TUI BLUE Orquidea

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our honest review after a week We’ve just arrived home after a week here with two adults and two children, aged 4 and 10. After reading some of the reviews beforehand, we were honestly quite nervous about coming — but there was absolutely no need to be! From arrival, we were really impressed. The hotel looked lovely and check-in was quick and easy. We took a taxi from the airport rather than waiting for the bus, which cost around €35. We were initially given a 7th-floor room. I mentioned that my boyfriend is terrified of heights and asked if there was any chance of a lower floor. The staff were brilliant and moved us to the 3rd floor with no problem at all. Our room was spotless, cleaned every day, with regular towel changes. We also had an issue with the air conditioning one evening and it was fixed within about 10 minutes. Fantastic service. 🍽️ Food We genuinely couldn’t fault the food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all had plenty of choice and there was always something for everyone. I didn’t have one bad meal all week. The Chinese night on the Monday was probably our favourite — absolutely gorgeous! Breakfast was similar each morning, but there was still lots to choose from, including freshly made omelettes. Eggs Benedict was available every second morning too. 🏊‍♀️ Pools & sunbeds The pools were lovely. The main pool was perfect for our 10-year-old as he could stand, while one of us was always in with our 4-year-old. I’ve seen lots of comments about “sunbed wars”, but that honestly wasn’t our experience. My boyfriend went down around 7am because we specifically wanted sunbeds directly in front of the pool, with an umbrella, so we could watch our son. Yes, there’s a rush for those particular beds when the pool opens at 8am, but there were always other sunbeds available. The lads who went down early every morning actually had great craic together, and on our last morning my boyfriend went down just to say goodbye and have the craic with them before we left! 😂 So, from our experience, there were no sunbed wars. If you want a specific spot directly in front of the pool, get up early — but that’s very different from there being no sunbeds. 🎭 Entertainment The entertainment team were fantastic. Our 4-year-old loved the kids’ disco and activities. Our 10-year-old wasn’t as interested, but that’s just his age. The adult entertainment was brilliant too. The TUI BLUE entertainment team put so much effort into every show and were fantastic with the children throughout the day. They genuinely interacted with them and you could see how much they enjoyed their jobs. Whatever they’re paid, it’s probably not enough! 😂 There were also activities throughout the day, so there was always something to do. 🚕 Getting around Taxis into the local towns were very reasonably priced and reception arranged them immediately — usually there within a couple of minutes. ❤️ Final thoughts Every member of staff we dealt with was lovely — reception, restaurant staff and cleaners. Any issue we had was dealt with quickly and without fuss. We saw no fighting, arguments or drama during our stay. Everyone seemed to get along and we had a brilliant week. The only thing I did notice was a very young child, probably around three, going in and out of the pool without a parent directly watching. They had arm bands on, but personally our 4-year-old would never be in the pool without one of us. I do think children that young need close supervision around the pool. Other than that, we genuinely loved our stay. Would we come back? 100% YES! ❤️ We’re already talking about coming back next year. So if you’re coming here and worrying because of some of the reviews, take them with a pinch of salt. Everyone’s experience is different, and I really think the people you’re staying with and the attitude you bring can make a huge difference. For our family, this hotel was fantastic. We had a brilliant week, couldn’t fault it and would happily recommend it! 🌞❤️

