Elba Lanzarote Royal Village Resort

Booked a week here starting on Boxing Day in late November. Reviews in the build up to our holiday had me considering contacting Jet 2 to change accommodation, thankfully we didn't as our time here so far has been great. Firstly the passport control at Arrecife Airport was awful, apparently down to staffing issues but this led to major delays getting through and we ended arriving at the hotel around 2 hours later than we should have done. Not the hotels fault, not an ideal start but it is what it is. Some got really upset and annoyed, for me it's the start of my weeks holiday and worst things have happened. All about perspective isn't it. So we arrived and check in wasn't as fast as I've had in other hotels, however this was because rather than rush everybody through, the reception staff took their time to explain to everybody while checking in where to find things, times of meals etc, and personally I thought the young lady who checked us in was great. Other may have preferred a rushed check in, but again, perspective. I was happy to know where things where and despite having 2 young children with us, no point getting upset. Can't please everyone can you, but no faults from me. So we are currently on our second full day, having arrived on Thursday. We are staying in room 371 which is a 'magic kids room'. It's clean, has a big bed which is fine, and a single settee/sofa bed. Bath/shower, 2 sinks, happy days. Terrace no stairs to climb, ideal for the 4 of us. Couple of minutes walk to the main building, can't complain. Zero noise from bar etc at night time. Pillows aren't great, but few hotels are. Can't fault it. The kids pool is heated so reasonably mild, the rest don't appear to be and are cold - hey, it's December, not sure what you expect. Weather had been in the early 20s so far we've been here, and again, the hotel can't control this anyway, but it's been great for us. Main sticking points that recent reviews seem to have issues with that almost made me change location - firstly smell of sewerage. There's a slight smell in certain parts of the hotel and outside. It's really not that bad at all, and it's not constant. Haven't experienced it anywhere as yet where it would affect my holiday negatively, ie by pool or food areas etc. So a bit of a none issue for me. Secondly and probably most importantly for me, the food. My wife and I have found it to be fine, good selection, hot, and we've certainly had worse in other hotels around Europe. It's buffet, you should know what to expect with such things. I've been more than happy so far, there was beef on last night which I had 3 helpings of, chips, canarian potatoes, plenty of fish, genuinely no issues for me at all. Service at the table for drinks for us has also not been an issue at all. I'm not saying others aren't, but my kids are polite, kind, say thank you and engage with the staff. It goes a long way. The staff so far have been great with our young 20 month old and we've had no issues

Miguel Rincon, in his reply on 20 Dec, is not correctly depicting the current situation. The sewage system is within the control of Elba Hotels. They have been mandated by the town council to connect to the mains sewerage system but have not complied, despite many requests. The smell is absolutely foul, for many guests as evidenced here, but also for the surrounding neighbourhood.

A good 4-star hotel with hard working committed staff, plenty of food options, a spacious rooms and clean surroundings. The hotel is not on the beach and its a good ten minutes walk to the neatest beach. I'd choose this hotel as a base to explore the area.

The staff here are one of the best we have witnessed but are very short on numbers. I hope the Company appreciates their efforts and pays them accordingly for making up for the shortfall in staff. Just one complaint I have and it is as follows. Perhaps our most expensive holiday to date, so expected top quality service in return. However, and we are still there now as I write. We booked Premium Suites Room 643, which in the costs was the provision of a fridge together with it being filled daily with soft drinks, beer and water etc. on arrival it was fine. From the first day onwards my wife had to go to reception daily to complain our fridge was not filled and was constantly empty! Told they were not filled until after 7.00 pm each night which did not makes sense to me whatsoever. The drinks are needed during the day and not overnight! Told, and assured every single time, Leave it with us and we promise to sort it out! Four days later having been to reception every day and told exactly the same thing, my Wife asked to see the manager. A young lady came to see her and asked if my wife would explain everything which she did. The Manager was quite apologetic and promised to look into the matter and would sort it out. Without any prompting from my wife, the female Manager said it was not good service and we deserved better as we had paid for the service, and was disappointed we had not been sorted out earlier. “SHE”, suggested to my wife that the Hotel might consider to compensate us for the loss of providing the service we had paid for and she would speak to the manager and possibly offer us an upgrade to AI. We thought that was very nice and professional of her and she also said, she herself would contact Jet 2 Services to inform them of this issue and assure them it would be sorted out. We left it at that. Within an hour, the fridge had been restocked. Quite impressed considering that reception had taken four full days to do nothing but with the manager, just one hour. She also said she would be in touch in a day or two to give us an update. Three days later, she phoned on the mobile to ask if everything was all right. My wife said the fridge had been stocked within an hour and had been ok every day since. There was a pause from the Lady Manager until she suggested perhaps we would like a free visit to the Spa as recompense for their failure to provide the goods daily as we had paid for. We explained, we already had paid extra to visit the spa daily so that was pointless. Another pause, no mention of what she and the manager had discussed or agreed to settle the issue. Eventually, my wife suggested they just give us a bottle of wine or something as we were on half board. The wine was in free flow each dinner time as it was available on AI. She hesitated and said she would speak to the Manager. Coming to the end of our Holiday soon and still nothing! Coming back to what I said earlier about members of the staff especially the waiting staff in the a

