Bellevue Aquarius

“Not as bad as all reviews”

Myself and my daughter have just got back from a long weekend in Lanzarote, Puerto Del Carmen. Yes, the hotel is cheap. Yes, it needs updating. But honestly, we could easily have stayed a week. We were in Room 630, and let me tell you now — this room ain’t for the faint-hearted! 88 steps to the r… more

Myself and my daughter have just got back from a long weekend in Lanzarote, Puerto Del Carmen. Yes, the hotel is cheap. Yes, it needs updating. But honestly, we could easily have stayed a week. We were in Room 630, and let me tell you now — this room ain’t for the faint-hearted! 88 steps to the room and no lifts. We basically climbed Everest every day… oops sorry, the apartment steps 😂 The room was OK — very basic, but it had everything you needed: TV, sofa bed, table and chairs, kettle, toaster, fridge, hob and microwave. Off the kitchen was the bathroom; clean and tidy, yes dated, but somewhere to shower and s***, so who cares! Bedroom had two single beds pushed together. Again, it’s somewhere to get your head down, not The Ritz with duck feather pillows. We arrived Friday around 7pm, checked in, and the staff were friendly and gave us a map to find our apartment. After climbing Mount Doom to the room, we unpacked and headed down for food and drinks. Cocktails were machine-made, but hey ho — they were cold and wet 😂 (Sex on the Beach for me and a Piña Colada for daughter). The restaurant was buffet style with plenty to choose from. I had salad, fish and bits of other salad stuff. Daughter had fish, flavoured rice and fries. Finished off with chocolate ice cream and little cakes. It’s not Michelin-star dining, but we left full and happy. There’s also a cute little shop on-site with all the basics. Slightly pricey, but there’s a cheaper supermarket just down the road. Saturday morning… yes, we slept through breakfast 😂 Food times are: Breakfast 8–10 Lunch 1–3 Dinner 7–9 And with all-inclusive you only get 6 alcoholic drinks between lunch and dinner included. More than that and you pay extra. Only thing I hated was beer in plastic cups — I prefer a cold bottle! Since we missed breakfast, we grabbed bread and butter from the shop and made toast in the room. Fine by us because we planned to be out and about anyway. Lunch at hotel was lasagne and chips for daughter, salad, meat and cheese bits for me — cheap and cheerful again. We spent the afternoon wandering around the little shops and found the shopping centre over 4 floors. Daughter was VERY happy spending money 😂 Prices were actually really reasonable and there was something for everyone. At one point I grabbed a cold beer from the bar ready for the climb back up the mountain… hydration is important on inclines 😂 Sunday we explored more of the area. The walk downhill towards the marina is lovely, and there’s a gorgeous little cove nearby. You can follow the coastline around past loads of lovely restaurants and little beaches. Honestly, walking the coastal route is much nicer than walking the road — scenic, relaxed and beautiful views. Just worth noting it’s not ideal for wheelchairs or pushchairs because of the sandy beach sections unless you’ve got someone strong enough to carry them! The walk itself is mostly flat and highly recommended. On our last morning I actually made breakfast! Had the BEST cappuccino from the machine — honestly had about three 😂 Mini croissants, fresh fruit, juice, bacon and fresh rolls. I even carried breakfast back up the “mountain” to daughter in the room. There was actually a really good choice for both cooked breakfast and continental options. Overall, the hotel was fine. Quiet area of the island, which I personally preferred over the hustle and bustle. If you don’t mind walking and a few stair workouts, it’s absolutely fine. The cleaners came in while we were out, cleaned floors, changed towels, and nothing was touched despite us leaving makeup and belongings around. Would I stay here again? Yes, I would. Does it need upgrading? Definitely. Missing tiles? Yep. Pool area a bit rough around the edges? Also yes 😂 But the staff were lovely, the views were fab, restaurants were only a stone’s throw away, and sitting on the balcony in the sunshine with peace and quiet made it worth it. Is it The Ritz? No. But if you’re paying budget prices, you get what you pay for. And honestly? For a cheap, cheerful, sunny break away — it was absolutely fine ☀️🍹

less