HL Club Playa Blanca

Nice little bungalows very pretty gardens but the evening entertainment wasn’t good at all. I don’t think we watched one decent show if that’s what you call it when to bingo couldn’t understand her went to watch a music quiz which wasn’t a music quiz. It was more of a stupid game they were playing so my family and plenty of others walked out and sat outside. Which is pleasant enough outside but not quite enough lighting so fairly dark. food was okay for an all-inclusive we had one fussy with us and seemed to find enough for himself that he enjoyed. Last year we went to HL Paradise entertainment was so much better for adults and families together .on the plus side check-in was quick. It’s only about a 15 minute walk into town which is good but I don’t think I’d go to this hotel again, just for the fact it did say was plenty of entertainment and there wasn’t.

Let’s start by saying this was, without a doubt, the worst holiday experience I have ever had in my life.

We visit the Canary Islands two or three times a year and have stayed in lots of different hotels over the years, so we’re certainly not strangers to holiday resorts. However, we lasted just 18 hours into a five-night holiday before checking out and paying thousands of pounds for alternative accommodation. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Where do I even begin?

The accommodation

The little bungalows are dated, shabby and absolutely stink. The furniture looks like it should have been put in a skip back in the early 2000s. Everything is worn, creaky and completely past its best.

I honestly think I could have found a more comfortable mattress at the local recycling centre. The pillows were thin and lumpy, and the headboard knocked against the wall every time I breathed. Trying to sleep was an experience in itself.

The smell was absolutely disgusting, like a gym changing room full of old sweat mixed with cheesy feet. Even the bathroom had a horrible smell of urine whenever you sat on the toilet. The tiles throughout the villa were cracked and broken in numerous places.

It genuinely felt like we had walked into accommodation that had been neglected for years, with little to no consideration for the comfort of the people paying to stay there.

The pool area and general hotel

Like most families, we arrived, dropped our bags in the room and headed straight to the pool. The plan was simple: let the kids enjoy themselves in the water while we relaxed with a drink on the sun loungers.

Unfortunately, that was another disappointment.

The pool area and general surroundings were dirty, worn down and in desperate need of attention. The sun loungers were absolutely shocking. They were so old and saggy that you genuinely felt as though you were going to fall straight through them. Just like the furniture in the accommodation, they looked as though they should have been replaced years ago.

The kids’ club was another thing entirely. It looked more like a prison for naughty kids than somewhere you would actually want to leave your children to enjoy themselves. The place looked as though it would be more suited to Chernobyl than a family holiday resort.

The overall standard of the hotel was incredibly poor. Everything just felt tired, neglected and well past the point where a bit of maintenance would make a difference.

The food – quite possibly the worst part

Honestly, I never knew hotel food could be this bad.

The quality was genuinely shocking. It was the sort of food that made you question how it could seriously be served to paying guests.

Myself, my wife and the kids were all starving, but we simply couldn’t bring ourselves to eat most of what was on offer.

The poolside snack bar had the usual options you’d expect, such as pizza, chips, hot dogs, burgers and macaroni. The problem wasn’t the choice; it was the quality. Everything tasted like the cheapest ingredients possible, with very little care or effort put into what was being served.

I decided to have a proper look around the restaurant at breakfast, lunch and dinner, hoping there would be something decent to eat. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a thing that appealed to us. The food looked unappetising, poorly presented and, in my opinion, was of an absolutely dreadful standard.

We’ve stayed in plenty of all-inclusive hotels over the years, and I understand that not every resort is going to offer five-star dining. But there is a difference between basic food and food that you genuinely cannot bring yourself to eat.

This was on another level entirely.

There is so much more I could write about this place, but I think you get the picture.

We booked a five-night family holiday and ended up checking out after just 18 hours. We lost money, had the stress of finding alternative accommodation and spent the start of what should have been a relaxing family holiday dealing with a complete nightmare.

I have never experienced anything quite like it, and I genuinely cannot understand how this resort meets the expectations of the people booking it.

My advice? Do your research carefully before booking HL Playa Blanca. Based on our experience, I would never return, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to friends or family.

