Bull Costa Canaria & Spa - Adults Only

“Good, but could easily be better...”

My wife and I are recently back from a ten day, half board break at the Bull Costa Canaria, and generally speaking we enjoyed ourselves. The position on the prom and about an hours stroll from Maspalomas is good. Our room was a sea view, bright and breezy, spacious and reasonably well equipped. ... more

My wife and I are recently back from a ten day, half board break at the Bull Costa Canaria, and generally speaking we enjoyed ourselves. The position on the prom and about an hours stroll from Maspalomas is good. Our room was a sea view, bright and breezy, spacious and reasonably well equipped. Tea making facilities would have been appreciated (this hotel is very popular with Brits) and being charged €2.50 per day for the use of the in-room safe - in a 4* hotel isn't on. (Having said that, I did use the safe, but wasn't charged and when I pointed this out this omission/error with my final bill was told 'it's OK, there's no charge! Confusing!) Breakfasts and evening meals are in the main restaurant and were both buffet style, which suited us fine. Food quality was fully acceptable - certainly nothing to complain about - but no more than that. For example, for our first few evenings, fresh pineapple was served in the fruit salad, after that it was tinned - penny pinching? The evening meal was in two sittings, but there was no break/tidying up between the two so we were nominally on the first sitting, but just turned up when it suited us. Staff were cheerful, friendly and helpful, but seemed continually very busy. We enjoyed the poolside bar for an occasional snack lunch. Service was good, and the food was of a better quality - being on half board we paid extra. The reserved sun lounger system works well. The common areas in the hotel were all relaxing and well maintained. The hotel caters mainly for Brits and Germans. Indeed, this was our first stay here, but every other British couple we spoke to were repeat customers - some of many years standing. I paid £3k +/- for our ten day stay as a Jet2 package with flights in and out of Birmingham, good value for some much needed sunshine and warmth from a bleak English winter!

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“Nice birthday treat”

We stayed here a couple of years ago although the food wasn’t great then we decided to give it another try and I’m glad we did as this time the food was good not fantastic but good and plenty of it, the staff are very friendly during our stay it was my birthday so had some cards in my room, the c... more

We stayed here a couple of years ago although the food wasn’t great then we decided to give it another try and I’m glad we did as this time the food was good not fantastic but good and plenty of it, the staff are very friendly during our stay it was my birthday so had some cards in my room, the cleaning lady must of informed reception and they left a very nice bottle of Cava and a selection of fruit in our room wishing me a happy birthday that was a lovely treat and thank you very much 😀 the hotel is in a nice location for walks along the beach and if you want to go to Mahon, Puerto Rico or Las Palmas the bus stops are a 2 minute walk from the hotel there is also a Hyperdino supermarket in the same place.

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“Could be 5 out of 5!”

Great welcome, staff friendly and its impressive on initial impression. Great location, next to beach and shops/bars nearby. Only 20 mins transfer from airport too. We stay regularly in Gran Canaria but not here before. We stayed all inclusive in a sea view room. Hotel: Large complex, not too b... more

Great welcome, staff friendly and its impressive on initial impression. Great location, next to beach and shops/bars nearby. Only 20 mins transfer from airport too. We stay regularly in Gran Canaria but not here before. We stayed all inclusive in a sea view room. Hotel: Large complex, not too busy with plenty of sun beds available. Poolside bar was good, beer and soft drinks are self serve if all inclusive. Pools were large and clean, again not too busy. Nice grounds and all well kept. The spa is very good and should be tried. Room: Large room, cleaned well. Decent balcony with soft chairs and a table. There was a tv which got usual UK channels such as BBC1/Sky news. No kettle which is a bit disappointing as most brits like a brew first thing. Nice extra touches in bathroom with packets of soap/shaving kits etc. Restaurant: Large, busy at breakfast and dinner - scaled down at lunch. The food is nice but a but repetitive and not always hot. Staff (with exception of one) always very friendly and work hard. I have to say we did see 2 cockroaches on the dining room floor on successive mornings, staff dealt with them but should they really be there….?! Little by way of gluten free options. Nice to experience good quality coffee and toasters that don’t require putting bread in 8 times to get it brown too, so a mixed bag. Entertainment: Good clean area and good bar with outside seating too. No snacks on the bar which are a norm usually. The acts were decidedly average but it’s not something I am overly or particularly bothered about. Fire juggling, acrobats etc. table service doesn’t really work so just went to the bar. So a good 4/5 but you can see what stopped me giving 5/5 and these need consideration by management as not too hard to fix.

