Hotel Dengan bar di Canary Islands, Spain

Overall exceeding expectations

Santa Catalina Hotel is undeniably a historic architectural landmark, but as a hotel experience it fell well below expectations. On arrival, the service felt cold and somewhat pretentious rather than welcoming, with concierge staff coming across as detached and pompous rather than genuinely hospitable. A key reason for choosing the hotel was the prominently advertised rooftop pool and views, only to discover after check-in that access is restricted to suite guests. The spa is similarly limited unless you pay €15 per person for 90 minutes, which feels disproportionate given the modest facilities. These restrictions are not clearly communicated at booking and leave a sense of being misled. Several of the lounge and communal areas were also frequently reserved for corporate events and seminars, which further diminished the sense of a relaxed hotel environment. As a guest, it often felt as though you were secondary to business groups and functions moving through the space, even in more personal hotel moments such as walking through common areas in a robe. In-room entertainment is very dated, with a non–smart TV offering only basic local and satellite channels. Room service carries a €5 delivery surcharge, while on-site dining is largely limited to high-end fine dining with little casual alternative. It is also worth noting that Las Palmas sits under a noticeably less favourable microclimate than the south and west of Gran Canaria. During our stay, conditions were consistently cloudy, windy, and cool, which further limited the enjoyment of the hotel’s already restricted amenities. For those seeking reliable sun and beach weather, the southern or western parts of the island are a better choice. Overall, despite its striking heritage setting, the combination of underwhelming service, restricted access to advertised facilities, dated in-room amenities, corporate use of guest spaces, and disappointing weather made for a stay that did not feel justified by the price and is not somewhere we would return to. The atmosphere and clientele also skew noticeably toward an older demographic.

Best 4 star hotel!! Initially we were worried about an all inclusive 4 star hotel. What if services, food, drink and entertainment aren’t good, we will be stuck! However, they changed our mind the minute we got there. As I approached the counter, they welcomed us and said they would check if our room was ready. Although it’s not, they took our bags for us and gave us a card (which allowed us to go and have lunch without extra cost) so we could start enjoying our time at the hotel. The room was clean and we loved the deco. We loved the attention to detail too! You can tell a lot of thoughts have gone into the design of the room. We love the food there too. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner every day we were there. Apart from the usual kids’ favourite, the main dishes were different at every meal every day. I particularly enjoyed the freshly cooked fish and paellas; and the Halloween themed night meal. The animación team was excellent. They were very good with my kids. My youngest was a bit shy to start with at the kids club. One of the staff gave her a lot of special attention to help her settle in. The evening entertainment was better than expected too. We really enjoyed the acrobat show. It’s not exactly BGT standard but it’s definitely entertaining enough to keep all of us happy. It’s also 10 mins away by car from the airport. We actually took the bus on the way there. It cost 1.40 eur per person and it stopped right opposite the hotel. On the way back, taxi cost 13-15eur. We also love that there is a beautiful beach right next to the hotel. It’s so thoughtful that there is a shower and towels right next to the gate so you could clean your feet before getting back to the hotel. If there’s anything to complain about, I would say the steam room wasn’t working during my stay!

We had a nice clean appartement which was very spacious. The bed is really good, very soft and we slept like babies. Bathroom was nothing special but clean which is the most important thing. Breakfast is a bit on the expensive side. (8,- for 2 small orange juice). The staff was friendly. We would’ve liked to stay longer but unfortunately it was fully booked. The only downside was the 100,- borg that has to be payed with creditcard as we didn’t have one but we got the appartement anyway. I recommended this place to others if they’re looking to relaxed without the screams from tourists. If you read this as a tourist please keep this beautiful island clean and show your respect. (We walked around with an empty bag picking up trash along the road)

Lovely clean accommodation, and an easy drive from the airport - perfect for a late-night arrival. The staff was very friendly, with biscuits and water refills available at reception. The apartment itself was super clean and felt very new. Our Wi-Fi didn't work the night we arrived, but I think that was just a temporary blip. The bed was nice, and the place felt spacious - a good place to work remotely from with well-stocked cupboards in the kitchen, and a good dining table too. There was also a lovely pool area with plenty of loungers. If you don't mind not having beach views, this is a good sun and pool break option.

