I am not exactly treading new ground in choosing – or subsequently recommending – this hotel; it already occupies the top spot on TripAdvisor for its area, and given how many properties jostle for custom in Playa del Ingles, that arguably makes it one of the best on the whole of Gran Canaria. Our goal was to relax and unwind as much as possible, and given that (airport transfers aside) we never ventured more than a few kilometres from the hotel, I think we can safely say it delivered.
We immediately loved the styling – having only opened in 2014, the predominantly white decor is still pristine, and provides a respite from the sometimes relentless heat. The architecture lends itself to this too – the corridors are open air, as is the central courtyard, creating an expanse of cool, open space. Blue and green accents provide a splash of colour, and are applied coherently in both the public areas and rooms, coordinating nicely with the pool.
The rooms were just as thoughtfully designed, maximising light and airflow. The kitchen was genuinely useful for self catering; aided by the supermarket next door, we were easily able to cook for ourselves a couple of nights to save the cost/effort of venturing further afield, and having a fridge to store bottled water turned out to be vital. The shower was one of the largest I’ve ever seen, with both rainfall and regular heads.
All rooms from floor 4 upwards have balconies – having paid extra to guarantee this, we were rewarded with the top (9th) floor, and thus views out across the famous dunes to the sea. The open walkways meant an uninterrupted view inland too, with some dramatic sunsets.
Anyone could probably make a success of this hotel, but staff can make or break a travel experience, and fortunately Gold’s are great – incredibly helpful, and seemingly always cheerful. It’s a small enough crew that you start to recognise each other quickly; no task seemed to be too much hassle, and you always got a friendly greeting when passing by reception. When we arrived overheated from a too-early bus stop, they welcomed us with wine and chilled water – despite having already placed a bottle of red and some sweets in the room. When we did decide to go out for a meal, they both arranged the taxi for us, and recommended somewhere that seemed genuinely popular with locals rather than somewhere tourist-oriented looking for a steady stream of hotel referals. They even have an app for booking various tours, or to let you get in touch at any time – through it we were able to arrange bike hire for a very early morning loop out to the lighthouse.
Finally, the food was just right – we had six breakfasts, three lunches, and two evening meals on site and whilst there was nothing super sophisticated, it was tasty, generously portioned and reasonably priced. Most impressive was the wide array of breakfast buffet options, and service from 8-12 meant there was no need to rush out of bed. Or, as we prefered, you can go explore the dunes early in the morning before it gets too hot then return for a decent brunch.
Despite all this, it never seemed crowded: often we were the only people using the pool, hottub, or courtyard seating; and it was rarely a challenge to find a pair of empty sun loungers. Plus with no under-18s allowed, it was impressively peaceful. As mentioned earlier, hardly a controversial conclusion, but thoroughly recommended!
