Bull Costa Canaria & Spa

This was our 3rd visit here, having previously stayed in 2018 and 2023, and we were slightly concerned that it might be our last based on some recent reviews. We needn’t have worried however as we still had an amazing time. The hotel is by no means perfect, but it ticks so many boxes that the whole package amounts to the 5 stars we have awarded. By far the most relaxing factor is the sunbed tagging. This means you never have to worry about a bed being available. The pool staff will help you find one if necessary. The improvements to the pool bar area to include a pizzeria and coffee shop are a great addition and Amparo in the coffee club makes the most amazing drinks. The spa here is top notch and much better than any we have found in other hotels, including 5* ones. The staff are all so friendly and helpful and we did not experience any of the less preferential treatment mentioned in previous reviews. Service in the main bar in the evening could be improved as it was slow. We were in the side wing on the 7th floor and our room had a good view and was quiet. The rooms are immaculately clean with huge bathrooms, which, although a little dated, have a good shower and are spotless. There are a few minor negatives: The food in the evening has reduced in quality. I am a vegetarian and the choice was limited and my husband who is a carnivore felt that the meaty choices were poor. The desserts were not replenished towards the end of the evening when we usually ate so the choice was a bit picked over. The charge for a safe is ridiculous and not something we would expect these days, likewise the pool towel deposit. Why not have a card that you hand in for your towels and you get back at the end of your stay when you return them or you are charged? Overall however this is a very good hotel in a great location and we hope to return!

​We recently stayed at Bull Costa Canaria & Spa and had a overall good holiday, though a couple of issues kept it from being a full 5-star experience. ​The Room & Facilities Our room was a good size, and being on the 4th floor, we had a decent view of the sea. Higher floors (5–7) cost extra, but having looked, the view isn’t significantly better, so saving the extra charge was fine by us. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom facilities were all in good order. The TV included a few basic English channels. ​Note on amenities: You have to pay extra for the room safe, as well as cash deposits for the iron and pool towels. Luckily we had brought some Euros from a previous trip, but worth keeping in mind if you don't normally carry cash. Also, guests are required to wear non-detachable wristbands. I personally disliked these - they were uncomfortable for sleeping, showering, and swimming, and they make you feel like a visible target for local scammers when out in towns. ​Air Conditioning & Noise (The Main Drawback) The biggest downfall of our stay was the air conditioning in the room. It was old and barely made a difference. To keep cool, we had to leave the balcony door wide open every night, which introduced a lot of external noise. Beyond the general wind in the trees and live music from the poolside bar opposite, the hotel to the right has a large outdoor unit with around eight massive fans whirring constantly. It was very loud and meant we had to resort to earplugs every night to try get any sleep. I inquired about moving to a higher room, but was told it was only possible if we paid for an upgrade. For me, being able to sleep and rest properly is the most important part of a holiday, so this was the main reason for losing a star. ​Pool, Sunbeds & Grounds The hotel grounds and indoor areas are very well maintained. The sunbed allocation system seems like a decent idea on paper, though we didn't bother using it. The main pool area felt quite cluttered and all the beds were taken, so we preferred sunbathing on the rooftop, which was far quieter and more spacious. We got lucky one afternoon and managed to secure the one Bali bed they have for a few hours. The two "unreservable" garden seating areas, however, tended to get hogged - one German couple effectively reserved a full set of a sofa and two armchairs all day, every day for the entire week, which felt a bit unfair to other guests. ​Food, Staff & Entertainment The staff were lovely across the board, especially the waiting staff in the restaurant. The food was very good with fantastic variety every day, particularly during the themed evening buffets. Evening entertainment had a solid mix, though we spent a few nights out of the complex. Special mention to the animation team—they were awesome, genuine people, and I really enjoyed taking part in the rifle shooting. The tennis court was good - though we had difficulty booking it on occasion. I enquired about late checkout - this was at a cost of 20 euros extra per each 2 hours and I was advised dependant on availability at the last moment. Most hotels I have been have accommodated this free of charge in the past. ​Local Tips ​Rooftop Bar: There is a great rooftop bar directly opposite the hotel with a DJ playing late most nights. It has a fantastic local vibe and is well worth a visit. ​Thai Restaurant & Mini Golf: If you turn right out of the hotel and walk past the padel tennis courts, there’s a wonderful Thai-style restaurant. It’s beautifully lit up at night, very romantic, and serves incredible drinks (especially their Thai gin cocktails). They also have a surprisingly tricky crazy golf course attached to it! ​Overall: Had we slept better with effective air conditioning and less exterior noise, this would easily be a 5-star review. Still a very solid hotel with brilliant staff and food. I would definitely return, I did speak to a few other guests who have returned quite a few times - perhaps they always pay more for a higher room away from noise and perhaps with better air con.