Lovely hotel at a very good location. Modern, nicely decorated for Christmas. Polite staff, good choice for breakfast and dinner. Christmas dinner was something out of this world( been to many hotels, but Xmas dinner now will be hard to match). Not sure if it is always like this but we were the youngest in the hotel(43&47)during the first part of holidays and only later some other younger people joined us. The average age was 60's 😁 This hotel is not orientated to children but for us it was perfect- no screaming and shouting and our girl had fun in the pool by Herself and her cousin🤣 I wanted to book Spring Hotel Bitacora at first but now I am thinking that I made an excellent choice . That said, I might try it out next time just because of the All nclusive service Bitacora provides. It was a nice quiet stay so if you expect something like Turkey, eith music around the pool, kids disco and shows, this hotel is not for you. We were half board and 4 days we ate at the pool bar and were never disappointed. Good food and reasonable prices. We didn't book UP option because we were with the kids( it's for 18+)but if I ever come without them- I will try it out! Pros: Very good location Modern hotel Heated pools( wheelchair friendly) Good food and service Cons: No shampoo in a room! It's a first for me 🙈 The tiles in the pool (mosaic) need replacement. My daughter filled probably half of the carrier bag from the bottom saw of the pool🤣 All in all- perfect stay and believe me, I am picky. It is one of the hotels I would recommend to my friends and family

Overall, I am very happy for what I paid (just over £200 for 5 days, all inclusive). The staff were not always the friendliest and I noticed the animation team only speaking to particular guests and not interacting so much with others. This did not bother me personally though. The themed restaurant is excellent, and the taxis are a good touch! Only points to note on the themed restaurant though are the booking is for 8:30pm, and they turned the lights off and were encouraging us out by 9:25. Also another couple had come in and sat down with their food. They were asked to move to the other restaurant which they did, and I assumed they would take their food over given they had plated up. Instead, the waiter scraped all their plates into the bin which seemed a real shame and waste of food, and raised a few eyebrows. (The restaurant was only around 25% full and no further bookings so they weren’t taking up space). The food overall is more than ok for the price paid, even if repeating. The drinks choices were good - I just wish the cups were bigger particularly for soft drinks so you’re not needing to refill as often. I was kindly given a late check out free of charge which was great. Corridors and outside are very loud until late - again this didn’t bother me personally as I struggle to sleep anyway. More than happy for what I paid but if I was paying the peak season prices I’d think a little more

Absolutely fantastic! The room was clean, bright, and sunny. The common areas were spacious and not noisy at all. The front desk service was excellent and incredibly patient. There are also many restaurants nearby, which is very convenient. In short, I will definitely choose this hotel again next time. Facilities: Fully equipped Cleanliness: Super clean

Magnicico albergo in posizione panoramica. Tra i più belli 4 stelle in cui ho soggiornoato. Merita da solo un viaggio apposta a Gran Canaria. Pulitissimo, e arredato molto bene (la mia camera aveva anche 1 belle poltroa un divano. Bellissimo il terrazzo privato panoramico on sedute). Spazi comuni magnifici come il salone con divani e biblioteca, sala ristorante, terrazza panoramica e giardino spa con piscina panoramica. La migliore colazione che ho fatto in vita mia in alberghi di questa fascia 4 stelle! Prodotti locali e non di altissima qualità e cucina espressa la mattina. Salmone servaggio, formaggio di capra locale, dolci di qualità superiore ecc. Tovaglie bianche con il logo della catena Paradores.

Very suitable for parent-child vacation, the hotel has arranged a lot of programs from morning to night. The design details of the hotel are super beautiful and ubiquitous, perfect African style. There are 9 swimming pools, you can definitely find the place you want to lie down and relax. There is a long row of shopping festivals and small restaurants at the entrance of the hotel. The Tujiu restaurant is the most authentic and delicious. The Chinese boss behind the scenes is super enthusiastic about us every time we eat After sending a large glass of wine, take a 7-minute taxi ride from the center of the dunes