Riu Palace Meloneras

I stayed at the RIU Hotel Palace Meloneras in Gran Canaria for one week in October with my daughter. The hotel was generally clean, some of the staff were friendly and helpful, and the entertainment was decent. The food was acceptable, although not outstanding. Unfortunately, there were several issues that significantly affected our stay and made it fall well below what we would expect from a 5-star hotel. The biggest problem was the sunbed situation. Guests were reserving sunbeds very early in the morning by leaving towels on them, making it extremely difficult to find anywhere to sit by the pool. We also witnessed aggressive behaviour between guests over sunbeds and even saw guests apparently bribing members of staff to secure sunbeds and preferential treatment. The hotel did not seem to manage this situation effectively. Another disappointment was the lack of complimentary drinking water. Having to pay for water throughout the stay felt unreasonable for a hotel of this standard, particularly as there were no water fountains or refill stations available. The most upsetting issue was that a pair of my earrings had disappeared from our room. After getting ready for dinner, my daughter changed her earrings to a pair we purchased earlier on in the day from a nearby shop and left her expensive ones wrapped up in the paper bag, which came with the cheap ones, on her bed next to some clothes. These earrings were over 100 years old with significant sentimental value. When we returned after dinner the bag was gone and nowhere to be found. When I reported this, I found the response from staff unhelpful and dismissive. Since returning home, I have also come across reviews from other guests reporting missing items from their rooms, which is very concerning. The room itself was not up to the standard expected of a luxury hotel. The mattress was badly worn and sagged noticeably in the middle, making it uncomfortable to sleep on. The headboard was scratched and had an unpleasant smell, giving the room a tired and neglected feel. The food was another let down. While there was plenty available, the choice was not particularly varied and the quality was inconsistent. The meat in particular was often poor quality and certainly not what I would expect from a 5-star resort. Overall, while the hotel has some positives, including cleanliness, decent entertainment and some friendly staff, the issues with security, sunbed management, room quality and food standards mean it did not deliver the 5-star experience we were expecting. Sadly, we would not return and would struggle to recommend it to others. Rating: 3/5

My wife and I loved this hotel and resort. We have stayed at the Rui Tenerife Palace several times and loved it. We decided to try a different resort and Riu palace. We stayed in a garden room and really enjoyed this and the feel of the surrounding gardens. The service was superb , as were the facilities , pools and resort. There was a mix of nationalities , which we really liked as Scottish couple. We met some lovely English, Dutch and German couples, everyone ( well nearly) were very polite, friendly and respectful! Big shout out to the staff , who were friendly and efficient. The management and staff should feel really proud.

What a lovely place to stay, it’s a wow from when you walk into reception, staff are so polite and nothing is too much trouble. Food selection is pretty good and there’s something there for everyone, even sirloin steak. We didn’t bother with the other restaurants but we did eat out one night. Pool area is spotless and the waiters come to you for you to order and they bring the drinks or food out to you where it gets charged to your room. I would definitely upgrade the room which we have done for next year as the rooms in the main hotel near the restaurant don’t haves great outlook especially at the lower level , the rooms are pretty big and bathrooms have plenty of space and the bathroom robes are nice and thick. There’s four pools and are a good temperature and plenty of sunbeds and yes you do get the ones at seven in the morning saving them but there’s plenty there throughout the day, the infinity pool is the best outlook and close to the snack bar. The entertainment wasn’t bad there was a couple of dodgy nights but more better then bad. There’s a nice walk down to the lighthouse where all the named shops are and plenty of places to eat. We loved our stay and rebooked on our second day here it’s that good, the only gripe would be the spa, there’s two big jacuzzi’s but separate steam rooms one in each changing room and talking of those all doors are wide open so anyone could walk in while you’re getting changed, a bit dangerous I’m my eyes, enjoy your stay you’ll love it.

Really good experience and would happily use this hotel again. Yes the age profile is slightly higher than some resorts but that was a positive for us: quieter, with a more mature group of holiday makers enjoying a great place to recharge their batteries. Plenty of pool space: particularly at those nearer the main building (which also enjoy the benefit of a breeze) Food in the buffet is plentiful and nicely prepared. There is a really nice promenade at the front of the hotel and a lovely long walk along the promenade and beach in front of the dunes if you turn left out of the seafront entrance (just be aware there is a lengthy nudist area) We found the staff to be attentive, polite, helpful and very efficient. Can understand why people say they have returned.

This was our 3rd time staying at this beautiful 5* hotel, the last time being 8 years ago. Could not fault anything about this hotel again. Beautifully maintained large open space grounds with plenty of sunbeds at each of the lovely pools. Wonderful staff and service exceptional. Food is excellent with a wide selection and freshly made. Love the fact you can dine outside. We booked a standard room but on arrival was told we had been allocated an upgraded room. Will definately be back at this hotel again in the future.