Riu Paraiso Lanzarote

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.

Fabulous holiday, hotel great and staff exceptional. Food always hot and plenty of it. Lots of activities and things going on during the day and night for all ages, would definitely recommend.

This is the 3rd visit to this hotel over the last 8 years, I did prefer the layout of it the first time I came as now alot of the sunbeds are in the shade and not enough seating outside at night,it was like musical chairs outside, as soon as a table was available the chairs got robbed and alot of people were having to sit on sunbeds or the wall with there drinks, the flys around the pool were a nightmare too, not sure abiut the quiter pool as we didnt use that one, the rooms were lovely and clean and the food was nice although very repetitive, the beef was lovely and I loved the Asian resturant, the lady that served the fried eggs in the morning was lovely and served your eggs with a smile she made the start of my day very nice and watching the cleaning lady doing the hotel dance round the pool was great to watch. The entertainment team were amazing and also the lady singer was good, the hotel is in a great area and that's one of the reasons we come back, I didn't think the check out was very good as the bloke took our door cards said luggage room is there and he walked away, usually a hotel would say hope you had a lovely stay and hope to see you again etc, it felt like well we don't need to be nice to you anymore so off you pop. Although I had a few niggles the hotel is lovely and clean and most of the staff were lovely. I might return but maybe not for a while.

Very good position of hotel walkable to strip and Matagorda Food and drinks were good for all inclusive Hotel is two hotels joined together we were in the one by reception ideal for us Sun beds were plenty full never had a problem getting one Would go here again