Blue Sea Costa Bastian

“You get what you pay for, but what you get is a brilliant family holiday!”

Right. I have thought a lot about how best to review this hotel. Like most people, we read a lot of the reviews and really did not know what to think. We decided to go in with an open mind, and focus on having a fun family holiday in the May half term. It turns out that this hotel is absolutely per… more

Right. I have thought a lot about how best to review this hotel. Like most people, we read a lot of the reviews and really did not know what to think. We decided to go in with an open mind, and focus on having a fun family holiday in the May half term. It turns out that this hotel is absolutely perfect for what we required! 'We' are two adults and two kids under 10. We have been to Lanzarote before, and have stayed in a variety of hotels in the 4-5 star bracket. We just wanted somewhere where the kids could play safely and have fun; and we could relax a bit, enjoy the sun and some eat nice food. We were not expecting 5 star luxury for the price we paid. This is one of the cleanest hotels we have every stayed in. The buildings are showing a bit of age, but the place is spotless and obviously looked after very carefully by the staff. The play area around the side of the hotel is pretty worn out, as are the pool tables and mini golf course, but the pools are in very good condition. We booked a themed family room, which was a great size and layout, and the kids loved the volcanic bunkbeds. It had a massive balcony and you could see the sea. The beds were comfy and the bathroom well laid out. The air-conditioning was not the most powerful, but we were not uncomfortable at night. We would recommend keeping the black-out curtain drawn during the day, as the rooms get a lot of sun. The hotel bars and restaurant were clean and well laid out, and the hotel shop was very useful. The pools were absolutely perfect for our kids (4 & 7). Both the main pool and slide pool have a nice gentle incline, so it was safe to let the kids play without us standing over them. The slides were well maintained and just the right size for the kids to use. The lifeguard was active but friendly, and was only interested in keeping people safe, not spoiling their fun. He was very kind to our oldest, who was a bit nervous around the bigger slide which was lovely. The sunbed policy seemed pretty sensible, as they are chained up until about 10:00 to stop the usual 5am towel scramble. People being people, there was a bit of putting out tables and hanging around in the prime spots, but this didn't start until after 9am and never seemed to prevent anyone getting a space where they wanted to be. We did bring our own towels, so I can't comment on the towel deposit system. The only real gripe we have with this hotel, is they do not supply sun umbrella's. This is due to wind, apparently, but I am unconvinced. There is very little shade, particularly around the kids pools, so some sort solution would be a great benefit. We also thought the sunbathing area to be a bit of a waste of space, but maybe it gets more use at other times of the year. We had an all inclusive package, so dined at the restaurant 3 times a day, and made frequent use of both the main bar and pool bar. The beer is good, and they have a 'Cocktail of the day' which my wife generally approved of. The bar staff are very helpful and had no problem creating basic spirit and mixer drinks on the days were the cocktail was not a favourite. Our oldest loved the slushy machines, and our youngest the pots of ice cream, available all day every day at the pool bar. The pool bar also provides fruit and sandwich bits from 11:00, and basic cooked food (chips, hotdogs etc.) from 15:00. We found the 1 euro deposit for cups to be a very minor inconvenience, that kept the pool area really clean and tidy. Now to the hot topic; the food. We were very happy with it. If you go expecting to have exactly the same food as at home, you will be disappointed, and the selection is not massive. That said, we found the quality and variety to be brilliant. The food was hot, plentiful and tasty. There was something different everyday (but there were always chips), and the grilled pork cutlets we had one lunchtime were some of the best hotel food we have ever had. The puddings were good, and they regularly has a 'Mr Whippy' machine running which made the kids very happy (and caused all sorts of mess!) Wine, beer, fruit juices and soft drinks are available at all meals, and coffee and tea at breakfast. The evening entertainment was limited but fun. As we have young kids, it was not our focus, but we did go down for a couple of evenings and enjoyed the bingo and karaoke (up to a point!) The location is close to the airport (so nice quick transfers), and easy walking distance from Costa Teguise and the beach. We walked into town once, but it wasn't really our cup of tea, and the hotel was perfect for our needs. All in all, if you are after a nice family holiday at a good price, you will not go wrong with the BLUESEA Costa Bastian! We will definitely be coming back.

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