Riu Paraiso Lanzarote

Been here a few days now, cant fault the accommodation, food, entertainment infact really enjoying the place............... except the smoking. Smoking around the pools, plus there are 2 covered areas reserved for smoking and 1 of them adjoins the non smoking bar area, hence pointless as it smells awful the bar seating constantly smells of smoke. Not seen this before at other RIU hotels where smoking here is freely accepted.

Absolutely fantastic holiday, I don't understand some of the negative comments. The staff were amazing and accommodating there were 11 of us and they always offered to seat us together. The food there was plenty of choices and the chef did special pizza daily for my grandchildren as they didn't like the herbs. One of my grandchildren was unwell staff helped us get a gp to check her and treat her they were so helpful. The hotel is clean and all the staff are polite and friendly.

My daughter and I had our first girls holiday to Riu Paradiso Lanzarote, we had a fantastic few days and thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment staff, their show was fantastic, it had us amazed and we laughed so much! We would definitely recommend getting a sea view room in the main building, as It’s a bit of a trek back and forth to the other building. You absolutely cannot knock the cleanliness, the cleaners are fantastic and they clean each room thoroughly every day as well as keeping the resort clean. Pool towel system could be better, you have to change your towels between 9:30-12:30 each day, it would have been better to hand them back at the end of the day and get a new one in the morning. If you want any cocktails, good luck! They are pre-mixed and out of a machine, they were very syrupy, the other drinks were good, the bar staff did a great job and there was hardly ever a queue! The main restaurant was clean and always fully stocked with everything you could want, there are two other restaurants as-well as the main buffet restaurant, these are also buffet restaurants, the food is good, but it would be lovely if the Asian and Canarian were table service, It would have been lovely touch. The resort is massive, so you can choose to be in amongst the entertainment or the quiet pool. The entertainment was hilarious and kept us fully entertained day and night with numerous games. We had a great time and would definitely recommend!

We returned after 11 years because we took our daughter and 15 year old grandson, so this was a cheaper option. Normally we would not choose all inclusive, but really had no option. But what an option. The hotel is physically the same, the criticisms we had from before still remain, but the improvements outweigh the downsides. The staff, as in most Riu hotels, are hard working, friendly and helpful, and try their best to please. Bar queues were dealt with efficiently and as quickly as possible, no Q jumping permitted! Meals were very well policed with staff cleaning and resetting places so smoothly it was not really noticeable. The cleaning staff were very evident and did a great job every day. Reception were, as always, very helpful and dealt with things perfectly. We asked beforehand for a room on the quiet side to suit our mobility problems, and got what for us was virtually a perfect room, which was close to the facilities, and out of the way and quiet. For us the quiet is a must as we are ancient and need it to sleep. But on the first 4 nights of the stay, when young morons decided to play football (and basketball) on the courts, in the dark we were disturbed. A phone call to Reception sent Security staff round so disruption was minimised. ( The courts have no gates so cannot be locked). That said the thing we noticed was how well behaved children and youngsters were generally. Half term it may have been but not one incident and unruly behaviour did we notice any day. And all the guests seemed so happy it made for a very pleasant atmosphere. But the real shock was the food. We remembered it as being generally disappointing, adequate but not outstanding. Now it is without doubt one of the best ranges we have seen and tasted, outdoing the Riu Palaces we have stayed in. A wide selection at every meal, all well cooked and/or presented, with good quality ingredients and healthy options. I particularly rave over the soups, which I always have on holiday, and were, in all, the best I have had, and the fact that they had Gofio ice cream, a rarely seen Canarian option, but one of my favourites. The Asian restaurant too seemed a lot better in all respects. My daughter particularly remarked thet the fried food was very tasty with no trace of fat or grease. Wonderful stuff for a week. Would we return? Not as a couple, we are too old to enjoy the experience. But for those who enjoy all inclusive, and have families the Paraiso gets our highest recommendation. If only the food was this good everywhere...

Disappointing stay – definitely not a 4 star hotel Overall, I would say this hotel was more like a 3 star than a 4 star hotel, and unfortunately, it didn’t live up to our expectations. The hotel itself was nice, and the staff seemed very friendly, but there were too many guests for one main buffet restaurant. This meant the dining experience wasn’t as enjoyable as it should have been. The food was very disappointing. It was often tasteless, with very little variety. The two snack bars offered pretty much the same food, so there wasn’t really any difference between them. The two additional restaurants that required booking were also buffet style, although the food there did seem to be nicer. We didn’t bother booking the second restaurant we decided to eat in local restaurants most nights. The pool area was another letdown. It often looked grubby due to spilled drinks, and we even came across toenails and pieces of glass, which is completely unacceptable around a pool. There were also loads of flies around the pool area, which made it less pleasant to relax there. We decided to spend most days on the beach which was obviously an extra cost to us along with eating out most of the time. The drinks were disappointing too. There was very little choice of cocktails, and they seemed to be pre made rather than freshly prepared. The fizzy drinks also seemed to lose their fizz and become flat within about five minutes. The rooms were okay overall, but there were several issues that shouldn’t be expected at a 4 star hotel. The kettle didn’t switch itself off when boiling, meaning we had to guess when the water was ready. The shower constantly switched between hot and cold, and the balcony had no light at all, leaving it pitch black at night. There was also a strange damp smell in the room, which wasn’t particularly pleasant. Although the hotel looked nice and the staff were friendly, the overall experience fell well below what we expected from a 4 star resort. Too many issues with the food, drinks, cleanliness and room facilities made it difficult to enjoy the holiday as much as we had hoped. Unfortunately, I definitely wouldn’t return. After this experience, I’ll also be reconsidering whether to book with Riu again. We had been looking at visiting a Riu hotel in Jamaica next year, but this stay has made us think twice, and I’ll now be exploring other options instead. My sister stayed for an extra week after I left with my two daughters. However, she was so disappointed with the hotel that she asked the TUI representative to arrange a change of hotel for her second week, which they have managed to move her to a bed and breakfast hotel which seems a far more relaxed atmosphere. Overall, a disappointing experience and, in my opinion, definitely not deserving of a 4 star rating.