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“Lots of things still to like, but standards slipping?”

My 4th visit here (3rd since Covid) as an independent traveller and I do still like the hotel, but some changes don’t seem to be for the better. The biggest downfall is the dinner arrangements- there are 2 sittings and in previous years the restaurant temporarily closed between sittings so ever... more

My 4th visit here (3rd since Covid) as an independent traveller and I do still like the hotel, but some changes don’t seem to be for the better. The biggest downfall is the dinner arrangements- there are 2 sittings and in previous years the restaurant temporarily closed between sittings so everything could be tidied and reset. This no longer happens and instead you find yourself wandering round the restaurant looking for a clean, set, table if you’re on the second sitting. For a 4* hotel I found this poor. There’s also a shortage of waiting staff to clear tables and take drinks orders. Food I found to be always hot but pastries at breakfast have all but disappeared (it must be a decision by this hotel as the pastries at a sister Bull hotel in Las Palmas this week were fabulous and that was only a 3*). Desserts also poor and those and the cheeses look ragged by the time you get to second sitting. Checkout seems to have moved to 11am from 12 and you need to leave a 15€ deposit for a pool towel (really?), it’s a 4* hotel! The bedrooms, pool and location are what may keep me coming to this hotel but I may think twice next year - especially as their hotel I stayed at in GC was very good (if I’d booked a sea view room as opposed to getting a solo traveller room looking down a side street it may have been even better than very good). There’s a loyal following for the Costa Canaria and it’s adult only offering but I do think management are cutting corners and trading on their standing with travel operators

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“Standards are falling.”

We rarely write reviews, but hopefully management will read this and realise they can't keep letting the standards of this lovely hotel deteriorate any further. We have stayed here, both pre and post COVID over the years, and have noticed a marked decline. The public areas are lovely, clean and c... more

We rarely write reviews, but hopefully management will read this and realise they can't keep letting the standards of this lovely hotel deteriorate any further. We have stayed here, both pre and post COVID over the years, and have noticed a marked decline. The public areas are lovely, clean and cared for. Reception staff, particularly Maribel, Isabel and Ricardo always friendly and helpful. In the dining room, there are fewer staff now, meaning that those who are still there, Ramon, Carmello and Fernando among others plus some new ones are working flat out, and particularly at breakfast, there are not enough hands ( or running feet) to clear plates, reset dirty tables etc. As has been said in other reviews this also means coffee machines run out, food items are often empty and neither china nor cutlery are available to hand. The fresh fruit selection is now minimal, with much more tinned fruit available instead. This is not the fault of the staff..they work really hard and somehow manage to keep smiling most of the time, although Carlota was very rude to me one day. The hotel now has a new chef, who is not a patch on the previous chef, and now at another Bull hotel, and the quality of meats, and vegetables is poorer, as is the presentation. Does the chef not test whether rice, or pasta is properly cooked before serving it? Desserts are the same every night and whatever has happened to the wonderful selection of pastries that used to be present at breakfast? Now it is an enormous croissant or dried biscuits (the same selection every day) and a big cake ! The fresh fruit selection is now minimal, with much more tinned fruit available instead. The hotel now states it is non-smoking yet smoking persists on balconies and whose bright idea was it to have smoking allowed at a sunbed at the end of the pool, affecting swimmers in the pool as well as those sunbeds nearby. There are three designated smoking areas elsewhere. Either you advertise as a non- smoking hotel or not! You can't have it both ways! All this being said, we love the hotel, it's situation, the staff and the returning guests of all nationalities we catch up with each year. Please take heed, or 4* will become 3* and many faithful guests will not return.

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