffet. The quality and taste of the food we tried was always good, but the variety was surprisingly limited, particularly when it came to the main courses. There were plenty of salad options, cold meats, cheeses, vegetables and side dishes, but very few actual main dishes to choose from each evening. We found ourselves eating very similar meals throughout the week because there simply wasn't much variety. The dessert selection was also very small. We've stayed in several 3, 4, and 5-star hotels over the years, and this was honestly the smallest evening buffet selection we've experienced. It was probably the biggest disappointment of our stay.

Finally, we felt the hotel could offer a little more daytime entertainment, particularly because of its secluded location. There were some activities available, such as aqua gym sessions and workshops. I attended the Paint, Wine & Cheese activity, but I had expected it to be a guided painting session. Instead, it was simply 45 minutes of free painting with a few pieces of cheese and a glass of wine. I also really enjoyed the aqua gym, but it would have been nice if this ran more frequently during the summer season.

It might also be nice if the hotel introduced some additional activities, such as quizzes, bingo, shuffleboard or darts. I appreciate that may not be the atmosphere the hotel is aiming for, but given its location, having a few more optional activities would have enhanced the experience.

That said, I can't fault the staff. Every member of the team we encountered was friendly, attentive and welcoming. A special mention goes to Rubi, who was particularly warm, thoughtful and made us feel genuinely looked after throughout our stay.

Overall, we genuinely had a lovely holiday, and there are many things the hotel does exceptionally well. The facilities are beautiful, the atmosphere is peaceful, and the staff are fantastic. However, when compared with other hotels of a similar standard and price, we felt it fell slightly short in a few key areas, particularly the location, value for money, the variety of the evening buffet, and the range of activities. While we wouldn't return ourselves, I can absolutely understand why it appeals to guests looking for a peaceful, relaxing escape.

My boyfriend and I stayed here a week in July and loved every second. Upon arrival we were greeted with a glass of fizz and parked our hire car outside free or charge. Our suite was very clean and was cleaned everyday. The bed was HUGE and the pillows were incredible. The pool was lovely, the beds are comfortable and there was never an issue with availability. We booked bed and breakfast and the breakfast choice was insane! Breads, pastries, jams, cooked breakfast, freshly cooked eggs, fruit, yoghurts, hams, cheeses and fizz - spoilt for choice. We did book in for the Italian one night which we could do even though we we were not half board and it was sooo delicious - highly recommend!

All staff were very friendly and work incredibly hard.

A coach is offered several times throughout the day to take you to the beach at no cost and walking to the beach front is around a 15/20 minute walk.

I even said to my partner, I would come back on my own and go half board! We will definitely return, I am already looking at booking again :)