HD Lobos Natura Fuerteventura

We are staying at HD Lobos Natura in Fuerteventura as a family with a two-and-a-half-year-old and a six-month-old baby. There is a lot to like here, particularly the spacious apartments and excellent children’s facilities, but some disappointing experiences have affected our overall impression. Apartments and housekeeping The apartments are a really good size and work very well for families. The beds are really comfortable, and the accommodation is well equipped, with thoughtful touches such as shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and a tea towel. The hotel is generally very clean, and housekeeping staff have been friendly. However, there are some practical improvements that would make a real difference. Our toddler could open the apartment entrance door and balcony door, so additional childproof locks would provide greater peace of mind. We also experienced flooding in our apartment following heavy overnight rain. Despite making six requests, it took around eight hours for the water to be mopped up. I appreciate that it was a busy changeover day, but this was a safety concern with two young children, not a request for routine cleaning. Even a mop and bucket could not be provided when requested. We had also requested two cots and an additional bed in advance. Although reception confirmed the request had been received, these were not in the apartment on arrival, and we had to follow this up the next day. On another occasion, our bins, full of nappies, had gone two days without being emptied and the toilet roll had not been replenished. I had to contact reception three times over several hours and eventually go in person to get this resolved. Pools and children’s facilities This is one of the hotel’s biggest strengths. The outdoor playground has excellent sunshades and is very suitable for toddlers. The indoor soft play, with its ball pit and slide, was another big hit. A flat, padded area for crawling babies would be a lovely addition, as there currently isn’t a suitable space for them to explore. The splash pool is great, with a smaller, partially enclosed section for younger children, and the pirate ship was particularly popular. The other pools are relatively shallow, and the water temperature was comfortable for our toddler. One safety concern is the gates on the premium family suites that lead towards the communal pool areas. Although they appear reassuringly high, we later discovered they do not have locks on the other side, meaning a young child could potentially open them independently. Additional childproof locks on these gates, as well as apartment doors and balcony doors, would be worthwhile. Food and dietary requirements The food has generally been enjoyed by the rest of my family. There is a reasonable selection and the quality is good overall, although some dishes have occasionally been on the cool side. Unfortunately, eating dairy-free has been a real challenge. Choice is limited, but the bigger concern is the unreliable allergen information. Labels are frequently missing or inaccurate, and the interactive allergen board does not consistently correspond with the food being served. Despite checking with staff and chefs, I have been told dishes were dairy-free only to discover they contained cheese or other dairy products. On another occasion, a dish described as vegetables contained meat. Even at breakfast, after being advised which dishes I could choose, I discovered that dishes identified as vegan contained cheese and butter. There also doesn’t appear to be a consistent, knowledgeable member of the restaurant team to approach with dietary questions. This is a serious concern for anyone with allergies or intolerances, as well as vegan guests. Accurate labelling, reliable ingredient information and better staff knowledge are essential. When I raised this with reception, I felt the responsibility was placed back on me because I had not declared my dietary requirement on arrival. However, I was told that informing reception would simply have meant the restaurant helped me check allergens, which was already what I had been trying to do. A more constructive response and acknowledgement of the underlying problem would have been appreciated. Board basis and value for money We chose half-board because it felt more convenient with two young children, but I don’t feel the upgrade was particularly good value for money. If we were travelling as a couple without children, we would almost certainly have chosen self-catering and eaten out at the lovely restaurants nearby. Even all-inclusive has some additional charges, with certain coffees, such as lattes, and some branded alcoholic drinks excluded. Wristbands are also cut off at midday on departure day, meaning board benefits cease at that point despite having paid for the package. This is worth considering if you have a later flight. Service, location and entertainment The hotel is in a lovely, quiet location, with some great bars and restaurants a short walk away. The beach shuttle is a real bonus, although facilities such as toilets and places to eat at the beaches can be limited. We haven’t experienced much entertainment due to the children’s ages, but the mini disco appeared popular with younger children, and the live music in the jazz and coffee bar was a lovely touch. Our biggest disappointment has been the response from reception when problems arise. There has often been a lack of urgency, accountability and follow-through, with repeated chasing needed to resolve relatively straightforward issues. What has been missing most is acknowledgement or even an apology. I don’t expect complimentary extras or goodwill gestures whenever something goes wrong, but a simple apology, some empathy and reassurance that a concern is being taken seriously would make a real difference. At times, the hotel also feels as though it is still finding its identity, with several different board options. We occasionally felt that guests on all-inclusive or premium packages received more attentive service than those on self-catering or half-board arrangements. Overall HD Lobos Natura has real potential as a family hotel. The spacious, comfortable apartments, excellent playground, soft play, splash pool and beach shuttle are all genuine positives. However, childproofing, reliable allergen information and the way guest concerns are handled need attention. The facilities have been a real highlight, but the repeated need to chase basic requests and the difficulties eating safely have affected our experience. I would recommend carefully considering the board basis before booking and weighing up whether the overall price represents good value for your family’s needs.

