Reviewed: Gran Castillo hotel, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote
Creating the perfect family hotel is a tricky balancing act. It has to not only welcome children, but be planned with them in mind. However, it also needs to have plenty for their parents. A family holiday is no fun if someone is bored or miserable whether they’re four or 40.
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Plenty seem to have cracked the latter half, with hotels that adults will rave about. Not as many work out how to manage the former – although the Gran Castillo hotel in Lanzarote makes a very good attempt.
Staying here overnight to review the Playa Blanca hotel and its facilities, I started to think this might almost be the perfect hotel for kids. Unfortunately, this is one five-star hotel that doesn’t quite live up to its rating or win over the grown ups.
EDIT: The hotel now seems to be renamed as the Gran Castillo Tagoro
Gran Castillo hotel Lanzarote: Vital statistics
The hotel has 329 rooms and suites, including the special Merlin family rooms. The resort itself is divided into an adults-only area, central section with the main pool and most restaurants, plus family area, with the kids club and baby club, children’s pools and playground.
There’s also a spa with its own pool – one of 11 in total across the resort – plus a 5D cinema. Everything is run on an all-inclusive basis, with a Premium All-inclusive option.
Gran Castillo hotel review: What’s good
The rooms
The Merlin rooms are amazing, and Minnie would happily have played in there for our whole stay. Split into two main rooms, separated by sliding doors, the children’s side was fantastic with huge colourful murals on the wall, big beanbag chairs, play tent and a toybox.
The toys are chosen based on the ages of the children staying – although if you have young children, it’s worth casting an eye over, as a dice had been left behind and nearly got swallowed.
There’s also a single bed, with another bed tucked underneath which folds out easily (it folds back less easily). If you have a toddler, it’s worth noting that there’s no bed rails.
The adult half, by comparison, was not so inspired but all perfectly nice, with a big bathroom, shower and bath (again, it’s worth noting there’s no non-slip mat).
The kid’s pools
Several different size pools in ‘Castleland’ including a baby splash pool and another with animal mosaics, waterslides (which only operate at certain hours of the day) and a huge dragon. Minnie was in heaven just looking at them.
There’s also a small playground nearby, all helpfully close to the Merlin rooms.
As well as its own pool with huge cushioned bali beds, there’s a couples room and individual ones in the lovely spa. My scrub and massage came with a bonus jacuzzi leaving me feeling blissfully pampered and relaxed when I finished.
The location
Right on the seafront, although on a mainly rocky part of the shore, it’s a short walk to the marina and there’s a bus heading into Playa Blanca if you don’t want to walk the whole way.
Lanzarote’s Gran Castillo hotel: What’s not so good
The food
This was easily the biggest letdown for me, and well below five-star quality. The adults-only restaurant Sansofe, with Canarian food, was closed on the night we stayed so I was booked in to Italian restaurant Portofino with buffet starter and dessert and mains a la carte.
And while the starter and desserts were fine, my seafood tagliolini was distinctly underwhelming, a huge lump of noodles plus a tiny bit of overcooked seafood.
Another couple suggested I avoided the oriental restaurant Guangzhou (though I can’t vouch for that personally), while the breakfast buffet was varied but nothing impressive.
A kids’ buffet which had been mentioned when I arranged the stay didn’t seem to exist, leaving burgers and similar at the pool bar as the only option for children at tea time.
The staff
Some were incredibly helpful, from waiters at breakfast to one person on reception, as well as very friendly staff at the kids’ club.
Unfortunately that was balanced out by a few grumpy or inefficient faces, and simply not enough staff overall – a handful of waiters at Portofino struggled (unsuccessfully) to cope with the guests; someone to help with bags and guide us to our room never materialised leaving us waiting (albeit with a glass of cava) for almost half an hour…
The baby and kids club
Another mix. The kids’ club opening hours seemed to confuse both guests and some staff, although the fun building and enthusiastic entertainment team working there seemed great.
The baby club was also lovely with a sandpit and play area outdoors, and toys indoors, which Minnie couldn’t get enough of.
Unfortunately when I picked her up after my spa treatment in once piece but in tears, there was also a communication gap explaining why which would have made me very reluctant to book her in again.
The little touches
Each minor in itself, they all added up to take the shine off what is mostly a lovely resort, such as keycards inexplicably being cancelled just before check-out resulting in a 45 minute round trip trek between the rooms and reception.
And while the family side of the resort is lovely, it’s a shame that there’s one large set of steps to negotiate with a buggy each time you go to the main area, while all the other staircases have a ramp option.
Gran Castillo hotel review: my verdict
That’s my overriding verdict – a resort which could be great, but which doesn’t quite manage to provide that perfect mix for a family holiday.
But based on the reply to my comments from the hotel manager, they seem to take the feedback just as seriously so hopefully before long families will be getting the “unforgettable experience” they hope to deliver, for all the right reasons.
For more ideas of things to do in Lanzarote with kids, check out my top picks, as well as my review of the H10 Rubicon Palace in Playa Blanca
Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of the hotel. All opinions are my own. Contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission
Images copyright MummyTravels
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