The hotel is very German oriented (Id guess 60-70% of the guests), so the staf will often automatically adress you in German instead of Spanish or English. The good: the rooms are nice, with pretty much everything you need. The hairdryer is well hidden in a drawer in the bedroom but it's there. Balcony chair are very comfortable. One of the main selling points of the Bull Costa is that there is no sunbed war. You find a free place when you arrive and that's it for your whole stay. There still are many never-used-during-the-day seats, but you don't care because you always have the one you choose. This works very well, although you'll a bit of luck if you want to sit on a specific place. Still, good idea. One big difference compared to other all-in hotels is that the à la carte restaurants are open only for lunch. They are pretty nice and popular, meaning the buffet restaurant doesn't see that many people at lunch. Don Miguel has one of the best steaks I've ever had in an All-in hotel. The pizzeria Don pepe is pretty good, but you get only 6 choices on the menu and are not allowed to change or remove ingredients. They should change that, as it would add a lot of value to the proposition. At the main restaurants, the grilled meat and fish are very good and cooked on demand, so you'll never have the dry leathery bits you get in a lot of all-in hotels. The quality of the meat is good, but it's mostly chicken and pork every day with beef or duck once a week. the fresh veggies/salads are very good too. The roasts are usually good, but sometimes so dried out they become pretty much unedible. The mojito's are usualy pretty tasty but they could put an extra help at the pool bar in the evening. The wifi is perfect except around the pool bar where it's very bad. The bad The main restaurant is chaotic and not so good. Many tables are left untouched after use. If you can get hold of someone from the staff, they'll will dress the table with a smile, but you'll need to catch them first. This is not a criticism of the staff, as they do their best to help guests, but either there isn't enough staff, either they are very badly organised. If you want to eat outside in the buffet restaurant, prepare to eat early or to wait a long time because there are only a few tables available. The buffet is set on two levels. You want bread for your breakfast? Upstairs. Fresh orange juice? Downstairs. Some dishes are duplicated on both levels, some are not, so it's a bit of a detective game every meal. There's pizza every evening, but it's not displayed on heated plates, so it gets cold very quickly. The french fries are usually overcoocked and taste like deepfried cardboard. The grilled meats are good, but usually unsalted. I say usually because sometimes they are salted, and at least once much too salted. Apart from the grilled meats, the rest is pretty tastless and very repetitive. IMHO, most of the hot food is take straight out of a freezer and reheated/fried/steamed. I was wondering if it was only me, so I talked with some people who had been there before, and they all agreed that it was better in the past. If you've got allergies, I wouldn't advice this hotel. Dishes usually have some information about allergens, but we quickly realised you cannot trust those. The baked potato at the Don Miguel restaurant doesn't have any warning about lactose but is served with butter. We've seen the same dish on the two levels of the buffet restaurant, one with a warning, the other one without. And while it's nice to get the information, it would be nicer to have something to eat. Some days, it was a real battle, and when we asked one of the kitch staff if we could get potatoes or plain rice without gluten or lactose, they shrugged and said "no". I've no idea on why plain rice should contain lactose, but there you go... The hotel is advertised everywhere as wheelchair accessible and while that's true, it's not really wheelchair friendly. Some slopes are very steep, and good luck to get up on your own unless you're a wheelchair athlete. And the main door to the restaurant is a revolving door, which is also not ideal. The ugly: nothing really, except for the french translations: please translate directy from Spanish, because the honey you eat is not a "chéri"! All in all, it's a nice place which could be so much better with a little attention in the restaurant. Would we go back? possibly, but only if we were sure the restaurant has received an upgrade.

From the first moment when booking at the reception, it was clear that we would be satisfied. The approach of all the staff was so incredibly positive that it was transferred to everyone and everything. As if there were no problems at all. The rooms, the dining room and the entire complex are characterized by amazing cleanliness and aroma. But we were most surprised in the dining room. It seems that even a self-service system can have big differences in quality and variety. Here too we discovered the 1st league. In 10 days we did not even have time to taste everything that was offered. I can't imagine that someone would not choose anything at all. I was also surprised that it is possible to choose from three types of coffee beans. I have never experienced that before. Every morning, various types of fresh juices and smoothies were prepared by hand...fantasy. The swimming pools and the adjacent park (an oasis of peace) were incredibly well looked after, several times a day. The amount of fauna and flora is amazing. A real balm for the soul. Even athletes are not deprived here. Table tennis, tennis and billiards were in permanent service every day. We also discovered a small shooting range and maxi chess. Everything is always discreetly located and mostly in the shade, so you don't get so burned by the heat. Passing through the park, you will then reach (by passing through a code-guarded gate) the colonnade and right next to it the beach... a very large beach. It is full of fine black sand, but when you leave you will find several places to wash your feet. San Augustín is inclined to trips. Just a few meters from the main entrance, there are a whole bunch of bus stops. You just have to choose your destination and the right terminal. Car rental is also great here. The selection is large and the prices are better than, for example, in Greece or here in the Czech Republic. The road markings are perfect and sometimes you will see road signs that you won't see anywhere else. But you will still understand them... if I managed it too?!? The 16+ program was our first experience and it must be admitted that it has something to do with it. In conclusion, I only hope that we will return there someday. After many years of traveling around the world, all the best for us in all respects. I would like to thank all the staff and wish you many years of successful business. V.Mosiurczak from CZ

Stars of the show were the staff. From domestic/restaurants/bars/coffee club/spa, the entire list of facilities. Friendly, welcoming, helpful, attentive. Left several tips that were well deserved. Hotel itself was beautiful. Quiet, peaceful, good food, incredible spa, extras like poolside pizza and coffee club are also fantastic. San agustin is a lovely quiet place and only a short and cheap taxi away from busier areas such as maspalomas. Perfect stay if youre looking for an adults only gran canaria holiday