Excellent hotel. Staff helpful and friendly. Good family resort

After spending 2 weeks here I wanted to give an honest review so those who are coming know what to expect. The good, bad and the ugly! The tui team - every single person we spoke to was so happy, friendly, positive, helpful and they really made our family holiday. The excursions are well organised and coaches always turned up on time. I recommend the Obycat pirate boat day out, the aquarium and the Peurto de Mogan boat trip. Peurto Rico and Peurto De Mogan are beautiful places. Public transport is very frequent outside the hotel and it’s easy to get around. Weirdly though, an afternoon bus cost was 2-3 times the amount of a morning one. I also recommend spending a day at Playa Del Ingles beach. We hired 2 sun loungers with a parasol for €7 for as long as we wanted. We also hired a car from topcar in Playa Del Ingles and spent a couple of days driving into the central mountains of Gran Canaria. The scenery and views were spectacular. The hotel cleaning team do an ok job of cleaning your room. They cleaned everyday, made beds and changed towels. But they don’t seem to hoover. They just mop dust and hair into corners. The grounds outside the hotel are extremely well kept and tidy. The gardeners and maintenance workers were out and about every morning. The activities going on around the hotel every day are good fun for everyone whatever age! You will have a great time getting involved. Tui team members we spoke to who do an incredible job working long hours with one day off a week. These people truly made our family holiday amazing and they’re lovely people who take the time to chat. The TUI entertainment team - Joaquin, Lucas, Louisa, Lisa, Iris, Saga. These are fantastic and talented young people. Fitness - Eoghan. The childcare team - Alex, Noa & Emilia. Your kids are in good hands with these guys. The Restaurant The staff work bloody hard and always polite, friendly and professional. There’s never an empty plate or glass sat on a table for long because staff are constantly cleaning up. The food is ok and always a good variety even for children. The Chinese themed night was my favourite. Weirdly and frustratingly, the dining chairs don’t fit under tables so smaller children struggle. The fly situation was bad the first few days we were there. Worse in certain areas of the restaurant. It was sorted within a few days and improved massively by the end of our stay. If you’re a foodie type of person, I recommend a visit to the taverna. If you’re all inclusive it’s free. The tapas is fantastic. I also recommend El Sultan. You get 25% off as a guest at Orquidea. CONS There’s just not enough room around the Orquidea main pools for the amount of people at peak summer season. People queuing at 7:30 reserving numerous sun loungers, going out for the day and not using them til 4pm. If you want any chance of a sun lounger, go after 4pm to the Playa Feliz pool where it’s a bit quieter. The Orquidea pools are not the cleanest. I noticed black bits floating around. Not sure what it was, I have read some people reckon it’s mould. At night when the pool lights are on and the water is still you can see a murky layer of film on the top. That’s not a staff problem though. They don’t have the time or the right amount of pool staff to clean it regularly and properly. The Orquidea pools are so busy and crowded from open to close. I doubt there’s enough time or space to do a proper clean without emptying the pool. In Playa Feliz pool, none of the above seems to be an issue. Cockroaches spotted in hotel room and around the restaurant. Some of them dead and squished! The air con in hotel room wasn’t quite cutting it. The shower was crap. No problem with water pressure, it was a crappy old shower head and the water was hot then cold intermittently without turning the temperature gauge. If you’re in the bathroom the same time as the person above you, when they flush the toilet it sounds like the water is going to come pouring from the ceiling on to you 😂 The hotel is an older building and is looking tired in some areas. Compared to other tui blue hotels of the same star rating, this wasn’t up to the standards of the others. OTHER A few observations i made during my stay.. People - what happened to common sense and thoughts for others around you? The aggression levels of a few grown men in the pools playing ball games with kids and teens in the pool. Pelting peoples faces with the sports balls with no apologies. Sad to see some kids and women giving up and leaving the pool because it became too much to put up with. The amount of people swimming, entering and exiting the pools that have been specifically sectioned off for a planned and booked activity but carrying on regardless of being told to leave by tui staff. If you see nobody else in that area of the pool and everyone is on the other side, please stop and think why is that? It’s not your private swim lane. 🫣🙄 ADULT ONLY areas mean just that! Not “adult take your kids with you” area. I seen kids in adult areas of the restaurant licking their fingers in ice cream freezers and hands in the ice buckets. One evening I saw a kid reached up and pulled down on on the sangria tap and just walked off, leaving sangria constantly pouring and flooding the drip tray making a mess. I had to turn the tap off and tell staff whilst the child just walked away from an area they shouldn’t have been in with no consequences. Parents leaving their young children unsupervised at breakfast with bread knives to cut their own slice of bread from the loaf. Adults and the concept of the toasters at breakfast. It seemed people would rather queue to watch one piece of toast go slowly through the grill conveyor belt at a time rather than utilise the whole space to toast numerous pieces of bread at a time 🙄🫣 Seriously, you would be there all morning otherwise! Adults throwing a tantrum at waiting staff because there was a language miscommunication with a drinks order at Thea’s. They do not deserve to be spoken to like that. One time i found myself in a queue of people at the entrance to the entertainment bar. Except it wasn’t a queue. It was a family standing having a chat in the doorway looking around like it’s their first day on earth meanwhile nobody else can get past. Adults not putting the appropriate swim protection on their children leaving poo to escape into the pool. Normal nappies are not the same as swimming nappies! CONCLUSION Yes I absolutely would return to Gran Canaria. But I would not return to Orquidea.

