Dreams Lanzarote Playa Dorada

The location is amazing- really accessible for Marina Rubicon and also the restaurants and bars in Playa Blanca, and of course the beach. Check in was easy and the staff were polite and helpful. Breakfast in the preferred club area was poor- table service very slow and food mediocre. Other restaurant was absolutely fine so we used that instead- club lounge was excellent for coffee, cold drinks and snacks throughout the day. We had a problem with the air con and mini fridge in our room which was basically making lots of noise all night - so we asked to be moved after two nights- this was sorted and the rest of our stay was absolutely fine. Negatives- the chairs on the balconies are super hard to sit on for more than five minutes and could really do with replacing- really very uncomfortable. The sun beds in the preferred areas were a little worn and beach towels quite rough - I’m not a princess at all, but skin was very exfoliated after 10 days of using these! Checking out we were presented with a bill for only 16 euros as it had been charged to our room number- we hadn’t charged anything whilst there, so check your bill if presented on leaving- luckily our signatures didn’t match the bill that had been charged, so this was squashed- only 16 euros but best to be aware. Overall not five star, but definitely good value for money and was a nice experience- we will be returning. The staff work very hard and were polite and respectful. Thank you

Great hotel, food is amazing, staff are all really friendly, and the location is spot on.

Daily activities keep you busy, and the activity team are really friendly. I enjoyed the jewellery workshop, spin ball game and of course the archery. Special mention, Dylan, he was very friendly, he named me Maid Marian and my husband Robin hood as we live in Nottingham England.

Rooms are really clean, cleaners do a good job, and the mini fridge restocked every day.

Bar staff- work very hard, always taking orders and being quick with bringing your drinks.

My husband and daughter both celebrated their birthdays here, we came back to our room to find a bottle of bubbly and cake. I thought this was a really nice touch.

I honestly canot find one fault with this hotel, it has been a really great holiday. 😀

"Hell is other people"* said Sartre, and without other people this hotel would merit 5 stars.

The hotel's public website advertises a "100% smoke-free property", but there are people vaping around the main pool and cigarette smoke wafting across much of the main pool area due to the windy position of the property. There is a designated smoking area at the main entrance to the pool area, but staff enable smokers outside of that area by providing ashtrays, contradicting the unqualified '100% smoke-free property' publicity. When I raised this with Guest Experience Manager Aziz he was dismissive, but, after a follow-up, Guest Experience Manager César was understanding and apologetic. César explained that the inaccurate website was a result of the rebrand from Dreams to Grand Hyatt, he committed to correcting the publicity and he offered solutions. Happily, there are smaller pools where smoking areas are remote and we were ultimately able to find sunbed positions with no smoke exposure.

Continuing with the "other people" theme, there is a policy of no sleeveless shirts for men in the buffet, for good hygiene reasons, but this is not effectively enforced. The use of the à la carte restaurants provides a much better experience.

I recognise that there will always be guests who disrespect hotel policy and I am grateful to César that he rescued this hotel stay for us.

Other than the above points, almost everything else deserves praise:

• The hotel is not over-occupied and there is no shortage of sunbeds around the many pools.
• There is an excellent range of activities, including yoga, Pilates, stretching and aqua-exercises led by an enthusiastic animation team - a special mention for Aljssa (always smiling) and Lazlo.
• Food in the buffet is varied, particularly the fabulous cold cuts of meat and cheeses. One evening the cooked food was somewhat cold but this was very close to end of service.
• The gym is well equipped and not busy.
• The grounds are extensive, well maintained and well located for access to the sandy beach, marina and external restaurants and bars.
• Every member of staff with whom I have interacted personally; front desk, serving staff and cleaning staff, have all been attentive and courteous.
• The room is a good size with a huge bed and very effective blackout curtains.
• There are many swimming pools, all are well maintained; I recommend the Elysian Pool and the upper deck of the Horizon Club for a smoke free experience.

Some minor suggestions for improvement:

• The wine list features some excellent, high-quality Ribera del Duero staples like Pago de los Capellanes and Emilio Moro, but the overall selection is quite concise; expanding the list to include other classic benchmarks like Protos or Carmelo Rodero would give diners more options to choose from.
• Toilet lid is not soft close in a 5 star hotel, really?

Overall, although not as friction-free as other 5 star hotels we visit, once we learned to navigate the areas free of smoke and to access the à la carte restaurants, we are enjoying our stay. We are considering returning, next time with a higher level of booking to avoid the issues noted above.

*I am aware that Sartre clarified that "hell is other people" was not meant to be interpreted as meaning other people are irritating, but the common perception is appropriate for this context.