Grand Hyatt Lanzarote Playa Dorada Resort

“Enjoyable stay”

My wife, our young son and I stayed at Dreams Playa Dorada Resort & Spa in May on an all-inclusive basis. We chose not to upgrade to the Preferred Club, which in hindsight felt like the right decision—but more on that later. We arrived at around 9pm after a pre-booked airport transfer and were war… more

My wife, our young son and I stayed at Dreams Playa Dorada Resort & Spa in May on an all-inclusive basis. We chose not to upgrade to the Preferred Club, which in hindsight felt like the right decision—but more on that later. We arrived at around 9pm after a pre-booked airport transfer and were warmly welcomed at reception with a glass of cava and cold towels—very much appreciated after a long day of travelling. Our bags were taken to the room by a porter, and despite the late hour, we were still able to grab dinner at the World Café buffet just before closing, which was a great touch. We caught a bit of the evening entertainment with a couple of drinks before heading to our room, where a cot had already been prepared for our toddler—another thoughtful detail that made settling in easy. During our stay, we split our time between the pool and the beach, which is just a short stroll away. We also booked a couple of excursions through the hotel’s Guest Experience team (dolphin watching and the Grand Tour), both of which were enjoyable and well organised. What we loved: The standout feature of this hotel is undoubtedly the staff. Every single person we interacted with was friendly, welcoming and genuinely great with our son. Special thanks to Agnes, Kelly, Andrea, Aziz, Sandra, Marta and many others whose names we didn’t catch. Our room was clean and well maintained, with a minibar topped up daily (including crisps, which was a nice bonus). We also received complimentary chocolates and Prosecco for our anniversary, which was a lovely gesture. For families, the hotel ticks a lot of boxes. There’s a children’s disco every night, a soft play area, and a separate pool with water slides. The animation team were excellent, putting on daily activities like cocktail making, axe throwing and water polo—special mention to Roman for making these sessions fun and engaging. Other highlights included: Plenty of available sunbeds at any time of day Generous drink measures (proper pints and strong cocktails!) Coco Café for great coffee, cakes and even a decent Irish whiskey Easy access to a nearby beach Well-organised excursions Areas for improvement: The biggest downside for us was the way the Preferred Club is set up. It feels quite segregating, with non-members restricted from certain areas and experiences. For example, you can only access à la carte restaurants for lunch between 3–5pm unless you upgrade—which isn’t really “lunch.” There are also exclusive pools (including a swim-up bar) and a private lounge that standard guests can’t use. We had considered upgrading during our stay, but at €80 per night (around €800 for our trip), it felt overpriced for what you get. From what we understand, the rooms aren’t significantly better either, so it’s hard to justify the cost. Another frustration as a family travelling with a young child was the lunch timing. Lunch service in the World Cafe Buffet starting at 1pm doesn’t feel particularly inclusive for families with small children, who are often ready to eat earlier. A 12pm start would have been much more practical and family-friendly. The à la carte dining was another disappointment. Not all restaurants were open, and the Asian one we tried fell short—food was overly salty and lacked authenticity (our Pad Thai was essentially noodles drenched in soy sauce). The World Café buffet, while decent at times, became repetitive and food was often lukewarm. On the plus side, the staff were attentive and always kept the drinks flowing. Evening entertainment was also fairly average and quite short, typically lasting around an hour starting at 9:30pm. Overall: We had a really enjoyable holiday, largely thanks to the fantastic staff and family-friendly atmosphere. However, it doesn’t quite hit 5-star standards in our opinion—it’s more of a very good 4-star resort. Would we return? Unlikely but then again my wife and I prefer to always travel to new places for each holiday. Would I recommend this hotel for families? Yes, definitely—but just don’t expect 5*.

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“3 stars”

Pros: - Easy to check in and check out - greeted with drinks and snacks on arrival. Bags taken to room. - Staff were generally friendly and attentive (although one didn’t know what I was talking about when I asked where the soft play was) - Rooms were cleaned to a high standard and replenished wit… more

Pros: - Easy to check in and check out - greeted with drinks and snacks on arrival. Bags taken to room. - Staff were generally friendly and attentive (although one didn’t know what I was talking about when I asked where the soft play was) - Rooms were cleaned to a high standard and replenished with drinks and crisps daily - Cocktails and drinks were nice - No sunbed wars at 6am, always plenty available - Great location close to the beach, shops and restaurants Cons: - No menu in the à la carte restaurants for children, although you can order alternative meals with guest services (we weren’t told this straight away) - Children’s corner in the buffet restaurant was repetitive and lacked any nutritional value - Food was generally disappointing, particularly at lunch time. One day there was spring rolls alongside cauliflower cheese and pasta… all very random when put together! - Outside play areas are in direct sunlight during peak times so not great for children to play on as too hot - Lift broke down multiple times during our stay - not ideal with a pram! We probably wouldn’t return, although we may have thought differently if we were travelling as a couple rather than a young family.

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“Very disappointing”

Family break with my young grandchildren and was very disappointed with the lack of facilities for them, no food options the the restaurants for them and the buffet restaurant was a disaster, the children’s corner was the same every day, unless you use the app there is a lack of information around … more

Family break with my young grandchildren and was very disappointed with the lack of facilities for them, no food options the the restaurants for them and the buffet restaurant was a disaster, the children’s corner was the same every day, unless you use the app there is a lack of information around the hotel, children’s pool in 1 area had a small slid but nothing in the other pool areas, the lift broke almost every other day and as we in the 3rd floor with young children and myself with a knee injury, very inconvenient, the staff were great though and were helpful when we needed something like pre ordering food for my grandson in the restaurants but I would note rate this a 5 star hotel and would not be returning or recommend.

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