Just got back from 10 nights staying at this hotel. Slightly worried after reading mixed reviews. But I can honestly say its been amazing. Its a beautiful hotel, lovely clean modern room. Cleaned everyday with fresh towels. Staff are very accommodating and friendly. Loads going on for children and adults during the day if you want it, but not pushy if you dont. 100% recommend the sun set zen meditation on the pool. Pure bliss! Tui reps work so hard, Not sure when they rest! Fab entertainment. Would be better of that was outside rather than inside personally. White night is fab! On the grass overlooking the sea! Lots of food choices in the restaurant each day plus snack bar. Allergies could be made clearer. Tiny symbols that arnt obvious. Asked staff twice. Both didnt know. Ate at the taverna ala carte restaurant for our last night ( ended up being in the next door hotel due to the taverna restaurant being closed due to weather conditions!?? Dissappinting as this is a gorgeous setting overlooking the sea! Ended up sat inside. Asked to sit out was told it wasnt possible) Arrived for our meal to a sign on the door telling us to go next door. Waitress in the restaurant was extremely accommodating with our daughters allergies. Thank you 😊 And the food was lovely. Lovely sitting outside to eat in main hotel away from hustle and bustle inside main restaurant. Wasn't an option first week due to the winds. Plenty of beds but need to be out by 8 if you want one around the pools, and even earlier f you want a parasol. There arnt many of them!! Loads of beds down on the grass over looking the sea! Gorgeous views. Aqua land is fab! Definitely get a fast pass. We didnt and didn't get on many slides due to queues. Definitely recommend this hotel. Really lovely holiday 😊

Stayed here for 10 nights in August. First impressions were great. We were staying in a junior suite and were given room 1101 which was really spacious. We arrived at 9.30 but they reopened the restaurant for us all at 10pm so that we could eat something which we were thankful for. There are three lifts. They broke down on two occasions whilst we there, not ideal when on the 11th floor and made you feel a little uneasy using them. It seemed they just got overwhelmed! The pool areas were great. It’s nice that they don’t allow inflatables in the one pool so that you can play and swim more freely. You do have to join the sun bed war games from 7.30 if you want to be right by the pools but if not there are still plenty of beds. People reserve beds and don’t appear for hours like many other resorts. They don’t allow food by the pool which again is good as it makes the areas cleaner. The lifeguards are really vigilant. The entertainment team work really hard to engage you but most is geared to the younger children. That didn’t bother us. There are different entertainment areas in the evening and we preferred to sit in the bar area where there was often live music. Download the Tui Blu app to find out what is going on. The main entertainment area is inside which becomes like an oven and we found it quite uncomfortable to be there. Tui reps are always available. The reception staff are friendly and efficient. They helped us when our key cards stopped working, helped us order taxis and responded when our room hadn’t been cleaned. Rooms are cleaned everyday but one day we seemed to be forgotten. Not a big problem, we just asked for fresh towels which did come but after a few reminders. (I don’t think this was the fault of the reception staff!). Areas are as clean as they can be. Is it spotless? No. But staff are working tirelessly all day and night and I guess it’s just impossible to keep on top of it. We saw several cockroaches but thankfully not in our room. Flies were a huge issue during our first week but it seemed to improve during the later part of our stay. There is a lovely plaza across the road with several gift shops which makes a lovely change from the all inclusive offer. We never struggled to find something to eat but it was nice to take a break from the busy restaurant. There are some nice walks along the coastline but there is very little sand that you can walk to easily. The beach is rocky and you have to pay for sunbeds on the only sandy part. Would we stay again? Probably not. Have we had an amazing time? Absolutely. Thank you team Orquidea.