A holiday is supposed to be a chance to relax, enjoy time with your family and make memories for the right reasons. Unfortunately, this place gave us an experience we will remember for all the wrong ones.

Traveled with Family (Multi-generational group with young kids & baby)

We’ve just returned from a family holiday at HL Club Playa Blanca. Overall, it was a really good break. For a 4-star property and the price paid, it delivered exactly what we needed: only 30 minutes from the airport in taxi (45€) hotel is clean, functional accommodation, good food, and a very easy, compact layout where nothing is more than a 4 to 5-minute walk from your door.

Here is an honest breakdown of the resort and a few practical tips for families:

The Bungalows The bungalows are clean, practical, and functional. Maid service came every day except Sunday, leaving fresh towels and tidy rooms.

• Storage: Wardrobe and drawer space is on the tight side for a family of 4, so you have to be creative with unpacking.
• Facilities: Having a microwave, kettle, and fridge in the bungalow was a huge plus, especially for prepping baby bottles and keeping drinks cold.
• TV Setup: Worth noting there is only a TV in the main living space and none in the bedroom.

Food & Drink The food was consistently good. While it’s not the most massive buffet spread you will ever see, what they do put out is hot, fresh, and tastes good. The restaurant is kept very clean, tables are cleared promptly, and it never felt uncomfortably crowded. The poolside snack bar is great throughout the afternoon for casual bites. At the bar, service was friendly and efficient. During peak evening rushes, they sometimes limit you to 3 drinks per person, but when it’s quieter they are happy to let you carry 4 or 5 back to your table.

Pools & Sunbeds

• No Sunbed Wars: One of the best aspects of this hotel—you do not have to wake up at dawn to fight for a sunbed. There were always loungers available throughout the day.
• The Pools: A large main pool plus a shallow baby pool. The animation team ran fun daytime activities to keep people engaged (water polo, water football, aqua aerobics).
• Pool Towel Policy (Heads-up): There is a €15 deposit per towel, and hotel policy only permits changing them twice during a 7-day stay. If you like fresh pool towels daily, bring a couple of your own microfibre towels.

The Gym (A Massive Surprise & Standout Feature) Unlike most hotel fitness rooms with a broken treadmill and a pair of light dumbbells, there is a proper, state-of-the-art commercial gym on-site.

• Hotel guests get free access.
• It operates as a public/commercial club with top-tier equipment, meaning there is a strict over-16s policy to enter.
• For anyone who likes keeping up their workouts on holiday, it is genuinely fantastic and far beyond typical resort standards.

Dino Park Waterpark (What You Need to Know) This was the one area that needs careful managing before you go:

• Check Your Booking: Access to Dino Park (at sister hotel HL Paradise Island) is not included with every room type. If it’s included in your package, it is definitely worth spending a day there—the kids had a blast on the flumes and slides.
• If You Have to Pay: At €15–€20 per person out of pocket, it’s not worth paying extra. You’d get much better value heading 5 minutes down the road to Aqualava.
• Getting There: The free courtesy shuttle only runs 4 times a day. If you miss it, it’s either a 15-minute walk or a €5 local taxi ride.
• The All-Inclusive Bar Setup: While your food and drinks are included at Paradise Island, the bar is located far from the actual water slides. It’s roughly a 10 to 15-minute round trip to fetch drinks, and your ice cubes will have melted by the time you make it back to your sunbed.

Entertainment & Staff The staff across the board were lovely—friendly, hard-working, and with good English. Cleaners do a great job, and the bar and dining staff keep things moving. We found daytime pool entertainment fun, but the evening entertainment (including the kids' mini-disco) was fairly minimal on the nights we looked in. We preferred strolling down into Playa Blanca town and along to the marina in the evenings, which is an easy walk.

Quick Family Tips

• Drinking Water: Rooms do not come stocked with bottled water, and tap water shouldn't be drunk. There is a handy on-site mini-market by reception selling large 5L/8L water jugs and snacks, with an Aldi and HiperDino a short walk down the hill.
• Terrain: The complex is completely flat and very buggy/pram-friendly.