Hotel Riu Gran Canaria

“Lovely stay . First time in Gran Canaria. Normally stay at adults only but opted for a family one for a change. Was actually not too bad. I think a better wrist band system needs to be in place as lots of children in the adult only pool (moved on eventually by the lifeguards) and lots of children (teens) turning wristbands inside out so you couldn't see they were under age then helping themselves to alcohol on party nights. Otherwise lovely hotel and staff very friendly.”

“This hotel is almost a 5-star hotel experience. The modern design, spotless interiors and exteriors, and friendly staff make it a fantastic place to stay. For the first time at a Riu hotel chain, I have absolutely no complaints about the food. Riu Costa del Sol and Riu Palace Palmeras should take note—this is how meals should be done. Although this isn't an adults-only hotel, only about 10-15% of the guests were families with children, which created a good balance. I spent most of my time at the adults' infinity pool, and it was perfect. As I said, it's almost a 5-star experience. There are just a few small details that could be improved. For example, although the waiters were very friendly, they didn't seem to know much about serving wine—they served a sweet wine as dry, even though the bottle clearly said Semidolce. The sushi was surprisingly good, but the soy sauce wasn't at all.These are only minor issues that could easily be fixed. Overall, I had a wonderful stay and would highly recommend this hotel.”

“This is the second time we've stayed at this hotel and it was just as great as the first time. The location is lovely being situated on the promenade with a short walk to the beach. The staff are very attentive and helpful. The rooms are kept very clean as is all of the hotel and grounds. As a family of 5 with 3 children under 16 we all had a good time. The standard of cuisine in the restaurants is high especially the specialist Asian, Italian and A La Carte restaurants but even the buffet restaurant is very good and the waiting staff are very friendly. If we return to Gran Canaria we will definitely return to this hotel.”

“We had a 10 month old with us and all the staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. They loved him and kept him smiling. The food was varied and different daily with the ability to book in other restaurants included in your all inclusive. I can’t fault the hotel we had an amazing time”

“I stayed at Riu Gran Canaria for a week in what is, supposedly, their most luxurious suite with its own private pool. The room itself is stunning, with beautiful views and much needed privacy. As for the rest of the hotel, however, I'm not sure the hotel owners and I share the same definition of luxury. Let's start with the basics: the food. There are plenty of options to choose from and a variety of à la carte restaurants. It tastes fine, with some things better than others, specifically the appetizers. The "restaurants" are really just glorified versions of the main buffet but with nicer cutlery and less noise. The steakhouse was marginally better than the rest. Apart from the subpar food, I have never, in my many stays at all inclusive hotels, been served worse drinks. Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - is on tap and I'm almost entire sure diluted. We had our own booze as "villa guests" and while I was originally very impressed by this, it became awfully evident as the week went on that half the bottles consisted of water. I find it odd that two adults who drink four or five mojitos a day never become inebriated, don't you? Moving on to location, I was actually pleasantly surprised. The view, like mentioned, was lovely and the hotel is right by a small but quaint city center. The hotel itself, with several pools, is beautiful to look at and you can really tell that the gardens are well-kept. There's plenty of room by the pool although guest still reserve sunbeds, for which reason I am not sure. It kind of the defeats the purpose of a relaxing holiday to have to get up early in the morning and run to the pool for a good spot, even though the hotel claims the have a rule against this. Finally, the staff. We often felt unwelcome and found many staff members inattentive. It was obvious that we were not wanted, pretty much anywhere, and that the staff was way more interested in talking among themselves that us. I'm sure it's tedious and exhausting working in this kind of environment, having done it myself, but seeing as this is such a lavish hotel with a strong reputation, I definitely expected more. The head waiter at the gourmet restaurant, an older man with glasses, had no idea what the food contained and got angry with me when I asked. It should be mentioned that I have a severe nut allergy and many of the items on the menu contained peanuts. Nowhere was this information provided. We left most of our interactions less happy and less inclined to come back. All in all, Riu Gran Canaria is pretty to look at. If you expect more than bland food, non-existent drinks or a simple "hello" from staff members, I regret to inform you that you'll likely be very disappointed.”