SBH Royal Monica

We have ( my partner and I and my 29 year old son) returned from an 8 day stay from the accommodation. (12th September until 20th). The rooms were basic but clean. No mini fridge or kettles which in today's standard and hot country,s should be standard. Air conditioning has to be paid for, €10 returnable deposit and for beach towels. The rooms are cleaned daily ( other than Sunday and weds) fresh towels left. The staff are all very pleasant and work really hard. A special mention to Saaid who when he was working the pool bar ran so efficiently. Restaurant staff are very jolly and pleasant and the food well if anyone complains about the food they need to give their heads a wobble. It's not as repetitive as people say it is plentiful and is full of flavour we could not fault food at all. Location is good just a short taxi drive for €6-7 or catch the bus from the rubicon hotel a short 5 min walk. Scenery is lovely we had Seaview room. Bars do shut bang on 11pm for all inclusive and continue to serve until 12am on the dot for paying customers. Entertainment not brilliant they could do with music playing round by the pool area during day. There was a very good act the Tanzanian acrobats brilliant 👏. One miserable female bar staff who never broke into a smile once and spent more time round the corner on her phone. The holiday overall was brilliant and we had a fab time..

We booked this hotel over a year in advance after looking at recent reviews on Tripadvisor. We went as couples/friends holiday, so the price was good and within everyone’s price range.

It was a 45 minute drive from the airport, and a half an hour bus ride to Playa Blanca centre/marina which was only €1.40 per person.

We arrived early before checkin time, but the receptionist gave us our wrist bands, took our details and let us use all the facilities which was great! When we eventually checked into our room, it was huge. We had a separate bedroom, a lounging area and the view from our balcony was gorgeous. Unfortunately there was no fridge or kettle in our room. Only downside where our room was located, was 4 flights of stairs. Luckily being two young, fit people, we managed (just about). But wouldn’t be good for disabled/elderly.

Reception staff were very helpful for information about your room, activities, taxis etc. They were also very friendly!

The food was okay, there was enough to choose from. Whether it was salads, meats, soup, vegetables, puddings, but it did feel a little samey some nights. There wasn’t always a theme of food. The restaurant staff were also very attentive to clear away plates, and could be chatty with you too.

The bar staff were great. Alibiba was extremely generous for when it came to pouring drinks. They were all very polite, some were chatty. There was a good selection of drinks for the all inclusive menu, especially the cocktails (which were lethal but in a good way!!!)

The animation team were always getting people involved in the sports/games every day. Pedro was a great laugh when it came to doing the aqua aerobics. Volley ball was also a good laugh too.

The beach was only a minute way away with private seating area for hotel guests. The beach itself was very rocky/pebbly so water shoes are a must!

There was a small area approx a 10 minute walk down the road where there were a few bars and a few restaurants. Unfortunately many of the bars closed at 12 where we would have liked to have stayed out but that was our choice.

Taxis were a little difficult to get unless it was urgent, you had to wait a little while for a taxi. They don’t have Uber or Bolt in Lanzarote, so narrowed down taxi availability.

Some of the hotel was under maintenance, but nothing that disrupted your daily routine.

All in all, it was good value for money and a very good 3* hotel. No complaints here!