Lovely hotel, very spacious emblem premium suite. Food is lovely, all premium brand drinks on Emblem AI package. Staff cant do enough for you. Special mention for Allison in the Jazz Bar and Mari and Yuri in Emblem restaurant. Pools are great. No sunbed wars. Plenty to choose from. Highly recommend the hotel

reception staff very helpfull, rooms keep spotless by Johanna (room 2039) she was excellent, value overall a bit expensive in comparison to similar hotels, service at the bars was brilliant specially Silvia, Carmen,and Olympia.

The hotel itself is lovely. The public areas, bedrooms and balconies are all very good, and there is plenty to like about the property, it’s great for kids also. Unfortunately, the food let the experience down considerably. Breakfast was consistently lukewarm, the snacks were poor, and the evening food was much the same. After several days of repeatedly being served food that was neither properly hot nor particularly appealing, we eventually gave up. There is only so much recycled-looking breakfast food a person can face before deciding that eating elsewhere is the better option. Having seen other customers concerns about the temperature, the hotel’s response on tripadvisor is particularly poor. Apparently, all hot buffet stations are maintained at a minimum of 65°C, and guests are reminded that the short journey from buffet to table can affect their perception of how hot the food is. The hotel’s response to comments about food temperature deserves a serious re-think as there are small children eating food that just isn’t at a safe temperature. Saying that all hot buffet stations are regulated to a minimum of 65°C, as though quoting a figure from a food safety procedure somehow invalidates the experience of the guests actually eating the food. Frankly, I find that claim difficult to believe with what we experienced. Breakfast was lukewarm, the evening food was lukewarm, and the problem was consistent enough that we eventually stopped eating there. The food is not somehow losing a remarkable amount of heat in the short journey from buffet to table which is basically a few steps, I would suggest the issue deserves a little more investigation than an explanation about temperature perception. The suggestion that guests can use a microwave if they prefer their food hotter is the real cherry on top. Imagine paying for a hotel dining experience and being told, in effect, that the solution is to finish preparing your meal yourself. I can’t verify the hotel’s temperature records, but I can tell you what arrived on our plates. It certainly didn’t feel as though we were eating food served at anything approaching the temperatures being confidently quoted in the management response on tripadvisor. Rather than dismissing the complaint with a technical explanation and suggesting the problem lies with the guest’s perception, perhaps the hotel would be better served by checking what is actually reaching the guests. The hotels response to that criticism has done little to improve my impression. It is a shame, because the hotel has so much going for it. The town is close by, with some very good places to eat, which makes finding an alternative relatively easy. Unfortunately, that also makes the hotel’s own food offering rather difficult to defend. A lovely property, let down by constantly cold food and a response that seems more concerned with explaining why the food should have been hot than understanding why guests found that it wasn’t.

Just back from a 10 day stay .booked the emblem room for special occasion .very disappointed with what the hotel offered . arrived late at night .hotel just gave us a leaflet no direction on where to go .we had a room with outside bubble bath which I had to clean before we could use it so dirty .Had to ring reception on 3 occasion about no water and fridge not been filled.the room wasn't cleaned on one of the days so rang reception nothing happened so went and spoke to them didn't even offer clean bath sheets that day so used my own which I had .they didn't clean it till next day , shower door hanging which I told them but never fixed .Emblem waste of money .just go half-board r Al inclusive .staff at reception NOT good .GOOD POINTS ,pool ,great location, bar and restaurant staff brilliant