Where to start? Our experience at this hotel was disappointing from the moment we arrived. Upon check-in, we were told our apartment wasn’t ready and had to wait nearly an hour for the keys. While waiting, we were instructed to leave our luggage at reception, with assurances they would be delivered to our room. Unfortunately, two hours later, the luggage was still missing. When we returned to reception, we were shocked to hear they had no idea where our belongings were. Eventually, they were discovered abandoned in an empty apartment. The Room The apartment itself was decent but far from perfect. There was noticeable mould on the bathroom walls, and several lights didn’t work. We reported the issue to reception, but after a 12-day stay, nothing had been fixed. It’s clear maintenance requests are not taken seriously. The Pools The pools were well-kept and warm, but they came with a hidden hazard: the dangerously slippery tiles. We saw multiple incidents of children and adults slipping and injuring themselves. It’s only a matter of time before someone ends up in the hospital. The Restaurant The dining experience was another low point. The buffet offered a wide selection, but most of the food was cross-contaminated, overcooked, and tasteless. Basic utensils to serve yourself were scarce, with one or two shared among multiple dishes, which is a serious concern for anyone with allergies. The vegetables were overcooked to the point of being mushy, the pizzas were undercooked, and the pasta was broken into tiny, unappetizing pieces. Desserts, regardless of what you chose, all tasted the same. Staffing in the restaurant was abysmal. While there were 12-14 waiters during our previous visit, this year, we were lucky to see three or four. The remaining staff were clearly overworked, and we genuinely felt sorry for them. Cleanliness & Hygiene Cleanliness was another issue. Glassware in the restaurant was questionable, and we strongly recommend bringing your own if you value your health. Speaking of which, don’t forget to stock up on Imodium—you may need it during your stay. Other Issues • Ants were everywhere, including the apartment, patio, and even reception. • The pool bar was severely understaffed, with only one person serving drinks for hundreds of guests. • On a positive note, the main bar was better managed, thanks largely to Malcolm, who kept things running efficiently. Final Thoughts The staff, while friendly, are clearly exhausted and stretched too thin. The hotel has the potential to be a beautiful destination if managed properly, but sadly, it falls far short of a 4-star standard. This was our second visit, hoping the issues from last year would be resolved, but the experience was worse. For the price, this hotel is simply not worth it. There are better options nearby that offer better value and a higher standard of service. This will definitely be our last stay here. Avoid wasting your money.

After an initial concern with the first room we were allocated (902) we were given an alternative (662) which was perfect. This is probably the best hotel we have stayed in as the adults only area is only accessible with your key card and far enough away from the general area to be peaceful and relaxing. Our room was spotlessly clean and comfortable, especially the pillows. There was a pillow menu with lots of choices. It was right next to the adults area pool and snack bar which was brilliant. It says snacks. We were expecting fast food type like a lot of all inclusive hotels seem to be favouring theses days. Not so, there was a great range, from serve yourself salads, fruit etc. and Jelly Bears and Flumps, through to plated burger & chips, pasta, pizzas, pudding etc. The bar staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the music volume was kept quite low, we could see pool area from our room terrace but couldn't hear any noise whatsoever. There was also an adults only restaurant above the main one where the food choices were extensive and, despite other reviewers negativity, the service could not be faulted. You could even start your day at breakfast time with a Bloody Mary and/or a glass of cava. Evening entertainment was as you'd expect in the main theatre but some of the entertainment in the adults lounge next to the restaurant was brilliant. Two tips. 1. Look at the layout of rooms in the adults are and email them with a request to avoid being out of the way. Avoid blocks 90 and 91. Go for blocks 60 or 70. 2. Don't be put off by the prices of the snacks and wine in the restaurant. You don't pay anything on AI. And ask for bottle of wine to avoid having to chase down the wine waiter. They are extremely busy. We would definitely consider booking again, or trying one of the many Elba hotels dotted around Spain etc.