HL Rio Playa Blanca

I was very apprehensive about this hotel after reading some of the reviews but I was glad to see I didn’t have to be. The check in was very smooth and the reception staff very accommodating. We had booked a suite and it was absolutely stunning! It featured a living room area with a sofa. The second half of the living room has a pull out bed. There was a separate bedroom with 2 single beds. The suite also had 2 bathrooms which was a total bonus! The food is your standard all inclusive, there was always something to eat. The pizza is delicious! There is a pool bar serving drinks all day, a lobby bar which is stunning and a massive theatre for the entertainment. What made the hotel absolutely fantastic was the animation team. They work tirelessly from early morning until 10pm at night. They have made our holiday go from good to exceptional!

When we booked this hotel I was a little worried as I had read lots of awful reviews. I’m so glad we continued with this hotel as we had the best week.

The first thing I want to say is the animation team are amazing! We have 3 teenagers and I felt they catered for children and young people of all ages making everyone feel welcome, there was lots of entertainment in the theatre which we enjoyed each evening.

There was a lot of variety of food which was great, foods from around the world and food for children or those who may not like the spice!!

As a wine drinker I thought the wine in the food hall was lovely however the wine at the bar was completely different but that is just my personal opinion, it didn’t bother me as there was lots of choice of other drinks/ soft drinks or you could buy a bottle of wine in the shop for 5-6 euros which was nice.

The surrounding area is beautiful, flamingo beach and as stunning with a wonderful sand sculpture to see… we went to the Aqualava park which I felt was a little overpriced for what was there but the children enjoyed it. We didn’t realise until we left that you can use the facilities in the nearby HL hotels including paradise island which has its own slides/ water park so this may be worth people knowing who book this hotel as it may be a day out instead of aqualava.

There are lots of restaurants along the front with beautiful views and a lovely walk.

As a family we loved the animation team daily dance which clearly cheered everyone’s day up!! We have listened to the song since we have been home and will stay firmly in our holiday memories :)

Thank you for a wonderful holiday and please ignore the reviews! A holiday is what you make it ❤️

HL Rio Playa Blanca is an okay hotel. It is not terrible, but it is also not what I would expect from a 4 star all inclusive. I would struggle to recommend it to friends or family without mentioning several drawbacks.

There were some genuine positives. We stayed in a suite with a jacuzzi, and the room was excellent. It was cleaned to a very high standard every day and housekeeping did a great job throughout our stay. The Olympic pool was also very good, with a pleasant temperature. The location is convenient, and taxis from the hotel were easy to arrange. It was only a three minute drive to places like the Irish Anvil and Snoopies.

The biggest disappointment was the food. For the first three days it was genuinely inedible. The choice was limited, there was no live cooking, and the hygiene standards were poor. Birds regularly flew into the restaurant, and it was common to see children picking food up with their hands or eating directly from the serving spoons before putting them back. To be fair, the food did improve during the final three days, but the overall standard still fell well below what we expected.

The bar staff were not particularly welcoming and often came across as rude. Around the pool, cleanliness was disappointing. There was also no poolside drinks service, which is something I would normally expect from a 4 star all inclusive hotel.

One thing that really surprised me was having to pay a deposit for plastic cups. I have only experienced that before at a budget 2 star hotel, so it felt completely out of place here.

It would be unfair for me to comment on the entertainment. We are a couple in our thirties and did not take part, so I cannot give an honest opinion on that.

Overall, we had a pleasant enough holiday because we made the most of it, but the hotel itself did not meet the standard advertised. The attached photo shows one of the many birds that gathered around the dining area, which summed up the cleanliness issues we experienced.