Lava Beach Hotel

Been staying here for 5 nights so far ,our 2nd visit, first was several years ago for Christmas. On arrival reception staff welcoming and helpful, nice glass of cava. Our room was clean and had seaview. The balcony was cramped, 2 chairs and a sunbed that was squeezed on. Nice to have a sunbed but not much space to move it around to follow the sun. A nespresso coffee machine, get pods on arrival but not replenished daily, strange! Being 5 star i would expect this and whats the use of the machine if you then have to go and buy your own. However there is a kettle also and 2 bottles of water each day . Cant fault housekeeping. Onto the food and the restaurant. Firstly there is no one to greet you as you enter so just find your own table, which i guess is ok but no personal touch. Only found one waiter who was cheerful and chatty, Nirvana , the rest just doing the job. Breakfast was fairly ok, cava available,plus the usual choices . Quite a lot of tinned fruit along with some fresh fruit. Bread selection but didnt always feel totally fresh and crispy. Dinner, now this is where i feel my biggest let down was from our last visit. Same old salad selection each night and small plates of starters that have been created with leftover meats, fish potatoes etc, made to look pretty. The main courses are not replenished quickly enough and each night i see sad looking dishes ,which are not particularly hot , nearly empty offerings that do not look appealing. Any vegetables are not cooked properly, chips are cold and soggy every night for example. Desserts are repetitive and although look nice, most have hardly any taste. Nice to have an ice cream selection but very very soft and melts quickly on your plate. Any bread or rolls are not fresh but leftover from the morning. The clearing service is quick but sometimes too quick, my partner had hardly put his cutlery down and finished his mouthful before his plate was whipped away. The gardens are pretty and well kept and i loved seeing the cats. My mother who joined us for 5 days to celebrate her 80th birthday, struggled to sleep most nights as she was in the main hotel area where the evening entertainment was and obviously loud right below her bedroom, to avoid this issue you would have to upgrade at an extra cost to a seaview room further away . Luckily i had booked a seaview room for us , i have ME/Cfs and Fibromyalgia so i need daytime peace and evening quiet to rest, so happy with our room position . You can hear footsteps, showers running and your neighbours on balconies, soundproofing is not complete. Unfortunately i will not return again, in the last 2 years we have stayed at better 4 star hotels and also 5star hotels. I have worked in hospitality all my life so feel my constructive review is valid as i know both sides, one as a worker and second as a guest and what i would expect.

A super hotel. One of the best we have ever stayed in.

There's an awful lot to like about this hotel. Its very attractive to look at with excellent amenities. The rooms are extremely comfortable, powerful showers, great storage, and large balconies.

First impressions were great. Despite a late arrival, we were greated very warmly and offered a welcome drink. We also greatly appreciated the loan of a room for 45 minutes (reserved the day before and subject to availability) for our late departure. It honestly made such a difference to have a private space to shower in rather than a communal shower space by the pool. A very classy gesture.

Breakfast is sensational. There is everything you could hope for and more.

The pool areas are superb. Never before have we witnessed the staff working so tirelessly to keep the area pristine. The pool was a little cold but you soon get used to it. Plenty of loungers with comfortable mattresses and umbrellas. And finally, a hotel where they remove towels from reserved beds!

The rooms are great, and ours was serviced to an extremely high standard every day. We immediately felt chilled out and slept generally well. We didn't witness excessive noise from neighbouring rooms. The air con was excellent, and very quiet.

Drinks and food were very reasonably priced for a 5 star hotel. The rooftop bar is a lovely touch.

Clientele mostly couples.

The hotel management team are very visible. Its clearly an extremely well run hotel reflected in a happy team. Top marks there.

We liked the area around the hotel. Lots of options for food and drinks within a 5 to 10 minute walk. Public transport options also good. We got a bus to Puerto del Carmen old town one day and walked back. A great 4 mile walk.

Potential areas for making the experience even better......

There is no mirror positioned near the dressing table, and no plug sockets near the main mirror in the room. Also, make sure that your electric razors/toothbrushes are fully charged as there is no charging point. Something we found a little odd for such a modern hotel. Finally, we found the areas as to where you can and cant smoke to be not properly thought through. We greatly appreciated no smoking around the pool, but it's not pleasant to get a mouthful of smoke whilst eating breakfast from the smoking area just a few yards away. Maybe the hotel could consider restricting the area immediately next to the breakfast tables until after 11am?

But overall, we had a sensational stay. We recommend the hotel to our friends whilst there and they have already booked. We would 100% consider returning ourselves.